Spied: Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 with KTM 390 Duke engine and wheels caught testing in India

Team OD | Updated: July 31, 2018, 04:32 PM IST

A week after Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj confirmed the arrival of the first two India-built Husqvarna motorcycles in the country in 2019-20, a test mule of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 has already been spotted. Even completely camouflaged bodywork cannot hide the outline of this scrambler. It is known that the 401s - Vitpilen and Svartpilen - will be based off the KTM 390 Duke. But this example even features KTM badging on its engine and sports the same orange wheels as its platform cousin, albeit with chunkier, off-road oriented tyres. In production form, the Svartpilen 401 will feature wire-spoked rims. Also seen for the first time is a raised, fat grab rail above the tail lamp.

Both motorcycles will be made at the Bajaj Auto plant in Chakan. OVERDRIVE had already reported that the 401 line of motorcycles would be manufactured exclusively in India. The Husqvarna announcement seems like the plan was delayed, as earlier, Bajaj Auto aimed to launch the brand by 2018-end or early 2019.

Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

The Huskies, as the brand's motorcycles are popularly referred to, will come powered by the same 373.2cc liquid cooled single cylinder engine as the KTM 390 Duke and RC 390. The engine on the KTMs, also made at Chakan, puts out 43.5PS of power and 37Nm of torque and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with slipper clutch. They will also share the KTM 390 platform with these motorcycles.

Husqvarna

The Husqvarna brand, however, will be positioned as a more premium offering than the KTMs and will hence be priced higher. Expect to see a price difference of at least Rs 30-40,000 over the orange counterparts. With a price closer to the Rs 3 lakh mark, the Huskies will compete with the BMW G 310 R, recently launched by BMW Motorrad India. India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) also launched the 2019 Ninja 300 at a price of Rs 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom) last week, adding ABS to the kit.

Interestingly, with the manufacture of the both 401s in India, Husqvarna will have moved its entire global production of the two motorcycles from Mattighofen, Austria to here. Bajaj also has the Dominar 400, which has an engine based on the KTMs but is offered at a lower price point. The upcoming KTM 390 Adventure, which also shares part of this platform will also debut in 2019.

Spy image credit

Husqvarna Svartpilen 2017 Full Spec

Price (Ex-Delhi)
-NA-

Displacement
373cc

Transmission
6-Speed

Max Power(ps)
-NA-

Max Torque(Nm)
-NA-

Mileage
-NA-

KTM 390 Duke 2020 Full Spec

Price (Ex-Delhi)
Starts Rs 2,52,928

Displacement
373cc

Transmission
6-Speed