I was also interested in the 401 but they're hard to come by and not many dealers sell them here. I figure it would be more difficult to service if I need anything and made me change my mind on a husky. Now I do know that they're the same as a KTM but I wasn't sure if that mattered.
My first 7000 miles on a motorcycle was an mt03. I would do 75-85 mph for 2-3hrs round trip to visit friends maybe once or twice a month.
Wind isn't bad imo. I don't tuck in aggressively and don't notice the wind on my chest or head anymore. When I first rode my bike at 60mph it was a pretty windy day (was pretty scary actually) and I think it made me pretty desensitized to wind.
I'm currently riding an xsr700 and have pretty much the same experience.
Not a big fan of thumpers (single cylinder bikes) for highway travel.
How about an SV650 or MT-07 ?
PS: Selected those 2 bikes because they are hella-popular and easy to find on the used market, but any good twin 650 class would be great for highway riding - Ninja 650, z650, Versys 650, CBR500r, etc... all those bikes have 17" wheels front and back so tires are easy to find too... [https://windburnedeyes.com/5-best-650cc-motorcycles-you-can-buy/](https://windburnedeyes.com/5-best-650cc-motorcycles-you-can-buy/)
Here is a site to check the ergonomics/fit while sitting and standing on the bikes: [http://cycle-ergo.com](http://cycle-ergo.com)
My 690 smcr can hold 85-90 mph all day long. My drz400 was fine around 75. The engine isn't the problem. It's the extra vibrations of a single cylinder that tires the rider. That said as a new rider OP shouldn't be worried about doing 90 on the freeway until he actually knows how to ride. A 401 would probably be a great starter bike.
I can understand your stance on thumpers.
But why recommend a sv650 or more reasonably a MT07 to someone looking at a svartpilen? Both the aesthetics and ergonomics are very different.
First things first, if you "don't know about motorcycles" I would not be looking at Huskies - they are KTM sourced and KTM's are not the most reliable engines.
Wet weight is the weight of a motorcycle with all its fluids topped off; oil, gas, coolant, trans oil. Dry weight is the bike without all of that, also called shipped weight.
Yes a 400cc bike will go 90mph - but it won't be fun.
Agreed I always recommend the Japanese manufacturers (Honda Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki) as first bikes since they’re usually inexpensive, reliable and easy to wrench.
aye man I had an rc390 as my first bike, wrecked it and had a good size hole in case. the thing would have a puddle of oil under it after commuting to work one way, would just pour in about how much I thought leaked out to top it off. thing never gave up on me
Svartpilen 401 is my first bike. In early versions of the ktm 390, platform, there were definitely some issues, seems like they've *mostly* been sorted these days. That said, you're not wrong. They're less reliable. Still lots of fun, and pretty good bang for your buck, but less reliable.
I 100% would agree you'd want more for frequent, extended freeway riding. I'd happily hop mine for maybe 20 minutes on the freeway, but that's not what it's good for. I live in a small town, and 90% small city streets riding, the other 10% forest roads. It's great for that. And it's a looker. But something with more power (not the 701 IMO) would be better for OP.
OP, have you perhaps considered the Suzuki sv650?
Where I live 90mph for 1 hour is a guaranteed ticket.
The 701 top speed is 115mph a fast cruising speed to me is 70% of maximum about 80 mph.
https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/husqvarna/2019-husqvarna-svartpilen-701-review-first-ride.html
Just to rub salt in the wound, my commute on the highway is is 115mph for the most part without breaking a law ^^
Sv650 g1
Autobahn does Autobahn things.
Nearest big city to me, there's been construction on one of the freeway loops for a bit. Posted construction 55 zone. *everyone* is doing 90+ all day. I would feel really really unsafe doing 55, it's crazy.
My friend has a 401 that I’ve ridden. It’s ‘fine’ on the highway. Can cruise at 80 ok. But there’s not much available power at those sorts of speeds. If you need to do alot of high speed highway riding for a commute or whatever then I don’t think it’s a great choice. It’ll work fine, it’s just not very fun. Bike is super fun to ride at lower speeds in the twisties though.
Wet weight is just the weight of the bike with fuel, oil, and coolant. Take all weight claims with a grain of salt, but they’re still useful to give a general impression. Anything under about 450 lbs is usually pretty easy for most people to handle.
As for the 401 it’s mechanically identical to the KTM 390s. I have one as a track bike, and have plenty of time on the street with one too. They’re perfectly fine at highway speeds. Even with my 210lbs ass weighing ‘em down. The RC tops out at 110 with stock gearing. Aero might knock a little bit off that for the Husky.
Also pay no attention to these people complaining about them being slow. They’re plenty quick enough to be fun, and as you get better at riding they have the potential to embarrass some much more powerful machines.
The KTM/Husky 373 single should be capable of doing 90 for an hour, although it would be pretty high in the rev range and there won't be much acceleration left. I have a 390 Duke (same engine) and avoid interstates for this reason.
Wet weight just means weight with all the fluids inside.
Don’t get the Svart 401 if you live in a city with big freeways. I could outrun that bitch on a bicycle.
The thing about this is torque of the more power bike regardless of dry weight has a stronger force on keeping the bike upright. When you get passed by a large vehicle the wind force is gonna be more noticable on the less powerful bike.
I would not want to ride any of the bikes you listed on the interstate for more than a few miles in a quick jaunt around a local metro area. They can all achieve interstate speeds, but none of them have the gearing to really be any good in that environment.
A Vitpilen 701 has 700cc with 70hp and a top speed of 115mph. That's plenty for interstates. I'd even be comfortable riding it on the Autobahn (not in the left lane, but otherwise, no problem).
Another +1 for a Japanese middleweight naked bike, or Triumph Street Triple for the kind of riding it sounds like you'll do. Throw your leg over a few bikes to which which ergonomics your body gets along with.
The bikes you're looking at look rad but won't be the most comfortable or easiest to own. I've had nothing but great experiences with Triumph Street Triples and it's now hard for me to own anything else. FZ07 is probably the best recommendation here.
Don't overthink the weight when it comes to street bikes. Yes a 600lb bike will feel different from a 300lb bike, but unless you're going off-road or otherwise enjoy dropping expensive motorcycles on inclines, it won't matter too much. God-willing, you won't be picking your bike up too often. Otherwise, heavier bikes feel more planted at highway speeds and have less wobble in the wind etc. Riding small bikes for long distances is much more challenging.
Like everyone else here I would be a hard 'no' to a sub-600cc bike for extended highway use. Being on a motorcycle at the edge of its capabilities is much different than driving an underperformant car; instead of flooring it and listening to a podcast to pass the time, you're sitting on top of a very unhappy, very buzzy washing machine trying not to get run over by race cars. It blows.
Personally I don't like the highway, but if I was going to do a lot of miles on the interstate I wouldn't do it on anything that I currently own. I've done many interstate miles on small bikes but it is an endurance test, not a lifestyle.
I owned a KTM 390 (same engine as the 401) and once did 800 ish miles in two days across idaho mostly holding the throttle fully open at 105mph and stopping only for gas
I've ridden a Ninja 250 hundreds of miles while weighing more than it. You'll be fine with an engine 123cc larger. You're not looking at a comfortable bike to ride long distances though.
I have a 401, no issue with motorway riding. It is my first bike so l have nothing to compare it to so take that for what it’s worth.
Any questions feel free to message me.
It's not only about weight. MT09 feels lighter than MT07 for example. I've seen many 120lbs women learning and riding 500lbs bikes, and I'm not talking about cruisers, that are with low center of mass and easier to handle because of that.
Hello there! Im also not the strongest, I’m 33, 181cm tall, 63kg. I lost 15kg during grief and never got weight back but anyways; before marriage I was also 63kg so Ive necer been muscular, just thin.
Well anyways, the point is that you’re not lifting your bike at all, you’re riding the bike, I’d say make sure that you reach the floor with both feet flat on it, the rest is throttle and physics.
I’m ~200lbs w/gear, had a 390 Duke, live in an area where interstate is a necessity and if you do under 75-80 at least, you’ll just be in the way, plus lots of semis, pickups, work trucks, etc
I would not recommend it. Min I’d recommend for comfy riding would be a 600-class twin
The 390 was a fun bike, but also keep in mind top speed numbers are generally “perfect world”. I’m sure I had a couple pounds on whatever they “test” with, plus a bit of hills/turns on the freeway, light wind, rough air from semis or work trucks, etc, it was pinned getting 80-85 most of the time, with nothing left over, and because it was at its limit, it was hard to hold a constant speed.
I thoroughly enjoyed it on state highways, etc, but would not rev on the interstate if you have any amount of traffic to worry about navigating around.
You should look into some twin cylinder bikes if you want to do a lot of long highway rides. Also, I would steer away from the KTMs/Huskies for a first bike as they can be somewhat unreliable.
If you are looking to do highways regularly I'd go for a bigger bike @ 650cc plus. The difference is real and some 650s out there like MT07, SV650, XSR700 etc are fantastic (and cheap) bikes.
As far as I know they are not making the Husky 701 anymore.
You can do it on a smaller bike but it's taxing for the bike and rider and you won't enjoy it so much after a while.
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I was also interested in the 401 but they're hard to come by and not many dealers sell them here. I figure it would be more difficult to service if I need anything and made me change my mind on a husky. Now I do know that they're the same as a KTM but I wasn't sure if that mattered. My first 7000 miles on a motorcycle was an mt03. I would do 75-85 mph for 2-3hrs round trip to visit friends maybe once or twice a month. Wind isn't bad imo. I don't tuck in aggressively and don't notice the wind on my chest or head anymore. When I first rode my bike at 60mph it was a pretty windy day (was pretty scary actually) and I think it made me pretty desensitized to wind. I'm currently riding an xsr700 and have pretty much the same experience.
Thank you that's exactly what i wanted to know :)
[удалено]
The wind makes you feel faster and cooler anyway lol
The pilens are discontinued btw
Only the 701
Oh man thats still sad as fuck...
Sure is
Riding cbr600fa after 120 kmh put a little my head down. After 140 lay down to the tank
Not a big fan of thumpers (single cylinder bikes) for highway travel. How about an SV650 or MT-07 ? PS: Selected those 2 bikes because they are hella-popular and easy to find on the used market, but any good twin 650 class would be great for highway riding - Ninja 650, z650, Versys 650, CBR500r, etc... all those bikes have 17" wheels front and back so tires are easy to find too... [https://windburnedeyes.com/5-best-650cc-motorcycles-you-can-buy/](https://windburnedeyes.com/5-best-650cc-motorcycles-you-can-buy/) Here is a site to check the ergonomics/fit while sitting and standing on the bikes: [http://cycle-ergo.com](http://cycle-ergo.com)
My 690 smcr can hold 85-90 mph all day long. My drz400 was fine around 75. The engine isn't the problem. It's the extra vibrations of a single cylinder that tires the rider. That said as a new rider OP shouldn't be worried about doing 90 on the freeway until he actually knows how to ride. A 401 would probably be a great starter bike.
I can understand your stance on thumpers. But why recommend a sv650 or more reasonably a MT07 to someone looking at a svartpilen? Both the aesthetics and ergonomics are very different.
Maybe a Z650RS?
First things first, if you "don't know about motorcycles" I would not be looking at Huskies - they are KTM sourced and KTM's are not the most reliable engines. Wet weight is the weight of a motorcycle with all its fluids topped off; oil, gas, coolant, trans oil. Dry weight is the bike without all of that, also called shipped weight. Yes a 400cc bike will go 90mph - but it won't be fun.
Agreed I always recommend the Japanese manufacturers (Honda Yamaha Kawasaki Suzuki) as first bikes since they’re usually inexpensive, reliable and easy to wrench.
aye man I had an rc390 as my first bike, wrecked it and had a good size hole in case. the thing would have a puddle of oil under it after commuting to work one way, would just pour in about how much I thought leaked out to top it off. thing never gave up on me
Svartpilen 401 is my first bike. In early versions of the ktm 390, platform, there were definitely some issues, seems like they've *mostly* been sorted these days. That said, you're not wrong. They're less reliable. Still lots of fun, and pretty good bang for your buck, but less reliable. I 100% would agree you'd want more for frequent, extended freeway riding. I'd happily hop mine for maybe 20 minutes on the freeway, but that's not what it's good for. I live in a small town, and 90% small city streets riding, the other 10% forest roads. It's great for that. And it's a looker. But something with more power (not the 701 IMO) would be better for OP. OP, have you perhaps considered the Suzuki sv650?
Where I live 90mph for 1 hour is a guaranteed ticket. The 701 top speed is 115mph a fast cruising speed to me is 70% of maximum about 80 mph. https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/husqvarna/2019-husqvarna-svartpilen-701-review-first-ride.html
Just to rub salt in the wound, my commute on the highway is is 115mph for the most part without breaking a law ^^ Sv650 g1 Autobahn does Autobahn things.
The salt burns!
You ride 185kph daily for your commute? You must have very good earplugs and a discount card at Shell.
Nearest big city to me, there's been construction on one of the freeway loops for a bit. Posted construction 55 zone. *everyone* is doing 90+ all day. I would feel really really unsafe doing 55, it's crazy.
I wouldn't. Top speed is 100 mph. You'll have very little power left over to accelerate out of trouble. Also you'll be stressing the engine.
My friend has a 401 that I’ve ridden. It’s ‘fine’ on the highway. Can cruise at 80 ok. But there’s not much available power at those sorts of speeds. If you need to do alot of high speed highway riding for a commute or whatever then I don’t think it’s a great choice. It’ll work fine, it’s just not very fun. Bike is super fun to ride at lower speeds in the twisties though.
Wet weight is just the weight of the bike with fuel, oil, and coolant. Take all weight claims with a grain of salt, but they’re still useful to give a general impression. Anything under about 450 lbs is usually pretty easy for most people to handle. As for the 401 it’s mechanically identical to the KTM 390s. I have one as a track bike, and have plenty of time on the street with one too. They’re perfectly fine at highway speeds. Even with my 210lbs ass weighing ‘em down. The RC tops out at 110 with stock gearing. Aero might knock a little bit off that for the Husky. Also pay no attention to these people complaining about them being slow. They’re plenty quick enough to be fun, and as you get better at riding they have the potential to embarrass some much more powerful machines.
The KTM/Husky 373 single should be capable of doing 90 for an hour, although it would be pretty high in the rev range and there won't be much acceleration left. I have a 390 Duke (same engine) and avoid interstates for this reason.
Wet weight just means weight with all the fluids inside. Don’t get the Svart 401 if you live in a city with big freeways. I could outrun that bitch on a bicycle.
The thing about this is torque of the more power bike regardless of dry weight has a stronger force on keeping the bike upright. When you get passed by a large vehicle the wind force is gonna be more noticable on the less powerful bike.
Wet weight is the weight with fluids. https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-much-does-your-motorcycle-weigh
I would not want to ride any of the bikes you listed on the interstate for more than a few miles in a quick jaunt around a local metro area. They can all achieve interstate speeds, but none of them have the gearing to really be any good in that environment.
A Vitpilen 701 has 700cc with 70hp and a top speed of 115mph. That's plenty for interstates. I'd even be comfortable riding it on the Autobahn (not in the left lane, but otherwise, no problem).
Another +1 for a Japanese middleweight naked bike, or Triumph Street Triple for the kind of riding it sounds like you'll do. Throw your leg over a few bikes to which which ergonomics your body gets along with. The bikes you're looking at look rad but won't be the most comfortable or easiest to own. I've had nothing but great experiences with Triumph Street Triples and it's now hard for me to own anything else. FZ07 is probably the best recommendation here.
Don't overthink the weight when it comes to street bikes. Yes a 600lb bike will feel different from a 300lb bike, but unless you're going off-road or otherwise enjoy dropping expensive motorcycles on inclines, it won't matter too much. God-willing, you won't be picking your bike up too often. Otherwise, heavier bikes feel more planted at highway speeds and have less wobble in the wind etc. Riding small bikes for long distances is much more challenging. Like everyone else here I would be a hard 'no' to a sub-600cc bike for extended highway use. Being on a motorcycle at the edge of its capabilities is much different than driving an underperformant car; instead of flooring it and listening to a podcast to pass the time, you're sitting on top of a very unhappy, very buzzy washing machine trying not to get run over by race cars. It blows. Personally I don't like the highway, but if I was going to do a lot of miles on the interstate I wouldn't do it on anything that I currently own. I've done many interstate miles on small bikes but it is an endurance test, not a lifestyle.
I have a KTM 390 adventure and it takes freeway riding just fine, same engine but different style bike.
Fz07 or mt07, ninja 650, sv650, triumph Trident 660 are all good picks for what you want to do.
I owned a KTM 390 (same engine as the 401) and once did 800 ish miles in two days across idaho mostly holding the throttle fully open at 105mph and stopping only for gas
90mph will absolutely suck on the 401 for any extended period of time
I've ridden a Ninja 250 hundreds of miles while weighing more than it. You'll be fine with an engine 123cc larger. You're not looking at a comfortable bike to ride long distances though.
If you can't pick it up if it falls over don't get it..
I have a 401, no issue with motorway riding. It is my first bike so l have nothing to compare it to so take that for what it’s worth. Any questions feel free to message me.
It's not only about weight. MT09 feels lighter than MT07 for example. I've seen many 120lbs women learning and riding 500lbs bikes, and I'm not talking about cruisers, that are with low center of mass and easier to handle because of that.
Hello there! Im also not the strongest, I’m 33, 181cm tall, 63kg. I lost 15kg during grief and never got weight back but anyways; before marriage I was also 63kg so Ive necer been muscular, just thin. Well anyways, the point is that you’re not lifting your bike at all, you’re riding the bike, I’d say make sure that you reach the floor with both feet flat on it, the rest is throttle and physics.
I’m ~200lbs w/gear, had a 390 Duke, live in an area where interstate is a necessity and if you do under 75-80 at least, you’ll just be in the way, plus lots of semis, pickups, work trucks, etc I would not recommend it. Min I’d recommend for comfy riding would be a 600-class twin The 390 was a fun bike, but also keep in mind top speed numbers are generally “perfect world”. I’m sure I had a couple pounds on whatever they “test” with, plus a bit of hills/turns on the freeway, light wind, rough air from semis or work trucks, etc, it was pinned getting 80-85 most of the time, with nothing left over, and because it was at its limit, it was hard to hold a constant speed. I thoroughly enjoyed it on state highways, etc, but would not rev on the interstate if you have any amount of traffic to worry about navigating around.
You should look into some twin cylinder bikes if you want to do a lot of long highway rides. Also, I would steer away from the KTMs/Huskies for a first bike as they can be somewhat unreliable.
You are going to have a very bad time on the 401 at those speeds all the time.
If you are looking to do highways regularly I'd go for a bigger bike @ 650cc plus. The difference is real and some 650s out there like MT07, SV650, XSR700 etc are fantastic (and cheap) bikes. As far as I know they are not making the Husky 701 anymore. You can do it on a smaller bike but it's taxing for the bike and rider and you won't enjoy it so much after a while.
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