125cc Performance-oriented motorcycles are a pretty new thing as far as our market is concerned. But overseas, 125cc pocket-rockets are quite popular because of their accessible nature and they serve as the perfect weapon for beginners who want to take up motorcycling as their passion. Reports suggest that Europe is soon going to get 125cc motorcycles from the house of Husqvarna around February 2021. The Svartpilen 125 and the Vitpilen 125 are going to be the entry-point in the Husqvarna family.
More details
No brownie points for guessing that both the motorcycles will be based on the KTM Duke 125’s platform. The Duke 125 was recently updated here with revised styling and some other updates.
Expected specs
Powering the entry-level Husqvarnas is going to be the same 125cc DOHC, 4 valve, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected unit which does the job in the Duke 125. The engine is good enough for a power output of 14.5 PS at 9,250 rpm and a twisting force of 12 Nm at 8,000 rpm. This power goes to the rear wheel via a six-speed transmission. We expect that the other cycle parts are going to remain the same as well. Anchorage duties will be taken care of by a radially mounted 300 mm front disc and a 230 mm unit at the rear. The braking department is expected to be governed by a single channel ABS module and rear-wheel lift mitigation as standard. Suspension setup might include 43 mm WP upside-down forks at the front and WP monoshock unit at the rear.
As far as looks and ergonomics go, we can expect Husqvarna to retain the same styling elements as their 250cc counterparts. The Svartpilen has a rugged design accompanied by an upright stance. What adds to its brutish appeal are the dual-purpose tyres. The Vitpilen, on the other hand, will appeal more to the people who are into café-racers. It comes with clip-on handlebars and the riding position too, is front biased.
Also read: 2022 Will Witness The Spawning of Husqvarna’s Electric Motorcycle ‘E-Pilen’
It is going to be interesting to see whether Husqvarna decides to bring the Svartpilen 125 and the Vitpilen 125 here as well and if it does, both the 125cc twins might be priced a little better than the Duke 125. The 2021 KTM Duke 125 currently retails at INR 1.51 Lakh ex-showroom.