Back in the day, the quarter-litre motorcycle segment used to witness all the fury but now, things have changed… and evolved. Aspirations have grown in size, so have the engines but that doesn’t mean that the 250cc motorcycle segment is obsolete now. It might not be as thriving as before but relevance? Oh, this segment still has it. Keeping the flame alive and flickering are offerings like the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250. One might argue that it is just the KTM 250 Duke in saner, more mature clothes and that argument would stand corrected but is there more to this Husky? Does it have what it takes to deliver the kill while moving around swiftly in a tuxedo? Especially when it has lost some of its edge? Many questions were raised and put to rest when we had this gorgeous Swedish flicka.
The previous iteration of the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 was a thoroughbred cafe-racer, in its design and intent both. The new one, however, has ditched the niche route and has now chosen a path which would lead to pleasing the masses. While it still looks authentically Husqvarna because of its distinctive styline and symmetrical lines, the older one was still unapologetic. However, I can see why Husqvarna has taken this route. The older version might have appealed to enthusiasts but it didn’t find that many takers and a good business model runs on minting money, not winning hearts. It was compact, aggressive and used to feel a little tall for shorter riders.
All the gripes have been eliminated in the new Vitpilen as it now looks a lot bigger than before, commanding road presence which can be termed as the best in its segment. While it retains the round treatment for the headlamp, it has grown in size and the same can be said about the front fender and the rear end as well. The Vitpilen is supposed to be a style statement but the rear end doesn’t comply with the same philosophy as it looks a bit commuterish. Moreover, the Vitpilen has lost one of the most crucial elements that made it what it was, clip on handlebar. But is it still one of the most good looking motorcycles in its spectrum? You bet. Despite being a journalist and not the superficial kind, I would throw my money at Husqvarna for the Vitpilen because of the looks alone.
31HP and 25NM. This is what approachable yet enjoyable performance looks like on paper and the Husky replicates it in the real world as well. Although I have ridden the KTM 250 Duke before but not to a great extent and that’s the reason why I was very keen on riding the Vitpilen as much as I could. All the things that I had previously heard about this engine turned out to be facts because approachable performance is what it is all about. It is not as wild and frantic as its bigger, badder cousin the 390 Duke but is it still a KTM underneath? Rev its neck above 6000rpm and you would know. After that, it is pure frenzy and I personally love it! What made the whole experience even more involving is the fact that to keep it singing, you have to keep working the gearbox which comes married to a bi-directional quickshifter. And it is a happy marriage, not the toxic kind that KTM’s previous outings with quickshifter were renowned for.
The fun might be in gunning it till it kisses its rev ceiling violently but the Vitpilen can also be ridden in a sedate manner at rational and legal speeds. It doesn’t gasp for breath at slow speeds like an asthmatic person on Diwali night. It just trundles along without any protest. But again, it is not meant to be ridden slowly. If you wish to ride that way, look elsewhere because the Vitpilen is supposed to look like a white blur when it passes you.
White arrow. That’s what Vitpilen actually means. The word. I could sense why after riding the Vitpilen hard because it might look like one, but it goes like one too! Suspension components are sourced by WP, KTM’s long standing partner and they do a great job of striking a good balance between ride quality and riding dynamics. The Vitpilen not only inspires confidence while piercing a corner, it also doesn’t unsettle the rider while encountering bumps. It never loses out on composure until and unless you’re clocking triple digit speeds and the Vitpilen has to go through some undulations. The light front end makes things a little twitchy, robbing you off the confidence to keep feeding it the revs. The brakes, however, instill enough confidence in the rider to keep pushing the marker further and further. The Vitpilen also comes equipped with supermoto ABS mode if you wish to fishtail around, gaining some stupid laughs in the process.
Blame it on the Indian mindset but I, personally, would prefer the Vitpilen 250 over the KTM 250 Duke because it costs almost INR 20,000 lesser than its Austrian counterpart. Despite costing lesser, you’re getting the same level of equipment and cycle parts but sprinkled with some exclusivity as well. The Vitpilen is a big style statement but one, that works well in real world conditions as well, pretty well.
