2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 Slated For Production

Last year at EICMA, Husqvarna teased a 701 version of its "Black Arrow," the Svartpilen. This year, Husky confirms that the flat-track-inspired machine will be a production model in 2019.

This follows a trend for Husqvarna—actually releasing production versions of concept machines it shows at international motorcycle shows. First it was the Svartpilen and Vitpilen 401 concepts in 2014 and the Vitpilen 701 concept in 2015, all three of which eventually made it to showroom floors a few years later. As a side note, I hope this continues with the recent Aero café concepts, but I digress.

The Svartpilen 701 is a logical move, unifying the brand’s road division, now with two 401s, two 701s, and two Supermotos.

Its engine is the same as is found in the Vitpilen, a 692.7cc liquid-cooled single with 75 hp and 53 pound-feet of torque arriving at 6,750 rpm. There’s a slipper clutch in there, ride-by-wire throttle, and quickshifter for up- and downshifts.

The internals are housed within a chromium-molybdenum steel-trellis frame that’s mated to an aluminum swingarm. It’s got the latest WP suspension units, a 43mm fork and monoshock, both fully adjustable. Brembo braking kit handles stopping, with dual 320mm discs at the front, a 240mm disc at the rear, and a Bosch ABS system that can be turned off for riders who want to lock things up from time to time.

It rolls on 18-inch front and 17-inch black cast alloy wheels with Pirelli MT 60 RS tires for optimal performance in a variety of settings. Since this is a flat-track-inspired machine, after all. The design inspiration is further accentuated with off-road-style handlebars that sit high and wide, giving riders a more upright position than on the Vitpilen 701.

The unmistakable fuel tank holds 3.2 gallons. As much a functional aspect of the motorcycle, the tank also serves to accentuate the look of the Svartpilen 701, which Husqvarna describes as a progressive mix of classic thinking and modern design. Contemporary minimalism, or Swedish to the extreme.

Husqvarna will have this bad boy in dealerships starting the spring of 2019, and there will be loads of accessory upgrades to choose from if you want to give your Svartpilen a little more flair. Akrapovic slip-on exhausts, tank pads, covers, caps, lever protectors, and more.

No price is given for the Svartpilen 701, though the Vitpilen 701 rang in at $11,999 in 2018. We’d expect something in that ballpark.