Swedish firm releases updates to A2 light middleweight naked range
The second batch of new Husqvarna naked bikes for 2024 comes in the form of the Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen and Vitpilen (black arrow and white arrow in Swedish).
These natty single-cylinder A2 licence-friendly machines have been carving out a niche for themselves since they were launched in 2018, with some unique styling, on the very sound base of the KTM Duke 390 engine and chassis.
KTM shares the same parent group – Pierer Mobility – as Husqvarna of course, which lets both brands benefit from the firm’s powertrain and handling know-how.
The Svartpilen is a scrambler-style machine, with the Vitpilen designed to be more of a roadster. So they have different bodywork and riding positions, with higher wider bars and a separate rider and pillion seats on the Svartpilen and lower sportier bars with a one-piece dual seat on the Vitpilen.
The wheels and tyres are also different, with cast aluminium rims and sporty Michelin Power 6 road rubber on the Vitpilen and wire-spoked wheels with chunkier Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres.
For 2024, both bikes share the same new engine and chassis design with the 2024 Duke 390. The DOHC 399cc single-cylinder engine looks similar to before, but is all-new inside, with a more efficient, compact design.
There are new camshafts, a revised head, new lightweight piston and plasma-coated cylinder bore, as well as detail mods to the cooling system.
A new airbox design and revised fuel injection, plus gearbox refinements rounds off the powerplant mods. Power stays the same as before at 45bhp@8,500rpm, to meet A2 licence rules, with peak torque of 39Nm@7,000rpm.
The revised engine lives in a new chassis, based on an updated steel tube trellis frame. The rear single shock is now mounted off-centre, with a direct link to the new cast aluminium swingarm, and a bolt-on rear subframe.
Just like Carl Fogarty’s Ducati 955cc WSBK racebike, the new frame has come about in part to allow the new airbox – and the lightweight swingarm is curved to help the exhaust tuck in, for better ground clearance.
Husqvarna’s gone with the same higher-spec running gear as the KTM Duke 390, so there’s a WP APEX compression/rebound adjustable 43mm USD front fork, with forged aluminium yokes, and a rebound/preload adjustable WP APEX rear monoshock.
Brakes are from Brembo’s Indian sub-brand ByBre, with a 320mm front disc, four-piston radial mount caliper, and a 240mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper.
Bosch 9.3MP cornering ABS is switchable with a Supermoto mode that turns off the rear channel, and both the new 401 bikes have three-way traction control (off/rain/street) and a quickshifter as standard.
A new full colour five-inch TFT LCD dashboard and backlit switchgear makes it easy to control all the settings, and there’s also a built-in Bluetooth connection function.
The new Husqvarna 401s are on sale from February 2024, both priced at £5,599. www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com.
Technical highlights:
- New frame and swingarm that accommodate the new engine with off-centre rear suspension
- 154.5kg dry weight (Svartpilen) 159kg dry weight (Vitpilen)
- New 5” bonded glass TFT display
- Rebound/compression damping adjustable open cartridge WP APEX 43mm USD fork
- Premium paint finish with overcoated graphic decals
- Low seat height of 820 mm
- Cornering ABS
- Three-level switchable traction control
- Easy Shift and connectivity features as standard
- LED headlight with positioning light ring
- Spoked 17” wheels with premium Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres (Svartpilen)
- Cast aluminium 17″ wheels with 6-spoke aero design and premium Michelin Power 6 tyres
(Vitpilen)