{"id":1712,"date":"2026-09-28T22:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=1712"},"modified":"2026-09-28T22:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:25:09","slug":"the-search-is-over-why-i-finally-bought-a-2019-husqvarna-svartpilen-701","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=1712","title":{"rendered":"The Search Is Over: Why I Finally Bought a 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I recently leased my 2024 Fiat 500e, I did so largely because it was cheap, but I also wanted to see exactly how hard it would be to live with the shortest-range, slowest-charging new electric vehicle on the market. Since I live in a pretty rural area, not a dense European city, I knew I would be playing the modern EV game on hard mode. But what is automotive journalism if not voluntary suffering? Besides, the 500e is undeniably cute, and it is not like an unmarried guy with zero kids has much of a practical need for a larger car. And yet, despite the charm of the little Italian hatchback, I have been feeling a persistent sense of imbalance in my garage.<\/p>\n

The 500e really has been a perfect, if not especially exciting, daily driver for my needs. It is the right size for my lifestyle, I genuinely love the exterior color, and the local attention has been a fun bonus. The core problem, however, is that there has been a glaring motorcycle-shaped hole in my heart that no four-wheeled commuter car could ever hope to fill. I may be a card-carrying Fiat 500e guy, but at my core, I am also a motorcycle guy, and finding the right bike has proven to be a surprisingly difficult journey. I have a deep appreciation for industrial design, but more than anything else, I wanted a motorcycle that offered a truly unique riding experience. I wanted something different, something special, and something with real personality.<\/p>\n

\"I'm<\/figure>\n

After close to a year of persistent searching, reading through forums, scrolling through classifieds, and weighing various options, I finally found it\u2014and right in time for the crisp autumn riding season, too. As you may have already guessed from the introductory photograph, I am now the proud owner of a 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701. Because, of course, that is the exact machine I ended up buying. No matter how many Ducatis, Hondas, Moto Guzzis, or MV Agustas I seriously considered along the way, my heart always knew what it really wanted: a naked pseudo-scrambler powered by a massive, aggressive dirt bike engine. And now, it is officially mine for as long as I choose to keep it in the stable.<\/p>\n

Thump, thump<\/h2>\n

Could I have saved a little bit of money upfront and purchased a smaller Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 instead? Absolutely. Could I comfortably afford the larger, technologically advanced, and more powerful Svartpilen 801? Probably. But the truth of the matter is that I did not want the 401 or the 801. The 401 might objectively be one of the best absolute beginner motorcycles that money can buy, and the 801 might represent a more dynamically perfect modern motorcycle, but the 701 possesses the one specific trait that my enthusiast heart truly yearned for: 693 cubic centimeters of displacement delivered entirely through the forceful pulses of a single-cylinder engine. The modern 801 might technically be a "better" motorcycle on paper, but when your heart demands a big single-cylinder thumper, only a thumper will satisfy that craving.<\/p>\n

\"I'm<\/figure>\n

When a well-maintained 2019 Svartpilen 701 suddenly popped up for sale in the local classifieds about an hour away from my home, the transaction practically felt like destiny. With a little less than 4,000 miles showing on the odometer, an out-the-door price of $4,500, and what I consider to be one of the most striking and distinctive industrial designs ever put into production, passing on the opportunity was simply out of the question. In fact, to be completely honest, I am still not entirely sure how I am legally allowed to own something this aesthetically compelling and mechanically unique. Motorcycles styled like this usually feel reserved for better people with significantly more disposable income, not someone like me. And yet, here we are. I currently possess the physical keys, the clean title, and the motorcycle itself, and I have spent practically the entire weekend out on the open road. As any self-respecting enthusiast should when they have just acquired a new-to-them motorcycle.<\/p>\n

It has only been a couple of days since I brought the bike home, but I can already tell you for an absolute fact that this machine is profoundly fun to ride. The motorcycle’s seat is undeniably firm, my posterior is already feeling remarkably sore, the suspension setup is far from cushy or forgiving over rough pavement, and I genuinely hate most of the aftermarket modifications that the previous owner chose to install. Despite all of those quirks and minor grievances, my goodness, do I absolutely love riding this thing. Oh, and to sweeten the ownership experience even further, I am currently averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 miles per gallon. An affordable purchase price, distinctive styling, endless entertainment value, and impressive fuel efficiency? Sign me up. Wait, I suppose I already did.<\/p>\n

\"I'm<\/figure>\n

First things first, however: that aftermarket exhaust system has got to go. I have not yet fully decided which specific replacement system I am going to swap it out with, but the current setup is cheap, tacky, and entirely unappealing to my ears, and I honestly cannot stand it. Okay, perhaps that sounds a little overly harsh, but it is also the undeniable truth. As much as I deeply adore the overall design and character of the motorcycle, I despise the way the current exhaust looks tucked against the frame, and I hate the abrasive acoustic note it produces under throttle. The real dilemma is that, since virtually every possible alternative on the market should sound considerably better than what is currently bolted on, I may have a difficult time narrowing down my choices. If fellow riders and enthusiasts have constructive suggestions, I am more than happy to listen to recommendations. Barring any unforeseen misfortune like theft, I have a strong feeling that I will be keeping this Swedish thumper in my garage for a long time to come, and if there is one thing I will happily spend my hard-earned money on moving forward, it is a quality slip-on exhaust that will finally allow this motorcycle to sound just as phenomenal as it is to ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I recently leased my 2024 Fiat 500e, I did so largely because it was cheap, but I also wanted to see exactly how hard it would be to live with the shortest-range, slowest-charging new electric vehicle on the market. Since I live in a pretty rural area, not a dense European city, I knew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[834],"tags":[835,3191,836,476,3192,2122,3193,837],"class_list":["post-1712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-automotive-news","tag-automotive","tag-bought","tag-cars","tag-finally","tag-husqvarna","tag-search","tag-svartpilen","tag-vehicles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}