Autoblog

Husqvarna sold to KTM CEO Stefan Pierer

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:29:00 EST

A couple of days ago the UK's Motorcycle News reported that BMW was in the final stages of selling Husqvarna to KTM, with a deal potentially confirmed as soon as this week. Following that came reports that Husqvarna Motorcycles wasn't sold to KTM but to a Pierer Industries, the company owned by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer. Turns out the advance report was true, as was the follow-up: BMW has just announced a "strategic realignment" of its Motorrad division, explaining that it sold Husqvarna to Pierer Industries in order to focus on the urban and e-mobility segments. Husqvarna's off-road machines, obviously, don't fit into those categories.

BMW bought the Italian-based bike maker with centuries-old Swedish roots in 2007 - the rest of the Husqvarna company remains based in Sweden - and has invested huge sums to integrate the smaller company into the larger parent. Six years later, just when dividends should begin to truly pay off, the brand is sold.

Before BMW made its announcement, one of the theories that forum members put forward for Pierer's interest in purchasing Husqvarna was that he wants his own business to run his own way. The parent company of KTM, Cross Industries, is 47.27-percent owned by India's Bajaj Automotive, with Pierer the majority shareholder, and is on a quest for global growth, taking the fight to BMW in Europe and launching new bikes and technology into the Indian market. Compared to BMW's and KTM's 2012 sales of around 100,000 bikes each in 2012, Husqvarna sold 10,751 bikes, which was a 15.7-percent increase over the previous year. Pierer would have a lot more freedom in the running of a company of that size.

Now that the sale has been confirmed, ruminations will turn to issues like whether Pierer steps down from his position at KTM, what will become of the sub-brand Husaberg if Pierer doesn't step down and how Husqvarna and KTM might cooperate no matter what Pierer does.

In the press release from BMW below, along with urban and e-mobility initiatives the German firm says it will expand its interests in "core segments from the 650 single-cylinder entry-level bike to the six-cylinder luxury tourer." The sale is pending approval from European anti-trust authorities.

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Husqvarna sold to KTM CEO Stefan Pierer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Husqvarna pulls wraps off TR650 Strada and TR650 Terra

Zach Bowman — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:44:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Motorcycle

Husqvarna has officially dropped details on the company's first on-road offering for the U.S. market since BMW took the reins in 2007. Meet the TR650 Strada and its off-road twin, the TR650 Terra. Both bikes rock a 625cc water-cooled, single-cylinder dual-overhead cam engine good for around 58 horsepower. There's also a smidge over 44 lb-ft of torque on hand, which should be more than enough to have eye-popping fun with the 375-pound bike. If this recipe sounds a little familiar, it certainly should. The TR650 gets its bones from the BMW G650GS, though with a few tweaks. Engineers have rolled in a reworked fuel-injection system, tweaked the cam and incorporated larger valves.

The TR650 Terra is a bit lighter at 368 pounds and offers the option of an anti-lock brake system, whereas its tarmac-oriented brother features ABS as standard equipment. A 21-inch spoked wheel handles rolling duties up front, while an 18-inch version takes care of the rear. Aggressive rubber, a lower seat and marginally longer wheelbase also help differentiate the Terra from the Strada. Check out the complete press release below.

Continue reading Husqvarna pulls wraps off TR650 Strada and TR650 Terra

Husqvarna pulls wraps off TR650 Strada and TR650 Terra originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Husqvarna Nuda 900R drops its dress

Zach Bowman — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorcycle

Husqvarna Nuda 900R - Click above for high-res image gallery

Husqvarna has taken all there is to love about the beating heart in the BMW F800GS, stripped it naked, cranked up the heat and stuck it in a new super moto. Meet the 2012 Nuda 900R. The 900cc parallel twin now turns out a heady 100 horsepower, and at 385 pounds dry, the bike is guaranteed to the kind of machine momma warned you about. Solid details beyond those scant specs are still scarce at the moment. It's unclear exactly which markets will get the joy of calling the Nuda 900R their very own or how much the bike will cost when lands.

Chances are this creation will have an easy time locking horns with the likes of the Ducati ~~Multistrada~~ Hypermotard in the canyons and on quick commutes. Like the Italian, this Husky rocks few fairings and plenty of suspension travel - just our cup of tea.

Husqvarna Nuda 900R drops its dress originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bonhams to auction McQueen's Husqvarna, memorabilia at the Quail Lodge

Noah Joseph — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:07:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Motorcycle, Celebrities

Steve McQueen is revered by gearheads as an enthusiastic owner and driver of all sorts of cars, from a brown '63 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso to a teal '58 GMC pickup and everything in between. But the King of Cool was equally into motorcycles, and rode them regularly.

Arguably one of the most recognizable was his Husqvarna 400 dirt bike. It was on this Swedish gem that he was photographed for the cover of Sports Illustrated (pictured at right). The bike was sold in 1984 and subsequently changed hands a couple of times, but has throughout remained in the condition in which McQueen last rode it - right down to the spare spark plug he taped to the frame.

Now the '71 Husky is crossing the auction block once again as part of Bonhams' enormous motorcycle and memorabilia auction at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, on May 14. Alongside it will be an endless array of McQueen artifacts, including his race trophies won on both two wheels and four. Joining the McQueen items are such notable consignments as a pair of custom Harleys built for Otis Chandler and owned by the Guggenheim Foundation, as well as a pair of classic Norton racers. Follow the jump for a pair of press releases and check out the images in the gallery below for more.

Gallery: Steve McQueen's 1971 Husqvarna 400

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading Bonhams to auction McQueen's Husqvarna, memorabilia at the Quail Lodge

Bonhams to auction McQueen's Husqvarna, memorabilia at the Quail Lodge originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Husqvarna Mille 3 concept bike is stranger than meets the eye

Noah Joseph — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Misc. Auto Shows, Motorcycle

Husqvarna Mille 3 concept bike - Click above for high-res image gallery

Strange. That's how we'd best sum up this motorcycle concept and the company that made it.

Husqvarna got its start producing muskets for the Swedish military. The company still makes small arms, along with farm equipment, sewing machines, home appliances and motorcycles. Today these businesses are all separate enterprises, the motorcycle manufacturer based today in Italy and acquired three years ago by BMW.

A strange path, but certainly no stranger than their latest unveiling: the Mille 3 concept bike. Unveiled at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the Mille 3 straddles the division between cruiser and sport bike about as widely as the rider would its low-slung seat. The handlebars are taken from an off-road bike, while the foot pegs sit far back like those on a sport bike.

Power is provided by a 933cc fuel-injected three-cylinder engine, but it's the design that sets it apart. Husqvarna says it indicates they're "always ahead of the game", but exactly what game that might be is a mystery to us.

Gallery: Husqvarna Mille 3

[Source: Hell for Leather]

Husqvarna Mille 3 concept bike is stranger than meets the eye originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW acquires Husqvarna

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., BMW

It's no secret that BMW is open to procuring more brands. With the company's purchase of Italian motorcycle maker Husqvarna, it's apparent that the roundel's expansive mood isn't limited to cars. BMW bikes, notable for their transverse heads, are larger bore bikes, with the smallest being 500cc. Last year the division crossed the 100K sales mark for the first time in its history.

Husqvarna, which was part of the Italian MV Augusta motorcycle group but was actually a Swedish maker from 1903 to 1986, produces mostly single-cylinder off-road bikes from 125cc to 610cc. Husqvarna only sold 12,000 bikes last year, but owning it will give BMW a larger off-road range, and access to younger buyers focused on sports, competition, and supermoto. Instead of rebranding the bikes as BMWs, the German firm will continue to operate it as a separate unit, even keeping it located in Varese, Italy. Neither side revealed how much BMW paid, and the sale still awaits EU approval.

Thanks for the tip, Robert!

[Source: Daily Motorcycle News]

BMW acquires Husqvarna originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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