IMO the new huskys will sell like hot cakes. There'll be White bikes lining up at local MX races around here in no time and they won't be rare on trails either. There will be fast Aussies riding these bikes in national MX and SX next year here... 4t and 2t 250s -- Most people I ride with are just so uninformed about Italian Husqvarna. They only care who wins Stupid Cross and will ride a jap 450 mx bike on enduro loops (trails) and think they have the right tool for the job. When the Austrian huskys hit the podium in MX and SX people will buy them. Not many that I know even care about EWC or enduro in general so they don't know about world champion winning Italian huskys. Personally I don't really care who wins what... If I lined up a Shineray 310 vs a Husky FE350 and liked the feel of the 310. That's what I would ride. The biggest selling dirt bike in Australia is the Yamaha WR450f. Loads of them on the trails here and they have managed to get a great reputation. Joe buys one says it's the best, Tim follows then Jack and Frank... And it snowballs from there. The snowball effect is my point... The white Huskys will snowball in sales once they get bikes on podiums and bums on seats out on the trails. All that backed by KTM marketing knowledge. By the way, the WR450f just got 15th in an enduro shootout in France out of 15 bikes. So the informed might just buy the Sherco 300i to cut the Aussie bush up and not follow the sheep.
I disagree. He said himself he bought the brand name to use the brand name as it had much more world recognition than husaberg period. This is all about marketing and rebranding. Thats why all the Swedish reference, its branding.
I definitely see the revisionist history unfolding. Am I surprised? Of course not, it's marketing plain and simple. We can complain amongst ourselves, but it's up to us to keep the history of the Italian Husky alive. There are more people than you think, who are ready to embrace the "Reborn Husky". Many of these are people from the Swedish Husky period, who never came around to the idea of the Italian Husky. For the last 25+ years, I've endlessly reminded the naysayers, of the Italian Husky's accomplishments and will continue to do so. I have heard the argument back from Swedish Husky Purists, even on this forum that 18 World Championships won in the Swedish Era, are more significant that the 70+ won in the Italian Era. Wow! Go forth and ride the Husky of your choice and spread the good word of what Cagiva and BMW achieved with Husky. Hopefully this next period of Husky will lead to success... competitively, financially and product wise for all Husky riders.
...I don't know about anyone else but I'm not too anxious to see some of the past Husqvarna racers that I pull for at the races,now sitting on a ktm/husabergs(kinda like when one of them jumped brands for more money or were part of downsizing). I just can't see myself getting all worked up/excited like I did when out of 30 or more racers in a class ,a lone Husky rider pulls out win after win or podiums or even is running better lap times than most xc1 racers in the xc2 class.I don't care about large number sales ,which was part of Husky's ongoing financial woes...and I'm sure even though I have owned(up to now) 19 Huskys,it never really helped them financially..it did make me a loyal happy customer...until now.I hope change comes fast(doubt it will) because races are going to be boring for me ,for awhile....
I really don't get this negativity about S/P buying out Husqvarna, remember real Husqvarna`s have not been made since 1988 when the factory moved to Italy. We all have been riding Cagiva Husky`s or BMW Husky`s since 1988. The new KTM/ Berg/ Husqvarna will sell more units in the coming years any other time in Husqvarna`s history. I see S/P putting Husky back at the top where it belongs. Times change Husqvarna will evolve into a bike some will love maybe some will dislike, but be sure of one thing the future of Husqvarna is stronger now than it been in years. Merry Christmas All.
..cuz you don't get it...and I am not to going open this can of worms for "those" who just don't get it or simply have a different mind set...
Guycycle I suppose your right when you say (simply have a different mind set...) Yes I do and so do a lot of others. I only see this as a good thing for Husqvarna. After rereading this thread and some others I now hear the disappointment that many have towards S/P and his take over of Husqvarna. When I think about it I had the same felling's when Husqvarna moved to Italy to me that was the end of Husqvarna`s in my eyes. My son`s and I have owned and raced Italian Husqvarna`s, we had a lot of success with these bikes and they have been good bikes but it never seemed right to have a Husky made in Italy. I gess we should enjoy what ever Husky we are riding at the time weather its Swedish, Italian or Austrian...
