In a fortnight, Husqvarna Motorcycles will unveil its largest displacement street machine to date, the 2024 Svartpilen 801. To avoid confusion, Husqvarna’s Norden 901 is considered a dual sport/adventure bike. This new machine is a middleweight street scrambler, so similar but different.
The new middleweight is said to deliver a combination of performance, agility, and contemporary style. Its upcoming launch had been widely anticipated by the industry.
Helping with agility and performance is a claimed weight of 181kg while forward thrust is generated by a compact eight-valve twin-cam 285-degree 799cc parallel twin engine producing 78kW (105hp) and, likely as not, 87Nm (supposing it is shared with sister machine, KTM Duke 790).
Electronic rider aids include a quickshifter for seamless gear changes while a safety package optimises the riding experience and safety, presumably via cornering TC and ABS thanks to an IMU device. These are also present on the 401 models.
As part of the testing process, the Svartpilen 801 prototype was ridden on both a flat-track oval and an ice track. This programme of sideways action and ice rides on spiked tyres evidently played a key role in developing the agility of the new machine.
The minimalist look of the Svartpilen 801 is described as scrambler-inspired. Slimline bodywork wraps around the engine and frame allowing unrestricted rider and bike movement while the steering damper and WP suspension can be adjusted for optimised ride comfort.
Full specification and technical data for the new Svartpilen 801 will be released on March 19, 2024.
