2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 First Look
Husqvarna continues to add to its street lineup with the new Svartpilen 701. Shown as a concept at last year’s EICMA show, the “Black Arrow” is ready to join the Vitpilen 701 “White Arrow” in Husky’s street lineup.
The 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 draws inspiration from the flat track scene. Like the Vitpilen 701, the Svartpilen makes use of some sharp lines and geometric shapes, with a flat-topped 3.2-gallon fuel tank that flares outward into two oval shapes bearing the 701 logo.
The tail is asymmetric, with a panel on the right side resembling a flat track racer’s number plate.
The engine is a 692.7cc SOHC dual-spark four-valve Single derived from the KTM 690 Duke. On the Svartpilen 701, Husqvarna claims a maximum output of 75 hp at 8500 rpm and 53 lb-ft. at 6750 rpm. A balance shaft aids in counteracting some of the vibrations from the engine.
The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission with a slipper clutch helps mitigate rear wheel hop and improve stability during hard acceleration, braking or down shifting. The Svartpilen also comes with a quickshifter for clutchless shifting both up and down.
The engine is secured to a lightweight chromium molybdenum tubular steel trellis frame engineered for balanced torsional rigidity and longitudinal flex.
The gravity die-cast aluminum swingarm is connected via a linkage system to a WP monoshock with adjustable rebound and compression damping. WP also supplies the 43mm inverted fork which offers compression and rebound adjustment through clickers at the top of the fork tubes.
The Svartpilen 701 comes with a four-piston Brembo caliper gripping a single 320mm rotor up front and a single-piston caliper with 240mm disc at the rear. Bosch supplies the switchable ABS. The wheels are shod with Pirelli MT60 RS tires, with a 110/80-18 on the front wheel and a 160/60-17 on the rear wheel.
Other features include an LED headlight, forged aluminum triple clamps, off-road-style handlebars and a fuel cap filler cap with a machined Husqvarna insignia.
The 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 will arrive in showrooms in the first quarter of 2019. U.S. pricing remains to be determined.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Starting in 2016 KTM updated the 690 Duke motor and added a second balance shaft - which motor does this bike use? "A balance shaft aids in counteracting" - that should be two, correct?
It needs big, plastic fake air scoops hanging off the gas tank. But seriously, I don't like the lights mounted on the rear wheel, the belly pan & that odd looking panel above the muffler. From all I've read about the 690 Duke it needs a much heavier flywheel, as mentioned. I had a 650 single that pulled like a tractor below idle, this has to be wound out some to run at all.