Exclusive: Husqvarna motorcycle concepts

Husqvarna has always had that elusive cool factor. Bikes sporting the classic “gun sight” logo have traditionally been fast and good-looking—just like famous owner Steve McQueen, whose weapon of choice in the 1970s was a Husky 400.

Today, that cool factor has just ramped up a couple of notches. Husqvarna has thrown the wraps off two stunning new ‘401’ concepts at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.

Created by the industrial design company Kiska, they’re designed to gauge public reaction before possible production.

There are two machines: the Vit Pilen (“White Arrow” in Swedish) and the Svart Pilen (Black Arrow). They take their inspiration from the famed Silver Pilen of 1955—a machine that was lighter, smaller and faster than its competitors.

The 401 concepts are anything but antiquated, though. They’re sporting upside-down WP forks, lightweight trellis frames, and 17-inch wheels with modern rubber. Power comes from a state-of-the-art 400cc water-cooled single. Output is 43hp and the bikes weigh a mere 135 kg (297 pounds).

Kiska’s senior designer Björn Shuster explains the thinking: “The 401s are not recollections of the past. They’re about purity, simplicity of form, and economy of line. Those are the fundamentals of the Husqvarna design language. It doesn’t matter if it was 60 years ago or now, the same mentality remains.”

“A lot of modern machinery has become so hyper-focused, it’s difficult for the customer to inject his or her own style into the bike. So we wanted to create a platform that offers more freedom,” says Björn.

“Maybe you want to run tall bars and a high pipe for some fire-road fun. Or install clip-ons, for more weight over the front end at your next track day. Or perhaps you just prefer one stance to another. It’s up to you.”

401 Svart Pilen (above) The Svart pays homage to the rich off-road heritage of Husqvarna. It’s still very much a road bike, but the ancillary components will make your life easier when the pavement ends.

The muffler is mounted high, out of the way of rocks and debris. The headlamp has an integrated cage that fully encloses the bowl: it’s the old headlamp grill reinterpreted in a modern way.

The solo seat has a grippy texture and makes room for a small utility rack at the back.

There’s a matching rack on the tank, giving the rider multiple storage options for longer off-road trips.

The riding position is upright, with wide bars and grippy pegs. A skidplate protects the crankcase and the tires are aggressive but street-legal knobbies.

401 Vit Pilen (above) “This model is meant to show how simple and pure a roadbike can be,” says Björn. The rearsets give maximum clearance in the corners, and clip-ons are mounted to stout triple clamps. A neat detail: the clamp bolts are installed from the front, allowing the surfaces to be as clean as possible. Even the headlight holder is integrated into the clamps, which also support the digital display.

From the engine cradles to the fenders, each part has been constructed with the Husqvarna ideals of simplicity, honesty, and cleaniness. The muffler is not your typical trapezoidal ray gun sticking out of the back: it’s just a clean oval section, and all the better for it.

“The Vit Pilen is what a stripped down street bike should look like,” says Björn. “Reduced to the minimum and lightweight. The stance and proportions let you know what it’s waiting to do.”

If the reaction to the 401 concepts is good, we’re told that Husqvarna will put them into production.

If the price was right, would you buy one?

Husqvarna Motorcycles | Kiska | Images by Piers Spencer-Phillips of Derestricted

Top 5 Concept Motorcycles

Car manufacturers occasionally dip a toe into the world of two wheels. It’s usually in the form of an expensive bicycle designed to be strapped to the back of a giant SUV, and bought by middle-aged businessmen.

But that hasn’t stopped petrolhead designers from daydreaming about radical motorcycles bearing lustworthy badges. So for this week’s Top 5, we’re taking a sideways look at five concept motorcycles that wear the logo of a high-end carmaker.

First up is Porsche, with a very strange concept indeed.

Porsche Design Alternative Motorrad Konzept Porsche is well known for helping Harley-Davidson on the engineering front, notably with the VR1000 racer and the Revolution engine that debuted in the V-Rod. Less well known is this 1978 concept motorcycle based on a Yamaha SR500. As with most carmaker-derived concepts, it’s high on style and low on practicality—those enclosed wheels would never work, for starters. The Vintagent has the full story, along with the best description of the rider’s attire: “a Ghillie Suit appropriate for a Mardi-gras hunting party.”

Amir Glinik’s ‘Ferrari motorycle’ If Ferrari made a motorcycle, what would it look like? Designer Amir Glinik decided to find out, and released an amazing set of 3D computer renderings. Five years ago the images took the interwebs by storm, proving that Maranello and motorcycles are an intoxicating (if unauthorized) mix. These days, Glinik still operates in the virtual world—but sticks to beautifully detailed computer models of vintage Harley-Davidsons.

Lamborghini Design Straddling the borderline between concept and reality is this French project from the mid-1980s. In those days, the Mimran brothers owned Lamborghini, and Patrick Mimran commissioned Boxer Design and frame specialist Claude Fior to create a bona-fide Lamborghini motorcycle. It had an aluminum frame and a Kawasaki engine, and depending on whom you ask, between five and forty were built.

Photo: Guerry & Prat Images, via Southsiders MC.

Lotus C-01 The name and logo are familiar, but the background to the Lotus motorcycle is murky. Today, Lotus is owned by the Malaysian car company Proton, which has licensed the naming rights to a German auto racing team, Kodewa. Interest in the Daniel Simon-designed power cruiser has been extraordinary, and we’re told that there are road-going prototypes running with a 200bhp version of the KTM RC8 engine.

The price is projected to be around $137,000—no doubt due to the plentiful use of titanium and carbon fiber—but the Lotus website is vague on a release date, simply saying, “We have received thousands of sales enquiries. We will respond to each enquiry as soon as we can, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience and continued support.”

Let’s hope this is one concept motorcycle that makes it into reality. [Lotus Motorcycles]

Lauge Jensen ‘Viking’ The Danish company Lauge Jensen makes improbably expensive motorcycles that will never, ever grace the pages of Bike EXIF. This concept is a step in the right direction though, and comes from car designer Henrik Fisker—best known for the Aston Martin DB9 and the ill-fated Fisker Karma electric sports sedan. It’s a sterling example of classic cruiser design, and powered by a Harley-derived S&S V-twin pushing out 100bhp. The Viking will top 130 mph but also meets the impending Euro IV emissions regulations. The price will be around $50,000—and I’m betting there will be no shortage of buyers.

Expect to see this particular concept motorcycle go into small-scale production soon.

Last week’s Top 5 covered the Yamaha SR400.

Caterham Brutus 750

One of the surprise announcements at EICMA, the world’s biggest motorcycle show, was the launch of Caterham Bikes. It’s a new two-wheeled division from the group that owns the sportscar company and F1 team.

The Brutus 750 is a pitched as a multi-purpose bike that works both on- and off-road, and we’re told it will also come with a kit to convert it to a snowmobile. It’s a kind of 21st century Rokon, albeit without the two-wheel drive. The raw, angular styling looks even better in the metal than in these images.

The official spec sheet doesn’t reveal much: the engine is a 750cc liquid-cooled DOHC unit, and it’s hooked up to a CVT transmission. There’s no word on where that powertrain comes from, but I’m guessing that it’s a Southeast Asian quad bike unit with the usual carburetor replaced by fuel injection. Weight is listed as 235 kg, the forks are 43mm USDs, and the wheels are 14” front and back.

If the bike looks familiar, it’s because it’s a rebranded design from Alessandro Tartarini, the son of the founder of Italjet and now Caterham’s chief designer. But the signs do point towards serious intent on Caterham’s part. The company is planning to run a Moto2 race team in 2014, and has strong engineering and technology subsidiaries within the group.

So maybe this is one concept that will be put into production. And judging by the crowds milling around the machine at Caterham’s booth, the market is ready for it.

What about you?