2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Review
Test by Rennie Scaysbrook
This motorcycle marks a significant milestone for Husqvarna. The Vitpilen 801—along with its scrambler-inspired sibling, the Svartpilen 801—represents the brand’s first-ever proper twin-cylinder street bikes equipped with 17-inch wheels. This launch not only expands Husqvarna’s lineup but also cements its presence in the performance-oriented street bike segment.
Yes, there’s the Norden 901, but that’s a true ADV machine with a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel—built for tackling rugged terrain. The Vitpilen 801, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast: a lightweight, spirited naked bike designed for pure street performance.
I recently had the chance to put the Vitpilen 801 through its paces at the American launch, held in the brutally windy conditions that have turned Southern California into a fire-scorched battleground in recent weeks. Despite the elements, the bike had plenty to prove—and it didn’t disappoint.
I only rode the Vitpilen during the test, not the Svartpilen. Despite their differences—such as the Svartpilen’s higher handlebars, single headlight, and blocky Pirelli tyres—both bikes are essentially the same machine.
They share the 799 cc parallel-twin engine sourced from KTM, which Husqvarna claims produces 78 kW/105 hp at 8,000 rpm and 86 Nm/64 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. Those are impressive numbers for such a compact twin.
Back when Chris Fillmore and I were team-mates in 2018 at Pikes Peak, Chris’s KTM 790 Duke – with the forebear of the same motor that sits between the Vitpilen’s frame rails – had exactly 78 kW at the tyre with an aftermarket race exhaust, intake work and a different fuel map, and the sat of the butt consensus at the Vitpilen launch was the rear wheel horsepower would be around 95-98 hp.
That’s more than enough for a bike weighing a claimed 180 kg, but that’s measured without a 14 litres tank of fuel. Add said fuel and you’re probably looking at around 190 kg ready to ride. Again, nothing to sneeze at.
Our testbikes came fitted with the Dynamic Pack, which is an accessory extra from your Husqvarna dealer priced at $665.54.
Sadly, this also does not include the $582.22 Easy Shift (quic- shifter) for the six-speed gearbox, which, trust me, you’re going to want as it gives one of the slickest gear-shifts I’ve used for quite some time.
The Dynamic mode gives you access to the 10-stage traction control (levels one to nine plus off), five-stage wheelie control, Motor Slip Regulation, a fourth different throttle map in Dynamic (the full beans throttle), plus the increasingly sedate Sport, Road and Rain throttle modes the bike comes with as standard. Should you not go for the Dynamic mode, traction control and wheelie control are just an on/off affair.
A couple of extras we didn’t have fitted include the $465.41 optional cruise control, and the $333.14 switch to make it work. Yes, you read that right, if you buy the cruise control (which is already built into your Husky’s electronics, all the dealer does is turn it on), you then must buy a new switch block so you can actually use it.
That’s a bit lame, in my humble opinion. However, you do get turn-by-turn navigation on the five-inch TFT dash for free via the Husqvarna app, so that’s a nice little add-on from the Austrians.
My particular test bike had the $1,833.26 accessory Akrapovic slip-on muffler, the $298.65 (each) billet brake and clutch levers that felt oh-so-nice, and the $40.10 billet brake fluid reservoirs fitted. The exhaust made zero difference as far as I could tell—it even sounded the same as a stock exhaust because you can’t take the baffle out of it, but it looked great all the same…
Looks wise, the Vitpilen is a spunky little motorbike. After riding the 400s late last year (you can read that test here: Svartpilen and Vitpilen 401 test), I wasn’t that enamoured with the aesthetic. I felt it missed the mark, somewhat, but the same can’t be said for the 801.
It is a thoroughly good-looking bike, especially with the funky hollow LED headlight and LED indicators that are now legal in America, even if they are a little fatter than what the Euros get.
The performance matches the looks, I’m happy to say, especially in the engine department. It’d been a long time since I’d ridden a KTM 790 Duke, so I’d forgotten just how spritely the parallel-twin motor really was.
Like everything these days, engine performance is not straight engine performance. It’s a mix of electronic intervention and motor mechanics, and once I’d sampled all the throttle, traction and wheelie control settings, I settled on the Sport throttle map, level two traction, wheelie control turned off, and the ABS switched to Supermoto mode that allows the rear brake to lock up but keeps ABS on at the front end. Front ABS can never be switched off.
Once these settings were settled, the Husky and I really got on rather well. The 799 cc motor has two distinct personalities, that of below 5000 rpm and that of above 5000 rpm. Below 5K gives a cruisy demeanour, and if you never ventured north of this mark, I’m sure you’d be just fine. Low speed manners are very good, and you can dumb it down even further by selecting Road or Rain mode if you fancy.
However, give the Vitpilen a kick in the mid-section, let it roar past 5000 rpm, and it’s a different bike entirely. The Vitpilen becomes a right little brat, offering jumpy, almost nervous performance that sees you ripping toward the redline way quicker than you might expect.
Given there’s 86 Nm of torque on offer, that may not seem like a lot, but it’s spread pretty wide across the rev range. However, it’s way more fun keeping the revs in the reds and having a sparring session with the Vitpilen rather than a holding hands on the beach.
As you’d expect, Husqvarna has outfitted the Vitpilen with sister company WP’s flashy forks and shock, although they are not fully adjustable at either end.
What is cool, however, is WP has drastically simplified the range of adjustment with five clicks of compression and rebound damping on the fork, and eight clicks of rebound damping on the shock, but with adjustable pre-load. These clicks are down from upwards of 25 for both compression and rebound, meaning each click gives a far greater degree of adjustment than before.
Even when the Vitpilen’s suspension is in its base settings, the ride is comfortable and compliant, although upping the pace will likely have you upping the pre-load on the shock and the compression damping on the fork to keep everything on the straight and narrow.
Aiding this is the surprisingly good Michelin Road 6 rubber, allowing you access to the snappy characteristics of the chassis. The combination of the suspension and French rubber allows the Vitpilen to turn on a dime in a very similar style to that of the king of agile middleweights in the 790 Duke.
We had tremendous wind and cold weather on our test ride in Southern California, and the Michelins especially worked well in those cooler temps, even if ultimate high-speed and heavy load cornering performance is a little lacking.
The Vitpilen’s ride is let down slightly by the brakes, in that while ample for most situations, the ByBre four-piston calipers and master-cylinder require a good handful to haul you up while having a red hot go at speed.
Rear brake performance is fine enough, but it’s never a big talking point. You’ve got lean angle-sensitive ABS here as well, so the braking package will get you out of almost all the trouble – almost – you get yourself into.
The $15,990 ride-away Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 comes to the game in probably the busiest time ever for the middleweight class, with Vitpilen 801 pricing for Australia still to be confirmed. Not only does it compete against its housemate in the $13,495 KTM 790 Duke; it’s also against the higher spec $20,890 Triumph Street Triple 765 RS; the $13,450 Honda Hornet; plus the $17,749 Yamaha MT-09 – a bike that comes with everything the Husky does and more, but doesn’t make you pay extra for cruise control and a quick-shifter.
I guess it comes down to what flavour you like your nakedbiking. The Vitpilen is a statement bike, no doubt. It’s a stylish, uber-cool steed that looks and sounds different from its competitors, and if you don’t mind cashing out for a few extras, all the power to you.
As far as the ride itself goes, it’s a good one indeed, and should prove to be one of the surprise packages of 2025. The Vitpilen 801 is expected to arrive in Australia mid-2025 with the earliest we could expect to see them in dealers being around July.
For more information head to the Husqvarna Motorcycles Australia website.
2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Specifications
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Specifications Engine type Two-cylinder, 4 stroke, DOHC parallel twin Displacement 799 cc Bore x Stroke 88 x 65.7 mm Power 77 kW (105 hp) @ 9250 rpm Torque 87 Nm @ 8000 rpm Compression ratio 12.5:1 Starter/battery Electric starter/12V 10Ah Transmission Six gears Fuel system DKK Dellorto (Throttle body 46mm) Control 4 valves per cylinder / DOHC Lubrication Pressure lubrication with 2 oil pumps Engine oil Motorex, Power Synth SAE 10W-50 Primary drive 39:75 Final drive 16:41 Cooling Liquid cooled with water/oil heat exchanger Clutch Cable operated PASC Slipper clutch Engine management/ignition Bosch EMS with RBW Traction control MTC (lean angle sensitive, 3-Mode, disengageable, Dynamic mode opt.) Fuel consumption 4.5 L/100km Frame Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel frame using the engine as stressed element, powder coated Subframe Cast aluminium, powder coated Handlebar Aluminium, tapered, Ø 28/22 mm Front suspension WP APEX-USD Ø 43 mm adjustable compression and rebound Rear suspension WP APEX-Monoshock, adjustable rebound and preload Suspension travel front/rear 140 mm / 150 mm Front brake Dual four-piston calipers, radially mounted, brake disc Ø 300 mm Rear brake Single-piston floating caliper, brake disc Ø 240 mm ABS Bosch 9.3 MP (incl. Cornering-ABS and Supermoto mode, disengageable) Wheels front/rear Cast Aluminium wheels 3.50 x 17”; 5.50 x 17” Tyres front/rear Michelin Road 6 R 17; R 17 Chain X-Ring 520 Silencer Stainless steel primary and secondary silencer Steering head angle 65.5° Triple clamp offset 32 mm Trail 97.9 mm Wheelbase 1,475 mm ± 15 mm Ground clearance 170 mm Seat height 820 mm Tank capacity (approx.) 14 litres / 2.0 litres reserve Weight (without fuel, approx) 180 kg ABS Modes Street (cornering sensitive) / Supermoto Ride Modes Street, Rain, Sport, Dynamic (Dynamic Pack accessory) Engine Management Systems MTC, MSR*, Easy Shift* Cruise Control Optional accessory Connectivity Turn-by-Turn+ Navigation, Call-In, Call-Out, Music Selection Technical Accessories Heated grips, alarm system, lithium ion battery
2025 Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 Images
Photography by Kevin Wing
