A quick look at KTM’s recent additions to its model lineup sees significant attention being given to the company’s large and small-displacement machines, yet the middleweight bikes have remained seemingly untouched.
That seems set to change, according to an interview MCN had with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer.
Saying that KTM would develop new v-twin engines in the 600cc to 800cc range over the next three years, the Austrian company seems set to its entire lineup revamped within the next few years.
It is an exciting time for the Husqvarna brand, as it finds a new home within the KTM family. Reunited in a sense with Husaberg, the remnants of the motorcycle company when it left Sweden for Italy, Husky motorcycles are little more than rebadged Austrian machines at this point in time, though Stefan Pierer and his team would like to change that.
We have already seen Husqvarna return to the road with a supermoto model, in the Husqvarna FS 450, as well as the Husqvarna 701 street; and the company has also debuted two intriguing street concepts at the EIMCA motor show (based off the KTM 390 Duke), which may go into production.
Husqvarna seems determined to distinguish itself from KTM, and it is drawing heavily on its past and history for inspiration going forward. It should be interesting to see how the company evolves over the next few years.
The second of Husqvarna’s street concepts, the Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen is a scrambler styled machine that uses the same 373cc single-cylinder engine as the Vitpilen concept. Swedish for “Black Arrow”, the Svartpilen continues the idea that less is more, and applies the concept to a more off-road motif.
Not all the dissimilar to the Moab and Baja concepts the Husqvarna showed before its acquisition by KTM, clearly the Swedish brand is keen to tap into its lost history of Steve McQueen and the scrambler motif. Perhaps Ducati’s foray into this space is added motivation, but the Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen concept is a bike unique to itself.
In addition to debuting the Husqvarna 701 supermoto, the Swedish brand had two street concepts to unveil at the EICMA show. First up is the Husqvarna 401 Vitpilen concept, which is a café racer inspired model. With a 373cc single-cylidner thumper at its core, the Vitpilen (Swedish for White Arrow) sports an attractive and clean design.
A modern riff on the 1953 Husqvarna Silverpilen, the idea behind the Husqvarna Vitpilen is that less is more. Making a modest 43hp, the Vitpilen weights a paltry 297 lbs (135kg).
Clever details abound on the Vitpilen, and we particularly enjoy the high-tech LED meets retro-scrambler headlight design that sits prominently at the front of the bike. The design is clean and minimal, and true to Husqvarna’s roots both as a motorcycle brand, but also as a member of Scandinavian minimalism.
We perhaps over-thought Husqvarna’s first proper street bike announcement, as the firm has debuted the Husqvarna 701 supermoto at the EICMA show today.
Refining its 701 concept from last year’s show, the 2015 Husqvarna 701 is a 690cc supermoto, that continues to borrow from KTM’s common parts bin.
Already with a race-ready 450cc supermoto in its arsenal, the Husqvarna 701 adds another more street-oriented motorcycle to the Swedish brand’s dirt-heavy 2015 lineup.
Putting down 67hp through the big four-stroke thumper, the Husqvarna 701 supermoto tips the scales at 320 lbs (145kg), and comes with an APTC slipper clutch, ABS brakes, WP suspension, and ride-by-wire with different riding modes.
Husqvarna has begun its teaser campaign for the three street bikes it will unveil at EICMA. We know that two of the machines will be concept bikes, while the third will be a 2015 production model. We also already know that the production bike will be a large-displacement single-cylinder machine, with premium components and electronics.
Releasing a video of the machine today, Husqvarna doesn’t tip its hand beyond the information we already knew…or does it? Clearly audible in the video is a street-going thumper, but the look and feel of the terrain, rider, and bike, suggests that Husqvarna could be set to release an ADV rider’s dream machine.
The Husqvarna brand will be returning to the street, as the now KTM-owned motorcycle company will release three street models at the upcoming EICMA show. Husqvarna says that the new models will “give a clear understanding of the future of the brand” — which hopefully means how Husqvarna will define itself differently that being just rebadged KTM.
Already releasing the the Husqvarna FS 450, a 450cc class supermoto, Husqvarna says that one of the three models will be a new large-displacement single-cylinder street bike, and will feature premium components and state-of-the-art technology (traction control?).
Husqvarna as a brand is seeing new life within KTM, albeit currently as dressed up KTM and Husaberg models. Still, Husky fans have to be happy to see the once Swedish brand living with some stability in its life. Nixing bikes like the Husqvarna Nuda, as well as the Husqvarna Moab and Husqvarna Baja concepts, the Husky reboot has been absent of on-road machines.
The Husqvarna FS 450 doesn’t really change that reality, as the supermoto comes in race-only trim (it’s really just a KTM 450 SX-F with the appropriate SM modifications), but the FS 450 certainly is a good start in that direction.
Supermotos might be the most fun you can have on two wheels, and Husqvarna’s video makes us hope that a ‘tard finds its way to the US market, with lights and turn signals preferably.
KTM continues to challenge BMW Motorrad as the top European motorcycle manufacturer (by sales volume), and has set a company record for sales in the first half of this year.
Selling 70,469 units in total, KTM is just shy of the 70,978 mark left by BMW Motorrad during the same sales period, so it will be interesting to see if the Austrian brand can close the gap in the final six months, as it has done the previous two years.
Friendly competition aside, the news is quite positive for KTM. The six-month sales figure represents a nearly 28% increase in unit volume, while top-line revenue is up 17.6% (€410.3 million, a record as well) and bottom-line income (EBIT) is up whopping 82.6% (€33.6 million). KTM has also increased its ranks by 204 people during the first half of 2014.
We don’t cover a lot of dirt biking here at A&R…maybe it has something to do with the name, I dunno. What helps change that though is when a manufacturer puts some 17″ racing slicks on their dirt models, and makes a proper supermoto out of it — as Husqvarna has just done.
Announcing the 2015 Husqvarna FS 450, the Swedish brand is making a return to the supermoto segment, thanks to its new Austrian owners. Based on the Husqvarna FC 450 motocross bike, the new supermoto model is of course a reworked KTM in disguise, though we doubt anyone will be too bothered by that fact.
A lot has happened with the Husqvarna name in the past few years. Recently sold to Stefan Pierer, head man at KTM AG, the Swedish dirt bike brand was also recently reunited with Husaberg, the brand established from the remnants left behind of the company in Sweden from when Husqvarna moved to Italy.
Folding Husaberg back into Husqvarna, the reformed off-road company was reintroduced to the market in 2014 as essentially rebadged KTM motorcycles — a similar statement can be said about the Husky entry in the Moto3 World Championship.
Not all of the 2014 line came to the US market though, and for 2015 we will see the company’s updated enduro models, the Husqvarna FE 350 S & Husqvarna FE 501 S, come stateside. Other additions to the US market include the FC 350 four-stroke MX and the TE 125 two-stroke machines. And yes, they’re still basically rebadged KTMs.