Two of Husqvarna’s 401 concepts, Vitpilen and Svartpilen are headed for production and will be part of the models lined up for sale by 2017.
Husqvarna has confirmed that the two 401 concepts first showcased in Milan last November will go into production and will be part of the model line-up which will go on sale by 2017. Officials at Husqvarna said that when the bikes were first unveiled in Milan, they got a very overwhelming response from both media and fans alike, which is one of the main reasons they are going ahead into the production phase of both the bikes.
One of Husqvarna’s two Managing Directors, Reinhold Zens confirmed the news about the two bikes going into production, but also mentioned that the design would not be exactly similar to the concepts as they would have to make necessary changes keeping in mind the rules and regulations of the road, although the design of the production bike would largely be based on the same styling as that of the concept bikes.
Husqvarna has been owned by KTM since 2013 and hence will use the same 373.2cc engines and the trellis frame as seen on the Duke 390 and RC 390 models, while also having similar specifications. The Vitpilen, Swedish meaning ‘white arrow’ will have the look of a modern cafe racer, while the Svartpilen, Swedish meaning ‘black arrow’ will be scrambler styled with knobbly tyres.
Stefan Pierer, KTM’s boss who also owns the Husqvarna brand, has done nothing much for the brand since he took over in 2013 other than re-branding Husqvarnas as KTMs underneath. Although this might be beneficial for the brand to help create a sense of trust among customers over the Husqvarna brand name, nothing else is achieved yet. The positioning of the two 401 concepts though, might be that important factor which separates the Husqvarna brand from that of KTM. The models are likely to be produced in India but a domestic launch isn’t confirmed yet.
