With KTM established as a Ready To Race brand, the pure-street arm of the sibling Husqvarna marque has taken a different path since moving to Austria. The Swedish-born brand focuses on distinctive styling while retaining its performance roots. The 2027 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 SE keeps the cyberpunk-scrambler look of the standard model we tested in 2024, and then adds a dark green fuel tank and front fender that set it apart from the rest of the lineup, along with an SE graphic.
Although SE stands for Style Edition, Husqvarna also moved cruise control onto the standard equipment list. Pricing lands at $10,799 MSRP, $100 less than the 2024 Svartpilen 801. We test the bike with the optional Dynamic Pack installed. For $470, it unlocks a more aggressive power mode, adjustable traction control, adjustable wheelie control, and engine braking management. This allows the motorcycle to be tailored to a wider, more advanced range of skill levels.
The heart of the Svartpilen 801 SE hasn’t changed. It’s the same CFMoto-built 799cc DOHC parallel-twin found in the KTM 790 Duke. This engine has been in service since 2017, and it’s well sorted by now, and the cam-related issues are a thing of the past. The unusual 285-degree crankshaft firing cadence gives it a V-twin-like rumble instead of the flat buzz you’d get from a parallel-twin with a traditional 180-degree crank. Bosch EMS manages the DKK Dell’Orto 46mm throttle bodies, with input from a sophisticated IMU-based electronics suite.
Peak torque is 64 lb-ft at 8000 rpm, identical to the reworked 2027 KTM 790 Duke. The versatile powerplant carries over from last year, untouched. Rip through a twisting backroad, or ease along in city traffic, and it adapts to both without complaint.
Much of that flexibility comes down to the ride modes. Sport, Street, and Rain are standard, with the optional Dynamic Pack adding Dynamic mode. Beyond changing throttle response, the modes adjust the cornering-aware traction control and anti-wheelie control. Bosch 9.3 MP ABS is always active and stays cornering-aware except in the rear-only Supermoto mode. The quickshifter, which you can switch off (but why would you?), works cleanly in both directions, though it still prefers higher-rpm upshifts of the 6-speed transmission.
Sport mode quiets the nannies without silencing them altogether. Husqvarna lets the rear wheel spin and slide under hard throttle and disc braking. Traction control stops monitoring lean angle, and wheelie control switches off entirely. While that sounds like a recipe for chaos, and it is for less discipline riders, the 801 SE stays intuitive for riders who add their skill to the mix. Front-wheel ABS still watches over you, and you’ll feel it step in if you ride aggressively.
The Pirelli MT 60 RS tires, chosen for their scrambler styling, have a smaller contact patch and the blocky tread flexes more than conventional sport rubber, which brings the ABS in sooner than you might like. Only the hardest chargers, or those on low-traction roads, will feel the difference under acceleration. Sport mode is forceful enough for the aggressive, yet remains civil enough to ride around town all day.
If you spring for the Dynamic Pack, you can fine-tune the electronics themselves. That buys nine levels of traction control adjustment, five levels of wheelie control (plus off), adjustable throttle response, and Motor Slip Regulation, Husqvarna’s term for engine-braking control, which opens the throttle bodies electronically to supplement the slipper clutch and ensure a stable chassis during aggressive deceleration. Everything in the pack is defeatable.
Set the Dynamic Pack up sloppily, and it’ll hurt the 801 SE’s performance. For instance, if you max out the traction control, the motor spins up shockingly slow out of corners. Should you botch the settings while riding, just select Sport mode and most will be forgiven until you can pull over to reconfigure the settings.
Riders still building confidence with the parallel-twin’s punch will do fine in Street mode. Although the throttle response is noticeably softer, the motor is still far from tame, as the 801 SE stays potent in the canyons. If you’ve been riding hard and roll into town, tap through the menu to Street mode and you’ll still have plenty of speed, backed by the full electronics safety net. The wheelie control might keep you out of trouble, given the 801 SE’s propensity to tempt you into antics the authorities frown on. When the roads are wet, switch to Rain. Otherwise, live in Street and Sport, and Dynamic if you’ve paid for it.
The five-inch TFT dash and its software will be familiar to anyone who’s owned an Austrian-brand bike. Illustrations that walk new riders through setting up the electronics, plus support for favorites and preset buttons. A standard Connectivity Unit adds Turn-by-Turn+ navigation, call handling, and music selection through your smartphone, and a handlebar-mounted hazard switch rounds out the changes.
The biggest functional update for 2027 is cruise control. It is now standard equipment, rather than the $290 option on the earlier 801. I used it on highway stretches, and it worked exactly like cruise control should: hold the set speed, disengage on braking, resume with a button push. Other than fully shutting off TC, WC, and ABS, customized settings carry over when you shut the bike off, so you’re not rebuilding your setup every ride.
Husqvarna’s engineers still tune the Svartpilen 801 SE’s chassis to be more forgiving than The Scalpel, KTM’s nickname for the 790 Duke. Rake is kicked out half a degree beyond the Duke’s, to 24.5 degrees, and the 801 SE rolls on cast-aluminum wheels wrapped in flat-track-styled Pirelli MT 60 RS tires. The relaxed geometry, combined with the standard WP steering damper, slows the SE’s steering just enough to build confidence for a newer rider, without dulling the ride for someone with more experience.
The comparison to the Duke looks different from how it did when I tested the standard Svartpilen 801 in 2024. KTM gave the 790 Duke its biggest overhaul in a decade for 2027, and it reaches dealers this summer starting at $9799, narrowing the Svartpilen SE’s price premium to about $1000, down from roughly $1400 in 2024.
The Duke’s changes go well beyond a cosmetic refresh. KTM swapped in its own in-house WP brake system (calipers, master cylinder, and lines), replacing the J.Juan hardware the Svartpilen SE still uses. The Brembo-owned, Husqvarna-branded J.Juan calipers still work with the Bosch ABS, and this remains one of the clearest differences from the newly updated Duke.
Husqvarna tunes the brake engagement for a softer feel, which benefits less-experienced riders and anyone spending most of their time in city traffic, as there’s no grabby initial bite when you pull the lever. Front braking power from the 300mm discs builds progressively, with enough force at the end of the lever’s travel to trigger the ABS. Husqvarna switched the rear caliper to a single-piston design for 2027. Although down from the two-piston unit on the 2024 model, the 240mm rear disc remains usable enough to help scrub speed when you’re riding hard. The front end doesn’t dive excessively under braking, so leaning on the rear brake is still a viable option.
The Duke also picked up more suspension travel: 5.9 inches up front and 6.7 inches in back, compared to the Svartpilen SE’s 5.5 and 5.9 inches. WP Apex units handle the SE’s suspension, and they’re strong performers with straightforward adjustment. The 43mm inverted fork offers five clicks each of compression and rebound damping, adjustable by hand, no tools required.
The changes are noticeable, though stock settings work well. Spring preload up front is fixed, as is typical for WP units, and that never held me back. Out back, the shock needs tools to adjust rebound damping and spring preload; compression is fixed. I never felt the need to reach for a wrench, since the factory settings handled everything from smooth pavement to rougher roads without complaint.
KTM switched the Duke to Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires. The supersport rubber is a significant performance step away from the Svartpilen’s dirt-track-inspired MT 60 RS. Although the Pirelli MT 60 RS tires were chosen to enhance the scrambler-inspired styling, they’re capable performers. Edge grip is predictable, and the ABS intrusion I noticed when riding hard upright or leaned over likely stems from the tire’s smaller contact patch and the inherent flex of the block-patterned rubber. The feel is good enough that I could push my own risk tolerance without losing confidence in the front end. If you’d rather run sportier rubber, the 801 SE’s 17-inch wheels will accept plenty of alternatives, including the Duke’s Pirellis.
At a claimed curb weight of 408 pounds, the new Duke is about 13 pounds lighter than the Svartpilen SE, and includes a new cast-aluminum subframe and reshaped ergonomics. Where the Svartpilen SE pulls back ahead is standard equipment. Cruise control and the quickshifter are standard on the Husqvarna, while these features remain optional on the new Duke.
If you want the sharpest naked bike with the newest brake hardware, the Duke has the edge. If you want unique styling with more standard equipment for your money, the Svartpilen 801 SE still holds its ground.
Ergonomics remain natural, and the 2027 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 SE is comfortable enough for an all-day ride. It’s a good-looking motorcycle, and it’s a functional machine. The 3.7-gallon tank tapers toward the knees, and the seat’s flat ribs help keep you in place during acceleration. There’s a large, padded section up front in case you slide forward into the tank under braking.
Dual counterbalancers keep vibration off your hands, feet, and seat at any rpm. The round mirrors look the part but don’t offer much of a rearview; bar-end mirrors remain available as an option. There’s still no wind protection, and you’ll feel that once you’re approaching triple-digit speeds.
Seat height climbs slightly to 33.0 inches, three-quarters of an inch taller than the 2024 bike, though it remains accessible for most riders. Husqvarna also offers a taller Ergo seat as a $165 option for anyone who wants more legroom. An Akrapovič slip-on muffler runs $1210, should you want to change the exhaust note.
Husqvarna still charges a premium for the Svartpilen 801 SE over its mechanically related Duke. That’s a similar story to other sporty retro-themed variants, from Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki, which also cost more than their donor platforms. In the Svartpilen SE’s case, the extra money buys real functional differences: standard cruise control, a standard quickshifter, softer brake tuning, more forgiving geometry, and tires built for a different look and feel than the Duke’s sport rubber. If you were teetering between the twin-cylinder Duke and its stylish sibling in the past, the 2027 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 SE might tip the scales towards the Style Edition.
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The 2026 Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory 1100 remains one of the purest expressions of excess in motorcycling, standing proudly as an example of two-wheeled wish fulfillment done right. There are no gimmicks, pangs of guilt, or disappointment in the Tuono V4 Factory; it is simply a damn good bike. Nic de Sena tells us all about why you need this exceptional motorcycle in your garage.
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This year, ARCH Motorcycle shocked the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan series by capturing their first historic race win. To explore the massive behind-the-scenes effort that fueled this success, we sit down with Executive Producers John Stevens and Chance Wright, of the new six-part docuseries, Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project with Keanu Reeves & Gard Hollinger. In this segment, they give us an inside look at the show, which follows ARCH as they transition from building custom bikes to entering the high-stakes world of professional racing. Joining us alongside is Brad Knight from technical partner BDO. BDO USA serves as the official race tech and consulting advisor for ARCH Racing. Their technology partnership centers around a bespoke, AI-powered race intelligence platform designed to drastically optimize the team’s track performance. The AI side of this project focuses on taking raw race and telemetry data and transforming it into immediate, actionable insights for the crew. It’s a fascinating insight into the new technology that helps make them faster on track.
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Our guest this episode is Paul Puma, President of the United States Motorcycle Coaching Association (USMCA) and a Relationship Manager for Wells Fargo Motorsports Division. He leads the organization in connecting riders with certified coaches to promote nationwide safety, skill development, and sport growth.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
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