The Husqvarna Vitpilen 901 twin has been spotted on test several times before but the company has finally started to drop hints that it’s on the verge of launching the bike – with an Instagram teaser video that suggests a date of 5 March.
The teaser uses the usual short snatches of video to prevent a good look at the bike, which also wears a disguising wrap covered in Husqvarna logos, but even so it’s clear that it’s essentially the same rebodied KTM Duke that’s been seen testing in recent months.
Hit this link to see the video.
While there are obviously no specifications yet, there are details to be drawn from the teaser. For a start, it’s abundantly clear that this new Husqvarna uses the older 890 Duke as its basis, not the new-for-2024 990 Duke, which has a completely redesigned engine. A close-up glimpse of the clutch cover shows it matches the older 889cc ‘890’ and 799cc ‘790’ KTM motors, but not the 947cc ‘990’ engine, which has a reshaped cover and repositioned oil level sight glass. Since Husqvarna already uses the 889cc version of the twin in its Norden 901, the new Vitpilen is likely to adopt the same capacity rather than the 799cc version that’s currently offered in the made-in-China KTM 790 Duke.
Like the engine, the chassis is ported across directly from the 890 Duke, with the same tubular frame and swingarm – again, both are quite different on the new 990 Duke. The externally-braced swingarm in particular is clearly seen in the teaser video and differs substantially from the banana-shaped arm used on the latest Duke model.
At the back the Husky is expected to have its own design of seat subframe to suit the Vitpilen’s distinctive proportions, and the riding position also differs from the KTM 890 Duke, with higher, wider ’bar on the Husqvarna, so even though both bikes share a similar spot in the market, there’s a clear choice between them.
Vitpilen differences also include the five-spoke wheels, and of course there’s the signature oversized headlight in place of the Duke’s aggressively-slanted unit.
One clear shot in the teaser video shows that the bike uses the same 43mm WP Apex fork that featured on the 2023 890 Duke GP and are retained on the 2024 990 Duke. That’s another hint that the Husqvarna uses the more powerful ‘890’ engine instead of the ‘790’ version, as the 790 Duke has lower-spec suspension. It’s the same story with the brakes, with radial four-pot calipers that, while wearing the Husqvarna logo, appear to be the same design used on the KTM 890 Duke.
In terms of performance, if we look to the 890 Duke GP as the closest parallel to the Vitpilen 901, we can expect 85kW and 92Nm and a weight of around 170kg dry. That’s a tempting recipe, particularly when accompanied by Husqvarna styling that’s less contentious than the insectoid look that KTM employs on the Duke models.
WORDS: BEN PURVIS
