What does it take to be nominated for “surprise of the year” Motorcycles nominated for this award should first and foremost surprise the jury by delivering more driving pleasure and functionality than can be expected within a segment and price range.
Candidates should be outside the mainstream category and not represent something everyone buys and be able to stand on their own two feet by satisfying the jury’s strict requirements:

• To surprise and or challenge everything in the “mainstream” category
• Quality
• Ergonomics
• Driving performance and production of driving pleasure
• Driving pleasure per dollar invested
• Design and sensuality/sex factor
• Smile factor

The nomination and the award will help the market to see new stars that are overshadowed by the mainstream models. Husqvarna 801 Segment: Nude Key technical figures
Engine : Parallel twin Cubic capacity : 799 cc Hp : 105 Nm : 87 Wet weight : 190 kg Seat height : 820 mm Rake : 24.5 degrees Wheelbase : 1475 mm Length : 2097 mm Tank : 14 liters Front wheel : 120/70 R17 Rear wheels : 180/55 R 17 Front dampers : 43 mm WP Front travel : 140 mm Rear dampers : Prolink mono, adjustable Rear travel : 150 mm Front brakes : 2 x 300 mm J Juan Rear brakes : Single disc, 240 mm, Ground clearance : 174 mm Instrument : TFT Husqvarna’s history as an industrial player goes back hundreds of years, in fact we have to go all the way back to 1689 to find the first agreement of weapons to the Swedish State, and since then the business has only grown and grown.
As a motorcycle manufacturer, the brand is probably best known for “ruling” in the cross and enduro segment, but the manufacturer has also made a name for itself over the past two decades with, for example, the Nuda 900 R model, the A1, A2 and A editions of the Svartpilen and Vitpilen and not least the adventure model 901.
The acquisition and collaboration with KTM has undoubtedly borne fruit and this summer the 801 Svartpilen was launched.
Even though we find many of the main components from KTM (LC8c engine, WP dampers, swingarm, J Juan brakes), you can in no way conclude that this is a disguised KTM – it is definitely NOT.
Husqvarna has managed to build on its own DNA, launching one success after another.
If there’s one thing Husqvarna knows, it’s functional design, performance management and steering geometry, and it’s on full display here too.
The 801 Black Arrow definitely has something the competition doesn’t have.
It’s all about the technology platform, identity but perhaps most of all about performance, steering geometry and insanely fun driving characteristics.
The 801 Black Arrow weighs just 190 kg fully fueled, so the 799 cc, 105 hp, 87 Nm LC8c engine delivers a lot of power.
The 801 is balance-neutral at all speeds and has rare lateral mobility.
The rider has good contact with the front wheel, which gives the rider good control and a sense of mastery, and the bike reacts quickly to glances and steering signals and turns like a Greek god.
The gyro effect of the wheels is virtually zeroed out and it’s easy to correct track selection at high speeds, a feature normally only found on bikes with carbon wheels.
With its short wheelbase, delightful ergonomics, sharp steering angle, powerful motor and the very well-functioning quick-change system, the 801 Svartpilen is nothing less than a real party.
The 901 Nuda R was (is) festive in its day, but this takes the cake.
What’s special about the 801 is that it’s just as fun to drive at all speeds, so you don’t have to defy the rules of the road to have a great time, and that’s a very good thing.
The test driver has driven a lot on gravel where it works great as a scrambler.
The Pirelli MT 60 tires do a great job and the fun steering geometry makes it easy to drive on gravel.
True, it’s not very long-legged, but you can drive many miles on gravel and have a lot of fun. Svartpilen 801 is calm and smooth at high speeds, the front wheels and handling are predictable and precise even on uneven surfaces where the WP dampers do a very good job.The design is Swedish, sober, minimalistic and very functional, what people think about it we can never debate.
However, I’ve placed the 801 Svartpilen in my self-defined category called “this bike is so good and good to ride – that I simply don’t give a damn what it looks like” and that’s a good thing (just for the record).
The model will be presented in Vrådalsalen on Friday 20.
September at 18:00 together with the other nominees and will be available for test drives on Saturday and Sunday.