Hassling the Husky - Vitpilen 401 stuff

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After a month and a half of back & forth with KTM I finally got the handlebar kit sorted. (Top and bottom yokes now matching colours!)

As a reminder the Svartpilen (black arrow) is a "Street Scrambler" and the Vitpilen (white arrow) is a "Café Racer"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eq0pMHTXcAcBdPB.jpg:small

Apart from the obvious colour scheme differences they're essentially the same bike (and the same frame and engine as a Duke 390.) The physical differences are the handlebars, tyre choice and a tank bag mount, present only on the Svartpilen. I mostly zip into the City so stop-start traffic doesn't lend itself to the faux clip-ons hence the conversion.

First step is to survey the bike and make some notes on cable routing. For example, the clutch cable running behind an engine mount bracket:

https://i.imgur.com/cezuP1o.jpg

And the fork height:

https://i.imgur.com/biG0RdH.jpg

Then you just start stripping stuff off!

https://i.imgur.com/eHaDzZD.jpg

I removed the side/tank panels as precaution against tool scuffage. BTW managed to get the headlamp off still on its bracket so no need to adjust the beam angle later.

This is never a good look for a bike

https://i.imgur.com/J50UrcL.jpg

The kit comes with new switches, clutch cable and brake pipe as the new handlebars raise things up a bit. Clutch cable? Dead easy. The other end from front brake lever where it goes to the top of the ABS unit? Complete c*nt to get to

https://i.imgur.com/1RaoxxS.jpg

And no, you can't get to it from above Fuck knows how they get this assembled at the factory.

New yokes are plain aluminium instead of the original anodised black:

https://i.imgur.com/ZZBF513.jpg

Everything routed in ready for the bracket that holds the dash display and headlamp:

https://i.imgur.com/4UDUJwj.jpg

Transition complete:

https://i.imgur.com/CM7soOU.jpg

Brake bleed was straightforward with one of those pipes with the one-way valve. Probably pissed away 200ml of DOT4 getting all the air bubbles out. (I'm not fretting over possible air in the ABS unit as the lower half of the system has not been touched.)

Not 100% sure about the new bar-end mirrors. They're a bit odd but then so is this bike!

https://i.imgur.com/It72SVa.jpg

As a bonus job I dicked about with my collection of end-cans and settled on this one:

https://i.imgur.com/sKzRsP1.jpg

Visually I think it suits the bike. Sans baffle the bike sounds like a hammer-drill, very unpleasant The supplied baffle (which was more just a slight restriction) didn't do much to speak of. Then I tried this common sort you put in the end:

https://cdn.manomano.com/images/images_products/11790586/P/94156739_1.jpg

Slightly quieter but I didn't like the tone Then I tried this sort:

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H7054d2fa8da64809b90681ef4e564b98Q.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp

Which sandwiches between the link pipe and the end-can. The result, audibly, was pretty good - not so loud you can't talk over it at idle but nice and meaty with some throttle. BTW I had the seat off while testing and there's a lovely induction note with the new air filters

Hopefully the weather's not too bad tomorrow so I can give the bike a road test.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

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Work, work and more work Only got out on the bike today.

The good news is the handlebars feel entirely natural. Hardly surprising but should also imply I've put the front end back together correctly Brake is good, better if anything. Clutch needs no further adjustment.

The bad news: as the handlebars are higher and I have the fancy mirrors my bike cover doesn't fit as well. Stock mirrors would have been much worse though. Might actually go back to the round ones or seek out a different style.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

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In my continual quest for tonal quality I've refitted the original "sound damper box" midsection:

https://i.imgur.com/IAfRn8b.jpeg

Previously I had decat pipe > mid-section link pipe > end link pipe > end can (with baffle) and now it's decat pipe > box > end finisher. BTW the end is a ten dollar part meant for an MT10

Doesn't quite follow the lines of the bike:

https://i.imgur.com/AGshikN.jpeg

...but it gives the bike a simpler uncluttered look.

The previously arrangement made the bike sound like a dirt bike (big single, quelle surprise) which is fine if that's your thing but refitting the stock box has produced a much deeper note which I prefer.

In other news I went back to round bar-end mirrors for their convex nature.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter