Checked out a vit 701 today

N

Nopper

contributing rider
Joined
Dec 10, 2022
Messages
14
Location
Belgium
Short story : 2018, 4000 miles, akrapovic, spoke wheels, duke crashbars, tail tidy. Floating disk upfrade front. Absolute mint condition.

Couldn't do a test. It was freezing and roads are salty. Sat on the bike and I am a bit worried about ergos since I've got lower back problems. Used to ride sportsbikes in the past without a lot of problems so it might be fine. Some bikes were hurting me, some weren't.

My dilemma is : new 401 is dirt cheap at the moment. For the price of the 2nd hand 701 I could spec the hell out of it and I'll have a 2y warranty.
Was thinking upgrading exhaust, fork cartridge, rear shock, mirrors...

But in that case I would be pumping money in a 'cheap' bike. The 701 looks great as it is and feels more premium. Except for the suspension maybe.
Guess it will also keep its value better (but not sure since there are quit a lot on the market today. No one seems to keep it very long. As a only bike it is not the easiest to live with probably. Practicality wasn't on the blueprints when hqv designed it)

Tested a 401 and was surprised about its performance. I used to have a 701 enduro so I know how that engine feels. I used to have a Yamaha szr660 and a muz skorpion 660 and several dirt bikes. I've allways loved thumpers. My last street bike was a ktm 1290sa. After that one I realized that I allways had more fun on the lighter bikes with some character.

The 401 will offer me joy, but it might be a little underpowered on the occasional stretch of highway. I'm sure it can do it, but the 701 will thump a bit more relaxed there.

Hard case...difficult decision

Question : anyone who owned both? I had the feeling that clipons of the 401 are lower compared to the 701. The 701 ergo actually feels more relaxed with hands higher than the but. But it maybe is a tad longer. Am I right about this?
If I would buy a vit 401 I will get the svart handlebar kit for free so I can convert if my back doesn't like it. If I buy the 701 and it doesn't work out I will have to lay money on the counter for gilles tooling risers or a Superbike handlebar conversion. I did my homework😏

I keep on thinking in circles. Buying bikes used to be easier 🤭
 
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Nopper said:
Short story : 2018, 4000 miles, akrapovic, spoke wheels, duke crashbars, tail tidy. Floating disk upfrade front. Absolute mint condition.

Couldn't do a test. It was freezing and roads are salty. Sat on the bike and I am a bit worried about ergos since I've got lower back problems. Used to ride sportsbikes in the past without a lot of problems so it might be fine. Some bikes were hurting me, some weren't.

My dilemma is : new 401 is dirt cheap at the moment. For the price of the 2nd hand 701 I could spec the hell out of it and I'll have a 2y warranty.
Was thinking upgrading exhaust, fork cartridge, rear shock, mirrors...

But in that case I would be pumping money in a 'cheap' bike. The 701 looks great as it is and feels more premium. Except for the suspension maybe.
Guess it will also keep its value better (but not sure since there are quit a lot on the market today. No one seems to keep it very long. As a only bike it is not the easiest to live with probably. Practicality wasn't on the blueprints when hqv designed it)

Tested a 401 and was surprised about its performance. I used to have a 701 enduro so I know how that engine feels. I used to have a Yamaha szr660 and a muz skorpion 660 and several dirt bikes. I've allways loved thumpers. My last street bike was a ktm 1290sa. After that one I realized that I allways had more fun on the lighter bikes with some character.

The 401 will offer me joy, but it might be a little underpowered on the occasional stretch of highway. I'm sure it can do it, but the 701 will thump a bit more relaxed there.

Hard case...difficult decision

Question : anyone who owned both? I had the feeling that clipons of the 401 are lower compared to the 701. The 701 ergo actually feels more relaxed with hands higher than the but. But it maybe is a tad longer. Am I right about this?
If I would buy a vit 401 I will get the svart handlebar kit for free so I can convert if my back doesn't like it. If I buy the 701 and it doesn't work out I will have to lay money on the counter for gilles tooling risers or a Superbike handlebar conversion. I did my homework😏

I keep on thinking in circles. Buying bikes used to be easier 🤭
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Why not wait until the weather warms up and try to find a Svartpilen 701 you can test ride? Unless you hanker after a trackday bike, the Svartpilen solves the riding position issue as it suits this 179 cm tall rider perfectly. You can read all the reviews in the world but find a test ride shows up deficiencies noone else considers important. Your motorcycle is a very personal choice as it should fit your size and build that may not be the "average" shape the manufacturer had in mind.

Whichever model you decide on, I am sure you will love the character of the engine and the responsive handling that comes with the "-pilen" nametag. Happy riding!
 
Thanks for the reply. I’ve had 35 motorcycles and 250000 miles. I never really fell in love with a bike after a test ride. I choose one based on the character of the bike, when I think I like it, I buy it, adapt myself to the bike, make it my own, and let the relationship grow. After the first ride my back always hurts, so my opinion is often negative after the first ride 🤭. But most of the time I get used to it and start to love the bike. I loved every bike I owned.

I’ve had one bike that didn’t work for me : the duke 2: that one seemed too short and compact for me. The vit 401 looks short but was surprisingly roomy. The svart feels even longer.

In the winter months, prices are lower and one has more time to reflect since most bikes aren’t moving during the winter. And winter is a fine time to pump the bike. Buy Christmas presents 😆
 
Neither bike is what I will consider to be a highway bike. If the 401 is satisfactory on the highway I would just get that. The 701 has more power but that's about it
 
Satur9 said:
Neither bike is what I will consider to be a highway bike. If the 401 is satisfactory on the highway I would just get that. The 701 has more power but that's about it
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Of course, no naked is. And a thumper even less than a multi cylinder. But I do not ride highway often. I just thought it was safer on the 701. Overtaking will take less time since it will still accelerate quick at 75 mph. And I will ride with guys on bikes 4x the horsepower of a 401.

On the other hand It would be great fun to hunt them with a 401 🤭

How many revs will the 701 make riding 75?

Is there a difference in build quality between 701 2018/19/20. Prices seem to be about equal.

This one is also very high on my list : 2019 with 1500 miles at a very reasonable price with 1y dealer warranty. Pity it doesn’t have spoked wheels.009A0C01-1FC2-4555-86BE-68C7C43A7F9F.jpeg
 
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monkeynuts said:
you could always get the vit 701 and change the bars to help your back !
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That's the dilemma :

Vitpilen 2018 has 4000 miles, tail tidy, akrapovic and spoked wheels (owner sold cast wheels). No warranty but bike was maintained by a maniac. Price is 7200€

Svart 2019 has 1500 miles, no options, 1 year dealer warranty. Price is 6500 €

Converting the bars of a vit if it doesn't work out with the clipons will raise the bill (200 for risers or 350€ for abm)

If I ad the 401 to the equation : new 2022 is 4999. This basically means that I can buy a new 401 with akra or remus and fully adjustable shock and fork cartridge for the price of a 2nd hand 701 😵‍💫.
 
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I have/have had a lot of bikes and I think the vitpilen 701 is somewhere in the middle comfort wise, it is much more upright than a super sport but the seat and vibrations make it a little uncomfortable to ride all day. Def not a highway bike, the revs are fine at 80mph but you get blown all over the place because it’s so light.
I liked the idea of getting a 401 to beat around town but it’s hard to justify the decrease in power without a decrease in the weight of the bike.. if it was under 300 lbs then I would be interested especially since here a used 701 is almost the same price as a new 401.
 
It really depends on you because everybody is different.
I always had lower back/knee problem and I am quite tall, so everyone told me to go to dual sport bikes. I have done so and I loved these bikes.
But one day I tried a 1290 superduke and I felt very good on it. I bought it and even if my knees were more bent and my back slightly more inclined I never had an issue. Then I got a ZX14, hated the engine but no issues with the ergo. And now a Vitpilen 701. No sport bikes there, but it is a reminder that each back problem may be different.
I don't know how tall you are but I stayed away from the 401 vitpilen : it felt much smaller than the 701.
 
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I have a 401 Svart. I wanted a light weight bike but did not want to spend the extra money for a 701. Also I have an old FZ1 which takes care of power cravings.
Reviewers often comment negatively about vibration on the 701, but most compliment the 401's smoothness. I have not ridden the 701 but I can confirm the 401 is just as smooth or smoother than the FZ or my old SuzukI SV 650 at 60 or 65.

I just tried the 401 on a 4 mi. stretch of interstate recently. It got up to speed ok but I was surprised at how little throttle was left and how ineffective it was.
Anyway, The wind blast was the biggest problem. Sitting up in a hurricane force wind is very uncomfortable. I always put some kind of wind protection on my bikes if they do not come that way, but I was determined to keep this naked as I thought that best suited it's character. I did wind up putting a bigger than usual fly screen on it, but it made virtually no difference.
Also, the seat is an abomination, but I bought it for it's agility and low speed fun to ride characteristics. It does fine in it's intended role. Wringing out the FZ takes a lot of traffic separation , a sharp eye for other drivers and especially the law. Maxx Wrist, I Ain't. You can buzz around like a bee on the Svart and not so many will notice. (keep the stock exhaust)
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If I had one bike only, the 701, with it's good power and light weight combination would be the first thing I would try.
 
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My 701 vitpilen is much more agile feeling compared to my 401 vit due to the more sporty geometry and maybe tire profile plays a role as well. Nether bike feels like to much pressure on the wrist but I’m 6’3” so that plays a big role . I appreciate that there is more room to move around in the seat on the 701. The 701 dose not weight much more then the 401 in fact the 701 feels lighter while at speed. I never ride the 401 anymore after getting the 701. The 701 just feels like a upgraded version of the 401 in almost every way. Both bikes look awesome but comparing them side to side I prefer the 701. Both have to much transmission “character”. Which I think is there biggest flaw. But there positives out weight this.
 
So the only advantage of the 401 is cost? I probably should have ridden a 701 before deciding on the 401, but for a low mileage one in this area they generally run 7500 to 9500 while a 401 goes 4500 to 6500, a pretty large chunk of change difference. Too much for me to shovel out for a second bike, and I did not want to part with my FZ. My almost new condition 2021 401 was 4900 from a private seller, though I did have to go 150mi to get it.
The Svart 401 does have a crummy seat with a hard hump between sections, just where I like to park my boney ass, but otherwise the ergos are just as I would have them though it is no wonder our requirements might differ as I am 5'9 by 150.

If the 701 feels lighter at speed I do not see that as an advantage as the 401 feels too twitchy at highway speed anyway. I prefer my 490 lb (wet) FZ at speeds over 60 or in cross wind conditions at any speed, especially as it is nicely faired and has a seat a husky owner can only dream of. Admittedly it is a relative pig at lower speeds, the whole reason I bought the Husky.
Gotta say it is a puzzle why the 701 would be more responsive to steering inputs as the bikes have the same steering head angle but the 701 has both more trail and a longer wheelbase which should slow things down, at least on paper. The 13lb weight diff is not very significant but not something that works to 701's advantage either.

Looks are of course subjective, the Vit versions of both the 701and 401 looking the best to my eyes, but I could not live with the wrist, hand, back and especially neck discomfort that I experience riding bikes with low bars so those are nonstarters for me.
JMO.
I appreciate the unique prospective of someone who owns both a 701 and a 401 but wonder why you would own 2 bikes so close together on the spectrum or continue to keep a 401 when such a compact bike would not appear well suited to a large framed person taller than 99.4% of the population.

Any significant difference in vibration levels between 401 and 701?
 
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Good questions. I did not know they had the same steering angle . That means the tire profile makes a bigger difference then I thought . Got a good deal on the 701 recently. The 401 is for sale :) . I might have looked a bit funny on the 401 but besides the seat I found the ergos to work for me. The 401 is a great bike so don’t regret your decision. I had not been planning on buying the 701 because I was happy enough with the 401 a a great deal popped up that I could not let get away .
 
As far as vibration nether have bothered me to really notice except mirrors are blurry unless I pull in the clutch
 
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