IN
THE
WIND
P28
HUSQVARNA SVARTPILEN AND VITPILEN
ON THE WAY
T
he world waits for a date, but
two bikes that have made
more than their fair share of
waves since being released at
EICMA two years ago in proto-
type form have been confirmed
as upcoming models.
The Husqvarna Vipilen café
racer and Svartpilen scrambler
will both make it to dealer floors
in 2017, although in what capac-
ity, we are unsure.
Husqvarna has already said
there will be a 125, 401 and 701
Vitpilen, but in what order they are
released remains to be seen. The
Svartpilen has already been con-
firmed as a 401 (using the previous
generation KTM 390 Duke single-
cylinder lump), and the smart
money is betting on a 701 version
using the previous generation 690
Duke as its donor engine.
Spotted by the eagle eye of
Jensen Beeler at asphaltandrub-
ber.com, the revelations about
the two new models came from
parent company KTM AG's an-
nual investor report.
"For 2017 the next step will
be realized with the arrival of
the first two Vitpilen production
models," the report says.
"A strong commitment to con-
tinuing the long tradition of pro-
gressive thinking and pioneering
actions will be reflected as much
in the creation of leading motor-
cycles, as it will in outstanding
ways of identifying, satisfying
and engaging with the rapidly
expanding customer base.
"Pioneering will continue in
every area of the Husqvarna
Motorcycles brand. As a first
step, the upcoming segment-
redefining Vitpilen and Svart-
pilen production models will set
Husqvarna Motorcycles on a
blazing trajectory to become Eu-
rope's third-largest motorcycle
producer—with the aim of doing
so by 2020." CN
Don't you just love
it? You can have a
Svartpilen next year if
you like!
FORMULA 1 VS. SUPERBIKE
W
ant to know just how much faster a Formula 1 car
is compared to a British Superbike-spec BMW S
1000 RR? Check out the video below where Guy Martin
goes head-to-head with Formula 1 race winner David
Couthard in one of Sebastian Vettel's world champion-
ship-winning Red Bull Renaults.
It's not a like-for-like race by any stretch of the imagi-
nation, more a display of sheer speed between two of
the fastest land-based machines on the planet. CN
