Just a few years ago, Husqvarna began introducing Vitpilen and Svartpilen models of various engine displacements with its own interpretation of Scandinavian styling. The reaction to the styling, to say the least, was mixed.
The performance of the motorcycles, however, including those tested by MD, was, on balance, excellent. Now, Husqvarna continues this design trend with the new 2025 Vitpilen 801.
The styling is arguably less polarizing this time, with slightly more traditional lines and a simple round headlight. More importantly, what lies beneath the styling is more potent featuring a 799 cc parallel-twin developed from earlier models in both KTM’s and Husqvarna’s lineup.
This engine is now rated at 105 hp at the crank, which is an impressive number for a parallel-twin of this displacement. It features a nice spread of torque, as well.
Indeed, the Vitpilen 801 is a closely related sibling of KTM’s 790 Duke, which MD has also tested recently. The styling is quite different, of course, but some of the shared attributes, including the engine and the basic chassis geometry, promise good things from the Vitpilen 801.
MD has tested so many of these KTM/Husqvarna motorcycles featuring similar parallel-twin and chassis designs that it is inescapable reaching a simple conclusion. These bikes are always extremely well balanced, and the chassis offers excellent feedback from the tire contact patches. The Vitpilen 801 was no different in our testing.
This may look like a simple roadster, and it carries a relatively modest price of $10,499 in the United States, but it offers several up-scale features that add to the riding experience.
It offers four rider-selectable modes, including Street, Sport, Rain and a customizable Dynamic mode. Equipped with an IMU, it features cornering ABS and cornering traction control, together with a quick-shifter. A 5 inch, bright color TFT dash is included.
For the first 600 miles, a purchaser of the Vitpilen 801 can sample the “Dynamic pack”, which allows the rider to adjust throttle response as well as traction control, and even levels of wheelie control and engine braking. After this test period, you will have to pay your dealer to keep these features (in the neighborhood of $500). Our test bike had all of these features enabled.
The suspension is impressive for this price category. The fork is adjustable for both compression and rebound through easily reached clickers on top of each fork tube. The fork is a beefy 43 mm diameter unit. The shock is adjustable for both spring preload and rebound.
The front brake calipers are four-piston units with Husqvarna branding that squeeze two 300 mm discs. A single 240 mm rear disc is operated through a two-piston caliper. The ABS system allows you to switch to “SuperMoto mode” and disable rear ABS.
The 17 inch wheels are shod with Michelin Road 6 tires sized 120/70 front and 180/55 rear.
That quick-shifter operates a six-speed gearbox.
The Vitpilen 801 is very light at a claimed 396 pounds with an empty fuel tank.
Riding the Vitpilen 801 proved to be a pleasure, and a reminder of the quality of this chassis, now supported by adjustable suspension components. Characteristic of both Husqvarna and KTM, the suspension damping is on the firm side, but both compression and rebound can be softened for road cruising.
The ergonomics are slightly more aggressive than your standard upright naked bike. A slight lean forward to the bars is coupled with pegs that offer decent leg room. The seat proved comfortable, even on longer rides.
The bike handles superbly. For spirited riding, we added some spring preload in the back for our 200 pound test rider, and stiffened the fork while slowing the rebound in the shock. What we ended up with was a bike very capable, and confident, on twisty roads.
The bike also offers good stability at high speeds, but, of course, as a naked bike you have to deal with wind pressure on your chest and helmet. Vibration levels are reasonable for a parallel twin, and did not interfere with our enjoyment of the bike.
The house-branded brakes get the job done. Certainly better than the base model units on earlier KTM Duke 790s and 890s, they proved more than adequate on the road with a mild initial bite but progressive and adequate power.
The quick-shifter also seemed improved from some of the earlier Husqvarna and KTM models with this feature. It doesn’t like to be shifted between first and second gear, which is not unlike most of the competition, and prefers up-shifts under power. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant addition to the bike, and did not distract from the riding experience.
Throttle response was excellent in the Street mode, but slightly touchy in the Sport mode. This seems to be fairly typical of most modern bikes. Nevertheless, Sport mode is usable for aggressive riding, but Street mode works better everywhere else.
The stock Michelin Road 6 tires are quality rubber. Their presence on the bike is somewhat surprising given its modest price point. Nevertheless, we are not big fans of the Road 6 tires. We find them adequate until pushed hard on twisty roads, where grip is not in the sport tire category, for certain, and also, in our experience, less than available from some of the sport touring tire competition.
The fuel tank capacity is 3.7 gallons and offers decent range while the bike returns roughly 50 MPG in mixed riding.
Styling is subjective, for sure, but we think the new Vitpilen 801 is a very good looking machine. It also performs very well and is reasonably priced given the technology available and the fully adjustable suspension. Take a look at Husqvarna’s website for additional details and specifications
I’m glad they (whatever their name is now…Bajaj Mobility Groupe) are building this.
But even though my 701 Vitpilen was in a garage fire last month, I would not trade it for this 801 LC8c parallel twin for anything. Especially after an online nationwide search revealed zero 2020 Vit 701’s for sale currently.
*Edit to above
This Vitpilen 801 would, however, be a better everyday bike than the Vit 701 if you had to choose it as an only bike in a 1 bike collection.
*Edit to above
This Vitpilen 801 would, however, be a better everyday bike than the Vit 701 if you had to choose it as an only bike in a 1 bike collection.
I think it’s a great looking bike. I’d love to take it for a spin!
I have always respected KTM and Husqvarna for their focus on light weight, chassis,engine and brakes. The styling of the Husquarna is more acceptable to my eyes than KTM. I ordered a Triumph 400x months before they arrived and am very happy with it. The specs of the KTM offerings were very impressive but I chose the Triumph because to me it was more “eye-able”. I wish the company the best. Hoping to see a 501 soon. This would fill the gap between the Triumph 400x and the 690 KTM Duke in my stable.
Yes, just checked Triumph 400x last week, yes yes do a 500 and be done with it. Thumpers forever !
I’ve been watching a few videos of bike tuners going over throttle control. It’s amazing how seldom the bikes actually do what they are told now days. Every review talks about modes and there is never an organic mode. It’s hard for me to imagine them selling any bikes at all. They talk about being able to select different flavors of disobedience like it’s a feature that I am supposed to want.
I remember the first time I rode a ride by wire bike. It was a 690 Enduro. Overall I thought it was pretty cool for an off the rack street bike. But the ride by wire was a total non-starter for me. It surprises me that the aftermarket doesn’t seem to be making throttle by wire elimination kits.
From personal experience (2 bikes in current ownership) this is complete nonsense. But we knew that.
I have never ridden a R B Wire. What is the most common distraction on the average R B Wire bike ?
I still think CV Carbs are the cats meow.
Flat slide carb with accelerator pump guy myself. It’s a beautiful thing. Though I have had a few really nice injected bikes, with cable throttles. I simply refuse to tolerate throttles that don’t whack wide open right now when I whack them open right now. Both CV carbs and throttle by wire are too slow to respond by far. Particularly the lazy response of throttle by wire. The nerve of the people who program that rubbish is belief. I’m having none of it.
Just so you know Nick. My Sur-Ron electric has throttle by wire is throttle by wire because electrics can do it no other way. But that’s one of my points. Small electrics are generally programmed super lame like street bikes. I souped mine up with a higher voltage battery and a motor controller that I have full control over. See ya never ramp rate! Street bike throttles are programmed by nerds who have never raced anything in their lives. Spare me their vanilla ideas of how a proper motorcycle should work. Some day I’ll get around to being able to hack all of my ecu. Right now a couple of them are shrugging me off. Fortunately I just have a few small fueling issues that I would like to address on my cable throttled injected bikes.
Your results obviously vary. I’m not surprised by that. Street bike guys love to look down their noses at us lowly motorcycle people. Sorry for having a pulse. I’ll fail at trying to be more cadaver in the future.
Instead of whacking things open, try improving your situational awareness and plan ahead of the need to whack anything right away, quick like a bunny.
Riding in rough terrain, with instantly responsive carbs can be annoyingly jerky.
Which brings up something like Hypoy chain oil. Do the road / track racers have Ride By Wire go knobs ?
I donno.
A friend of mine has a clay motocross track. Riding there is always a traction game. I learned long how to roll on a throttle just right. Dirt bikes achieve max acceleration with rear wheel slippage of around 10%. Dialing that in is always fun. Doing the same on a street bike leaves a light darky on a corner exit. That’s fun too.
What’s sad is that it’s the end of an era. From about 1994 to about the mid teens you got full control of your throttle. Before that you had CV carbs and after that you got ride by wire. At first they rolled it out on high horsepower bikes as a safety feature. Recently even the Yamaha 700 got saddled with it. Now even bikes like KTMs 390 have it. Some of the Chinese brands are holding off.
I guess I don’t matter. The last time I bought a new street bike was 1994. I swore off buying another new street bike until they made a significantly lighter bike between 80 and 90hp. That never happened. Heck the bikes are slowly getting heavier. Now days it’s all about modes and TFT screens that can stream porn from your phone in living color. Not in my garage. Give me a nice little engine, some decent suspension, and a light weight set of wheels connected to a well made frame and I’m there. Why is that too much to ask for? Many of these very same brands make dirt bikes every day.
Mick – Gonna go out on a limb here, but I agree 100% with this comment of yours. A little more than that, on senseless gadgets, modes of operation, heavy bikes every displacement, scrunched up ergonomics, foot pegs nowhere near the crank shaft, scary looking headlights to intimidate, non flat seats, useless fenders, no proper side panels, gaudy and unnecessary graphics, and crazy prices. Would I ever buy something that looks like a shiny tin scrap pile held together with plastic fasteners, nope.
We are in an eraless, time of nothing to cherish in the future. I do love the pointless ignitions, always hated constant corrective adjustments.
Been looking severely for a proper thumper with a little modern reliability that does not have the crap I mentioned above, at 500cc of life, and have found only a 1970s BSA with no reliability.
yup – I’ll never go to another movie theater for the same reasons, their era is also gone.
Have a pleasant day.
It would be interesting to talk to “the customer” who all these bikes are being built for. I just can’t imagine the person or what they would be like or if I could understand them at all. To me all this stuff is contempt for the buyer. Who is the guy they are building these bikes for? He is absolutely someone the likes of whom I have never met. And I’ve lived aboard.
Once again, your complete and utter lack of understanding regarding modern emissions specs and standards leaves you gasping like a fish with extra chromosomes.
Please, stop advertising your ignorance.
SCREW 2 wheel emission rules by decree.
GO RICH ! ! !
Thumpers forever.
Good luck reversing 50 years of environmental progress.
Motorcycles contribute nothing to the problem except in India and China. They have a lot of them.
BTW I lived thru the worst smog 1960s in Southern California.
Much better now, thank you.
RBW bikes do do what they’re told. I think it’s that you don’t agree with what the engineers have “told” them to do but that’s the opportunity of the tuning experts. They can go in and re-map everything to work the way you/they want it to. I get that you’re tech averse but RBW doesn’t lock you into a particular trait, it gives tuners better control over them. That control is far more accurate than anything that can be achieved with needles and jets, as good as they got to be by the end.
I remember when Jonathan Rea rode WSBK for Honda. One of the concessions the team got was to be allowed to incorporate RBW because without it, they could not gain access to other tuning opportunities that the makes who were already there got to enjoy.
They do not do what they are told. They have ramp rates and throttle limits in certain gears at certain RPMs. It became a go to safety feature on bikes ove 100hp. Now the street bike people seem to expect it on everything and the press seems to be pushing it. I had to laugh recently when I saw an article on the Yamaha 700. They had the nerve to put how popular the 700 is because of it’s simplicity. Then the article went on to praise the addition of modes and ride by wire. Hello! That is the elimination of the simplicity that made the bike popular. I rented an MT-07 for a long weekend in France about ten years ago. There is nothing about that engine that needed a digital nanny. The only thing that I didn’t like about the bike was the rear ABS chiming in all the time. Were it my bike that would have quickly been headed for deactivation station. Pulling an ABS fuse is easy. Getting rid of a ride by wire system is more easily done by not buying a bike that has it in the first place. That’s were I’m at. The industry seems to be hard at work making all their stuff unacceptable.
Fuel injection was a good thing for street bikes. Mainly for getting rid of the CV carburetor. I’ve ridden the fuel injected two strokes. They aren’t going to unseat a well tuned carburetor any time soon if at all. My issue with ride by wire is that bikes with it ride like they have a CV carburetor. It’s amazing what ad campaigns can sell people. Doesn’t KTM make you pay extra for a mode that most closely resembles a cable throttle? Ride by wire in that case is the manufacturers taking away something that they then want to sell back to you. That’s not to far from your statement saying that I could buy a ride by wire bike and the hire a tuner to actually make it work properly. Sorry Dave. I’m just going to be proactive and not buy anything with ride by wire in the first place. It’s bad enough that I had to tear out an exhaust flapper on the Hypermotard. All it did was dumb down the power below 6000RPM so it could hit like a poorly tuned two stroke when the flapper opened. Oddly enough, I rented a CB1000R that rode like that. Two stroke hit must have been a thing just after 2010. Or maybe just dumbed down power. That’s basically what all the modes are about isn’t it? Different flavors of dumbed down power? Ways to sell overpowered motorcycles to the lowest common denominator. Dirt bikes usually had the wrong throttle slide cutaway. They make the main fuel circuit come online a little early. It causes a rich blubber followed by a sharp increase in power or “hit”. It serves as a warning that the bike was about to explore its racing heritage. Dirt bikes always came with extra jets and needles. But if you wanted the right slide you were on your own. And they are a little tricky to source.
“They have ramp rates and throttle limits in certain gears at certain RPMs.”
Those are things that tuners can remove and control. Lots of bikes have “intentinoal” flat spots to get by emissions control requirements. It’s unfortunate that many bikes come with tunes that are far from optimal for various reasons that the end user doesn’t care about but they’re easily remedied by a good tuner.
This is why street bikes are in such a sorry state. No matter how ridiculous they get. The fans will never stop making excuses for the manufacturers. When the bikes had cable throttles they were all kind of lean. People used tricks, like making the bike think its always it’s colder out than it really is, to richen things up a bit. That’s basically what a Power Commander does. The flapper on my bike for instance was cheap and easy to eliminate. Now they have removed your control of the throttle entirely. All you can do is send texts to the nannies for permission to accelerate.
I’m just not going to tolerate that. At some point someone has to say no. They have reached that point, and this is me saying no. When I turned 60 my wife sent me out to buy myself a street bike. She expected me to buy a new one. Did I? No.
Actually I bought a bike the likes of which doesn’t exist anymore. A premium bike between 80 and 90hp. I feel that more power than that ruins a street bike. Now if you want a premium bike you have to buy one with considerably more power, weight and gyro and they expect you to find a mode that works for you. Well, no.
I still get a kick out of that. They do do what they’re told…right after you get a tuner to make them do what they’re told.
Um, that’s because they don’t do what they’re told.
Whatever, it’s called precycling. Ain’t no way I am ever going to be responsible for the manufacture of a ride by wire ICE motorcycle.
Good deeds done for the environment through inaction. It’s beautiful.
If you send me a world’s laziest superhero T-shirt I’d be rockin’ that baby until it wouldn’t even make a decent rag.
I had to rescue a neighbor and his 2023 Multistrada V4 yesterday. The ride by wire wasn’t broken…yet. The guy filled up and his gas tank and it started leaking gas all over the place. I siphoned out most of the gas and followed him home. Hopefully they warenty that thing. That tank costs over $1500. The fuel pump is over $1300. That’s creepy. You can buy a whole 6.4 gallon fuel tank kit for my Hypermotard, that does not change the look of the bike, for $1200. Weird kit. It replaces the air box with pod filters and fills the entire volume under the seat and the plastics with a big ol’ fuel tank. Not my thing. But it’s a pretty cool notion.
Mick – All modern motorcycles with FI should have fuel carried down low, maybe under the seat, to preserve balance as used, AND improve handling. really much nicer.
“I still get a kick out of that. They do do what they’re told…right after you get a tuner to make them do what they’re told.”
How is this any different than the gymnastics you go through to make a carburetor work properly, other than your lack of understanding of how to do it?
Using a laptop to change values is easier than fishing out and changing jets, needles, and shims. This is especially true when the tuner already knows what the outcome will be.
This article and the Husky website link does not say what engine it has, other than a parallel twin. i had to search and “the Husqvarna 801 does not have a 270-degree crank; its 799cc parallel-twin engine uses a 285-degree crankshaft, which provides a similar offset firing order and characteristics to a 270-degree crank, emulating the feel of a V-twin.” unquote. difficult to quickly see whats inside, I wonder what balancers, and balance shaft or shafts, or just how they deal with the engine to “emulate the feel of a V-twin”, all stuff interesting to me.
The most interesting thing in the article to me is the commentary on the Michelin Road 6. To a vast plurality of riders, that tire series is the be all, end all. Curious, which sport touring offerings have a reputation for more grip?
^^^this!
The Pirelli family ST tires are a useful bit sportier, but not quite as good in the wet. I also like Conti’s latest offerings (but they wear fast).
It’s so UGLY, it’s cool! Was actually thinking about this, but then the Suzuki GSX-8T came out and styling wise, pleases me more. The only bike street bike from Husqvarna that gives me a firmy is the 701sm. Moving back to the mid-west next month so that will give me time to check out local dealers which will make my decision easier. BTW, absolutely hate the performance mode purchase program.
A goofy looking bike with another bikes engine, and the now very popular short seat on a ‘hay look at me I’m different’.