Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Deliveries Begin; Here’s Why It Gets Apollo Tramplr XR Instead Of Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR Tyres

When the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 was launched in India, one of the main highlights of the motorcycle was that it was equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres. Deliveries for the motorcycle have now begun and the bikes were spotted at dealerships with Apollo Tramplr XR tyres. Here’s why. 

After a quick chat with Bajaj, we found out that the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has banned OEMs from importing tyres if there is a locally made option available in the same size. This means that a manufacturer will not be able to sell a motorcycle with imported tyres if there is an Indian brand offering tyres in the same size. This has been done to further boost the Make-In-India initiative. Tyre dealers will still be able to import tyres so customers will be able to get a set of the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres as an aftermarket option.

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 rides on a set of 17-inch spoked wheels and at the first ride event, we had all experienced the motorcycles shod with Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres: 110- section at the front and 150-section at the rear. As deliveries for the motorcycle have just begun, there has been no disparity and all Svartpilen 401 customers will now only get Apollo Tramplr XR tyres from the factory. Considering that the spoked wheels on the bike do not support tubeless tyres, the tyres will have to run with a tube as well.

The main question, then, on interested customers' minds is whether there is any kind of price cut because of this change. Unfortunately, there is no discount being offered, and the bike is still priced at Rs 2.92 lakh (ex-showroom). 

At the first ride event, an announcement was made to the effect that since the premium Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres were being offered, they (the bikemaker) had compromised on the electronics package and not equipped the bike with ride modes or lean-sensitive riding aids, to keep costs in check. We feel that it would now be fair to offer at least ride modes on the bike. Meanwhile, the units of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 which are set to be exported to other markets will continue to get Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres.