John Hinz on Husqvarna’s Two New Bikes
Husqvarna Motorcycles is among one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers who are still thriving today. It started building motorcycles in 1903 but Husqvarna itself has been involved in many other businesses like its sibling, Ikea.
Move aside Oliver Queen, the Black and White Arrows are here.
Husqvarna Svartpilen or the 'Black Arrow'.
The Swedish firm was recently bought by KTM in 2013 and early this year, it launched two new machines called the ‘Vitpilen’ and ‘Svartpilen’ on the west side of Manhattan with the help of Maxime Thouvenin.
Like every other company that made motorized vehicles, Husqvarna dabbled in the world of racing, which may have shifted the company’s focus a little bit.
Husqvarna has always been easily designed and adapted well to different riding settings and styles. But as it dabbled in the world of racing, like every other company that made motorized vehicles, its focus shifted and instead exploited its commanding force in off-road competitions instead.
With the Thuverin’s help, however, Husqvarna is hoping to bring its orginal credo back with the resurrection of two new road-going platforms – the Svartpilen (‘Black Arrow’) and the Vitpilen (‘White Arrow’).
John Hinz, President of Husqvarna Motorcyles in North America.
John Hinz, Husqvarna’s president in North America, told Robb Report that the seeds for the two new Arrows can be dated back to 1955 when Husvarna released the Silverpilen, which translated to ‘Silver Arrow’.
Therefore, when they “began designing the two new bikes,” explained Hinz, “we wanted to bring back that history.”
He goes further to explain: “Both motorcycles have a very minimalistic feel as part of our Swedish roots, which is part of our brand’s core values. We’ve stripped away everything and really kept only what’s essential about motorcycling. And part of the style and beauty are the premium components.“Clearly, from a style standpoint, the Svartpilen has a little more of the knobby tire, high handlebars, slightly different ergonomic position, and look. For us, this represents a different emotional connection to customers than the Vitpilen, which has little clip-ons, a more forward seating position, and a café style.
Husqvarna Vitpilen or the 'White Arrow'.
“Even though they have clear aesthetic distinctions, they’re both focused on the more style-conscious urban customer.
“There are also two different displacements to help encourage novice riders—a 401(375cc) and a 701 (693cc) powerplant.”
The 701 is “definitely targeted toward more seasoned riders”, Hinz said, but they will be “throwing some concepts out there to gauge interest and see what the reactions are from the public”.
The 401 and 701 will retail machine price for around $7,000 and $12,000, respectively.