Along with the “don’t call them spy shost” photos that Husqvarna released yesterday, the Swedish brand owned by a German company that’s based in Italy has also released a video that elaborates on the design of the new Husqvarna 900 street bike. As we’ve seen already from the concept sketches, and affirmed in the photos, the new street-going Husky is a super-sized supermotard that features BMW’s F800 series parallel twin motor, albeit slightly revised to 900cc. Find the design philosophy of the new Husqvarna 900 according to Head of Husqvarna Design Raffaele Zaccagnini after the jump.
Here’s an interesting twist: instead of going through the trouble of setting up some sort of “spy shot” moment, and leaking it to the press, Husqvarna has cutout the middleman, taken its own photos, and sent them to web and print publications. Because of this, the use of the “spy shot” label is probably not appropriate, though we’d make arguments that it hasn’t been an appropriate label in many other situations as well. Leaving that subject for another time, what you really wanted to see is the new 900cc Husqvarna street bike in almost all of its glory.
The folks at MCN have had their finger on the Husqvarna street bike pulse lately, and today published sketches of the soon-to-be released BMW-derived 900cc Husqvarna street bike. Part street-naked, part supermotard, these sketches seem to suggest that the new Husky will stick somewhat to its dirt roosting roots. Despite the large displacement size, the street-going Husqvarna looks to be very minimalistic and svelte, though how much of that will translate over into the final design remains to be seen.
We’re still apprehensive as to what BMW’s plans for Husqvarna are in the coming years, as the German company clearly wants to use Husky for its evil road-going purposes, but so far there’s nothing in these sketches that send us running for a long rope and a short drop. The designs appear to stay true to what we’d expect from Husqvarna, though you can leave your conclusions in the comments. Additional sketches after the jump.
Details on the impending Husqvarna street bike have been scarce, though we have seen the Swedish brand’s Mille 3 Concept, but the folks at Visordown managed to get a Husqvarna represented to spill some of the beans on the machine. Knowing that the 900cc parallel-twin motor comes from the BMW F800 series, it’s expected that the extra displacement will come from the motor being bored out.
Now adding to our knowledge, Husqvarna UK has outlined that the new 900cc street bike will be a naked machine that comes in either a standard and “factory” specification. The new 900cc parallel twin motor will also be the basis for further street machines from Husqvarna, which will be released farther down the line.
Husqvarna is getting into the street bike scene, and the first order of business for the Swedish brand was to create a motor suitable for such a purpose. Husqvarna doesn’t have to undertake this endveour alone though, as parent company BMW Motorrad has been helping the previously dirt-based brand with the new powerplant. Based off the BMW F800′s lump, Husqvarna has increased the 800cc motor’s displacement to somewhere in the 900cc range, likely by stroking-out the combustion chamber.
Husqvarna isn’t talking much about specifics, just simply stating that the new motor will have a “reasonable increase in power and torque.” With news that the bike is road testing, it’s only a matter of time before the obligatory spy photos start popping up, as the company targets a November release of the new street bike at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. Brand extension, or brand dilution? You make the call in the comments. Video after the jump.
The rumors are true, Husqvarna is set to bring out a street bike (or five if you believe some reports) in the coming months (expect a November unveiling). Accordingly the Swedish brand, which operates out of Italy and is owned by a German company (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego anyone?), has released some photos and details about its 900cc parallel twin motor that takes more than a couples cues from its BMW counterpart.
Announcing that it will bring out a road-oriented concept vehicle, Husqvarna will focus on fun, power, and versatility for its first street machine. A sort of vague statement yes, but we do know that parent company BMW is heavily involved with the project, and helping its subsidiary to create a peppier 900cc-ish motor with more horsepower and torque than the BMW lump originally provided.
As teams look to the future of MotoGP racing, the rumors are beginning to fly on how the newly revised rules will affect the competitive landscape in the race series. With news already surrounding what opportunities exist for private teams, we focus now on the factory efforts. Making it clear recently that the Bologna factory is not convinced that 1000cc is the optimal displacement with the current fuel restrictions, Ducati’s Filippo Preziosi has hinted that Ducati is considering a 900cc or 930cc displacement for the 2012 race season.







