5 Nov 2014

Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen

The Svartpilen is my favorite of the 2 concept bikes.
So many cool deatils on this little thing. WANT!
 
A little background on the bikes found on Deristricted:

"In 1955 Husqvarna introduced a revolutionary motorycle. While other manufacturers insisted on going larger and heavier, Husqvarna went lighter, smaller and..faster. The SilverPilen or “Silver Arrow” was a special motorcycle. It was a combination of a compact high output motor in a state of the art featherweight chassis. Husqvarna then utilized the talents of Sixten Saxon, a legendary Swedish industrial designer, to pen the beautiful shape of the Silver Pilen. Both the chassis and the appearance went on to directly inspire the furious red and chrome bombers that later dominated the off-road racing scene.

Almost sixty years later, Husqvarna is reinventing the concept of a small lightweight premium motorcycle. Once again, a high performance engine is housed in a lightweight compact chassis. The Avant garde aesthetics are the result of a partnership with another legendary designer, Gerald Kiska. The 401 Vit Pilen “White arrow in Swedish,” and the 401 Svart pilen “ black arrow” are today’s Husqvarnas. They are not recollections of the past, but rather future interpretations of what defines a modern motorcycle.


“It wasn’t our goal to do a “retrograde” design. When we looked at the 55’ Pilen, it wasn’t so much a source of visual inspiration as it was philosophical. I wanted to “cook” so to speak, using some of the same ingredients, but I wasn’t interested in copying the recipe. Purity, simplicity of form, economy of line, all the fundamentals of Husqvarna design language, doesn’t matter if it was 60 years ago, or now…the same mentality remains,” says senior designer, Björn Shuster. 


Sporting upside down WP forks, lightweight trellis frames, powerful brakes,17 in wheels with modern rubber, and a powerful 400cc engine, the 401s are anything but antiquated. The pure forms and clean design enable a degree of versatility that is not often found on contemporary motorcycles. The Contrast between the Svart Pilen and the Vit Pilen showcases not only the visual variation, but also the functional intent that can be achieved on these bikes.
“A lot of modern machinery has become so hyper focused that it is difficult for the customer to inject a little of his/her own style into the bike, we wanted to create a platform that offers you a little more freedom. You want to run tall bars and run a high pipe for some fire road fun? Or perhaps you want a little more weight over the front end at your next trackday with the clip-ons? Maybe you just prefer one stance to another, it’s up to you!” says Björn."



All pics from the always cool Derestricted site 













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