2020 Husqvarna Vitpilen 701

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 3 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Engine1
000

3 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Clutch Assembly › Slave Cylinder21V792000
Filed Oct 12, 20218,398 vehiclesKtm North America, Inc.

Defect. KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2018-2020 690 Enduro R, Vitpilen 701, 701 Enduro, 701 Supermoto, 2019-2020 690 SMC R, Svartpilen, 2018-2019 690 Duke, and 2020 701 Enduro LR motorcycles. The bellow-style gasket on the clutch slave cylinder may have been damaged during manufacturing, which could cause the clutch to become inoperable and not disengage when the clutch lever is pulled in.

Risk. An inoperable clutch increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect the clutch slave cylinder and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 3, 2021. Owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. KTM's numbers for this recall are KTB2112 and HTB2110.

Structure › Motorcycle › Fairing/Cowling/Windscreen › Mounting Fasteners/Hardware21V627000
Filed Aug 10, 20211,506 vehiclesKtm North America, Inc.

Defect. KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Husqvarna Motorcycle 701 Vitpilen and 2019-2020 701 Svartpilen motorcycles. The gear teeth on the license plate holder and swingarm may be positioned incorrectly, possibly resulting in a loose rear axle nut, causing the license plate holder to contact the rear wheel.

Risk. License plate bracket interference with the rear wheel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and realign the gear teeth on the license plate holder and swingarm, and inspect the tightness of the rear wheel axle collar, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. KTM's number for this recall is HTB2106.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump20V170000
Filed Mar 19, 20201,500 vehiclesKtm North America, Inc.

Defect. KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Husqvarna 701 Svartpilen and 2018-2020 Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen motorcycles. Fuel may leak from the fuel level sensor and fuel pump mounting area.

Risk. A fuel leak can increase the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source, and increase the risk of damage or injury.

Remedy. KTM will notify owners, and Husqvarna Motorcycle Dealers will replace the affected fuel tank, install new gaskets, and update software for proper fuel calibration, free of charge. Owners will be notified to take their motorcycles to a Husqvarna Motorcycle North America, Inc. (HMNA) dealership for repairs. The recall began July 7, 2020. Owners may contact HMNA customer service at 1-888-985-6090. HMNA's number for this recall is HTB2012.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Oct 2, 2023NC

Sudden loss of throttle control. Fist incident I had left my house and ridden a 1/2 mile and the throttle suddenly became unresponsive. The motorcycle then after restart would only go aprx 10-15mph with throttle applied. I replaced the battery as it was 3yrs of age. Motorcycle then operated normally for the next trip aprx 5 miles. The following day as I went to turn left and enter a roadway in a gap in traffic the motorcycle lurched forward a few feet and then had no throttle response. This put me into the oncoming traffic lane with no propulsion and caught the other vehicles by surprise. I was almost struck by the oncoming car. In both incidence the throttle which is a fly by wire electronic throttle become completely unresponsive. The LCD dash display says "TC Failure" and the check engine, TC, and ADS lights are all illuminated. When the motorcycle is turned off and back on the problem either goes away for a minute or two or is still active. There are multiple accounts of "Husqvarna Vitpilen TC Failure with loss of throttle" accounts on forums. The Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 is essentially the same motorcycle mechanically as the KTM 690 Duke. On the forums there are reports of this happening on the Vitpilen 401 and Duke 390 as well. As a motorcyclist with 47 years of ridding experience I have owned 34 motorcycles. This is a serious safety issue know to KTM/ Husqvarna that is going to kill someone. If there was every anything that should be a recall this is it. Feel free to cal

Engine
Filed Jul 7, 2021NV

As I approached an intersection with a stop sign for my direction of travel I pulled the clutch lever in to slow my speed and downshift the motorcycle. The clutch lever pulled all the way to the handlebar without disengaging the clutch. I had to lock/skid the rear brake to avoid being hit by an oncoming automobile. Fortunately the driver of the vehicle saw me skidding past the stop sign and swerved to avoid hitting me. I had to put the motorcycle into first gear and press the starter button as I pushed to get moving again. At the next intersection I again had to use the brakes to kill the engine to avoid being hit by oncoming vehicles. Using the starter motor was once again required to get the motorcycle moving. I had the ABS disabled as I was returning to the highway after traveling on a dirt road. Had the ABS been activated I would not have been able to avoid being hit by the automobile. Husqvarna refused to repair the failed "O Ring" in the Clutch Slave Cylinder claiming it's not a safety issue! Had I not been a rider with 50 plus years of experience this could have been a fatal accident. This is a know problem for Husqvarna/KTM and they refuse to address it. The internet is rife with other riders having the exact same problem. My local Husqvarna dealer offered to sell me an aftermarket replacement Clutch Slave Cylinder even though my motorcycle is still under the original factory warranty. They told me that Husqvarna has refused to cover countless requests to repair the f

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2019
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2020 — this page2300Routine
20197300Routine
20183300Routine

Compare every Vitpilen 701 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 12, 2021. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.