SECOND OPINION: TODD SUTHERLAND
Fantastic. Something different! With so much
‘same-same’ in motorcycling’s learner offerings,
it’s refreshing to see a brand push the boat out
there. First impressions can have you perhaps
thinking that a Ducati Scambler, watched an
Indiana Jones movie, got excited and mounted
a Ural sidecar, giving rise to the Svartpilen – or
is that just the way my mind works...? Anyway,
the world is always evolving. A nose-pierced,
mohawk’d Urban Explorer very much has a
place as we edge toward the 2020s.
The generous suspension travel (142mm front,
150mm Rear), relatively light weight, and tight
turning circle all help carve the Svartpilen its
own place, but a supermotard it is not.
The quoted 43hp is enough to have the front
wheel gently rise up under hard acceleration
- of its own accord. That’s plenty more than
First impressions can
have you perhaps
thinking that a Ducati
Scambler watched an
Indiana Jones movie, got
excited and mounted
a Ural sidecar, giving
rise to the Svartpilen
needed to boost away from any car and give
you a little clear space.
The motor and chromium steel frame are ac-
tually shared with sporty sister, the KTM Duke
390. The Svartpilen with its flat bars and softer
suspension is more ‘real world’ in the urban
environment. So too are the (must have ABS)
brakes – which are nicely progressive, and the
gearbox is slick.
I do fear that the Svartpilen’s $1000-$1500 pre-
mium and ‘different’ looks will stymie its New
Zealand sales. Us Kiwis don’t generally buy into
the ‘I got it because I like to be different’ ideal,
but I hope I’m proved wrong because conserv-
ative me sees it as more ‘flipping the bird’ with
an ‘I don’t care what you think’ attitude – and
completely ‘owning it’. Why? ‘Cause it’s a great
little bike.