When Husqvarna Motorcycles announced the swank Svartpilen 701 as a 2019 model during the 2018 EICMA show, we just assumed that at some point it would be headed to the US as well. Well, Husky's now made it official, confirming the Svartpilen 701 will indeed be hitting North American shores starting in April 2019. The flat-track-inspired but streetwise Svartpilen will join the sportier Vitpilen 701 and its smaller 'Pilen cousins in Husqvarna's naked street range, which Husky is promoting as the 2019 "Real Street" lineup.
To recap, Husky’s Black Arrow is the more style conscious of the two Pilen 701s, but still keeps the performance side of things in focus. Which means the sleek, flat-track-inspired Svart shares quite a few bits with the café-flavored Vitpilen 701, like the liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 692cc motor (with claimed 75-hp output), a chromium-molybdenum trellis frame, and even the binders, which sport Brembo four-piston calipers a 320mm front disc and two-channel Bosch ABS. Ride by wire: check. Traction control: check. Slipper clutch: yup. You’ll also see the same 43mm inverted WP fork, adjustable for rebound and compression, and a fully adjustable monoshock.
Of course flat track “inspired” means just that, and Husky has since come to call the Svartpilen a “street explorer,” perhaps as a reminder that its true comfort zone is blacktop. That opens the door for styling decisions like fork covers, a different number-board-style headlight arrangement (with a premium LED lamp and DRL), and an upright seating position with wide handlebars. The tailsection and rear covers continue Husky’s mantra of “progressive design,” and we’re glad to see it enter the US market officially.
As for pricing, there’s nothing official just yet, but it’s likely to be in the same neighborhood as the Vitpilen 701, which is tagged at $11,999.