First ride Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen 'best road going single ever' - MOTOR ...

What will we are saying concerning Husqvarna's new 701 Vitpilen? Lightness, combined with a punchy, single-cylinder engine equals fun and creates the simplest road-going single we’ve ever ridden.

The conception Husky was dramatic and crowd pleasing. Husqvarna wished to stay things easy, minimalistic and to attractiveness to a replacement audience of non-motorcyclists. The philosophy was to form one thing ‘pure’, or, as Maxime Thouvenin, inventive Lead on the Husqvarna Motorcycles street motorcycles place it, “A mighty single-cylinder motor with a tank, tail and a touch seat – that’s it.”

But even while not the selling hoopla and jargon the Vitpilen is a powerful bike. Despite taking on 3 years to induce production-ready, Husqvarna haven’t deviated from the first conception. It still appearance recent, new and distinctive. On the streets of trendy metropolis, it perpetually histrion attention.

Simply: it doesn’t appear as if anything on the market.

But it’s not all concerning the appearance......

The light 11kg trellis chassis homes the foremost powerful single-cylinder motor on the market. Husqvarna area unit claiming 75bhp from the KTM unit (KTM owns Husqvarna – Ed) and it’s a dead ringer for the 43kg engine found in KTM’s 690 Duke and Husqvarna’s own Supermoto 701. however due to revised supply, completely different exhaust and air-box it produces an important a new bhp than the Duke.

Husky have additionally improved the gear case to administer a a lot of positive modification between second and third and else ‘Easy-shift’, their name for his or her up-and-down quick-shifter.

The WP suspension (also closely-held by KTM) is additionally close to a dead ringer for that of the 690 Duke. The front 43mm USD forks area unit fully-adjustable whereas the WP rear shock, that operates through a linkage, is adjustable for rebound and preload solely.

The brakes area unit constant as those on the 690 Duke and comprise: a 320mm disc with four-piston Brembo caliper at the front and a smaller disc with single piston caliper at the rear. ABS is normal as is basic traction management, though this isn’t lean sensitive. Thankfully, you'll de-activate the traction management on the move and even shut down the ABS at a standstill.

What hasn’t, obviously, been taken from the 690 Duke, though, is that the Vitpilen’s styling. There’s a singular12-litre fuel tank, tailor-made exhaust, enticing sub-frame with smallest seat and distinctive headlights with daytime running lights and is all terribly attention-getting.

On the draw back, though, there's a temptation to conclude that the new Husqvarna is small quite a KTM 690 Duke in masquerade. Yes, the Vitpilen includes a shorter distance, vessel head angle and completely different suspension however once you look past the unconventional styling it’s very not too dissimilar from the KTM 690 that is £900 cheaper.

The elephant within the space.....

Because affirmative, at £8899, the Vitpilen’s pretty dear, too – particularly once you think about the clocks area unit a rather boring, there’s no mode button on the bars, the ignition barrel seems like associate degree afterthought, the clutch lever is just too short and higher than 70mph mirrors vibrated thereforebadly they’re useless.

Yes, the Vitpilen’s designed to be minimalistic and pure however at some purpose that becomes basic and spartan. After all, some similar-priced multi-cylinder bikes have things like full-colour clocks and rider modes.

However those issues don’t diminish however the Vitpilen rides as a motorbike – and it's to be aforementioned it’s pretty spectacular. Around city, the only is responsive and astonishingly swish higher than 3000rpm – such a lot therefore you may simply be mistaken for thinking you’re riding a twin. Below that, of course, the delivery’s a touch lumpy, as you’d expect from an enormous single, however higher thanthat it’s perfect, with impeccable supply.

The plush suspension is soft enough to require on the cruel town setting, bouncing over speed humps, and not jolty over Brobdingnagian pot holes. whereas the rider aids management any wheelspin over white lines and also the ABS-assisted Brembo brakes area unit progressive, robust and easy. The Husky’s ‘Easy-shift’ may be a joy to use and once moving it negates the requirement for a clutch.

Unlike some quick-shifters it’ll even downshift on half throttle and doesn’t need to be absolutely closed. There’s even a fun very little ‘pop’ from the fruity exhaust between up-shifts. And whereas the Vitpilen couldlook dinky is reality it’s quite substantial with a seat that quite high at 830mm and additionally fairly wide. Anyone below 5’5 are going to be on tip-toes.

Let’s get out of city......

The Husky will cruise well at expressway speeds and is pretty quick, too. If you stretch out prone on the tank it ought to be sensible for associate degree indicated 120mph.

That riding position feels natural and not too upright, as well. And whereas not because the 690 Duke the Husky’s seat is sort of onerous that means that the prospect to stretch my legs once the fuel lightweightcame on at between seventy five and eighty five miles was terribly welcome.

Husky claim the Vitpilen isn’t a showy bike, however it still will a reasonably sensible impression of 1. It’s lightweight and flickable, permitting you to alter lines with ease. It darts from one facet to the opposite sort of a toy and turns therefore fast it took American state abruptly on quite one occasion. The attachable bars provide glorious feedback concerning what the fully-adjustable WP forks do and though the rear shock may be a very little soft it will transmit what the rear Bridgestone is doing. match some stickier, take it to a track day and you’d embarrass many huge capability sports bikes, too.

But the general fantastic thing about the Vitpilen beneath that radical bodywork is however simple it's to ride and the way a lot of fun it's – and every one while not the requirement to double the regulation. It jogs my memory of associate degree previous Honda VFR400 or well-sorted Yamaha 350LC, from the timesonce you might commemorate below 100mph.

It’s additionally sensible around city and is simply the maximum amount reception chasing up mountain passes. it had been even moderately comfy on the expressway. Overall? the simplest road-going single I’ve ever ridden – however there’s no activity that steep tag.

The MCN finding.....

There’s no denying the new Husqvarna is fun and really attention-getting. it's a lot of wider skills than I expected and can attractiveness to everybody from trendy commuters to new rockers. That said, at nearly £9000, you’re very about to need to need one.

It’s pricier than Yamaha’s good XSR900, Triumph’s outstanding 765 Speed Triple S and even £900 quiteDucati’s base 797 Monster and it very doesn’t deliver quite any of these.

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