In the first redesign since the Svartpilen 401 was introduced in 2018, Husqvarna brings a slew of changes to its uber-cool urban scout, thanks to its Austrian family connections at KTM. With an all-new engine, chassis, electronics, and style, the already appealing novice-friendly, but not novice-only, bike becomes an even more attractive package—and the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is only $150 more than last year’s edition. For a uniquely stylish bike that is all about fun, the smile on my face just got wider.
- Perfectly sized for maneuvering through city streets, the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is compact, lightweight, and maneuverable. At 351 pounds with the new larger-capacity 3.4-gallon tank topped up, the 401 is physically non-intimidating. The riding position is upright-sporty—there’s enough forward lean to encourage twisting the throttle to sprint down the boulevard—yet it’s still comfortable and functional for daily commutes. The 401’s scrambler-wide handlebar provides leverage for confident control in slow-speed situations. Unfortunately, the new mirrors still catch my shoulders, as they did in the previous version. Consider Husqvarna’s accessory bar-end mirrors at the point of purchase. Self-cancelling turn signals are a nice touch, giving me one less thing to think about.
- The seat height of the 2024 Svartpilen 401 has dropped by three-quarters of an inch, though the bike feels a tad thick in the waist. Getting feet flat to the ground is always important for a motorcycle newer riders will be drawn to, and while a 32.2-inch seat height isn’t exactly low, it’s 0.7 inches closer to the ground than last year. Interestingly, the bike looks slimmer than it feels when straddling it, though, with my 30.5-inch inseam, I can just flat-foot it in motorcycle boots. The two-piece seat is on the good side of firm, providing a solid foundation for sporty riding while still being comfortable across the urban sprawl.
- The scrambler styling gives the Svartpilen a rugged look that implies off-road skills, though Husqvarna says to keep the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires on the pavement. Wire wheels, a skidplate, and ADV tires—cues that suggest the 401 is ready for light off-road forays—are an aesthetic we approve of. It instantly creates an alluring persona that you can build upon without ever dirtying your Pirellis. While you can sneak down urban dirt roads on the stock tires, the 17-inch rims at both ends discourage anything more adventurous off-pavement. The Svartpilen 401 is built for rough-and-tumble city streets and suburban canyons, and it will comfortably putter calmly or elbow aggressively, depending on your mood or the presence of law enforcement officers.
- An all-new engine and redesigned exhaust system combine to improve the 401’s performance. A longer stroke in the LC4c engine bumps the displacement from 375cc to 399cc. While the gains in horsepower and torque are modest, they both come sooner in the rev range making the thumper that much more functional and fun as an urban mount. Despite its scrambler image, the Svartpilen will happily comply when asked. It shares its engine with the KTM 390 Duke and, while not quite Ready To Race, the Svartpilen 401 is definitely ready to play hard.
- The standard quickshifter means you can skip the clutch if you want— well, sort of. While that may sound appealing to new riders who haven’t fully coordinated their hands and feet, the stock quickshifter is not seamless. Upshifting in the lower half of the gearbox can be clunky and a bit unsettling, which is exactly where novice riders need the most help. Experienced riders, on the other hand, will relish the opportunity to quickshift the 401 up or down, extracting the most out of the small engine whenever they see a juicy piece of tarmac. As is usually the case, the faster the motor is spinning, the smoother the quickshifts. The quickshifter handles downshifts without issues.
- The slip-and-assist clutch is a welcome feature on the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. Even on a smaller displacement engine, I’m happy to enjoy a light clutch pull at the five-position adjustable lever. The 401 will surely be an urban motorcycle for many, and negotiating traffic or splitting lanes means you’ll be making liberal use of the clutch. On the other end of the spectrum, should you botch a downshift while riding aggressively, the slipper feature should bail you out by letting the clutch slip instead of locking the rear wheel.
- Additional electronic aids include power modes, traction control, and an adjustable speed-limiting function. Street is the power you’ll almost always use. If conditions get slippery, or you are a new rider wanting to reduce the intimidation factor, you can switch to Rain mode, where the throttle response is tamped down. Adjustable traction control allows you to choose between Street, Rain, or Off—again, Street is the default setting for most rides. Should you want to keep your top speed in check, you can set a maximum speed that no amount of throttle twisting will override. This is not a feature I will be using, as I enjoy the 100 mph maximum speed now and then. Though, to be fair, the maximum speed can be set as high as 100.
- With an all-new steel trellis frame, swingarm, and some suspension tweaks, the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is ready to sprint through tight turns with utter confidence. The new frame adds rigidity that translates to precise handling, encouraging me to sling it through the local twisties. While not the Vitpilen 401—its sport-focused brother—the Svartpilen does a good impression, hobbled only by its ADV rubber. The WP Apex suspension’s primary job is to keep the ride comfortable on real-world abused urban roadways, while still being firm enough to enjoy the sportiness of the torquey lightweight bike. The inverted WP Apex fork has five levels of rebound and compression damping available—enough to customize your ride without getting lost—and no tools are necessary. The off-center-mounted cantilevered shock has spring-preload and five rebound-damping settings.
- The ByBre brakes are well-matched to the Svartpilen 401’s capabilities. The radially mounted caliper up front has a soft initial bite, which is appropriate given the bike’s intended audience, and a firm squeeze of the lever delivers confidence-inspiring control and feedback. Yes, I can ride with small-bike/high-rpm enthusiasm on local mountain roads, and who doesn’t like that? Bosch cornering-aware ABS contributes to trust in pushing the Pirelli ADV tires and braking hard into corners. Those who really want freedom can disengage the rear ABS by switching into Supermoto mode, which allows the rear wheel to slide. The rear disc is 10mm larger for 2024, and the feel at the pedal is dependable and effective.
- Despite its small displacement stature, the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 holds its own on aggressive urban freeways. You will be running the thumper above 7500 rpm to keep up in the number one lane, though you’ll feel the buzz at the grips despite the motor’s counterbalancer. Even at 80 mph, decent acceleration is still available, at least with my 115-pound frame aboard. The new frame and swingarm give the 401 a slightly longer wheelbase, contributing to the stable feel at high speeds. Meanwhile, the tiny flyscreen takes the edge off the windblast.
- Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires are a stylish choice for the Svartpilen 401. The long and wide knobby blocks of the Pirellis provide a reasonable contact patch for fast, sporty rides while staying focused on the task at hand—sure-footed traversing all-indignities of city and suburban roadways with some visual enduro cred. The Rally STRs handle rain-grooved concrete freeways impressively—something that can’t always be said for pure street tires.
- The fuel tank on the 2024 Svartpilen 401 holds almost a gallon more than last year’s oddly low-capacity tank. With a rated fuel consumption of nearly 70 mpg, the new tank increases the 401’s range by about 60 miles. While you probably aren’t going to empty the Svartpilen’s tank in one ride, it’s nice to ride farther between gas station visits.
- The new 5.1-inch TFT screen gives the Svartpilen a crisp, modern look. The previous-generation round LCD clock had a more unique look, but the fonts were narrow, and the dial was not easy to read. The expansive rectangular configuration of the new dash is easy to navigate via the new backlit left-hand switchgear. Cycling through the menu is relatively intuitive, though I don’t like having to click down four sub-menus to reset the tripmeter.
- The dash has three display options—high-content, medium-content, and minimalist. In the high-content mode, you can pick four favorite data points to display. The dash has smartphone connectivity via the Ride Husqvarna app, which includes functions such as turn-by-turn navigation, answering the phone, and playing music.
- Mounted onto the Svartpilen’s distinctive newly organic fuel tank is a luggage rack, begging for a tank bag. Husqvarna offers a $200 magnetically mounted five-liter bag. For commuting riders who want to ditch the backpack or enjoy light errand transport, this additional functionality is welcome.
- Stylish without being overbearing, the Svartpilen 401 is cool before you’ve even thumbed the starter button. While borrowing the Duke 390’s new engine and chassis, the Svartpilen is not trying to emulate its Austrian cousin. The 401 is eminently comfortable in its own lane, whether that is buzzing streets of downtown, dodging potholes across deteriorating suburbs, or sprinting through the canyons. There are few things more fun than being the master of a lightweight, torquey motorcycle that is agile, predictable, and forgiving. Whether you’re a new rider, downsizing, returning, or just looking for a smaller bike with a nonchalant swag, the 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is all that and more.
Photography by Kevin Wing
RIDING STYLE
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Single-cylinder LC4c
- Displacement: 399cc
- Bore x stroke: 89 x 64mm
- Compression ratio: 12.6:1
- Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 valves
- Fueling: Dell’Orto EFI w/ 46mm throttle body
- Exhaust: Stainless steel
- Lubrication: Wet sump w/ 2 oil pumps
- Cooling: Liquid
- Transmission: 6-peed
- Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ slip and assist functions
- Final drive: X-ring 520 chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Steel trellis
- Handlebar: Aluminum
- Front suspension; travel: Damping-adjustable WP Apex inverted 43mm fork; 5.9 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Cantilevered rebound-damping and spring-preload adjustable WP Apex progressive-damping shock; 5.9 inches
- Wheels: Wire-spoke w/ aluminum rims
- Front wheel: 17 x 3.0
- Rear wheel: 17 x 4.0
- Tires: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
- Front tire: 110/70 x 17
- Rear tire: 150/60 x 17
- Front brake: 320mm disc w/ ByBre radially mounted 4-piston caliper
- Rear brake: 240mm disc w/ ByBre 2-piston floating caliper
- ABS: Cornering-aware Bosch 9.3MP 2-channel
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 53.8 inches
- Steering head angle: 24 degrees
- Triple clamp offset: 1.3 inches
- Trail: 3.7 inches
- Seat height: 32.2 inches
- Tank capacity: 3.4 gallons
- Curb weight: 351 pounds
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Price: $5,899 MSRP
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Review Photo Gallery
