Swedish Treat

Husqvarna as a brand has had a long and varied history in the two-wheeler segment. It began its life as a bicycle manufacturing company, which diverted into motorcycle manufacturing as far back as 1903. Its partnership with the Swedish army helped the company enter dozens of races across the globe, making a name for themselves and their masterfully designed machines that could take all sorts of abuse. In fact, by the time World War II rolled around, they were already the country’s largest motorcycle manufacturers and a prominent name on the global motorcycle racing scene. In fact, till date, the brand’s products are credited with delivering more than 70 Motocross, Enduro and Supermoto world titles among other types of accolades, including the hectic Baja 1000. They are now looking to repeat the same streak of success in the Indian market, with the newly launched Svartpilen and Vitpilen 250.

In this piece, we talk about the Vitpilen, the sportier model; which comes with a lean-forward riding position, clip-on handlebars and a crazy yet minimalistic design. This is the limit of the differences, as both bikes share the same 248.8cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine that makes a decent 31BHP of power, and 24Nm of torque. While this might not seem like much for a motorcycle that comes at a starting cost of 1.8 lakh, it delivers enough punch to push this sleek café racer around most hurdles with ease. The company even claims to offer a special tuning setup to match the riding dynamics of this model, which is mated with a six-speed gearbox and utilises dual-channel ABS for enhanced safety. This setup, at this cost, is certainly a mouth-watering deal for anyone looking to enjoy a fast-paced vehicle that isn’t afraid of a few bumps along the way.

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Same in Class

Honda CB300R

The Japanese automotive giant has had a strong foothold in the international two-wheeler segment for quite some time now, off the back of its reliable engines and refined performance. The CB300R offers much of the same, as the direct competitor for the Vitpilen, even though it comes with a slightly larger 286.01cc engine that makes a similar 30.45BHP of power. Even though it isn’t as aggressively tuned as either of its competitors, it still manages to deliver enough oomph to make the bike seem lively. You can get this trusted piece of engineering for a hefty price of 2.41 lakh.

KTM Duke 250

This bike may seem familiar as it is the same motorcycle that both models of Husqvarna are modelled around, even though it doesn’t hold a candle to the design of either. What it does share is the 248.8cc engine, which in this model is tuned for rapid acceleration and a decent power output of 30BHP and 24Nm of torque. By now it has certainly started showing its age, owing to the old-school halogen lamps and TFT display; but the engine and performance are still good enough to justify the 2.2 lakh price tag if you don’t want to spend the same on an untested entity.

From the March 2020 issue of FHM India.