{"id":1871,"date":"2026-09-28T22:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/?p=1871"},"modified":"2026-09-28T22:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:46:09","slug":"from-a-fiat-500e-to-a-big-thumper-why-i-bought-a-2019-husqvarna-svartpilen-701","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/?p=1871","title":{"rendered":"From a Fiat 500e to a Big Thumper: Why I 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. Living in a fairly rural area rather than a dense European city meant I would be playing the modern EV game on hard mode. But what is automotive journalism if not voluntary suffering? Besides, the 500e is cute, and it is not like an unmarried guy with zero kids has much of a need for a massive vehicle. And yet, after spending time with the compact EV, I found myself feeling remarkably unbalanced.<\/p>\n

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The Fiat 500e has proven to be a perfectly suitable, if not especially exciting, daily driver. It is the right size, the color is appealing, and it has drawn plenty of positive attention from onlookers. The underlying issue, however, was a persistent, motorcycle-shaped hole in my heart that no four-wheeled commuter could ever hope to fill. I may be a Fiat 500e guy, but I am also fundamentally a motorcycle guy, and finding the right bike had proven to be a surprisingly difficult task. I appreciate good design, but more than anything, I wanted a machine that offered a truly unique riding experience\u2014something different, something genuinely special.<\/p>\n

After close to a year of searching, I finally found it, arriving just in time for the crisp autumn riding season. As anyone familiar with the brand might guess from the styling, I am now the proud owner of a 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701. Of course that is what I bought. No matter how many Ducatis, Hondas, Moto Guzzis, or MV Agustas crossed my radar, my heart always knew what it truly wanted was a naked pseudo-scrambler powered by a giant dirt bike engine. Now, it belongs to me for as long as I choose to keep it in the garage.<\/p>\n

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Could I have saved a little money and purchased a smaller Svartpilen 401 instead? Absolutely. Could I theoretically afford the larger, more powerful Svartpilen 801? Probably. But I did not want either the 401 or the 801. While the 401 is widely regarded as one of the best beginner motorcycles anyone can buy, and the 801 stands as an objectively near-perfect machine, the 701 possessed the singular characteristic I desperately wanted: 693 cubic centimeters of displacement delivered entirely through a massive single cylinder. The modern twin-cylinder 801 might technically be a better motorcycle on paper, but when your heart yearns for the unmistakable character of a big thumper, only a thumper will do.<\/p>\n

When a clean 2019 Svartpilen 701 popped up for sale about an hour away from my home, the transaction felt practically preordained. With a little less than 4,000 miles on the odometer, an out-the-door price of $4,500, and what I consider to be one of the most striking designs ever applied to two wheels, the deal was sealed. In fact, I am still occasionally baffled by how I am legally allowed to own something this aesthetically arresting. Motorcycles of this caliber usually feel reserved for better people with significantly more disposable income, not someone in my position. Yet, here we are. I have the keys, the title, and the machine sitting in my driveway, and I have spent practically the entire weekend riding it. As any enthusiast will attest, that is precisely how you are supposed to greet a newly acquired motorcycle.<\/p>\n

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

It has only been a couple of days since the purchase, but I can already confirm with absolute certainty that this motorcycle is remarkably fun to ride. The factory seat is firm, my posterior is sore, the suspension is far from plush, and I frankly despise most of the aftermarket modifications chosen by the previous owner. Despite all of that, I am completely enamored with the experience of riding it. Furthermore, I am currently averaging around 60 miles per gallon. A machine that is cheap to buy, special to look at, deeply entertaining to ride, and surprisingly fuel-efficient? It is an unbeatable combination.<\/p>\n

First things first, however: that aftermarket exhaust simply has to go. I have not yet decided which replacement unit I will install, but the current setup looks cheap and tacky, and I genuinely cannot stand it. Perhaps that critique sounds a bit harsh, but it remains entirely true. As much as I adore the bike as a whole, I deeply dislike the aesthetic of the current exhaust and the noise it produces out on the road. The primary dilemma now is that, because almost any alternative option should sound significantly better, choosing the right replacement might take some deliberation. Recommendations from fellow riders are certainly welcome. Unless unforeseen circumstances intervene, I have a strong feeling I will be keeping this Husqvarna in my garage for quite some time, and if there is one thing I am more than happy to spend money on, it is a quality slip-on exhaust that will finally make this motorcycle sound as good as it feels 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. Living in a fairly rural area rather than a dense European city meant I would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1389,3048,1390,1391,3046,3049,3050,3047,482],"class_list":["post-1871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-automotive","tag-bought","tag-cars","tag-driving","tag-fiat","tag-husqvarna","tag-svartpilen","tag-thumper","tag-vehicles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcjsj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}