All I hope is, when I go out riding my mates that ride KTM that I cant just walk up to them and ask them for some spare parts that will fit my bike. But at the end of the day I hope this guy doesn't blend the two bike together and takes Husky to the top of the podium Kel
Actual news... looking backward, not forward. Interview filmed in Dec2012. Stefan briefly discussing BMW, Husqvarna and potentially buying husky. Husky comes up at 15:35 Other things discussed... Bajaj and common platforms, competitor BMW visiting KTM, his most favorite Japanese competitor View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbxJh9OfTho
NO but however you want to look at it. KTM bought Husqvarna. Lets be real..................... And yes a rest for everyone would be good considering NO ONE knows the true fate or what the outcome may be.
I dont discount the bajaj related issues but the indian media is no different than any other country with a free press and they will be biased and parochial to what suits them. they talk duke duke and duke (sounds like a law firm ad........ LOL) they say KTM because who the hell there knows husky ? and KTM sounds more impressive and marketable than SP or Pierer GmbH group (which incientally and probably well known to us here controls KTM)
We are about 2 weeks from the announcement from on high. Remember he has stated unequivacally that he wants all lines to share platforms/components. None of this makes sense to expand the limited manufacturing capability of the smaller line when there is proven large scale manufacturing capability of the larger line. It makes me sad but unless SP decides to follow a money losing strategy, Italian Huskies are dead men walking. It just doesn't fit with any comments that sp has made to date that he would retain manufacturing in Italy. That doesn't make it fact yet but if you want to put a lot of faith in the history of Husqvarna preserving its model independence then you should be prepared to be disapointed. There will be Husqvarna's going forward but they won't resemble what we are currently riding. I can't wait to be wrong but it is all about the bottom line.
Wally, I disagree with the Italin Huskies are dead men walking.......maybe incomplete men needing some common line parts! Berg production and R&D moved to Austria in 03 and those models sure were not orange clones. I do think the Italian factory is toast but it does not mean their production and R&D cannot move ala berg. Lets not count out Italy just yet (after all its bikes not 20th century wartime hitorical achievements...sorry.could not help it) he bought the factory and the machines inside as well. I feel from the employees viewponts as to emloyment versus unemployment but he is in business and if he takes the tooling and the pick of the litter from R&D and the line it is win win. Also no more of those perpetual labor disputes that seemed to go like clockwork there
I hope you are right Joe. By the way thanks for the laugh. I am the last person that wants the Italian huskies to die. I do also hate to point fingers but this is another case of labor unions/gov. parasitizing the host to death. It just seems that today's unions tend to go down to the death without considering compromise for the good of all(yes owners do need to make money).
I find it funny the Husky Facebook page is devoid of anything about this and like nothing has changed.
...I just got a package in the mail from HusqvarnaNA...2013 Husqvarna motorcycle booklet,the Terra/Strada booklet and a clothing/parts catalog!...I already have about a dozen that I had left over from the ones I "ve been handing out to my service customers(THANX Bob,from Central Jersey Cycles ).... sheesh,I can remember it was like pulling teeth to get a product brochure in the Cagiva era..who knows maybe I am just in a very bad dream or heck even in a coma and this isn't really happening to Husky....mmm
Things to consider - 1.) The cost of manufacturing in Italy is considerably lower than Austria, But, Sweden was (and is ) a lot higher. 2.) The BMW group just sent plenty of money up-grading the manufacturing facility in Italy. 3.) Way more motorcycle builders in Italy than Austria - more support industries. 4.) More styling and engineering companies in Italy than Austria (Related to vehicular manufacturing) 5.) Exporting is cheaper from Italy than Austria (international). 6.) logistical cost to move production to Austria - would probably be more than the purchase price for the whole company. (unless you plan to just put Husqvarna stickers on KTMs) , Then you have a marketing problem. Case & point - Why buy something other than to grow that brand as a separate entity with the advantages that come with it? I personally think this will work out different than what the predominant thought is being spewed-forth on this site. Maybe I have a little more faith.
No, you are just objective and not over-reacting like a spoiled 3 year old. Good read, and wouldn't hurt my feelings if Husky stayed Italian. I like those bikes too.
Hope you are right and the people in Italy and Austria who are "in the know" are wrong. We clearly don't know all the story as your post makes sense on a superficial level that we are stuck in right now. My "Rumour mill" information is that Husky as a stand alone independent company is history. Cosmetic re-badging and individual detail work is about to begin later this year in Austria. Once again I hope I am wrong and wake up in April to a re-vitalized Italian Husky.
No over-reacting? I am just giving more credence to what I have learned and I am trying to prepare accordingly. Life goes on whether Husky survives or dies tomorrow. I will continue to make 165 kits and ride my CR/WR165 for many years. My business will go away at right about the time I will want to retire my part of it. I will ride whatever bike fits my needs when I have them. It might be a WR200 tweaked for me but who knows. I am spending a little more time at KTMTalk trying to get aclimated to their issues. So far to date I have lost ~$10,000 in the entire process of building the 165 kits. I probably will never recover that and I don't really care because when I get PM's like: "Dude! I lovethis thing !!freaking awesomekit. Dont evenwant my 250backfrom the suspension tuner." It makes it all worth while. So whether Husky lives or dies as we know it doesn't really matter to the non-huskie employed as long as there are a bunch of faithful enjoying their current Huskies Swedish or Italian.
The Italian production machinery won't just vanish. It may stay where it is, move to Austria or sold off... Somewhere, someone will build the frames and engines we ride now.
I wonder what it would cost to buy the rights to the old motor and frames. There are Korean bikes that use dated Japenese motors
your contribution (165 kit) gave me my favorite motor. Thanks. I too hope the best for Husky. We will see. I hope good shops remain. Thats key for me.
The Brand will change, just as Cagiva changed it from Swedish to Italian. People are just offering info that we know, it's not spewed. Most of the spewing has been in the form of KTM hating, not a pretty thing. Faith is a wonderful thing, but reality can over power it.
How much would that have been in the proton Malasia stock deal that didn't last long? Not sure I understand what went on there but that little episode has been absent in these discussions. Fran
