Husqvarna introduces its Vitpilen 701 concept at Eicma
Sexy single-cylinder café racer concept is Husqvarna's next step in returning to the road
By Simon Greenacre
HUSQVARNA has used this year's Eicma show to introduce its Vitpilen 701 concept – a single-cylinder road bike that it says is the next step in the brand's return to the road.
The Vitpilen (Swedish for 'white arrow') 701 has been designed to look like as unfussy as possible. Husqvarna says it's been created to be free of gimmicks and is intended to contain only the most essential ingredients for an exhilarating riding experience.
Based on its name and what we can see of the engine, the heart of the Vitpilen 701 is the 690cc single-cylinder engine from Husqvarna's new 701 Supermoto and 701 Enduro, which is also shared by KTM's 690 Enduro R and SMC R. The 701 concept sports a wide diameter straight-through exhaust, and the engine looks like it's finished in black.
Husqvarna says the bike is meant to be minimal, but that doesn't mean it's lacking some nice touches - the rear of the Vitpilen is a one-piece carbon monocoque that houses the airbox. Other details include the machined footpegs, front and rear lights and that striking looking metallic-finish tank.
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Here's what Husqvarna says about it:
The VITPILEN 701 is Husqvarna's new street bike concept. It marks their return to street motorcycling and is the next step towards Husqvarna Motorcycles' future vision. A sophisticated single-cylinder 4-stroke motor housed within a minimalistic yet high-tech layout - created to provide a raw, exhilarating and authentic riding experience. Functionality, simplicity and practicality were central to the basic idea and inspiration behind this bike. Its uniqueness is not limited to the aesthetics though, and will be instantly noticeable from the raw, natural and intuitive experience of riding it. The VITPILEN 701's designers believed strongly that something fresh was long overdue in the motorcycling world, so they set out to create a bike that better captures the timeless thrill of the ride – with a level of simplicity that seems to have been lost amongst the flash, hype and hyperbole of modern motorcycle design. The VITPILEN 701 was created to reflect the progressive attitude and styling of a more modern and free-thinking breed of rider.
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