Husqvarna Motorcycles
| Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH
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|---|---|
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| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1903 |
| Seat | Mattighofen , Austria |
| management | Oliver Göhring, Reinhold Zens |
| Branch | vehicle construction |
| Website | www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com |
The Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH is a manufacturer of motorcycles based in the Austrian Mattighofen . The brand was originally a production branch of the Swedish Husqvarna group. After changing owners from 1987 onwards, Husqvarna Motorcycles has belonged to the owner of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, KTM AG, since 2013 .
history
Until 1987
Husqvarna is the second oldest continuously producing motorcycle brand in the world after Royal Enfield and before Harley-Davidson . In 1903, three months before Harley-Davidson, the first motorcycle was made. For this purpose, a Husqvarna bicycle was fitted with a purchased 1.5 HP single-cylinder engine . The factory museum still has a machine from 1911.
Husqvarna became involved early in the terrain Motorsports and won the Novemberkåsan first win of the company history 1916th
In 1921 the first model, a motorcycle with a 550 cc two-cylinder engine , was offered entirely from its own production. Single-cylinder engines were purchased from JAP and Sturmey-Archer until the mid-1930s . In the 1930s, one only 127 kg, developed by Folke Mannerstedt saw Husqvarna 500 with V2 - OHV - four-stroke engine for attention with which the Swede Gunnar Kalén 1933 domestic Saxtorp the European title won in the 500cc class, while the entire Defeated the world elite.
The Husqvarnas mostly had small two-stroke engines and were robust and reliable. That is why they were often used, slightly modified, in cross-country sports until the factory offered special competition motorcycles. In the 1960s and 1970s the brand was able to achieve numerous international racing successes, for example several times in the Motocross World Championship with drivers Rolf Tibblin and Bill Nilsson , or at the Six Days . In 1983, the TE 510, the first competitive four-stroke for off-road sports since the 1960s, was presented. He ensured the revival of the four-stroke classes, as other manufacturers quickly followed with new developments. Husqvarna underpinned its pioneering role with further developments, which is documented by around 70 world championship titles won by drivers such as Thierry van den Bosch , Boris Chambon and Eddy Seel .
Change of ownership and takeover by KTM
The Husqvarna Group sold its motorcycle division in 1987 to Cagiva , which was later taken over by MV Agusta . In 1988 the production of motorcycles was relocated to Varese in northern Italy . Some employees of the company did not go along with this step and founded the Swedish company Husaberg . Due to frequent changes in the majority shareholder at MV Agusta, there were several delivery problems.
In 2007, BMW acquired Husqvarna from MV Agusta for around 93 million euros. BMW-Motorrad continued to operate Husqvarna Motorcycles as an independent company, the company headquarters also remained in Varese. With the takeover, BMW wanted to strengthen the Group's position in the offroad sector.
On January 31, 2013, BMW AG announced the sale of the trademark rights to the Austrian KTM AG . The BMW motorcycle division had suffered a loss of profit as a result of the restructuring measures at Husqvarna. After the sale, the product range of the main BMW brand was to be given a different focus. GasGas took over Husqvarna engine technology and production , the Vares plant was bought by the Chinese Shineray Group in 2014, and BMW continues to supply spare parts for the old models.
After the purchase and reestablishment as the KTM subsidiary Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH, KTM brought the Husaberg brands back together, which they took over in 1995, and Husqvarna. Production of Husqvarna motorcycles began in Mattighofen in October 2013. The reintroduction of the Husqvarna brand included technology from KTM or Husaberg and a new design language using the Swedish national colors yellow, blue and white throughout. The models developed under BMW ownership (the Nuda 900 street motorcycle and the TR650 Strada and Terra) were no longer produced from 2013. With the Svartpilen and Vitpilen models, which were first presented in 2015 by the KTM design company Kiska, Husqvarna presented road machines again. In the off-road sector, the company announced the start of production for two-stroke enduro models with manifold injection in 2017 .
Corporate structure
Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KTM AG. It operates eight sales subsidiaries worldwide.
Business areas
Current motorcycles
Husqvarna is an important brand in the motocross and enduro sectors . The current range of Husqvarna consists of motorcycles for enduro, motocross and supermoto sports . The engine currently (spring 2017) includes two and four-stroke engines with displacements between 50 cm³ and 690 cm³.
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Enduro sport
- TX 125 with 125 cc two-stroke engines
- TE series with 250 and 300 cc two-stroke engines
- FE series with 250, 350, 450 and 501 cm³ four-stroke engines
- 701 Enduro with 690 cc four-stroke engine
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Motocross
- TC series with 50, 65, 85, 125 and 250 cm³ two-stroke engines
- FC series with 250, 350 and 450 cm³ four-stroke engines
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Supermoto
- FS 450 with 450 cm³ four-stroke engine
- 701 Supermoto with 692.7 cc four-stroke engine
Street motorcycles will also be sold in the future; the following models were presented for 2018:
- Vitpilen 401
- 401
- Vitpilen 701
- Sarah 701
FE 450
701 Enduro
FC 450
701 supermoto
Vitpilen 401
401
Vitpilen 701
Accessories and clothing
The company also sells leisure and motorcycle clothing, accessories and motorcycle accessories via the dealer network.
Racing
Husqvarna has been regularly present at international racing competitions in the off-road sector since the 1930s. Drivers on Husqvarna machines have won over 70 world titles in the disciplines of motocross, enduro and supermoto and have won several important rally events such as the Baja 1000 race.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, established in cooperation with the beverage manufacturer Rockstar Inc. in 2015 , has been active in all off-road racing classes since 2016 and has been particularly successful in the enduro / rally sector. In 2016, world championship titles were won in the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship, the Superenduro World Championship and the AMA EnduroCross Championship.
Web links
- Husqvarna Motorcycles (international)
- Husqvarna Motorcycles Germany / Austria
- 100 years Husqvarna motorcycles (PDF; 378 kB) - Article in MOTORCYCLE 21/2003
Individual evidence
- ↑ Husqvarna V-Twin Racer (Sweden). (No longer available online.) Classic-mopeds.crazy-box-berlin.de, archived from the original on August 11, 2009 ; Retrieved December 14, 2010 .
- ↑ Kevin Ash: Husqvarna to emulate MINI in BMW stable; The Swedish / Italian manufacturer's new boss explains how the brand will sit in BMW's two-wheeled portfolio. The Daily Telegraph , November 13, 2011, accessed November 13, 2011 .
- ↑ BMW sells Husqvarna. n-tv.de, January 31, 2013, accessed on January 31, 2013 .
- ↑ GasGas buys Husqvarna engine technology
- ↑ SWM Motorcycles is back
- ↑ KTM takes over Husaberg
- ^ Reunification of Husqvarna and Husaberg
- ↑ Husaberg is dead, long live Husqvarna ( Memento from May 24, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Husqvarna 401 - Two icons return
- ↑ Husqvarna Motorcycles introduce fuel-injected 2-stroke enduro models. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 11, 2017 ; accessed on May 27, 2017 (English).
- ↑ KTM Industries organization chart
- ↑ KTM Group - company
- ↑ Husqvarna Vitpilen Husqvarna 401 and 401 Svartpilen
- ^ Husqvarna Clothing
- ↑ Husqvarna accessories
- ↑ The history of origin
- ↑ Husqvarna Motorcycles teams up with Rockstar Engergy Drink. Retrieved May 27, 2017 (English).