TERMINATOR IN A TUX

Back in the day, the quarter-litre motorcycle segment used to witness all the fury but now, things have changed… and evolved.

- Anant Pandey

Aspirations have grown in size, so have the engines but that doesn’t mean that the 250cc motorcycle segment is obsolete now. It might not be as thriving as before but relevance? Oh, this segment still has it. Keeping the flame alive and flickering are offerings like the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250. One might argue that it is just the KTM 250 Duke in saner, more mature clothes and that argument would stand corrected but is there more to this Husky? Does it have what it takes to deliver the kill while moving around swiftly in a tuxedo? Especially when it has lost some of its edge? Many questions were raised and put to rest when we had this gorgeous Swedish flicka.

A Bit Diluted Than Before

The previous iteration of the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 was a thoroughbred cafe-racer, in its design and intent both. The new one, however, has ditched the niche route and has now chosen a path which would lead to pleasing the masses. While it still looks authentically Husqvarna because of its distinctive styling and symmetrical lines, the older one was still unapologetic. However, I can see why Husqvarna has taken this route. The older version might have appealed to enthusiasts but it didn’t find that many takers and a good business model runs on minting money, not winning hearts. It was compact, aggressive and used to feel a little tall for shorter riders.