If you thought this year was a fun bike launch/EICMA season, wait til you see what’s coming for 2017. Kawasaki just declared they have 12 bikes coming over the next two years, we should see more forced induction things, KTM better bring me my 800 cc twins, and Husqvarna confirmed the 401 Vitpilen is on the way. The future just got a tiny, 125 cc brighter, with this addition to the Husky line.
A 125 cc Vitpilen makes perfect sense as it opens Husqvarna up to a much wider variety of buyers with tiered licenses, and because they can borrow the motor KTM’s 125 just as they used the motor from the KTM 390 Duke for the 401 and motor from the 690 for the 701.
KTM has confirmed this Vitpilen 125 will be released alongside the 401 next year. Not as if we really need a good reason to post pics of the Vitpilen 401 again, but Husqvarna has yet to give us a glimpse at the 125 so that’s all we’re left with for now.
It continues to be interesting to see how Husqvarna will differentiate itself from KTM. As of now, they’ve released a number of concepts all using the same style and KTM’s motors, which makes me wonder if they will continue to do the same with KTM’s other motors or begin to push in a different direction. With Indian and Victory starting to create their own identities under Polaris, it’s a strange time for brands like these.
Sweet baby Jesus, I hopes this means we’ll see the Vitpilen 701 see production. Or at least be the kick in the pants Honda needs to make that scrambler Grom they teased us with.
See the rest of the bikes released with our EICMA 2015 coverage here.
Photos: Husqvarna
Contact the author at sean.macdonald@jalopnik.com. Follow Lanesplitter on Facebook and Twitter.