I just purchased the 2018 Austrian-made Svartpilen 401 and love it. Always thought the Duke 390 was a great bike but loving this even more. Light and nimble, a fun city ride.
I've been reading motorcycle magazines for my entire life. I'm older than dirt and it was great to see Burns. He's getting older and what I'll always remember is when he rode the Yamaha 650cc scooter long term.
@M Nair if your talking about Bajaj and Royal Enfield they suck. Don't get me wrong like it's value for money at least Bajaj is. But comparing them to some of the better company's in Indian market there quality is so bad that it's sucks, comparing to a Yamaha or a Honda bikes in India Market are top notch.
@ШИРИШ wait what, TVS quality is the best you kidding me bro, Dude just take R15 for example it's the best 150cc bike period and Yamaha R3 is the best 300cc bike in term of performance, I don't understand what you mean by quality like everyone knows that yamaha engine is exceptional in term of performance and quality. TVS is a cheaper alternative for Yamaha and KTM, Yamaha FZ 250 is not a sport bike Lol it term of track no one is taking there Bajaj Ns or Rs. It's going to be a R15 or R3 for yahama and cbr 250 for honda and there is the ktm line up. like you comparing the best Bike manufacturer in word with TVS, Get out of here.
You are not so far off, but Husqvarna Silverpilen (Silver arrow) was made between 1955-1965 by Husqvarna Motorcycles in Sweden. These new Vitpilen and Svartpilen bikes are inspired by the brand's swedish heritage, like Silverpilen and Guldpilen.
Those hideous lollipop mirrors take away from the lines of a very stylish bike. I think bar end mirrors would complete the look. The CRG Arrows would look great.
Just take them off and hand handle bar end mirrors. It makes the bike 1000% better looking. The stock mirrors is just so they can distribute it through more countries.
They are cool looking , surely unique. Every review on it is positive on the bikes, being zippy and fun. If you want more power the 701 is there and better looking.
love how light these are. i'm considering the svartpilen or the ducati sixty2 as my next ride. i wish the japanese companies still made good looking bikes. the yamaha sr400 looks great but isn't available here in canada. honda is shitting the bed with their ugly ass lineup of bikes right now.
Pika GrapeSnake nope. Dealership I was dealing with tried to mark it up above msrp. I'm gonna wait because it will not sell and get it BELOW msrp in the fall
Brakes made in India 'But' works fantastic ..that was funny lol .. on a serious note we are manufacturing more n more International vehicles now n are getting amazing in this 😊
I got to test ride both of these a couple of days ago. I was sure id like the vitpilen more because i preferred Its styling, but as small bikes like these the svartpilen was way more fun as a toy. And the svartpilen you can remove the handlebars and replace with clip ons if you wish, need to change the triple on the vitpilen for that. Just small pros and cons, but kinda neat bikes. Too expensive for what they are though.
how is it so far? i hear theres issues with the dash (inaccurate fuel meter/distance. and after 600km or so, the red shift light goes off more than it should).
steve lam Hmm. I agree the rangemeter is innaccurate. To me, wouldnt really call it an issue. It's not much of a tourbike anyway. The shift light is adjustable, so thats an easy fix. I think the paintjob is garbage. That's actually the only issue I have so far.
Completely agree, but a more approachable product at a decent price would really fill the gap these leave in terms of reliability, and the new CB300 lacks in performance. The recipe really isn't that complicated, the way I see it?
Impressed by Your swedish knowledge! Svartpilen is exacly what You said it was. Svart is black in swedish and pilen is arrow. Vit is white. In the fifties the Husqvarna had silverpilen. Silver arrow. I am surprised that they have not released one of those yet. Perhpaps a Husqvarna silverpilen 801 next year with that new 790 twin from Ktm?
You were right to start off; Vitpilen means "the white arrow" and Svartpilen "the black arrow". Vit = White and Svart = Black. Silver is silver in Swedish though, so that would be "Silverpilen". Not a bad name for a bike in my opinion.
Nice bike. Yamaha should have simply revived their SDR200, SRX400 and 600, they already have such impressive design in the 80s, especially the SDR 200 which if I am not wrong SDR200 could be the one of the very few that comes with trellis swing arm in production bike beside the Ducati S2R.
Is there any way that these could possibly be more reliable than the Duke/ RC Platform that they're based on? If not, I don't see the logic here. Base a new model on an old model that's been plagued with problems from day one, change nothing but the looks, and charge an extra $1,000?
Di Saar that's good to hear. I don't have one myself, but I was considering getting one for a while, until all of the comments I read about them seemed to imply that you have about a 50-50 shot of getting a lemon. Good to finally see someone that has had one without issue.
To be honest I haven't even seen another 390 where I live (Chicago) but I would it buy over and over again. At 390ccs this is the most fun I've had on a small bike.
I sat on both of these today...I'm 5'10" and they fit me fine, the Svartpilen more so than the Vitpilen. I would say if you're tall the Vitpilen would be the better for because of the bars and the way it positions the body. The seat height is there on both, but they're café racer style style bikes so they're kind of compact.
I'd like the Svartpilen a lot more if it had a generous rear luggage rack instead of that rear wheel hugger, and if it had twice the fuel capacity. A bit more ground clearance and suspension travel would be greatly appreciated. I love the low weight. It's worth the extra cost compared to the Duke 390 not to have any of that hideous KTM orange.
This two bikes are good ,Could have done better in terms of styling .By extending the rear section and dropping in curve fashion really beautiful way .And putting up the rear tail lamp and indicator / flasher integrated in a same unit.Both of them got potential to become really beautiful bikes ,Which at present is only half I guess.
They thought they're going to change the direction and lead the way of bike design like what Suzuki tried to do with the B-King and the later model Katana, what they actually accomplished was they just dated these motorcycles. Only time will tell if they will turn out iconic, but 5 years since their debut, they're slowly sliding into ignominy.
Being a boilermaker, those welds on the '17 390 Duke you reviewed were rejects. If I'm paying $5k+ for a bike, it's not going to have iron worker welds.
Bruno M Vitpilen, one word, translates to THE white arrow. Vit pil (yes, separated) would mean white arrow :) same goes for svartpilen. ~Swedish person
By all reports it's a terrible engine, over heating , valve clearance problems. Looks like a oversized grom. When cheap is high priority on the list for production. I personally would never buy a KTM after my buying experience with them in Australia.
![Husqvarna VITPILEN 401 on a crazy mountain road [RAW Onboard]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4wwhfLTvImM/mqdefault.jpg)
I just purchased the 2018 Austrian-made Svartpilen 401 and love it. Always thought the Duke 390 was a great bike but loving this even more. Light and nimble, a fun city ride.
@@highcountrypioneer3025 no you top it with swag
I've been reading motorcycle magazines for my entire life. I'm older than dirt and it was great to see Burns. He's getting older and what I'll always remember is when he rode the Yamaha 650cc scooter long term.
Half price at Ikea but you have to put it together....
😂😂😂
vrich3733 they are from india now , bajaj is making them with ktm
@M Nair if your talking about Bajaj and Royal Enfield they suck.
Don't get me wrong like it's value for money at least Bajaj is.
But comparing them to some of the better company's in Indian market there quality is so bad that it's sucks,
comparing to a Yamaha or a Honda bikes in India Market are top notch.
I don't think RE sucks anymore
@ШИРИШ wait what,
TVS quality is the best you kidding me bro,
Dude just take R15 for example it's the best 150cc bike period and Yamaha R3 is the best 300cc bike in term of performance,
I don't understand what you mean by quality like everyone knows that yamaha engine is exceptional in term of performance and quality.
TVS is a cheaper alternative for Yamaha and KTM,
Yamaha FZ 250 is not a sport bike
Lol it term of track no one is taking there Bajaj Ns or Rs.
It's going to be a R15 or R3 for yahama and cbr 250 for honda and there is the ktm line up.
like you comparing the best Bike manufacturer in word with TVS,
Get out of here.
As a Swede I want to say good job on the pronounciation.
Owned by an Austrian company😂
@@whyowhy4571 Well, they're still Swedish words *LAUGHING SUPER DUPER HARD WITH TEARS ALL OVER THE FACE*
John Burns tells it like it is. Most honest reviews on the net.
Is it wrong that I'd want a Svartpilen in white?
RACIST!
I want a vitpilen in black
Damn right, I just want a vitpilen with raised handlebars. I think I'm missing the point.
Oh the other hand I want a black vitpilen
Cursed comment
You are not so far off, but Husqvarna Silverpilen (Silver arrow) was made between 1955-1965 by Husqvarna Motorcycles in Sweden. These new Vitpilen and Svartpilen bikes are inspired by the brand's swedish heritage, like Silverpilen and Guldpilen.
Those hideous lollipop mirrors take away from the lines of a very stylish bike. I think bar end mirrors would complete the look. The CRG Arrows would look great.
Saw em off and weld some new ones on.
Just take them off and hand handle bar end mirrors. It makes the bike 1000% better looking. The stock mirrors is just so they can distribute it through more countries.
@@Phantom_Yur is this a reliable bike? I really want it but I need a reliable vehicle
They are cool looking , surely unique. Every review on it is positive on the bikes, being zippy and fun. If you want more power the 701 is there and better looking.
love how light these are. i'm considering the svartpilen or the ducati sixty2 as my next ride. i wish the japanese companies still made good looking bikes. the yamaha sr400 looks great but isn't available here in canada. honda is shitting the bed with their ugly ass lineup of bikes right now.
I wish yamaha would make a baby xsr!
I WISH THE SAME!
Well the 155 is comin
They did
Available in america.
Wow, overcome by the energy! Way to phone it in.
I prefer it. I can’t stand the always caps-lock, jump cut squirrel on speed bullshit that reigns on UA-cam.
I will be purchasing the svartpilen
Feels like that's the better of two. great city bike.
Pika GrapeSnake nope. Dealership I was dealing with tried to mark it up above msrp. I'm gonna wait because it will not sell and get it BELOW msrp in the fall
Thats what im doing too :)
Update on the bike?
Can anyone tell me, how tall is the guy on the Vitpilen 401......
Brakes made in India 'But' works fantastic ..that was funny lol .. on a serious note we are manufacturing more n more International vehicles now n are getting amazing in this 😊
Lijith it’s not available in India currently
Right ?
ШИРИШ oh
I’m really waiting for this
It look really different than other bikes available in the market for the price
royal enfield.. good stuff!
I kinda like the laid back chat about the motorcycles , I think it should be a bit smaller though
Those ice cubes had to chime in
Cianski low key triggering me😂😂
here in the uk the 401s are cheaper than the 390 by about £800!!! which should i go for?
I got to test ride both of these a couple of days ago. I was sure id like the vitpilen more because i preferred Its styling, but as small bikes like these the svartpilen was way more fun as a toy. And the svartpilen you can remove the handlebars and replace with clip ons if you wish, need to change the triple on the vitpilen for that. Just small pros and cons, but kinda neat bikes. Too expensive for what they are though.
if i got one, i'd get the svartpilen but switch the tires with the vitpilen.
Steve Lam I would probably as well (if it wasn't so expensive).
Thank you I bought my vitpilen after watching this :)
How was the Scorpions Rally STRs over all? Thinking of buying them for my CB300R 🤪
Love my Vitpilen. Despite being a ridiculously overpriced Duke 390 I have never loved a bike as much as I did this one.
Wanna sell it in a heartbeat?
how is it so far? i hear theres issues with the dash (inaccurate fuel meter/distance. and after 600km or so, the red shift light goes off more than it should).
steve lam Hmm. I agree the rangemeter is innaccurate. To me, wouldnt really call it an issue. It's not much of a tourbike anyway. The shift light is adjustable, so thats an easy fix. I think the paintjob is garbage. That's actually the only issue I have so far.
One Studios sweet.
The most beautiful bike I've seen in person.
All these slick lines and led headlight then you guys in north america get fat halogen indicators
It hurts
Americans don't know there is merging called indicators so they gotta make it big.
Really wish Honda would make a CB500 Neo-cafe and charge the same money as these two...
mikelilford great idea
its too bad honda hasnt made a good looking bike in years
Eye of the beholder I guess, but I think the new CB1000R looks good (and has more character than the usual Honda offerings).
steve lam 2014 cb1000r.
Completely agree, but a more approachable product at a decent price would really fill the gap these leave in terms of reliability, and the new CB300 lacks in performance. The recipe really isn't that complicated, the way I see it?
Impressed by Your swedish knowledge! Svartpilen is exacly what You said it was. Svart is black in swedish and pilen is arrow. Vit is white. In the fifties the Husqvarna had silverpilen. Silver arrow. I am surprised that they have not released one of those yet. Perhpaps a Husqvarna silverpilen 801 next year with that new 790 twin from Ktm?
You were right to start off; Vitpilen means "the white arrow" and Svartpilen "the black arrow". Vit = White and Svart = Black. Silver is silver in Swedish though, so that would be "Silverpilen". Not a bad name for a bike in my opinion.
I think they look cool. Maybe a little rear fender would touch it up. Like an aftermarket relocated plate/blinker.
JOHN BURNS IS THE MAN. Time for a haircut bro but MUCH RESPECT FOR MR BURNS.
Interesting meeting 👏👏👏 Nowadays, KTM 390 and 401 have the same price.
If these bikes help cure EDS (Excessive Displacement Syndrome), I’m all for it.
Bigger isn't always better. Mostly it's a sales job.
Vitpilen tires are tubeless.
Thank you
Oh my
Currently cheaper than a 390 in UK in 2019.
How cheaper
Huskies are cheaper than ktms.
Nice bike. Yamaha should have simply revived their SDR200, SRX400 and 600, they already have such impressive design in the 80s, especially the SDR 200 which if I am not wrong SDR200 could be the one of the very few that comes with trellis swing arm in production bike beside the Ducati S2R.
Is there any way that these could possibly be more reliable than the Duke/ RC Platform that they're based on? If not, I don't see the logic here. Base a new model on an old model that's been plagued with problems from day one, change nothing but the looks, and charge an extra $1,000?
Maybe you got a lemon, I've got a 390 since 2015 and I've never had an issue with it.
Di Saar that's good to hear. I don't have one myself, but I was considering getting one for a while, until all of the comments I read about them seemed to imply that you have about a 50-50 shot of getting a lemon. Good to finally see someone that has had one without issue.
To be honest I haven't even seen another 390 where I live (Chicago) but I would it buy over and over again. At 390ccs this is the most fun I've had on a small bike.
this is my main concern too. took a svartpilen for a test ride and loved it. but i'm a bit worried about that ktm 390 engine.
Exactly my thoughts. But I’ve read a lot that its the electronics on the duke so that also makes me wonder with these. Hopefully time will tell.
Good job guys appreciate you!
Hi Motorcycle.com family!!!
How tall is Brent?
KTM Duke 390 with assorted body kits then?
A guy down the street from me just got a Vitpilen 4 days ago and just totaled the thing
It looks better after the crash.
Anyone lap up the blood?
We just drug him outback and shot him "Old Yeller" style
Can we say that he got injuries from an arrow... An white arrow
@@rzu7120 go home you're drunk
Svart and Vit cost as much as a Honda crf 250 ralley. But then they have twice the horsepower ☺
At the beginning the guys look like two giraffes on circus pocket bikes. :))) Can't unseen this.
😂😂😂 thought the same
Can any one say...
Which one is better amonge theese
Duke390/Duke250/vitplein 401
Reminds me of the old times motorcycles. Dope
tube tyres, nope!
They're tubeless now.
Is the vitpilen good for tall riders like 6 feet + ? Cause the bike looks small
I sat on both of these today...I'm 5'10" and they fit me fine, the Svartpilen more so than the Vitpilen. I would say if you're tall the Vitpilen would be the better for because of the bars and the way it positions the body. The seat height is there on both, but they're café racer style style bikes so they're kind of compact.
John Burns, now there is a familiar guy from my 60 years of riding.
I'd like the Svartpilen a lot more if it had a generous rear luggage rack instead of that rear wheel hugger, and if it had twice the fuel capacity. A bit more ground clearance and suspension travel would be greatly appreciated. I love the low weight. It's worth the extra cost compared to the Duke 390 not to have any of that hideous KTM orange.
can we customize it to fit 5"3 women height?
They sell lowering springs for these
Svartpile or monster 797 ?
What's the height of that vitpilen rider ?
This two bikes are good ,Could have done better in terms of styling .By extending the rear section and dropping in curve fashion really beautiful way .And putting up the rear tail lamp and indicator / flasher integrated in a same unit.Both of them got potential to become really beautiful bikes ,Which at present is only half I guess.
Good review. You guys are chill. Subscribing.
You know what this is?
*Ultimate hipster bike.*
honda super cub
@Csab have you seen them in person? When I realised they were half the price of the fe501 I just purchased I felt robbed. The vitpilen is gorgeous.
I have a rc390 and have been thinking about trading for a vitpilen 701
So what’s the main difference
When will it launch in india?
Omen Ekka 2019, hopefully. People have spotted test mules in a lot of places.
What's the sound track?
Good video.... do the same for vitpilen 701 and svartpilen 701
$6,300? Guy at my local motorcycle shop quoted me $7,449. Maybe they added some add-ons or it's just because I live in Alaska
In Europe it's €8000,-
Jan Alexander Somebody’s ripping you off
How’s the fuel leak recall?
There is no confirmed fix for this issue.
I’m 5ft 10 . Is this bike to short for me ?
It will be perfect
LOve Svarlipen!
They thought they're going to change the direction and lead the way of bike design like what Suzuki tried to do with the B-King and the later model Katana, what they actually accomplished was they just dated these motorcycles. Only time will tell if they will turn out iconic, but 5 years since their debut, they're slowly sliding into ignominy.
why this bikes, including the duke 390, don't have LED turn signals like in other countrys?? like here in Mexico all of them have LED turn signals.
Tires are tubeless btw... 5:37
Tubeless tires you wally
Hopefully they release a 390 based dualsport bike for the asian market.
Being a boilermaker, those welds on the '17 390 Duke you reviewed were rejects. If I'm paying $5k+ for a bike, it's not going to have iron worker welds.
Are LED blinkers illegal in USA? These come with LED blinkers rest of the world.
Yep, for some reason LED signals aren't DOT-approved here, so we get old-style lights on everything - then buy LEDs aftermarket.
I have a one vitpilen 401 ❤
Reminds me of On Cinema At the Cinema.
ITT: People who badmouth the bikes and reviewers simply because they aren't their cup of tea smh
Why does the US market always get ugly blinkers unlike the European And Asian markets????
Super cool 😎
Would go with Honda cb1000r
The engine looks very very similar to ktm 390(Duke/RC)...
Yea ktm buy Husqvarna sadly
*1:55** Ooooooohhhhhhh*
🐯
You guys aren't spelling out the differences.
I want it!! WHAAAAAA!!!
How are these bikes $6300 while the 701 is $12k??
elpidiovaldez4ever uh.. 2x the power?
Looks like a moped
Maybe on a computer screen. Not in person.
Looks nice but a Ktm 390 engine is less than reliable
And who told you that?...
Benelli Leoncino looks better and you have a good seat for the pillion.
KTM DUKE 390 FANS HIT LIKE BUTTON..!!
I like the round headlight....that's about it
Vit pilen is white arrow according to Google translate
Bruno M Vitpilen, one word, translates to THE white arrow. Vit pil (yes, separated) would mean white arrow :) same goes for svartpilen.
~Swedish person
6.04 made in India 🤔
Sexiest bike 😍
Tall beginner riders also exist... ;)
Went to the local dealer with the intent to buy a svartpilen 401 ... most uncomfortable bike I've ever sat on.
11k
to expensive for the performance you get
Saw these two bikes in an expo last week. Well they're ugly AF, not like their bigger brothers which are very beautiful.
I'd rather have a KTM!!!
Matthew there isn’t much difference between them. Husqvarna basically uses all KTM motors and etc because KTM owns them
Rather buy Duke 390. Same engine.
Is the old guy stoned?.. sure looks like it most of the time.
とても良い！欲しいなあ
double triple ads? DISLIKE
Hats off for husky trying something different, but they are truly hideous.
By all reports it's a terrible engine, over heating , valve clearance problems.
Looks like a oversized grom.
When cheap is high priority on the list for production.
I personally would never buy a KTM after my buying experience with them in Australia.
I am in Australia and looking to purchase a 390 Duke. What was the problem with them?