Well look at that...a KTM RC4 250 engine shoved in a Husky chassis. That exact engine was in my KTM 250 XCF-W. lol. Maybe the face of the future! Their sales team definitely lacks some attention to detail.
Must be some kind of a closed loop here discovering this clone with that engine ... I'd still buy one here for others to ride if it was lowered and ...and no more than 1,499... -- This global cycles sales is a little interesting ...
I stated in another thread. If and when production goes to India, KTM will bring a training team and QC will be different. The new 390 KTM fit and finish is good by all reports. Made in India. But I totally agree that the standard of quality in India is different than what would be expected of here or Europe.
Good luck with that. I work in construction and just about everything is fabricated in India or China these days. You do get a good job in the end, but the level of effort required in terms of QA, inspection, time (& more often site rework) really makes me wonder if it is any cheaper (or better) than western manufacture. Unless you make a gain on exchange rates, I think not.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/how-much-will-husqvarna-change-59669.html The article does highlight a few missing pieces of the jigsaw. The TVS bike, assuming that it was a BMW/TVS joint venture arrangement at the time, has Husky running gear and a KTM engine? Obviously, looking at the poor build quality, it was a mock up specifically for exhibition at the motorcycle show. But what was the timing of this presentation and what was KTM's involvement at that time? If it was before the Husky sell off from BMW to SP, what were BMW and SP/KTM up to behind the scenes? The media releases paint a picture that somebody in BMW Corporate one day randomly took a look at the bank balance and said "my gosh, we are losing money, quick, fire sale at any cost and lets get the hell out of here". All of a sudden SP gets the whole thing thrown into his lap for nothing as a seemingly random bystander. I'm calling BS on this whole deal. The reason that BMW quit Husky Italy was not financial.
Interesting developments...you can draw your own conclusions from this... http://www3.varesenews.it/lavoro/hu...per-salvare-il-polo-di-biandronno-264391.html In the past thorny vincenda the production site of Biandronno: from August 1st start three-month lay-off instead of that extraordinary initially requested from the property, while increasing the rumors about a possible offer by a contractor. Google translation: The long-awaited meeting yesterday, May 29, between the different part of the plant involved in the dispute Husqvarna Cassinetta di Biandronno (VA) seems to have had a positive outcome after all. The 'national table' organized in Rome at the Ministry of Economic Development has in fact registrarto a first real opening by Pierer Industries AG, the Austrian group headed by the KTM CEO Stefan Pierer, who has agreed to temporarily withdraw the extraordinary redundancy in favor of three months of ordinary cash, a decisive move to give the opportunity to any interested entrepreneurs to make an offer to the production site Varese. The decision is therefore strategically good for workers of Biandronno, although potential buyers will still have to make their own proposals to the Ministry, with the national table that remains open. It should however be stated that Pierer Industries has also made it clear he had no intention of continuing with any activity in Biandronno, thus disproving every possible hypothesis for the conversion of its website that its own leaders had feared until recently. We currently do not have names certain about who might take over from Pierer Industries, but it seems that there is already an offer ready. The most likely hypothesis would be that of the Group Castiglioni, owner of MV Agusta, who had already tried to strike up a deal with BMW for the acquisition of Husqvarna before the agreement with Pierer. This morning, the trade unions and the trade unions involved in this matter were heard by the Industry of the Region of Lombardy, and tomorrow morning I set signatures to the agreement on the layoffs at the headquarters of the union industrial Varesina (UNIVA). In statements gathered by the Province of Varese, Flavio Cervellino (FIM CISL) and Nino Cartosio (Fiom CGIL) have summarized the situation: "The step taken by the company back on the layoff is not a trivial matter, because until now had always maintained that the instrument was untouchable. This is the result of the mobilization of workers and actions put in place by the union and also the role played by the ministry, which has spurred the company, has been very positive. After the meeting at the Ministry, the meeting today in the region is even more important because the Pirellone can play a crucial role in facilitating the entry of some new investor. "
BMW / SP may may be prevented from disbanding the Biandronno plant after all, I I read this right, they may be forced to sell it to others.... I don't know if the Italian Govt can stop them, but the politics are warming up... Interestingly, by reading the current italian press reports, it looks like Castiglioni had an offer on the table to buy Husky but BMW only paid lip service to it. Sure, the offer may have been ridiculous, but if it was the same or more than what SP eventually paid, then this would certainly raise a few eye brows? Especially now that the factory is to be closed and the workers are to be laid off and the flow on impacts to local industry. http://www3.varesenews.it/lavoro/hu...per-salvare-il-polo-di-biandronno-264391.html Husqvarna also the region in the field to save the pole of Biandronno Workers and unions have met with the regional directors of the Committee on Industry. Ciocca: "give birth to a subject that aims to stimulate regional entrepreneurs similar sub-funds After the meeting at the ministry, workers and trade unions to Husqvarna met the regional directors of the Commission Productive Activities. The hearing in the Regional Council has therefore experienced the echo of positive news came at the end of the summit the day before, Wednesday, May 29, in Rome at the Ministry of Economic Development.At that time it was announced the availability of the Austrian group Ktm, which took over Husqvarna by BMW, to block the procedure redundancy extraordinary and immediate cessation of the activity. The hypothesis is, now, that 13-week layoff ordinary. The President of the Commission IV, Angelo Ciocca (Lega Nord), confirmed the commitment of the Lombardy Region in exercising their institutional role in the dispute, but also reaffirmed its resolve to "arrive at a resolution to give birth to a subject that aims to stimulate regional entrepreneurs similar sub-funds to take over in these situations. When manufacturing sites such as this prove to have potential lives, Region must intervene to maintain productivity on site, accompanied the entrance of new players. "On the maintenance of site productivity was also attended by Alessandro Alfieri and Honorius Rosati (Pd): "We were the first to support the request for a hearing by the RSU Husqvarna Activities Commission. The crisis of the Husqvarna is part of a more general setting, for this Regione Lombardia has to define mechanisms for discouraging the relocation of production including through the identification of constraints regarding the reallocation of land use for production sites. "Satisfaction with the agreement reached in Rome also came by the Department Labor Valentina Aprea. "Do not stop looking for fast and long-term solutions for the manufacturing hub. Certainly needed to shed light on what happened in the transfer of ownership: on the basis of this everyone will assume their responsibilities, not to lose a production site that we think particularly significant for the quantity and quality of the effects on employment. "
Whats more, to add further weight to my argument, the US is actually in-sourcing more that out-sourcing these days, especially in high end manufacturing where labour cost per unit hour is not as significant. In fact, US manufacturing output and exports has been increasing over the last few months. This will increase further in the future with the up-scaling of 3D printing and RIM. Eventually the rest of the world will catch on. Check this out... http://thekneeslider.com/small-batch-manufacturing-gets-serious-with-rapid-injection-molding/
Dirt Rider had a story of MX racing around the world last year and the TVS/Husqvarna clone was being raced in India. It is an actual bike.
Since I'm living what you guys are reading about, I can see where that bike might work here ... 1) That weak frame will not be doing doubles or triples here (on the ama scale) and can probably stand some pounding through the rough mountain roads here at < 20 mph ...These guys are NOT looking to race here on the same scale as you are perceiving in your heads ...And believe me, these guy do not mind welding on a frame ...Any frame ... Its in their DNA to work on, and fix things, and fabricate..Its all about the budget 2) If ktm actually released that TVS engine, it must have some potential ...And the riders here want an engine that does not break too much AND more importantly, they want parts ...any parts from any maker and the less expensive, the better ... 3) Price and seat height must be correct for the niche market here or it is not gonna sell ... That bike is too tall 4 sure ... -- These companies are 100% sold on these huge indian\asian markets as the future for their future growth and $ ... And it really has nothing to do with bikes in the USA because that is about 100% different niche market ... Take away the very small percentage of real racers guys here, and a real Husky is (1) well beyond what the average riders wants or (2) can pay for or (3) even needs or (4) even wants to ride each day ... I'm guessing it is about the same across India and this asian bucket ... Here's one china bike that I'm seeing more and more here as competition for that TVS ... These bikes are getting much better than just a couple yrs ago and in 3-5 yrs, they will be at a working-standard that is good enough for here and at a price that sells ... This is what all these companies are aiming for apparently ... From my 10 yrs testing software, they have a big big big hand in the building much of the computer services we use today ...
