The first of KTM’s 500cc lineup is expected to be ready by 2022. This isn’t exactly new information for those who have been following the space, but it is the first time that we have heard it from the horse’s mouth.
This is because KTM CEO Stefan Pierer sat down with journalist Sir Alan Cathcart, and discussed the new models (you can read his full interview on Motoring World) and several other items in an expansive interview.
Matching the announcement by its sister company KTM, today we see the debut of the 2021 Husqvarna FS 450 supermoto.
Like the years before it, the 2021 model doesn’t see any major changes, though Husqvarna has tweaked the FS 450 enough (primarily in the suspension setup) to at least make you consider the spec sheet.
The Husqvarna Norden 901 was one of the highlights of the 2019 EICMA show, with the Swedish brand showing its 890cc interpretation of the KTM 790 Adventure.
The bike displayed at the trade show was only a concept though, which left at least some doubt as to what the final production-ready machine would look like – not that Husqvarna strays too far from concept to conception, mind you.
Now spotted in a Pierer Mobility investor presentation (where all the best KTM/Husqvarna stories come from), we have caught a pixelated glimpse of the 2021 Husqvarna Norden 901.
The investor presentations from Pierer Mobility continue to be a strong insight into the actions of the KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas brands, and now we have another tip-off for a future model.
This time, it is the Husqvarna E-Pilen – an electric street bike that uses the Vitpilen design aesthetic for its form. According to the presentation document, we can expect that Husqvarna E-Pilen for the 2022 model year.
When the Husqvarna 701 Enduro LR debuted at EICMA last year, we lamented that the “long range” version of the 701 Enduro wasn’t coming to the USA at the time, as its 6.6-gallon (25-liter) gas tank seemed like a great idea for the North American market.
The minds at Husqvarna North America must have agreed with us, because today we get news that the Husqvarna 701 Enduro LR is coming to the USA, as a 2021 model – available in US dealerships in Fall 2020.
While the MIC and the motorcycle industry at large tries to spin a narrative where motorcycle sales are thriving throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the cold and hard numbers don’t lie, and they paint a different story. Today is a continuation of that trend.
Case in point, we have the mid-year sales report from Pierer Mobility, the company behind the KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas brands, and for the first six months of 2020, the Austrian group is touting only a modest (for the times) sales decline of 8% compared to last year.
That would be a decent and expected figure, considering the turbulent year with the coronavirus, if it wasn’t a complete fabrication and a contradiction to the company’s own reported sales numbers.
When the Vitpilen 701 and Svartpilen 701 bikes first debuted at the EICMA show in Milan, we were excited. Husqvarna had taken the KTM 690 Duke and made it into a cool-looking retro-modern creation.
A couple years later, when the production bikes hit the asphalt, we were surprised to see that the different bodywork on this single-cylinder street bike came with a hefty price increase.
Whereas the KTM 690 Duke retailed for $9,000, these new 701 models from Husqvarna commanded a 33% markup – $12,000 MSRP.
Attention owners of the Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 and Svartpilen 701, your bikes are being recalled for a fuel leak that may occur from the fuel level sensor and fuel pump mounting area.
Obviously, a leaking fuel situation could be a potential safety hazard, as the leaking fuel could ignite and cause a fire.
Accordingly, The recall affects 1,500 units (812 Vitpilens, and 688 Svartpilens) from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 model years.
When it comes to long-range dirt riding, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro LR seems like the perfect choice, with its potent 75hp 690cc single-cylinder thumper, and its 6.6 gallons of fuel capacity.
The model is a new one for the 2020, and was shown to us at last year’s EICMA show in Milan with quite the positive reception. There is just one problem though: what if you already have a Husqvarna 701 Enduro?
Realizing that many riders are not going to trade in their bikes for one that simply has a larger fuel capacity, the smart minds at Husqvarna have decided to make the cleverly named “Additional Fuel Tank Kit” available for current 701 owners.
Pierer Mobility is once again spilling the beans on its holdings, releasing the 2019 sales results from the KTM and Husqvarna motorcycle brands.
To that end, the combined effort sees another sales record for the group, with 280,099 motorcycles sold last year. This marks a 7% gain over 2018.
This makes 2019 the ninth year in a row that the KTM Group of motorcycle brands has seen positive sales growth, which is not a claim that too many brands can lay their hands on.
Episode 27 of the Brap Talk podcast is now out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and as always, it is packed with some interesting motorcycle discussions.
In this show, we catch up on lost time, as Jensen got the flu (go get your flu shot, right now), and was in bed for two weeks hoping that death would come and release him from his misery.
While that meant a delay in podcasting shows, the upside is that it means this episode has plenty to talk about!