Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 First Ride Review: Scrambler Effect

Husqvarna, a brand that made its entry in India in 2019 with the Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250, has now launched this, the Svartpilen 401, effectively replacing the outgoing 250 model. Now with the ‘401’ tag, this motorcycle is not only more powerful and capable but also larger. Based on the latest 390 Duke’s platform, with revised styling, along with a lucrative sticker price, the Svartpilen 401 is what we’ve ridden around the twisties of Tamini ghat located on the outskirts of Pune city to tell you what this scrambler is all about in the first ride review. Read on to find out

DESIGN & FEATURES

While the new Svartpilen 401 keeps to the same profile as the 250, the body panels and the design are all-new. The overall proportions are now bigger, so it gets a large circular LED headlamp with an LED DRL bezel, with a smoked flyscreen on top. The size of the fuel tank has gone up from 9-litres to 13.5-litres, while the tail section is longer and hence the saddle too. Instead of an upswept exhaust, it now features an underbelly one that’s nicely tucked under the motorcycle. It rides on wire-spoke wheels shod with on/off Pirelli tyres.

Compared to the overall proportions of the outgoing Svartpilen 250, the 401 is bigger in all aspects, which was a concern of buyers earlier. Compared to the previous Svartpilen, it’s 20 per cent larger overall, quality levels are good and the fit and finish feel is premium.
 

On the feature front, the Svartpilen 401 packs the same 5-inch colour TFT from the 390 Duke but with a new interface. Switchgear is also the same as the Duke and is easy to operate. The unit isn’t Bluetooth-equipped from the factory but can be installed as an optional extra. Overall, the Svartpilen 401 now looks and feels like a proper city scrambler.

ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

The Svartpilen 401 uses the same powertrain from the 390 Duke which is a 399cc single-pot liquid-cooled unit that churns out 46 bhp at 8500 rpm and 39 Nm 6500 rpm and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch and a bi-directional quickshifter. However, to keep the bike more accessible than its Austrian cousin, the Svartpilen 401 misses out on features like riding modes, launch control and lean-sensitive traction control and ABS. 

Given its high-revving nature, most of the power is accessible from the mid to the top of the rpm band. But the torque is available sooner and can be best enjoyed by keeping the motor above the 3,000 rpm mark for maximum fun. While we couldn’t test the top speed, the bike effortlessly branches the 100 kmph mark and can be ridden without much buzz from the motor till 120 kmph.

With regards to the cycle parts, it again utilises almost the same setup as the 390 Duke. The Svartpilen 401 is suspended by fully-adjustable WP units, an upside-down fork setup at the front with compression and rebound adjustment, and a monoshock at the rear with preload and rebound adjustment. For braking, the setup is again the same featuring disc brakes at both ends equipped with Bybre calipers.

ERGONOMICS

The Svartpilen 401 borrows its trellis chassis from the latest 390 Duke but features a tubular subframe instead of a cast aluminium one. Husqvarna hasn’t tweaked the riding triangle much but is now more accessible thanks to the lower seat height which is now at 820mm but feels closer to 800mm. The long and wide seat offers lots of room to move on the saddle. You sit in a comfortable yet sporty stance with a slight forward lean and a commanding view of the road ahead, thanks to the one-piece wide handlebar. Controls are easy to reach and so is the switchgear to operate. The motorcycle tips the scale at 171 kg kerb, which is manageable to move the bike while sitting or off it. 

RIDE & HANDLING

Since the Svartpilen 401 borrows most of its underpinning from the 390 Duke, the riding and handling dynamics are very similar here. For city riding, it feels apt for the urban jungle, you have all the power you’ll need and the nimble handling attributes to make every ride a fun ride. Off the road, equipped with these lovely Pirelli Scorpion STRs, the Svartpilen 401 can easily take on B roads and do mild trails. With Supermoto ABS and switchable traction control, you can easily kick that tail out and shoot rooster tails on loose soil.
 

The suspension being fully adjustable can be tweaked as to one’s preference, but even in the stock setting, it feels well balanced around corners and soaks up bumps and undulation well. The brakes pack an excellent bite, along with good progression and feel to modulate the braking force more effectively, thus allowing more control of the bike at the time of shedding speeds.

The Svartpilen 401 gets wire spoke wheels as opposed to alloy wheels, which adds to the Scrambler look, but at the same time compromises the ease of repairing punctures that come with alloy wheels.

PRICING

Husqvarna has priced the Svartpilen 401 at Rs 2.92 lakh ex-showroom, which is significantly cheaper than the KTM 390 Duke. As for rivals, the motorcycle competes against the likes of the Triumph Scrambler 400X, TVS Apache RTR 310, BMW G 310 R and the KTM 390 Duke.

All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.
 

VERDICT

Now, to sum things up, the Svartpilen 401 effectively is a 390 Duke underneath, minus rider aids like riding modes, launch control and Bluetooth connectivity which is an optional extra. 

But, what you are getting is a more versatile motorcycle, that is now properly sized, isn’t in your face like KTMs, has a neo-retro appeal, and courtesy of these on-off road tyres, lets you explore beyond the tarmac, all at a sticker price that saves you about Rs 19,000 compared to the Duke.

But, in the end, it all boils down to your preference. If you are a track junkie and don’t mind spending that extra for the additional rider aids, then, the 390 Duke is right up your alley. Meanwhile, if you prefer to fuel your adrenaline on the street or off it whenever the opportunity welcomes, and want to save some money while doing that, your pick can be the Svartpilen 401.