Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals

This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, a small capacity naked motorcycle from Husqvarna.

The Svartpilen 401 is based on a 373 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled DOHC 4-valve engine that makes a peak of 32 kW (43 hp) at 9000 rpm, with its peak of 42 Nm (27 ft-lb) of torque coming at 7000 rpm. It’s quite a high-revving, high-torque single-cylinder engine that is responsive and fun through the whole rev range.

The engine is borrowed form the KTM 390 series, e.g. the KTM 390 Duke. This isn’t a random occurrence — the Swedish Husqvarna brand is now owned by Austrian company KTM.

But the Svartpilen 401 is far from a “rebrand” or a sticker job. Many details are different, and the Svartpilen 401 is altogether a significantly different bike from the 390 Duke.

You can also find the same engine and many chassis components in the Svartpilen 401’s racier sibling, the Vitpilen 401.

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Maintenance schedule for the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

The below table is adapted from the manual for the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, but simplified to make it easier to understand.

For example, in the original schedule, many things are marked to be done every year as well as every two years (redundantly).

Basically the Svartpilen’s maintenance schedule is:

  • Every 7500 km do a minor or major service (the major service involving a valve clearance check, too)
  • Every year, 2 years, or 4 years, change some of the fluids.
  • Every 15000 km, do a valve service and change the spark plug.

The maintenance schedule is broken down into “required” and “recommended” work, just like on KTM bikes.

Items that need dealer / pro mechanic tools are marked [Dealer].

Required maintenance

000 miles0.624.659.3
000 km17.515Every
[Dealer] Read out the fault memory using the Husqvarna Motorcycles diagnostics tool.Year
[Dealer] Program the shift shaft sensor.
Check that the electrical system is functioning properly.Year
Change the engine oil and the oil filter, clean the oil screens.Year
Check the brake discs.Year
Check the front brake linings.Year
Check the rear brake linings.Year
Check the brake lines for damage and leakage.Year
Check the front brake fluid level.Year
Check the rear brake fluid levelYear
Check the tire conditionYear
Check tire pressureYear
Retighten the spokes.
Check the spoke tension.Year
Check the rim run-out.Year
Check the shock absorber and fork for leaksYear
Clean the dust boots of the fork legs
Check the chain, rear sprocket, and engine sprocketYear
Check the chain tensionYear
Check the coolant levelYear
Check that the radiator fan is functioning properlyYear
Change the air filter, clean the air filter box.
Check that the throttle cables are undamaged, routed without sharp bends, and set correctly.Year
Check the cables for damage and routing without sharp bendsYear
Check the valve clearance, change the spark plug.
Change the front brake fluid.2 years
Change the rear brake fluid.2 years
Check the steering head bearing play.Year
Check the headlight setting
Final check: Check the vehicle for safe operation and take a test ride.Year
[Dealer] Read out the error memory after the test ride using the Husqvarna Motorcycles diagnostics tool.Year
[Dealer] Set the service interval display.Year
Make a service entry in HusqvarnaMotorcyclesDealer.net.Year
Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 – required maintenance

Recommended maintenance

000 km17.530
000 miles0.624.6518.6Every
Check the frame
Check the link fork
Check the fork bearing for play
Check the wheel bearing for play
Check the antifreezeYear
Change the coolant4 years
Empty the drainage hosesYear
Check all hoses (fuel, coolant, drainage etc.) and sleeves for cracking, leaks, and incorrect routingYear
Grease all moving parts (e.g. side stand, hand lever, chain) and check for smooth operationYear
Check the tightness of the safety-relevant screws and nuts which are easily accessible.Year
Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 – recommended maintenance

About the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is a stylish and fun “city” type motorcycle with scrambler pretensions.

And being lightweight and shod with some decent rubber, it actually holds its own on dirt roads,

Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 off-roading

It’s lightweight (152 kg or 335 lb dry), easy to ride, but frisky and quick thanks to its 32 kW/ 43 hp single-cylinder engine.

The Svartpilen is a small, standard motorcycle, quite a lot like KTM Duke 390 on which its based, but with huge difference in the fit and finish.

Looking at photos, it’s easy to see that the Svartpilen 401 is an attractive motorcycle. It has the design of a custom bike — stripped back, minimalist, and with no ugly tail section.

But up close, there are many design details that make it seem a high-quality bike. This includes

  • Really attractive wire-spoked wheels (that you do have to check the tension of the spoked for, though)
  • Blacked out levers
  • Stylish radiator shrouds
  • An exhaust that looks “aftermarket”, not “huge can”

The styling quality level puts it easily at the top of commuter/low-capacity learner motorcycles.

The braking is done via a single disc (with ABS) and ByBre calipers, just like on KTM bikes.

The suspension in the front is also like on KTM bikes up until 2020 models — a WP 43mm upside down fork — with no adjustability (despite the asking price). But from 2021 onwards, the Svartpilen 401 got fully adjustable front and rear suspension — a stark upgrade and a killer feature on a still-affordable ostensibly entry-level bike.

Standard tyres on the Svartpilen 401 are almost dual-sport or Scrambler-style, Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres, the same as those on the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled. According to Husqvarna’s marketing, this is because the Svartpilen 401 is designed for rough roads, not necessarily smooth race tracks… the real world.

Is this a “Scrambler”? It might be! With its light weight, an engine guard, and tyres that could handle a bit of dirt, the Svartpilen 401 has more right to scramble than, say, the much heavier Triumph Street Scrambler.

Manual for the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

The above maintenance schedule and parts came from the manual for the Svartpilen 401, as well as from parts catalogues and press releases.

Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 maintenance schedule screenshot

You can get the manual for Husqvarna motorcycles directly from the website here.

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