Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 test: Introduction, positioning and rivals
If the acquisition of Husqvarna from the BMW group was back in 2013, it was not until the 2015 EICMA when the first prototypes of the Vitpilen 701 and Svartpilen 701 were presented (white arrow, black arrow respectively). However, it took 3 years, until 2018, until Vitpilen 701 could be tested.
By 2025 the Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 (105 HP, €10,500 approx.) has grown in all aspects. It is no longer the most powerful single-cylinder that there was with semi-handlebars. It now adopts the 799 cc parallel twin from the KTM group and loses the semi-handlebars. But in essence, it is still that light, fun bike with its own personality that will now fight among the average sports naked, with compelling arguments and at a competitive price.
Among its rivals, we can count on the best-selling 4-cylinder Kawasaki Z900 (125 HP, €10,599), the twin-cylinder Ducati Monster (111 HP, €12,490), KTM 990 Duke (123 HP, €15,699) or BMW F 900 R ( 105 HP, €9,720) or the three-cylinder Triumph Street Triple 765 R (120 HP, €10,795) and Yamaha MT-09 (119 HP, €11,299).
To differentiate itself between them, the Vitpilen 801 retains in its design that mystical halo from its Swedish design, but its innards and its manners are typical of the torrid Mediterranean character that invites us to live in the present. A delicious cocktail.
Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 test: Technical characteristics of the Husqvarna Vitpilen 801
The purity of lines of the Vitpilen 801 is not far from those marked by its predecessor, the Vitpilen 701 but, without being able to say that it is a large motorcycle, it now has more volume, since it now houses a 799 cc twin-cylinder engine. Parallel DOHC that delivers 105 HP at 9,250 rpm and a maximum torque of Nm at 8,000 rpm. The official consumption is 4.5 l/100 km, but reality places it between 5.1 and 5.4 l/100 km, which is not bad at all for a really high pace.
With the 14-liter capacity tank, the real theoretical range should be around 260 kilometers, sufficient for a recreational motorcycle. The clutch is non-slip and the 6-speed gearbox can receive the Easy Shift assistant that our test unit was equipped with and which is highly recommended.
Electronics are present through the electronic throttle. It has 3 driving modes as standard (Street, Sport and Rain) to which you can add Dynamic mode, which includes traction control regulation in 9 different modes (plus disconnection) and anti-slip control.
The ABS is also sensitive to inclination and can be disconnected in its Supermoto mode, perhaps more suitable for riding on the track. On the roads we drove on, with wet patches and autumn leaves, it didn’t occur to me to turn it off. Dynamic mode and Easy Shift will cost around €800 and I consider their inclusion at the time of purchase to be very important.
Elements such as heated grips or cruise control are also optional, not so essential on a motorcycle more intended for leisure than long trips, but if your finances allow it, they don’t hurt either.
Connectivity is ensured with the corresponding App, the mobile phone and the wireless system in the helmet, which will allow GPS navigation by signs on the TFT screen, call entry and exit and music selection. Navigating the TFT screen is very simple using the pineapples.
I only had trouble differentiating between Sport and Dynamic mode, as at first they may appear to be the same mode on the screen. Once they explain to you that in the Dynamic you can change the traction control intervention on the fly (and in a very simple way), everything is a piece of cake.
The new headlight is the main distinguishing feature of the Vitpilen 801. Surrounding the LED light is a daytime running light that, seen from the front or through the mirrors of the person in front of it, is a perfect circle. From the side, you can see a bias cut with respect to the vertical. The optical effect is really attractive and gives it a touch of modern personality compared to the Svartpilen 801.
The beauty of the simplicity of lines is transferred to the chassis. It is a double interrupted steel cradle in which the engine is part of the assembly. An aluminum subframe is anchored to it in which the filter air box is integrated. There are no side covers, everything is harmoniously visible, conveying to your eyes the lightness that it displays on the scale: 180 kilos dry.
The suspensions are very easy to adjust. In the case of the fork, it uses a WP APEX-USD with a 43 mm diameter and 140 mm travel. The regulation of compression and rebound is without tools, through some knobs on the bottles. All forks in the world should be able to be adjusted like this. Why use tools? The rear shock absorber is a WP APEX-Monoshock with 150 mm of travel and adjustable preload and rebound.
The 300 mm diameter front discs are clamped by 4-piston radial calipers, while the rear brake uses a 240 mm disc clamped by a single piston, forming an excellent package in braking power, feel and progressiveness. The standard tires are Michelin Road 6 on 17-inch wheels in standard sizes.
I was very pleasantly surprised by its performance, both on dry and mixed surfaces (wet patches on the road), where there is no difference in behavior between surfaces.
The length between axles is set at 1475 mm, a figure that guarantees stability in fast corners. Thanks to the wide handlebars and the weight of the Vitpilen, the agility of the motorcycle is astonishing. The seat is 820 mm from the ground, a figure that is affordable for many sizes as the motorcycle is very narrow in the leg area. With my 178 cm, the bike suited me like a glove, but I didn’t hear any complaints with taller or shorter heights either.
Apart from the options mentioned in equipment and electronics, there are a series of accessories ranging from a Remus silencer to carbon pieces to protect footpegs and radiator, as well as covers for brake fluid reservoirs or mirrors under the handlebars. There is also Husqvarna equipment for the rider, in the same colors as the bike (gray-black, yellow-black) so that you and your Vitpilen 801 can look prettier than a San Luis.
Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 test: How the Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 goes
I went to Nice to the presentation of the Vitpilen 801 advised by my colleague Teo, who recently attended the presentation of the Svartpilen 801: “You don’t know how I’ve had it”, he told me about Husqvarna’s most powerful scrambler. It is often said that having high expectations about something is a shortcut to disappointment, but that was not the case in this case.
When stopped it feels like a motorcycle that invites attack. The footrests are not very high and set back, but the handlebars are far away and with the tips quite open. Personally, I would close the tips a bit, in order to feel less load on the arch described by the thumb and index finger, but it is not something exaggerated that you cannot get used to.
The seat is firm and is 820 mm from the ground, not excessive considering how narrow the bike is. It so happens that, if you use the motorcycle for what it is supposed to be designed for, the ergonomics are perfect. Of course it can be used as an everyday bike, however the throttle feel in Street mode is smooth and doesn’t ask for war.”per se”.
But the truth is that it is not a comfortable motorcycle for running errands or weaving through traffic. Holding the same posture for a while is the prelude to noticing the hard seat and the support on the arches of the hand, not so much on the wrists. But as soon as you get out on a curvy road and start applying yourself, you immediately synchronize with the Vitpilen 801. The engine has torque, strength and thrust throughout the entire rev range. Despite what the figures may say, it is an elastic engine that gives its best in the medium-high range.
You can ride very fast by stretching the gears or changing early, that is not what is relevant, but the ease of the bike entering a curve and the stability that prevails once you choose the line, which in turn you can change in the middle of the turn. Only the exhaust protector, which runs on the right side, penalizes the experience. If you rest the toe of the boot on the footpeg, the heel will hit the protector. It breaks the symmetry of the footpegs, but it’s more of an annoyance than a problem.
The combination of a usable engine, the lightness of the Vitpilen 801, its front axle and its superb braking only bring out the best version of yourself, or depending on how you look at it, the worst. Your level of confidence increases with each curve, also helped by the grip of the Michelin Road 6, truly effective in sports driving.
Electronics are very present in the different modes and there is a lot of difference between them. Personally, I preferred the Street mode for riding on roads with variable surfaces, with patches of humidity and autumn leaves on the road. The power input is organic and you feel in control of the situation.
In Sport mode the bike is sharp when closing and opening, surely very effective on the circuit or in very sporty driving. Above it is the Dynamic mode, which shares a map with the Sport, but you can define the degree of intervention of the traction control on the fly, without having to enter menus.
On the TFT you can easily read the speed, not so much how many revolutions the engine is running (although you can get an idea from the length of the status bar), but what you can see at a glance are two figures: the gear engaged and the level of intervention of the traction control, which you can raise or lower between 0 and 9 by simply pressing two buttons on the left pineapple.
This achieves an exceptional level of fine adjustment without having to stop the bike or consult cumbersome menus. Still, I enjoyed it like a kid in Street mode, the standard bike, where it has a lot to offer in the way of fun.
The name Easy Shift is well chosen for the shift assistant. It works very well and should be standard, even more so than the Dynamic mode. Braking to death while downshifting, great cornering speed, confident exit at full throttle… the Vitpilen gives you sensations and gives you back years of youth, at least until you reach your destination. Once you arrive, you realize that the important thing is the journey. Like life itself.
