Whats up with Husqvarna???

[Cjsgptx]

I am kinda looking to add a Husky to my stable and have been looking online at them. I really want a TE511, love the look of it. But all the dealers around DFW they say they are carrying Husky dont have any. WTF? I know KTM bought them, or is in the process of buying them. Whatever, i dont care, i just want a Husky.

Should i wait to see what KTM does with the brand? I love my XR and would never sell it. Just wanna add one of those beautys to my stable. And before the Orange addicts chime in, NO i do not want a KTM.

Anyone have some insight they can share?

Chris

[itsatdm]

Stephan Pierer, the majority stock holder of KTM, bought Husqvarna from BMW.

I do not know if the 511 engine is based on any BMW engine, but if it is, it most likely will not be in the line up, 6 mos from now.

The factory in Italy is closed to allow the existing stock to be sold. Pierer's long range plan is to spread the cost of existing KTM's into future Husqvarna bikes. I read that to mean use existing KTM parts (engines) or future designs to be integrated over both bikes. Since he does not need an existing plant in Italy to do that, expect future engines to be designed and new bikes to be assembled in Austria.

I am not familiar with the 511, but there is now a factory based fire sale going on and a great time to buy. The small print says, participating dealers only. My read on that, is they will be dealers when the shake up is over.

As might be expected this will cause some disruption in the dealer network. Stephan will want to enlarge or keep existing dealers, but there will be some dealers dropped due to Husqvarna's being currently sold by some BMW dealers, who are within the existing KTM dealers area. It will take some time to sort that out.

As to parts and service, existing US law requires that parts to be available for the length of the warranty. Stephan has promised parts for 10 years on all the existing bikes. That is a trade agreement between nations. It is not the same as a warranty, as defaulting only means 1 country can bitch about it to another and take steps to retaliate.

If you want one, buy it now. You won't find a better deal and it may not be available in a few months.

[Cjsgptx]

Thank Man good to know. If i can find a smoking deal on one i will be on it like a pack of dog after a three legged cat!

If not, i will wait to see what KTM does with the brand.

Hmmm, plated Husky with the 500 EXC motor???

Chris

[Ruffus]

Originally Posted by Cjsgptx

Thank Man good to know. If i can find a smoking deal on one i will be on it like a pack of dog after a three legged cat!

If not, i will wait to see what KTM does with the brand.

Hmmm, plated Husky with the 500 EXC motor???

Chris

Just read there's a $2500.00 discount on new Husky's. If I had the cash, I'd order one from any dealer in the country & have it shipped.


http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/250...-huskys.31820/

[lvscrvs]

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped...comment-302391

[Cjsgptx]

Originally Posted by lvscrvs

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/oped...comment-302391

That is crazy! For as long as i can remember since i saw On Any Sunday. I have wanted a Husqvarna motorcycle. I would hate to see them gone forever!

Chris

[Grreatdog]

Personally, I could care less if Husky gives up the street bike and cheap dual sport market. I would much rather see them offer me an alternative to a KTM 690 than a Kawasaki 650. There is no shortage of cheap dual sports and definitely no shortage of street bikes. You already have three Japanese companies filling the cheap big dual sport market and all four filling the cheap small dual sport market.

But then you have a huge jump up to the KTM690. Once you get there you have the magic 300ish pounds that I don't like to exceed but with great power and great suspension but in an expensive, narrowly focused machine. The Terra was a start down the right path. But realistically it is much more KLR650 than KTM690. To me, what is lacking is a dual sport situated between the XR650L/DR650 end of the spectrum and the KTM690 end.

I hope that is where the new company heads. Solid dirt machines and dual sports minus some of the cost and hard edge of the EXC's but without the fluff suspension and detuned motors of the Japanese dual sports. Not too fast but not too slow, not too expensive but not too cheap, just right. A man can dream, right?

[Navin]

Greatdog, that sounds like the 610-630 TE that is/was a flop. Great bikes but sales were poor, price was right where you want it. Power & performance too. Probably the best all around DS ever built as the 610. 630 got fat & pricey but still a great bike IMO.

[my6]

Originally Posted by Grreatdog

Personally, I could care less if Husky gives up the street bike and cheap dual sport market. I would much rather see them offer me an alternative to a KTM 690 than a Kawasaki 650. There is no shortage of cheap dual sports and definitely no shortage of street bikes. You already have three Japanese companies filling the cheap big dual sport market and all four filling the cheap small dual sport market.

But then you have a huge jump up to the KTM690. Once you get there you have the magic 300ish pounds that I don't like to exceed but with great power and great suspension but in an expensive, narrowly focused machine. The Terra was a start down the right path. But realistically it is much more KLR650 than KTM690. To me, what is lacking is a dual sport situated between the XR650L/DR650 end of the spectrum and the KTM690 end.

I hope that is where the new company heads. Solid dirt machines and dual sports minus some of the cost and hard edge of the EXC's but without the fluff suspension and detuned motors of the Japanese dual sports. Not too fast but not too slow, not too expensive but not too cheap, just right. A man can dream, right?

Well put Sir...Oh and I would have to agree with you that Goldens are by far the best dog. I could tell you stories about "Sundancer" the wonder dog. God rest his soul...

[biensur22]

Originally Posted by Grreatdog

But then you have a huge jump up to the KTM690. Once you get there you have the magic 300ish pounds that I don't like to exceed but with great power and great suspension but in an expensive, narrowly focused machine. The Terra was a start down the right path. But realistically it is much more KLR650 than KTM690. To me, what is lacking is a dual sport situated between the XR650L/DR650 end of the spectrum and the KTM690 end.

I hope that is where the new company heads. Solid dirt machines and dual sports minus some of the cost and hard edge of the EXC's but without the fluff suspension and detuned motors of the Japanese dual sports. Not too fast but not too slow, not too expensive but not too cheap, just right. A man can dream, right?

I agree with you. There needs to be something less expensive than KTM but better than the Japanese dualsports, and I believe that's exactly where Pierer is going to take it. That's at least what he admitted in an interview, that his intention is to take sales away from the Japanese by producing performance Dualsports at a competitive price point to their japanese rivals. Here's the article (http://canadamotoguide.com/2013/02/0...work-with-ktm/)

The Terra was little more than a F650GS Dakar at a discounted price. It was a step in the right direction because it was cheaper than the 650s that BMW was pumping out, but it had all their flaws in the performance department.

[kawagumby]

That's funny...I've seen a couple of ride reviews by experienced professional riders who preferred the non-vibrating, good-handling Terra/Strada OVER the KTM 690. They said the power "felt" similar but the 690's vibes was a major problem. I'm sure some prefer the 690 too, but there is an obvious overlap of what people are looking for in a bike which makes this bike a contender for sales.

A pig? Hardly...I'm an experienced rider with a lot of off-road riding and racing under my belt and I can tell you the Terra I bought is no pig. What it is, is a great do-it-all bike with excellent handling (low cg), competent suspension, a strong but not overpowering engine. It has enough weight for comfort on the hiway, but just light enough for aggressive riding on dirt roads. I was looking for a bike at 400 lbs +/- for adventure riding with some non-technical single-track now and then, and was pleasantly suprised when I test rode one. If you want a light dual sport that is essentially a dirt bike (which won't be fun on the highways), the Terra ain't it, but if you want a bike to travel anywhere with confidence while having fun, you could look no further. It's a different tool for a different job, and is not a pig at all - when judged by any standard for which the bike was built.

Compared to the BMW, the Terra is lighter, has more horsepower, has much better suspension (no flex baby!) and a lower cg. I had no interest in the BMW, but bought the Terra immediately after my test ride.

[itsatdm]

Get them while you can. I visited my dealer today. 1 new Terra left and no more available for him. The discount on the Terra is $1,000. I don't think my dealer will go any lower, but I have eyes on their demonstrator.

[Precis]

Originally Posted by Cjsgptx

Thank Man good to know. If i can find a smoking deal on one i will be on it like a pack of dog after a three legged cat!

If not, i will wait to see what KTM does with the brand.

Hmmm, plated Husky with the 500 EXC motor???

Chris

Chris, KTM isn't doing ANYTHING with "the brand"; they continue to be rivals. KTM is now Europe's largest-volume m/cycle manufacturer, thanks to its Indian factory and tie-up with Bajaj.
The former KTM boss Stephan Pierer has quit - and bought Husky from BMW - who bought it from Cagiva - which is why the Husky factory is in Italy and not Sweden.
Almost the first thing Pierer did when he got the keys was to SHUT the factory as there is a huge backlog of unsold bikes - my dealer here in Melbourne has new 2011 and 2012 built bikes on the floor, beside the 2013s.

So, Husky will stand or fall on its own strengths - it no longer has the crutch of a parent like BMW - or even Cagiva - to bail it out. And certainly not KTM.
I think that Pierer is smart enough to have a long-term plan and that the company will survive, but buying a bike - and then spares - will be a good first step.
If you want a collectors item - buy a Nuda; they've already said that model will not continue into the future.

[kingby]

Originally Posted by Precis

Chris, KTM isn't doing ANYTHING with "the brand"; they continue to be rivals. KTM is now Europe's largest-volume m/cycle manufacturer, thanks to its Indian factory and tie-up with Bajaj.
The former KTM boss Stephan Pierer has quit - and bought Husky from BMW - who bought it from Cagiva - which is why the Husky factory is in Italy and not Sweden.
Almost the first thing Pierer did when he got the keys was to SHUT the factory as there is a huge backlog of unsold bikes - my dealer here in Melbourne has new 2011 and 2012 built bikes on the floor, beside the 2013s.

So, Husky will stand or fall on its own strengths - it no longer has the crutch of a parent like BMW - or even Cagiva - to bail it out. And certainly not KTM.
I think that Pierer is smart enough to have a long-term plan and that the company will survive, but buying a bike - and then spares - will be a good first step.
If you want a collectors item - buy a Nuda; they've already said that model will not continue into the future.

He quit? When did that happen? You might have your facts mixed up.

[Cjsgptx]

Originally Posted by Precis

Chris, KTM isn't doing ANYTHING with "the brand"; they continue to be rivals. KTM is now Europe's largest-volume m/cycle manufacturer, thanks to its Indian factory and tie-up with Bajaj.
The former KTM boss Stephan Pierer has quit - and bought Husky from BMW - who bought it from Cagiva - which is why the Husky factory is in Italy and not Sweden.
Almost the first thing Pierer did when he got the keys was to SHUT the factory as there is a huge backlog of unsold bikes - my dealer here in Melbourne has new 2011 and 2012 built bikes on the floor, beside the 2013s.

So, Husky will stand or fall on its own strengths - it no longer has the crutch of a parent like BMW - or even Cagiva - to bail it out. And certainly not KTM.
I think that Pierer is smart enough to have a long-term plan and that the company will survive, but buying a bike - and then spares - will be a good first step.
If you want a collectors item - buy a Nuda; they've already said that model will not continue into the future.

Originally Posted by kingby

He quit? When did that happen? You might have your facts mixed up.

+1 on he quit?

Everything I have heard and read is that KTM will either revamp Husky, where you will see them side by side with KTM on showrooms. Or they will kill them off completly. Either way, I am searching for a TE511. Calling around Today and looking tomorrow. Apparently most Huskys are $2500 bucks off.

Chris