2018 HUSQVARNA VITPILEN 701
FIRST TEST
P100
The guys and girls at Husqvar-
na got this little devil of a grin
each time we'd point out some
secret gem we spotted on this
motorcycle, because while the
Vitpilen is simple, it is indeed pro-
gressive at the same time. There
are modern trinkets like a slipper
clutch, a quickshifter and an auto-
blip on the downshift, which, con-
sidering my racing background,
was music to my ears.
DON'T FIGHT THE CHAOS. RIDE IT
Looking at press photos of this bike over the months and years
before its release, I was expecting the Vitpilen's simple side to
show up more than its progressive. I expected this cool little bike
to be more of a looker than a fun ride. I anticipated it would be
rigid and fun for about half a day on the back roads—thankfully,
the Vitpilen proved to be much more than just a pretty face around
Barcelona's beautiful mountain roads.
Within a few Barcelona blocks I noticed the ride position was
quite comfortable despite the cafe racer stance. The Vitpilen's
Mokka leather fabric seat had the perfect level of support and
cushioning and the Magura clutch had a nice, easy pull.
(L-R) The Magura clutch has
a nice, light pull. Moreda
noted that the slipper clutch,
quickshifter and downshift
auto-blip are things she'd expect
on her MotoAmerica race bike,
not a café racer-style street
bike. That's got to be one of
the sharpest looking back-ends
available today.
KTM has supplied the
single-cylinder motor
and base chassis,
but that's where the
collaboration ends.
