To clarify ... when I say the throttle is not "too responsive," what I really mean is that I love the level of responsiveness from the throttle along with the power it provides. It doesn't feel like you get too much power too quickly. It's a nice power delivery. 😃 And the ergos with the high handlebars and corresponding higher seat are a good riding position for the city. I can see through traffic wonderfully.
I watched all your videos while looking into my first bike. Was able to get a brand new 2023 Svartpilen 401 this last Saturday and already have 230 miles on it! Looking forward to putting a lot more miles on this thing! Thanks from San Francisco!
If you don’t mind me asking what was your out the door price ? I’m in Southern California they quoted me at 8,300 and I walked away I’m going back tomorrow to another shop and compare prices.
I refer to this as a good entry level motorcycle because it is ... but it's also a great motorcycle to have, period, and one I hope to keep in my garage for many years. Great style and fun for pounding concrete around the city.
Definitely a great starter bike, this along with the RE Scram 411 were my initial choice for my first motorcycle and terrific around cities and old highways/country roads. Neither bike would I think I'd enjoy on the Interstate systems or speeds above 70mph.
T rex racing has a great lowering kit for this bike. It lowers the seat height 2" and comes with an adjustable kickstand made for the bike. Super easy install
Great review. This is what I'm looking for too, a simple commuter city bike, but also has features for some off-road activities. Thinking about renting one before fully deciding!
I got a 2023 Svartpilen 401 as my first bike, I’m 4 weeks and 1600mi into owning so far. I’m loving it! The style is what sold me on it. Love the design. It turns heads and grabs attention everywhere I go, everyone likes it! They’re surprised to learn it’s a Husqvarna. Agree that QuickShifter is wonky. I don’t use it all that often, but when I do and it works properly, it’s really fun to have. Small fuel tank is a small nuisance for sure. There’s no denying that this is a small bike meant for city driving. But it’s perfect for it. The rack on top of the tank is my absolute favorite thing about the bike lol. I can squeeze a 16oz plastic coffee cup into the larger openings and it kinda snaps in and stays put, even at 70+ mph which is amazing.
Awesome! I love when I say "Husqvarna" or "Svartpilen" to someone (like a city bus driver who pulled up next to me and asked me what bike I was riding) and they don't have a clue what I'm saying. I've started saying "Husky" because I think they can remember that and Google it later.
Thanks for a great review! This is going to be my next bike. I've said that a lot lately about a lot of bikes but this one got it all. Almost. And what it got most of is very positive reviews! That and the fact that I live about 2 hrs from Husqvarna!
Bang-on with your review. I also have 2022 Svart…I’m 5’8 and bought Icon stormhawk riding boots - pricey but now able to flat foot & feel much more secure. I’ll have to glue a piece of fabric/leather cuz of the silly stubby gear lever wearing down that area of the boot…btw, the quickshifter is one of those parts that require computer hookup (programmed) for folks who don’t know _ unfortunately only Husky dealers have this setup for this bike.
I like Leo Vince exhausts. One of the better quality aftermarket options. However, with the name "Svartpilen," meaning "Black arrow, "... I personally would get an Arrow exhaust for this bike
I don't know why people have a problem with the stock mirrors, they look better and more functional than these bar end types. I think people just have this need to change everything just for the sake of customization.
Yeah, I was generally fine with the stock mirrors; I liked that if you dropped the bike you wouldn't bust a mirror and the high position meant minimal eye movement to check them. These are great, especially for newer riders. However, I personally didn't like the way they looked. I didn't hate the way the stock mirrors looked, but I wanted a different look. 100% personal preference and a desire to personalize the bike a little (and yes, a lot of people just want to tinker and change things ... I find that part of the fun, but most of the mods I've done also have some practical application). Bar end mirrors ... for me, now that I'm riding on the highway a lot, I actually prefer them over the stock mirrors, and that's because when I tuck a little for highway riding the bar ends are the perfect height to be usable. I thought about keeping four mirrors (because, for me, stock mirrors more usable for city streets and bar ends more usable for highway) but I just went with the bar ends in the end.
To the note on maintenance and parts... if you have a KTM dealer nearby they should be able to do any work. Its the same stock parts in most cases. KTM owns Husqvarna.
i've had mine for about a year and agree with most of what you say. mirrors - i had them changed before i picked the bike up from the dealer. i just couldn't see a thing with standard. the fuel-x is a good idea because i debaffled the std exhaust. the indicators are different in Oceania. better i think and the side stand is a bit rubbish. it never lined up with flat ground. i also removed all the nonsense under the engine. so much pointless plastic. overall a good bike for NZ$8k
Would you recommend this bike still for NZ roads. There’s a 2023 model blow out $6999 currently. And I don’t like the look of the new model it’s lost it’s tough look.
@@chrro466 Yes - probably. it's 2 years I've had it now and i still like it. I have made even more changes now like a better fly screen and a much better exhaust slip-on. All from AliExpress. All had to be ever so slightly modified but excellent quality. the Fuel-x lite is a must because of all the exhaust mods, not too sure about the air box lid. the better filter yes. The 2024 model is a better bike but the styling especially the tank protrusions let it down. i think the 2023 styling is where they should have left it and just given it the better engine etc.
@@bryangrimshaw5607 thanks mate I just need a commuter and the odd logging road ride. I was hearing and seeing tales about oil leaks and electrical faults. I’ll probably keep it stock though. I don’t need extra power or dirt bike suspension I’ve got other bikes for those needs.
I don’t. Haven’t had to muck around with it yet. Anyone here have some insight for @cykablyat8935? There is a pretty active Svartpilen Facebook group. You might try messaging there.
How does it ride on the highways, at speeds above 60 mph? I regularly commute to work on my motorcycles. And it is 30 mins on the highway each way. Does it feel good when riding around 70mph?
I did a video on highway riding. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DAbVE4p1JeI.html Honestly, the biggest thing is just feeling stable. Since it's so light and doesn't have a wind screen, riding no the highway takes some getting used to. Can you do it? Yes, I find that for me it has good power from 60 to 85 or so. I wouldn't want to do that in Dallas-Fort Worth, mainly because of the way people drive. I do take the highway from time to time though. Would love to hear from some other riders who tend to ride on the highway regularly/to commute.
I just picked up my 2023 401 a week ago and i cant tell if its rider error or what, but when I'm accelerating, and especially going from 1st to 2nd, theres this strange loss of power/lurching, almost as if the clutch is being pulled in, and it happens like right before I'm about to shift and is really anooying. I've found i can avoid it by shifting at like 5k rpms, but even when I'm giving very smooth acceleration and the clutch is completely disengaged, itll like cut out momentarily at around 6k. You experienced this at all?
I haven’t experienced anything like that. I have had inconsistent success with the quick shifter, but I don’t really use it. If you are rolling off the throttle when you pull in the clutch and flick the shifter; then release the clutch while rolling back on the throttle it should be nice and smooth. Perhaps others can comment here if they have experienced something similar.
hey just curious how tall are you ? this is on the top of my list for my first bike but my biggest concern is that im 5’9 and won’t be able to flat foot it
I have a 31 inch inseam and am 5’6 tall. Here is a video where I show how I fit on the motorcycle. I also only weigh about 125 pounds so it compresses a little bit not as much as it would for someone who has a healthy weight (I need to put on some pounds). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aK_c2eMwMYE.html
FuelX Lite to regulate the fuel (great mod to smooth things out for lower revs/gears and get a richer fuel mixture. Also, a needed mod if you are going to do high performance air filters because then you'll need something to recalibrate the fuel mixture to be appropriate for the extra airflow or you could damage the engine). I have videos on FuelX Lite, DNA Stage 2 High Performance Air Filter, and K&N High Performance Air Filter if you are curious.
Just bought one used with 3k miles on it. Haven't taken on the road yet as I'm waiting for the documents to get it registered but riding around my neighborhood has been great. Love how it sounds, feels, handles, and everything in between. There is a slight rattling sound on the lower left side which I'm confused about, it might be the chain needs to be tightened or something, was wondering if anyone knew about that. I hear it when the bike is in motion and I'm not revving
It’s been reasonable for me, but I haven’t had any issues requiring more than basic servicing (other than a flat tire and having to buy a new tube and tire). That said, my plan is little by little to take on more maintenance myself. Long term, if I get a more expensive bike to maintain, then I’ll also be better able to service it myself. Really want a second bike so I can wrench one and ride the other.
I’ve been looking into this bike but have been seeing that they come from the factory with an oil leak can any owners here confirm or deny that I don’t to spend over 6000 dollars on something that leaks oil from the factory
Legit concern. Personally haven't had any oil leak issues (thankfully); mostly loose bolts or bolts that are impossible to remove without a professional tool, and that darn quick shifter that kind of works (and I probably just need to get adjusted).
Yes, you can get various bags. I recall seeing a great photo (probably on Reddit) of someone who went camping and just loaded everything onto their Svart.
I have videos on all the mods. Here is the LeoVince starting with the sound comparison. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yMv9sfQA3QA.htmlsi=dOUq0u7em7u95YS1
I really don't like the statement "that's not waht this bike is for"..i mean we are suppossed to own 2-3 motorcycles and 2-3 different cars for differnet purposes like we are all rixh or something. It should be good for long distances as well, it is not a toy
This means that people should only buy cars! A motorcycle is just for fun, we have to choose the style depending on the kind of pleasure we want to get from it. I can agree with your statement in front of reviewers telling that a classic bike lacking of brake power has no problems cause it is not made for sporty riding!
The Svartpilen is a nice all around bike but this is why there are motocross, sport bikes, touring bikes. A motorcycle like this is designed for being an everyday city bike. You can take it on trips, camping, etc. But this is just the reality. It’s purpose built. I don’t see the Svartpilen as a hobby bike. This is an everyday rider. That’s why there are small cars and big pickup trucks. Things are built to fit the specific needs and use cases of people. That’s just life. And it means that what you need out of a motorcycle or vehicle actually can be found and works better for that need you have.
I get it that its an everyday bike, but then if you're in the US, I don't see how you can avoid highways. I commute with this thing daily, everywhere and there's 1/3 highway, 1/3 city traffic, 1/3 country roads. That 1/3 on the highway is really unsettling. The bike needs some solid mods to make it highway worthy, but even then The upright position means there's no getting around wind. Some small design changes would make it far better at 80-85mph. But oh well. The tank size is just plain annoying on a lot of motorcycles. I'd love to see companies give us 200+ mile range like cars. Its like they don't even want us to take riding seriously. I fill up every 2nd or 3rd day, it gets old pretty quickly. On a positive note though, it is Brilliant in Traffic, in city and on twisties. The roar of the single driving through woods or mountains is just unbeatable!
Agree…nice bike, but given the weight and naked build I find only 30 minutes at 65 mph unpleasant, especially with cars around. Probably need more time to be comfortable at highway speeds when wind is blowing.
Not much difference. 2023 model looks like the rear grab bar is gone and the seat was extended 44mm (1.73 inches) to add more space for a second rider. Specs are essentially the same.
