#husky

Tractoring up the single-track ascent, switchback after switchback with relative ease, a few thoughts ran through my head. One, this thing’s street-legal. Two, it’s kicking ass on this trail. Three, two-strokes aren’t the only machines that can be comfortable doing technical trail work. Admittedly, I’ve become somewhat smitten with my own two-stroke dirtbike, so much so that I had forgotten just how well a four-stroke can handle similar terrain, despite having begun my off-road riding career on a four-stroke 250. 

Just two years into its new lease on life under the wing of KTM, Husqvarna has come a long way in a short time, shattering the brand’s global sales volume record two years in a row. Husky bid ‘Hej då’ to the record set during its Swedish heyday, with 16,000 units sold globally in 2014. That figure jumped another 20% in 2015, with 20,500 units sold; the U.S. market garnered 27% of those sales.

At last year’s 2014 EICMA, Husqvarna displayed two concept models, the Vitpilen and Svartpilen. At that time both were referred to as 401s, leaving us to speculate that the models will be powered by KTM’s 390 Single found in the RC390 and 390 Duke. Joining the 401 models this year are a Vitpilen 125 and a Vitpilen 701 Concept. Outside of these minimalist announcements Husky is very hushed about its concept models other than to confirm that the company is committed to fulfilling its promise for an expanded street model range.