The Husqvarna cafe racer spotted here uses a KTM Duke 690 engine and by far is the largest capacity Husqvarna prototype visible apart from the 701 Supermoto.
KTM’s acquisition of Husqvarna in 2013 has worked well for the latter as the motorcycle maker with Swedish origins is finally working on re-establishing itself under the Austrian manufacturer’s umbrella. While several new concepts have been showcased by the company in the past, these new spy shots of the Husqvarna cafe racer have now emerged online much to everyone’s surprise. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that this cafe racer uses a KTM Duke 690 engine under its belly.
By far the largest capacity Husqvarna prototype after the 701 Supermoto, the new cafe racer was spotted at the KTM’s Research and Design headquarters in Mattighofen, Austria and is said to be more advanced than any of the test mules spotted till date. The spy shots reveal the styling on the Husqvarna 701 Cafe Racer (possible name) that takes cues from the 401 Vitpilen and 401 Svartpilen concepts which were showcased at the EICMA motorcycle show last year with the key design elements same across all models.
The Husqvarna cafe racer test mule is equipped with a 690cc single-cylinder motor from the KTM Duke 690 and is one of the many components that are being carried over from the Austrian parent company’s parts bin. The automaker is trying to create a distinct brand identity with Husqvarna that immediately appeals to different type of customer and despite the shared parts, it will allow the niche brand to co-exist in the same space with KTM. This will also help reduce the R&D spends on the Swedish brand. KTM and now Husqvarna boss, Stefan Pierer had made it clear long ago that the latter brand will eventually expand to use KTM’s entire engine and chassis platforms ranging from the Duke 125 going up to the 1290 V-Twin powered Super Duke R.
With the cafe racer prototype, the development surely is going in the right direction and it will be interesting to see more test mules of larger capacity bikes with the distinctive Husqvarna styling. The company is already testing the Duke 390 based 401 Vitpilen and 401 Svartpilen models which are in advanced stages of development and will be launched after the production versions of the 701 Supermoto and Enduro motorcycles go on sale in around 18 months. It is unclear as to when the 701 Cafe Racer will make its debut in the market but given the advanced development of the test mule, Husqvarna could showcase the concept model at EICMA later this year.
Spy Pictures Source – MotorcycleNews.com