Dont know if anyone has paid attention to all the Historic marque stuff that KTM/ Pierer has been putting out which is a good thing. But on the other hand they have been magically leaving out any references to the World Championships and moto glory garnered under the Cagiva/Italian regime. Even magazines are touting all the stuff from the 60s, 70s and early 80s. No mention or credit to the Italians for all the MX championships, Enduro and SM championships under the Varese banner........ I find it a little offensive, even though I know where its coming from. Just a thought. Something Ive noticed. Huge milestones include The Jacky Martens 4 T MX championship in 93, The Chiodi 125 MX x2 championships, any number of SM and a whole barrel full of World enduro and ISDE overall class and OA wins and championships, all under the Varese regime.
I kinda find the whole thing offensive. Take over a company with a 100 year plus history, remove ALL previous current models and slap white plastic on current KTMS, drag them over to Sweden where they really have zero history with etc. Its a big freaking fasade. He only wanted the husky for the logo which he thinks has more recognition than the husaberg brand. Basically used husky for advertising. I mean it is his to do whatever he likes with but kinda leave you like especially when all of a sudden models you like more than any other bikes (125/310) disappear overnight. Hard pill to swallow sometimes. What you posted is just more of this smoke and mirrors to sell more KTMs. I like KTMs just fine. My next bike will be a 175 Sherco. We can all vote with our wallets.
Although I am not following it close, did you expect anything better from the take over? I don't, I'm just going to let it go for a couple years and see if anything real good floats to the top. Yah know, like cream.
Marketing Marketing Marketing---Product Placement, and tug at the strings brand nostalgia and Logo/brand recognition. Sell more machines......think also that Husky is a 100% Pierer owned venture, he has to give up @ 49% of KTM profits to his Kato partners (or something like that). This is a 100% in his pocket biz deal. He is a very shrewd biz tycoon/industrialist. My money may still end up financing the next gen of Italian or French bikes after all. Time will tell.
You make some valid points and it is what it is. SP business is all water under the bridge or salt thrown over your shoulder. His actions are no concerns of mine.
Sherco has been a buzz word around here since the Pierer takeover. I bet they're (sherco) reading this... And you will get your 175.
Rumor it is already in the works. - Pretty sure I dont have that kind of clout (or these guys would be sending me bikes :>) but I did beg for all the new KTM huskys to have linkage and they do
I'll just enjoy my Italian Beemer Husky for the forseeable future. I get a new dirt bike every 27 years on average.
This whole "Rebranding" thing has made me very unhappy since I first heard about it. In particular the disappearance of models that Husky owners have been weened on are now gone. I have seen the KTM marketing model and I'm not a huge fan of it. They build a demand and then the limit production to keep the prices high. Then comes the issue of bikes the can be plated. What models can and can't will have a huge impact on the market here in the USA. Thankfully I'm not in any hurry to replace my bike and I can wait it out. On a side note: A Sherco or a Beta 175 would get my attention with out a doubt.
Yep I heard enough double talk to turn me off. Got my son a new Italian Husky and will be getting myself a new Sherco.
I love my WR300 but next year I will be looking at Betas, GASGAS, and Shercos. There are dealers relatively close to me and I cant see spending the money on a new "premium KTM" in yellow and blue.
It is part of what happens when you take over a company When I purchased ajax auto 22 years ago people told me that either the current employees would quit or I might fire them. I thought no way,well most quit and I fired only 1. Now 22 years later only 1 of the original team is till with me. BUT in the first few years I got a new crew with new ideas and guest what almost all my guys have been with me over 15 years That to me is great we all work together as a new team. I think Husky will distance themselves from anything red and white and focus on the NEW husky with the old original colors New bikes on the way
I have two 07 huskys which really enjoy, I've already been told that parts for the TE are being discontinued for example the water pump is no longer a factory supported part. Its makes me wonder what the resale will be when the time comes to trade the bikes ?. So like everyone i may also look at beta. I would still like to think that SP would still support our older bikes but im starting to doubt that.
These threads keep poping up about how unhappy people are with the new regime and I guess thats fine, after all everyone is entitled to their opin but I going to play devils advocate here and try and defend SP. BMW wanted to offload Husky in the worst way (I understand that they gave it away for a song). SP snatched it up in an effort to save the marque and BMW probably didn't include any mmanufacturing rights for stuff developed during their ownership. It would seem that the logical thing to do is thake whatever platform you have and tweek it just enough to make it different from the current offerings so you can supply you're dealers with something to sell, it would certainly do noone any good to just kill production while they develop a whole new platform. In regard to the fact that they are trying to capitalize on past history, well you would be crazy not to but like Robert I little confused as to why they don't enphasize some of the accomplishments during the Italian years. Only time will tell if Husky will beome it's own Unique brand again but I dont see whats wrong with pulling every rabbit out of the hat to keep them afloat for now. Surely you guys aren't wishing that the whole thing just dies and hopefully raises from the ashes later like some great Phoenix.
The new bikes are nice. Just a bit too much money in my eyes. Pounding thru trees and rocks in a hare scramble is not something I want to do on a $10000 motorcycle. Call me cheap thats fine. Im not a pro with someones else $ burning thru my exhaust.
Yep, I echo the sentiment in this thread. I don't want to dump on the new husky because I feel for the dealers who have supported the brand over the years, they need to stay in business and the last thing they need is a groundswell of opinion that starts to trash the brand and turns away new buyers. What is done is done, I like ktms and the the new bikes look pretty good, I even got excited when I saw mike browns new race bike. but what really ticks me off in a huge way is why SP seems to be slagging off the cagiva era and Italian motorcycle industry in general. This is so unnecessary and if he was smart he would build on this chapter of the brands history and leverage off it, he has the opportunity to bring us old guys with him as well as introducing new riders through the Ktm channel and perhaps win over some jap riders who are bored with their stuff. Instead he has decided to trash the entire cagiva derived Italian line of bikes, fire everybody, close down and scrap the factory and flog off everything else to the Chinese to make a quick buck. He is so down on the Italians that I don't trust anything he says about spares and support. He seems to be cool with trashing the entire existing husky rider base and starting over from scratch. Just look at how racked off everyone is here about the turn of events as everyone is talking about buying a bike that is anything but a husky. He has alienated the very supporter base that underpins the brands success. On top of this, the husaberg community is scratching their heads thinking "what the f just happened" and are ktms riders suddenly going to buy a husky over a Ktm? Their smugness will prevent that. He may have been gifted the company for $1 and have nothing to lose but he also might end up going down the same whooped out road as those dumb f@@@'s in Munich.
Maybe he and his marketing people see something we dont. Thats why Im a dumb Army guy haha. I think I will always own Huskys from here on out-whichever factory they came from. But while I am still able to do some amateur racing my money will probably have to go elsewhere for that aspect. I hope to hold on to the TE449 for a long time. I really love that bike. Its the only bike out of 20 so far that Ive bought back from someone haha
For a 4 stroker with a carb, you will probably love it. I have the 2014 booklet on the new Husky, I just can't figure out if any are going to be DS 50 state for us. With the price set high, and no MX entry, I just don't see many units moved this year. Time will tell.
