Husqvarna 701 Twins Spotted Testing

After Husqvarna revealed the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401, the brand seems to have taken a step further with two bigger variants of the twins, the Vitpilen 701 and Svartpilen 701. Both the bikes were recently spied testing in Spain. Also read: KTM’s future plans for India

The concept version of the Vitpilen 701 was revealed in 2015 EICMA show and going by the spy pictures, the bike stays more or less true to the prototype. The exposed trellis frame houses the KTM-sourced 690cc single-cylinder engine but sports a brown casing with the Husqvarna logo. Expect the powerplant to be tuned differently to suit the character of this bike. The engine in the 690 Duke pumps out 73.4PS of power and 74Nm of torque. The curvy bend-pipe ends in a rather fat-looking exhaust, which is likely to be designed keeping in mind the latest emission norm. Expect the design of the headlight and instrument cluster to be more polished in the final production version. The stubby tail is complemented with the fat rear tyre-hugger which also incorporates a number plate holder and LED indicators. The riding position looks upright with a slight forward bias, thanks to the sporty handlebars and rear-set footpegs.

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 is essentially the scrambler variant of the Vitpilen 701. This bike is equipped with a scrambler-esque handlebar and the instrument cluster seems to be much slimmer than the one found in the Vitpilen. It is also angled more towards the rider. Speaking of rider ergonomics, the upright riding position is enhanced by the easy-to-reach handlebar and rear-set footpegs. Unlike the Vitpilen, the Svartpilen’s tail houses both the number plate holder and rear indicators. The spoke wheels are shod with knobby tyres to tackle paths off the roads. 

Both the bikes in the spy pictures look almost production ready and the 701 twins are likely to be displayed at the 2017 EICMA show. It is speculated that the deliveries will commence in 2018 in the international market. When launched, the bikes will compete against the likes of the Triumph Street Twin and Ducati Scrambler. Currently, Husqvarna has no plans of bringing these bikes here. However, it is expected that the smaller Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 will be introduced here in the near future. When launched, the brand is expected to share showrooms with KTM. However, the Husqvarna bikes will be positioned as more premium offerings.

Image Credits: Motorcyclenews.com