Favourite Motorcycles 2024 – Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

For 2024 the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 still remains on my list of favourite motorcycles. However like it’s brother, the 2024 Vitpilen 401, it does not score as highly as the 2022/2023 model. For those TLDR the review the difference between the two is that the Svartpilen is the Trail or high rise version Ie. the SUV in motorcycle form. 

The Svartpilen 401 has whole page of technical changes that essentially make it a new model. All are in line with the KTM 390 series donor. Husqvarna claims that the new engine required a redesign of the frame hence design to compensate…

The 2024 Svartpilen 401 technical upgrades include a slightly larger engine displacement, requisite changes to the airbox, cams, cam covers, fuel injection, slipper clutch, quick shift, new frame, more modes and larger display, lights and the list goes on. 

Is the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 still worth buying? Yes it is – the proportions haven’t changed that much and while it doesn’t look as perfect as it did, you could get used to it. As I’ve said before and repeating, for all 401 based variants – is this the price of progress and was the original Svartpilen such a flawed model that made all these changes absolutely essential?