Husqvarna and Husaberg, together again - for Husaberg’s funeral?
Boldly proclaiming, “The year 2013 will be remembered in motorcycling history as the year that Husqvarna was reborn,” KTM on Thursday announced that the venerable Swedish motorcycle manufacturer will join its sibling rival Husaberg under the KTM umbrella.
This looks like good news for Husky fans. But what happens to Husaberg?
The 110-year-old Husqvarna was purchased this year from BMW by Pierer Industries AG, a company controlled by Stefan Pierer -- chief executive of KTM. BMW had bought the company --which started life in 1689 as an arms maker for the Swedish crown and began selling motorcycles in 1903 -- five years ago from the owners of MV Agusta brand, which had acquired the line when it bought Italian motorcycle company Cagiva, which in turn had taken charge of Husqvarna decades earlier.
(An entirely different Husqvarna is the world’s largest manufacturer of chain saws, lawn mowers and other power garden tools, but it is no longer affiliated with the motorcycle company. Another company, Husqvarna Viking, makes sewing machines.)
The newly configured company will be called Husqvarna Sportmotorcyle GmbH and will be based in Mattighofen, Austria -- home of KTM. The factory in Italy where Huskys have been built for the last several years was shuttered last month. One published report suggested there may be as many as 11,000 of the Italian-made Husqvarna units ready to ship, plus 3,000 that were still being built when the factor was closed.
Husaberg, as a motorcycle company, grew from Husky roots. When Cagiva acquired Husqvarna 25 years ago and moved its operations to Italy, a group of Husky engineers stayed behind in Sweden to create their own motorcycle. The result was Husaberg, whose slogan was “Ready to Race.” When KTM bought Husaberg in 1995, they bought the slogan too.
The historic Husky brand was once home to the biggest names in world off-road racing. Two-wheeled legends Torsten Hallman, Bengt Aberg, J.N. Roberts and Malcolm Smith dominated motocross and desert racing in the 1960s and ‘70s and helped make both forms of riding into viable American sports. The company went on to rule Enduro racing from 1990 to 2010 and became a dominant force in the Supermoto category.
In making the announcement of the merging of Husky and Husaberg, KTM said, “The new generation of Husqvarna models is already in progress,” and stressed that, going forward, they would be concentrating on enduro and supermoto motorcycles. The company promises to unveil new Huskys at the forthcoming EICMA international motorcycle show, in October, in Milan.
So, is this the end for Husaberg?
It appears that marque will go the way of such noble dirt bike lines as Bultaco, Montesa, Ossa, CZ, Maico and others -- into the history books. No word from KTM whether or for how long parts will be available for Husaberg owners.
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