Hey: this just in. http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/N...news/2013/January/jan2913-husqvarna-for-sale/ Big news, IMHO. Jack
I wonder why KTM would do this? I don't see a market that they would get into that they don't have now.
BMW specifically bought Husky for the off road segment and dumped tons of money into them. Don't know why they would do that now. That's a shame. And why would KTM buy Husky other then to squash it's only actual competitor. Doesn't KTM own Husaberg? And I didn't realize KTM was partly owned by the Indians.
I suspect this is BS. Unless BMW finally unloaded all those unsold X bike engines and is now willing to bargain. But, if this is legit, I am thinking Strada/Terra or maybe bringing over the Nuda to add a little more street to a very dirt heavy KTM lineup. But, who knows, we aren't the only market in this here big old world.
The X bikes (650's not 450's) used a Rotax motor and were assembled by aprilia. The new Husqvarna's used a BMW designed motor and were assembled in China. Reading the comments on other forums now that this story is out it appears its the Indians that are pushing more then the native Austrians on KTM's executive board.
I hope it's not true, it's bad for consumers to have KTM controlling even more segments of the bike market. Look what they did to Husaberg... Killed them basically now just selling blue KTM's. Competition and separate innovation is good for us riders. Choice is good, different engineers taking different paths to makes bikes better is good. It's not like Husky designers don't have access to virtually unlimited resources with BMW, yet they still have very separate product lines in the smaller dirt bike segment which BMW doesn't make. (anymore) It would be like honda buying suzuki and yamaha. Bad for us riders. Sure it would be great in a fantasy world to take the best attributes from separate manufacturers and combine them into one, but that's just a fantasy and not the business world IMO.
The other thread says the sale is to KTM's CEO not the company and that he will resign as CEO. If that is true it means more competition not less.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHH.......this would suck-squared! KTM eliminating (or controlling) another competitor. Husky has been making some great bikes lately. So much so.....I bought one. Picked up my Terra in December. It's freaking fantastic. Proof you should never base decisions on reading a spec sheet. You got to go ride one. And the Husky dirtbikes get amazing traction from whatever voodoo has been designed in the linkage and geometry. Similar thing with Husaberg. I rode a 70 degree motor design one time and was so impressed I bought one for myself. KTM killed it as soon as they got their hands on it. Past performance is the best indicator of future performance. KTM is methodically cornering the market, I think. Quick, go buy your Husky now. I've got mine.....and a real Berg too. I'll be enjoying them for a long time, I hope. HF
Maybe if that's the case, but how's one guy going to magically come up with widespread distribution and manufacturing without being teamed up with a well established company like KTM or BMW or one of the Japanese companies. Where there's partners, there compromises if they both sell competing bikes. We shall see, I just hope it's not so, personally. But I ride a Berg' and while I respect the bikes KTM makes and enjoy the quality KTM parts on the Berg' I despise what they've done to Husaberg by killing the last real "Husaberg" designed bikes, probably just to improve profits and not just to make them a better bike. Can't have your little subsidiary designing better bikes with more innovation than you can you?.... Lookout Husky if it gets bought...
I agree with Lost Rider. It pains me to see what BMW is doing to Husqvarna as much as it pained me to see what KTM has done to Husaberg. It has me looking to add a 70 degree head Husaberg to the stable while I can still pick up a low mileage example. My TE630 is the last of it's kind and a FS570 would be a great stable mate. My fear is that KTM will completely do away with one or both in the near future.
I'd be stunned if this actually happened. Bearing in mind KTM aren't exactly raking cash in at the moment, and I've read suggestions (in the dirt bike press, rather than "More Crap 'n' Nonsense") that the reason the new Bergs are just blue KTMs is that the choice was that or closing the brand down. The idea of someone high up at KTM taking it on privately is a bit more plausible perhaps.
KTM has owned Husaberg for quite awhile and they have not killed it. While I really like my 70 degree, I think it was lack of sales that ended the design not KTM looking to kill Bergs.
