2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

KTM will put better suspenders(read 11 inches of travel), shed 100 pounds, give it 6 speeds and paint this thing orange. Signed TE610 lover....

WOW. We didn't see that one coming. One big happy family I guess.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/N...news/2013/January/jan2913-husqvarna-for-sale/

Jeathro Bowdean.

My opinion? Zero. On the other hand, if all of the patents transfer, a better question would be, what are the chances of bringing the 630 back? Probably not so good; it was expensive to build, and going backwards doesn't appeal to most companies (though I'd buy one). But, a new 630-based bike with an ADV focus? Hmm. Maybe.

noticed TT added the shift levers to TR parts. guess they must fit just fine.
http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/3474/Husqvarna-TR650-Terra-Strada-Parts-Accessories

that would be sweet if they could pull all that off w/ keeping the same motor and only charging $750 more . :eek1

production at Chakan means Husky stays affordable.
Berg is gold / ultra premium - Porsche
KTM is silver / premiere - Audi
Husky is bronze / work horse - VW

Yea but Bajaj dosen't own Husqvarna, Stefan Pierer does and this is what he says
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2013/02/stefan-pierer-on-purchasing-husqvarna/

"Stefan Pierer: “We think that with Husqvarna, there’s a specific niche to tackle. With this brand, we want to focus on competing with Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. We’d like to move the brand to selling 10,000 units per year, then continue watching. For that, Husqvarna needs to go back to it’s roots, it’s strayed too far.”

“The brand has a wonderful history, but a completely wrong model lineup and is on completely the wrong track. The dealer network was not ready to sell two-cylinder street models.”
“We will work with Husqvarna to go back to its origins. We’ll soon be back in motocross and then in supermoto, both sports in which Husqvarna previously dominated. Within the next year, we will make an appropriate motorcycle developed with the specifications and character Husqvarna needs.”

Have you actually weighed your DR650.

My '00 with a lighter than stock GSX-R muffler and hardly any fuel in it weighed in at 385lbs.

you are reading through rose colored glasses.. he pretty clearly said that Husky was going to be the bargain brand in the line up.. prob made in India.

ah. so more hardcore. hope that does not mean the TR goes away then.

and you're saying the opposite. guess time will tell how the brand is produced and slotted w/ bikes. still hope the TR stays as it's what the market needs at that price. it forces the Japanese to wake up too at that price. like it said before a few improvements (loose weight) and it's less than $1000 more new than now and it's a home run.

Exactly, I see the TR as a direct, and better, competitor to the DR and KLR. If he's looking to challenge Suzuki and Kawasaki, he needs to keep it. However, I think he was more talking about the dirt bike category, not the dual sport category.

My local dealer (BMW/Husky) says all dealers relations will remain the same.

Pure guess work on his part. The deal has not even been approved by the regulators in Europe. Things like distribution and dealerships will not have even been though about let alone having the info communicated to actual dealers.

I think the TR650's have a very questionable future now, looks they are up the creek, most definitely without a paddle

Well if the couple months we've had Husqvarna bikes and parts is an indication it can only get better from here. Everything about dealing with them has been a pain compared to KTM.

business economics and consolidation, plain and simple. Stay tuned for a husky model shake up w/lots of KTM sourced parts instead of BMW. "Strayed too far..." is a telling statement.

Really hope the Terra has an extended and enhanced life, but without the LC4 engine. Time will tell...

I wouldn't worry to much about that because of the sale, as when you study them you'll see the TRs are about 99% BMW... The paint and the emblems are really the only part Husky added...

Where the decision comes into to play is for BMW to decide which of it's models to keep in production, the TRs, the G 650s or the Sertao? The TRs seem to have generated quite a bit of interest with it's low price, low seat and hopped up motor so maybe one of the other 2 will be history...

Slap the BMW roundel on it and it will be $2k more though.

An RFS engine trail bike in a newer frame would do well I'd think. Hmmmmmm....

How about 300mm's of WP suspension, larger tank and bodywork al'a 640Adv.

One thing is for sure




Don't get me wrong - I love and had a KTM but they are good at two things -

1. Building great bikes

and

2. not building cheap bikes. - lets hope that changes