#Husqvarna

The video begins with eight riders on Husqvarna 701 Supermotos messing about as they leave the track. Typical supermoto hooligans jumping their bikes and doing burnouts amongst other general acts of hooliganism. Turns out they may not be your typical motorcycle derelicts after all.

It’s a new year which means it’s time once again for the world’s most grueling off-road endurance race, the Dakar Rally. Celebrating its 40th edition, the 2018 Dakar Rally runs Jan. 6-20, starting in Lima, Peru, crossing into Bolivia with a rest day in La Paz, and then entering Argentina for the finish line at Cordoba.

If there’s one thing we learned during our 2018 450cc motocross shootout, it’s this: When it comes to building the best 450cc motocross machine, one that excels on all tracks and in all conditions, no bike is ever perfect for everyone.

Mostly known for off-road machines, Husqvarna ginned up more interest in its burgeoning street line by displaying its Svartpilen 701 scrambler concept at the Milan EICMA show on November 7th, 2017. It’s still just a concept, but it’s eye-catching and exciting for fans of edgy, simple, fun-to-ride street-biased  thumpers.

Husqvarna presented the production version of its Vitpilen 701 at EICMA alongside a concept version of its sibling, the Svartpilen 701. We’ll have more on the flat track-inspired Svartpilen 701 in a separate post, but here’s what we know about the “White Arrow” Vitpilen.

When Husqvarna introduced the production models of the Svartpilen 401 street-scrambler and Vitpilen 401 café racer last November, which are based on KTM’s 390 powertrain, we figured it was only a matter of time before we saw larger versions using Husky’s 701 engine. Husqvarna had already presented a Vitpilen 701 in concept form a year earlier, so we were not entirely shocked when we received spy photos of a near-production version (above right) alongside its sibling, a Svartpilen 701.

In case you don’t know, Hell’s Gate is one of the most intense extreme enduro events, and Italy’s most popular. The single day event includes a three-hour main event that includes a host of nearly impossible terrain for the challengers to ride over, around, and through. We’re talking piles of logs to climb, yards of rocks to traverse, and narrow passages lined with trees to navigate through. Not to mention the mud, water, and weather the riders have to deal with.

The race to deliver the best 450cc motocross bike on the planet grabbed another gear in 2017 when Honda released its all-new 2017 CRF450R to challenge the recent dominance of Yamaha’s YZ450F and the never-ending onslaught from the aggressive European companies, namely the KTM 450 SX-F and its fully revived sister, the Husqvarna FC 450.

Husqvarna’s new Vitpilen 401 is focused on “providing a pure riding experience.” Using a 373cc Single borrowed from KTM’s 390 Duke housed in a stripped-down layout with clip-on bars, Husky says it will appeal to “an entirely new generation of riders looking for an honest and highly accessible machine.”

Two years ago, Husqvarna presented two concept at EICMA, the scrambler-styled Svartpilen 401 and the Vitpilen 401 cafe racer, both based off of the KTM 390 Duke platform. Last year in Milan, Husqvarna presented a larger Vitpilen 701 concept based off the 690 Duke. It’s no surprise then that Husqvarna would choose EICMA once again to present the final production model.

Husqvarna announced a completely redesigned two-stroke and four-stroke enduro lineup for 2017. The two-stroke TX125, TE250 and TE300 and the four-stroke FE250, FE350 and FE450 all receive a new frame and subframe design, WP suspension, redesigned airbox and lighter, more compact engines.

Husqvarna announced a revised FS450 supermoto for 2017, updated with air forks and traction control. The 2017 model is currently listed on Husqvarna’s U.S. site but U.S. pricing and availability is still to be confirmed.

We’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of SWM, as neither had we. And figuring out how the story gets from Italy in 1971 back to Italy today is a convoluted and fascinating international journey.

Right on the heels of yesterday’s 2017 Super Duke R spy photos, we have another surprise apparently based on the same platform. The lucky SOB who was spotted tooling around on KTM’s updated SDR is the same guy aboard this Husqvarna using a version of the same chassis and engine. How similar? Let’s take a looksee…

If you ask me, there’s no faster way to get your license revoked than to get a supermoto. Why? Because riding one instantly makes you turn into the hooligan you never thought you could be. Take Yossef Schvetz, for instance. The good-mannered moto-journalist he is (was?), even he couldn’t resist acting like a fool once he threw a leg over a SuMo. Of course, when that motard happens to be a 2004 Husqvarna SM450R, it’s easy to see how Yossef would let his inner teenager loose. So let’s turn back the clock to late 2003 to get Schvetz’ take on the SuMo scene of the day and where the Husqvarna stacks up. And for more pics of the SM450R, be sure to visit the photo gallery.