Better Looking? Who Knows. Still Funky? Sure. Husqvarna Vitpilen

January 23, 2024

Keep the Vitpilen weird might not be a saying but it should be. Husqvarna heeded the message when they decided to give the Vitpilen and Svartpilen an overhaul.

The original Husqvarna Vitpilen and Svartpilen deserve credit for bring some much needed funk to the small displacement segment. Those first bikes looked like nothing else on the market as the designers were seemly given free rein to design outside the box to achieve a style that stood out from the crowd. True, you might have to squint a little and perhaps turn the lights down before coming to the conclusion the small bikes were beautiful but they were most certainly interesting and in a cookie cutter world, interesting can be just as good as beautiful.

Husqvarna has announced the 2024 Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 have received their biggest overhaul and redesigns since the two unusual bikes were released back in 2018. Don’t worry they might even be a little more funky.

The changes include an entirely new frame allowing for a longer wheelbase, a new 399cc single engine and, according to Husqvarna:

New frame and swingarm that accommodate the new engine with off-centre rear suspension
New 5” bonded glass TFT display (5″LCD display on Svartpilen 250)
Open cartridge front fork (big piston fork on Svartpilen 250)
A premium paint finish with overcoated decals
Low seat height of 820 mm
Cornering ABS (dual-channel ABS on Svartpilen 250)
Easy Shift and connectivity features as standard
LED headlight with positioning light ring (without positioning light ring for Svartpilen 250)
Spoked 17” wheels with premium Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres (Svartpilen 125 and Svartpilen 401)
Cast aluminium 17″ wheels with 6-spoke aero design and premium Michelin Power 6 tyres (Vitpilen 125 and Vitpilen 401)

As noted in the highlights, there are also new versions of the 125 and 250 class bikes.