@@ridewithKY Yeah this really has been one of my biggest goals! Hopefully soon i will buy it, getting my license next month. Thank btw for the many videos about this bike really are informative.
@@sleaplezsI’m sure you will. It was the same for me, and i just got it. My exam in in two weeks and i can’t wait! I’m just starting the engine and revvin it up. It’s just amazing! I’m sure it will happen to you too! Best of luck! 🏍️
I have a 2023 Vitpilen. I only ride for sport. I like the 401 because I can use the whole motor on back country roads. Shift through the gears in the corners and curves. I'm still learning just how wicked fast this thing can go around a bend. This bike is a thrill to ride.
Were there any updates from 2021 to 2022 to 2023? The 2024 Vitpilen had some major changes. Bigger fuel tank, nice display etc. I could get a new cheap Vitpilen from 2023. It seems to sell worse compared with the new version so you get some very good discounts.
Love your review! Got the exact same bike as yours but in a different country. Here highway speeds are 70mph and the Vit was $AUD 7k drive away. I think I’m getting a little carried away with the throttle as I’ve yet to see decent mileage on it, last I measured I used 6L in 100km.
70mph cruising speed is perfect for these. If you are running the stock gearing they will also hurt your fuel economy IF you are on the freeway a lot. Cheers man.
Yes, that 44hp is on the low side. They mostly do that for the EU market where there is a 48hp and a power/weight limit for beginner riders. Because the 401 is so light it's limited to 44hp. I ride the 2008 Duke which has around the same weight but 65hp and a top speed of 125mph (with lots of luck). That power-to-weight ratio would have made the 401 the perfect bike for daily use. Anyway, I try to get my hand on a 401 as a daily workhorse since I don't drive on the highway and it's more fun when you can go full throttle without going immediately to fast.
701 is good but I don’t really like the aesthetic as much on the 701’s. Plus it’s still a single. I know I didn’t mention it in the video but I just don’t like the sound of a single. No matter what you do, it will always just sound like a dirt bike. Thanks for watching!
@@ridewithKY The Vit701 was originally the standout of the two for me, in terms of styling but I could only find and buy a Svart401. The 401 styling then grew on me and I preferred it. Then I was lucky enough to pick up a 701. After owning the 2, I now can’t decide which I prefer. I think I like the 401, but the proportions of the 701? Either way, you’re right about the single cylinder. No matter what you do, they just sound like a lawnmower !
Lucky you were able to experience both. I mean I don’t dislike the 701 styling, I just don’t think it captures the same spirit as the 401. The 401 looks like a cafe racer I think because the proportions are small. The 701 looks unique but I think because of the proportion just looks more like a cruiser. Thanks for sharing your experience of owning both the 401 and 701.
@Jemmartin all good! The bar end mirrors are just some Amazon specials. They were around $50. Not the greatest quality but they do the job for this intended use. Thanks man!
svartpilen 401, 12kmiles, California. TL;DR: impossible to self-maintain as some required service steps (every 4650miles) can only be done with a dealer-only SW. True about the top speed: my wife and I call this bike "the moped" (we are from europe :D ), especially when compared to my prior ER6n and FZ09. The 401 quality is not that good compared to my other bikes. Lost the whole plate holder within 30 days (I have seen videos of other people afflicted by it). Husqvarna/dealer don't seem to use thread-lock... My understanding is that the plate-holder is a US/CA legal requirement, and is added by the dealer, same goes for the type of turn signals used. This bike is almost impossible to maintain by an average Joe because the regular maintenance of the shifter requires the dealer-only diagnostic tool (even if you got the HW, the SW is only for registered dealers as Husqvarna uses the same SW for presale-theft reduction). Adjusting the "next service mileage" is also impossible without the dealer-only computer. The instrument computer firmware is bad: too often it doesn't show the current mpg, and it always fails to compute the mpg for the trip as it seems to only ever compute instantaneous mpg. Fuel efficiency over 1 year / 12000 miles: 57.4mpg hwy mainly and rarely above 65mph. It is still a great fun bike when riding solo. Not great for 2-up (my wife complains on our 4H+ rides compared to the ER6n/FZ09).
Some good points here but it’s definitely not impossible to self maintain these bikes. Even in the warranty paperwork it says: Service work properly done by the owner will not void the warranty. The shift sensor service is just a calibration update from KTM, if there even is one. I can’t speak for all dealers but my dealer said they would perform just the calibration update if I wanted to, assuming there was an update available. In my case there was no update available, therefore, the dealer recommended I not worry about it. Similar story goes for the diagnostic reading. This is a service my local KTM dealer offers on its own, but again, they indicated it wasn’t really necessary. Back in 2022, I was quoted around $280 for the first service. I elected to do it myself. All that being said, the bulk of the maintenance items can easily be done at home with normal tools. Like anything on a mechanical device, just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean you can’t mess it up. However, a basic tool set and basic mechanical knowledge can get you by with these bikes. They are very simple. With the interval at 4650, you probably want to change the oil more frequently anyways. These bikes are almost at redline everywhere you go. Pretty long interval when the engine is maxed out all the time. If an owner is really worried about the QS cal and the diagnostic service, they can just have this done aside from the maintenance done at home. Cheers man.
@@ridewithKY "my local KTM dealer" : Excellent idea! I always forget that I don't need to go the original Husqy dealer and that any KTM serivce place can handle it. I'll defenitively start shoping around. "$280 for the first service." Nice! In 2023, 1st service 620 mls paied $420, 930mls paid $854 (CA, SanJose/SF) ... and I still ended up having to lift the tank myself as the fuel overflow hose was blocked because of a fold, which allowed water pooled under the filler cap to get in the tank after the 1st rain :( . " is just a calibration update from KTM": The Repair Manual 2023 (3403203en). ch20.2 p278; ch20.4 suggests that it is not just an "update" (like for the ECU). It has to "clear adaptation values", resets what it thinks is neutral, and re-calibrates the quickshifter. People who have watched a tech do it say it required the computer to monitor the sensor while the bike is running and gears are shifted . When I told my dealer about the neutral being a hit and miss, they said they "tried" to calibrate it but couldn't fix the reproducible issue... Time for me to checkout a different service place :) "Service work properly done by the owner will not void the warranty." : Things might have changed over time. Owner's manual 2023 (3402694en) ch 3.1 p10. "The work prescribed in the service schedule must only be carried out in an authroized [...] workshop and confirmed in the Husqvarna Motrocycles Dealer.net, as otherwise all warranty claims will be void.". Soon I won't have to care :D and can do stuff myself.
@GloobyBoolga per the KTM dealer it is a calibration update and it’s not exclusive to the 390 series… there is no adjustment on the quickshifters for these bikes anyhow. That’s why the dealer you visited couldn’t do anything about your QS being out of whack despite calibrating properly and despite the issue being able to be reproduced. It’s also illegal to void a warranty if the item isn’t serviced at a factory dealer. It’s the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act. Of course in other countries this may be different, but in the USA there are consumer protection laws that protect against the scenario you cited in the manual. This is why you see even the high end motorcycle brands such as Ducati, MV Agusta, BMW warranting catastrophic failures even if the owner did not have the bike serviced at an authorized dealer. The owner has to submit proof the bike was maintained properly, but it cannot be arbitrarily voided for not using certain service centers.
I'm riding a Duke 390 from 2021 and it gets kind of wobbly after 40 mph. got new tyres and the dealership checked everything but couldn't find the cause. I could get a new Vitpilen from 2023 for 900 USD when I trade my Duke. Would you take this deal?
Did the dealership agree that it’s unstable at 40+ mph? If you get a Vitpilen it’ll basically be the same thing as what you already have aside from the aesthetics.
@@ridewithKY the dealership somewhat agreed but said that I needed new tires. I even went to another dealership (Honda) and they said that it is borderline. However, all agreed that there was tire cupping. Two of my cousins have a Vitpilen and compared with mine they run on train tracks. Very stable and smooth.
Probably has more to do with your particular example rather than Duke390’s across the board. If there really is a stability issue and nobody seems to be able to diagnose/fix it, I would definitely move on from it. Not worth risking getting into a crash over that instability problem.
@@ridewithKY fully agree. It's a particular issue of my Duke but finding the cause is so difficult that I want to move on. Really had bad luck with this one, bought it during the pandemic and had so many issues with it. Still, thx for your videos.
Not surprised really. KTM/Husqvarna quality control is pretty poor. I would say in many cases it’s just downright unacceptable quality control. KTM/Husqvarna makes some really cool and innovative bikes, but I doubt I’d ever buy another one unless their quality vastly improves. Not too fun spending your hard earned money on a product that is such poor quality.
Hi guys, I own a 2022 Svartpilen 401, the bike has everything that I was looking for, the only problem that I'm having is, the shifter remaning stuck low when I shift down without the cluch (the bike has quickshifter). Anyone has the same issue? Sombody can help? P.S. I have talked to the dealership but they always refuse to check my bike, they even told me that it could be a spring to be changed.
I am very interested to see the new 801. I like that they’ve gone with a twin instead of just a big single like the 701. It’ll be interesting to see how well it sells when it’s finally released.
Man i can’t wait to get this bike as my first, slowly saving up for it!
Nothing wrong with that, gives you something to look forward to. Once you save up enough for one, I think you’ll enjoy it very much.
@@ridewithKY Yeah this really has been one of my biggest goals! Hopefully soon i will buy it, getting my license next month. Thank btw for the many videos about this bike really are informative.
@@sleaplezsI’m sure you will. It was the same for me, and i just got it. My exam in in two weeks and i can’t wait! I’m just starting the engine and revvin it up. It’s just amazing! I’m sure it will happen to you too! Best of luck! 🏍️
@@sleaplezsDid you buy one yet? I turn 16 in April and I’m slowly saving up for one too
I have a 2023 Vitpilen. I only ride for sport. I like the 401 because I can use the whole motor on back country roads. Shift through the gears in the corners and curves. I'm still learning just how wicked fast this thing can go around a bend. This bike is a thrill to ride.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Riding your own ride is the key sometimes.
Were there any updates from 2021 to 2022 to 2023? The 2024 Vitpilen had some major changes. Bigger fuel tank, nice display etc. I could get a new cheap Vitpilen from 2023. It seems to sell worse compared with the new version so you get some very good discounts.
2021 through 2023 is the same.
@@m.3257 in 2023 they started making them in India, the price dropped 1000 bucks. I have a 2023, mines perfect.
@@ridewithKY thx
Love your review! Got the exact same bike as yours but in a different country. Here highway speeds are 70mph and the Vit was $AUD 7k drive away. I think I’m getting a little carried away with the throttle as I’ve yet to see decent mileage on it, last I measured I used 6L in 100km.
70mph cruising speed is perfect for these. If you are running the stock gearing they will also hurt your fuel economy IF you are on the freeway a lot. Cheers man.
Bro great video! really good that you pointed out the height and 5'5 - PERFECT!
Appreciate it! Glad the video was helpful to you! 👊🏽.
Yes, that 44hp is on the low side. They mostly do that for the EU market where there is a 48hp and a power/weight limit for beginner riders. Because the 401 is so light it's limited to 44hp. I ride the 2008 Duke which has around the same weight but 65hp and a top speed of 125mph (with lots of luck). That power-to-weight ratio would have made the 401 the perfect bike for daily use. Anyway, I try to get my hand on a 401 as a daily workhorse since I don't drive on the highway and it's more fun when you can go full throttle without going immediately to fast.
What low end mirrors are you using? As I’m considering changing my stock mirrors…
Then were just some Fenrir mirrors off of Amazon. Surprisingly decent quality, but you’d never mistake them for some Rizoma’s.
Nice Video ,
my biggest problem are the standart tires .
(shit tires on these )
I gonna change both soon ,next ones are dunlop sportsmart tt!;)
Right on. Tires going to make a big difference on your bike for sure. Really any bike, tires are going to make a huge difference. Ride safe man.
@@ridewithKY You too ,greeds from Germany!
How about the 701? Sounds like exactly what you need !
701 is good but I don’t really like the aesthetic as much on the 701’s. Plus it’s still a single. I know I didn’t mention it in the video but I just don’t like the sound of a single. No matter what you do, it will always just sound like a dirt bike. Thanks for watching!
@@ridewithKY The Vit701 was originally the standout of the two for me, in terms of styling but I could only find and buy a Svart401. The 401 styling then grew on me and I preferred it. Then I was lucky enough to pick up a 701. After owning the 2, I now can’t decide which I prefer. I think I like the 401, but the proportions of the 701? Either way, you’re right about the single cylinder. No matter what you do, they just sound like a lawnmower !
Lucky you were able to experience both. I mean I don’t dislike the 701 styling, I just don’t think it captures the same spirit as the 401. The 401 looks like a cafe racer I think because the proportions are small. The 701 looks unique but I think because of the proportion just looks more like a cruiser. Thanks for sharing your experience of owning both the 401 and 701.
There making an 801 inline 2 I think it’s the same engine as the ktm duke 790
Going to be interesting to see that 801. I think it’s a step in the right direction.
What brand of clip-ons are you using? They look great!
This bike actually has the stock clip-ons still. Thanks!
@@ridewithKY my bad. Don’t know why I even typed that. I meant bar end mirrors 🤦🏻♂️.
@Jemmartin all good! The bar end mirrors are just some Amazon specials. They were around $50. Not the greatest quality but they do the job for this intended use. Thanks man!
svartpilen 401, 12kmiles, California.
TL;DR: impossible to self-maintain as some required service steps (every 4650miles) can only be done with a dealer-only SW.
True about the top speed: my wife and I call this bike "the moped" (we are from europe :D ), especially when compared to my prior ER6n and FZ09.
The 401 quality is not that good compared to my other bikes. Lost the whole plate holder within 30 days (I have seen videos of other people afflicted by it). Husqvarna/dealer don't seem to use thread-lock... My understanding is that the plate-holder is a US/CA legal requirement, and is added by the dealer, same goes for the type of turn signals used.
This bike is almost impossible to maintain by an average Joe because the regular maintenance of the shifter requires the dealer-only diagnostic tool (even if you got the HW, the SW is only for registered dealers as Husqvarna uses the same SW for presale-theft reduction).
Adjusting the "next service mileage" is also impossible without the dealer-only computer.
The instrument computer firmware is bad: too often it doesn't show the current mpg, and it always fails to compute the mpg for the trip as it seems to only ever compute instantaneous mpg.
Fuel efficiency over 1 year / 12000 miles: 57.4mpg hwy mainly and rarely above 65mph.
It is still a great fun bike when riding solo. Not great for 2-up (my wife complains on our 4H+ rides compared to the ER6n/FZ09).
Some good points here but it’s definitely not impossible to self maintain these bikes. Even in the warranty paperwork it says: Service work properly done by the owner will not void the warranty.
The shift sensor service is just a calibration update from KTM, if there even is one. I can’t speak for all dealers but my dealer said they would perform just the calibration update if I wanted to, assuming there was an update available. In my case there was no update available, therefore, the dealer recommended I not worry about it. Similar story goes for the diagnostic reading. This is a service my local KTM dealer offers on its own, but again, they indicated it wasn’t really necessary. Back in 2022, I was quoted around $280 for the first service. I elected to do it myself.
All that being said, the bulk of the maintenance items can easily be done at home with normal tools. Like anything on a mechanical device, just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean you can’t mess it up. However, a basic tool set and basic mechanical knowledge can get you by with these bikes. They are very simple. With the interval at 4650, you probably want to change the oil more frequently anyways. These bikes are almost at redline everywhere you go. Pretty long interval when the engine is maxed out all the time. If an owner is really worried about the QS cal and the diagnostic service, they can just have this done aside from the maintenance done at home.
Cheers man.
@@ridewithKY
"my local KTM dealer" : Excellent idea!
I always forget that I don't need to go the original Husqy dealer and that any KTM serivce place can handle it. I'll defenitively start shoping around.
"$280 for the first service." Nice!
In 2023, 1st service 620 mls paied $420, 930mls paid $854 (CA, SanJose/SF) ... and I still ended up having to lift the tank myself as the fuel overflow hose was blocked because of a fold, which allowed water pooled under the filler cap to get in the tank after the 1st rain :( .
" is just a calibration update from KTM":
The Repair Manual 2023 (3403203en). ch20.2 p278; ch20.4 suggests that it is not just an "update" (like for the ECU). It has to "clear adaptation values", resets what it thinks is neutral, and re-calibrates the quickshifter. People who have watched a tech do it say it required the computer to monitor the sensor while the bike is running and gears are shifted . When I told my dealer about the neutral being a hit and miss, they said they "tried" to calibrate it but couldn't fix the reproducible issue... Time for me to checkout a different service place :)
"Service work properly done by the owner will not void the warranty." : Things might have changed over time.
Owner's manual 2023 (3402694en) ch 3.1 p10. "The work prescribed in the service schedule must only be carried out in an authroized [...] workshop and confirmed in the Husqvarna Motrocycles Dealer.net, as otherwise all warranty claims will be void.". Soon I won't have to care :D and can do stuff myself.
@GloobyBoolga per the KTM dealer it is a calibration update and it’s not exclusive to the 390 series… there is no adjustment on the quickshifters for these bikes anyhow. That’s why the dealer you visited couldn’t do anything about your QS being out of whack despite calibrating properly and despite the issue being able to be reproduced.
It’s also illegal to void a warranty if the item isn’t serviced at a factory dealer. It’s the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act. Of course in other countries this may be different, but in the USA there are consumer protection laws that protect against the scenario you cited in the manual. This is why you see even the high end motorcycle brands such as Ducati, MV Agusta, BMW warranting catastrophic failures even if the owner did not have the bike serviced at an authorized dealer. The owner has to submit proof the bike was maintained properly, but it cannot be arbitrarily voided for not using certain service centers.
I'm riding a Duke 390 from 2021 and it gets kind of wobbly after 40 mph. got new tyres and the dealership checked everything but couldn't find the cause. I could get a new Vitpilen from 2023 for 900 USD when I trade my Duke. Would you take this deal?
Did the dealership agree that it’s unstable at 40+ mph? If you get a Vitpilen it’ll basically be the same thing as what you already have aside from the aesthetics.
@@ridewithKY the dealership somewhat agreed but said that I needed new tires. I even went to another dealership (Honda) and they said that it is borderline. However, all agreed that there was tire cupping. Two of my cousins have a Vitpilen and compared with mine they run on train tracks. Very stable and smooth.
Probably has more to do with your particular example rather than Duke390’s across the board. If there really is a stability issue and nobody seems to be able to diagnose/fix it, I would definitely move on from it. Not worth risking getting into a crash over that instability problem.
@@ridewithKY fully agree. It's a particular issue of my Duke but finding the cause is so difficult that I want to move on. Really had bad luck with this one, bought it during the pandemic and had so many issues with it. Still, thx for your videos.
Not surprised really. KTM/Husqvarna quality control is pretty poor. I would say in many cases it’s just downright unacceptable quality control. KTM/Husqvarna makes some really cool and innovative bikes, but I doubt I’d ever buy another one unless their quality vastly improves. Not too fun spending your hard earned money on a product that is such poor quality.
my mixed MPG is 70. Maybe because of your mods, your bike consumes a bit more.
Could be but I doubt it. It’s the environment. In order to keep up with traffic here, the throttle is open 75% or more.
Yes. The New 2024 vitpilen 401 really lost the charm. The one that you have is really nicely designed.
Appreciate the compliment. Thank you!
Does the spoke rim tubeless or not?
Yes, tubeless.
The bike needs a tube if it's stock.
@scyther666 you are right. Don’t know why I put tubeless. Meant to say it has tubes. Thanks for clarifying.
Hi guys, I own a 2022 Svartpilen 401, the bike has everything that I was looking for, the only problem that I'm having is, the shifter remaning stuck low when I shift down without the cluch (the bike has quickshifter).
Anyone has the same issue? Sombody can help?
P.S. I have talked to the dealership but they always refuse to check my bike, they even told me that it could be a spring to be changed.
Is this all gears or just certain ones? Can you elaborate a little bit on why the dealership refuses to check your bike?
What exhaust is that?
I actually made it.
What about new 801?
I am very interested to see the new 801. I like that they’ve gone with a twin instead of just a big single like the 701. It’ll be interesting to see how well it sells when it’s finally released.
Man get a 701 vitpilen if 401 isn't sufficient enough
Don’t want another single.