They will still build it Scott, but you will be selling them now instead of the bmw dealers Sorry could not help myself.
If they make a fast, good suspended and dependable bike , then put some good winning riders on them. They will sell fast. Time for some bold moves.
Looking Forward, Not Back I understand the concerns about the negative press the first G450Xs received. It was a concern for me as well. However after riding the new Husqvarna I am much less concerned about the reality than the perception and the perception will change too. What many of you don't know is that BMW just did a re-launch of the 2010 G450X with the press and it went extremely well. I know because my son was contracted by BMW to manage the pre press re-launch. The first time around it was handled poorly. This time they hired a real off road guy to set-up the bikes and hold the hands of the press through the initial stages. Coupled with the fact that BMW made some serious improvements to the 2010s and you will see much better reviews on the 2010 G450X. For example Jimmy Lewis really likes the new G450X and according to him is "having fun" riding it. Ron Lawson likes the bike as well and feels it is greatly improved. I've ridden the new G450X extensively myself and can honestly say I really like the bike. So get ready all you BMW bashers your about to read some very complimentary tests on the new G450X. I know it wil be hard to accept but get used to it. I ceratinly understand the concerns about the reputation that the G450X may have on our new Husqvarna(which is one reason I lobbied to have the press activities handled differently). So once the tests come out it should help us start from a much better position. Regardless our new bike will be rated on its own merits. Personally I like our chances. I am used to criticism that usually comes when taking bold moves. It comes with the territory. I would much rather step out of my comfort zone than play it safe, that's why I chose to rejoin Husky in the first place. Time will tell if it was the right move. All I can ask the die hard Husky fans on this site to do is give it a chance. Our competitors will do everthing they can to bury us, I would hope our fans would at least root for us until proven otherwise.
Let's roll, you can either make things happen or wonder what happened. Time to take a little market share away!
All the bikes will be 5-speeds that could not be changed. What I can tell you is that the gear ratios on the 2011 TE/TXC are actually a wider range than on the current 6-speed Husqvarna engines so in reality you will have much wider gearing than the current arrangement.
The gearing (and side stand) are the biggest compromise on the TE's, 5th and 6th feel almost identical and are too low anyway. If it is sorted like a WR250F 5 speeder I will not be unhappy.
Conceptually there are things I like about this bike, but (a very big BUT) in reality for the average guy(and that is where 90% of the sales come from) that buys this bike, there are going to be issues; (most of these thoughts are in keeping with the Husky tradition of bikes that are easy to service) (Some constructive criticism) The CS sprocket is in the right spot - but for god sakes, who the hell wants to disassemble half the bike to make a CS sprocket change?(which happens often enough for the average guy) Put the sprocket on the outside of the swingarm, covered by an aluminum guard or a bolt on frame section. The linkage is nice on top of the swingarm and that's great for a factory rider that never works on his own bike. For the average Joe, it's just going to be a trap for mud and likely cause binding/maintenance issues. Also, PLEASE, for the love of god, put grease zerks on ALL pivot points. A wide ratio 5 speed is great for a factory rider, a 6 speed is better for the other 90% of your target market. Putting the fuel pump outside the tank is But please make the fuel capacity on the TE/TXC bikes at least 10-12 liters. There has been hordes of complaints about the 08-09-10 bikes' limited fuel capacity. Remember 90% of the sales are to average Joes, not racers that only do WEC events. The design of the rear fender/gas cap is another mud trap and will be a pain to refuel without having to clean all the dirt away from the cap. Sorry, but the plastics Say KTM, KTM, KTM.........KTM - please don't go down that route. Why did they fire the folks that made the sexy designs we've become used to? I agree with making changes to make the bikes faster & ride better, but remember- it's just as important to make them easy to service- that's why many folks buy huskies. If they didn't care about that, they'd just buy a Jap bike or something..........
Good press is going to be key for any kind of success sales wise. Anything negative in print will bring everything back to the GS450x level in a split second. Unlike the new TC250, this bike has no credits available for slight shortcomings.
I share the same concerns with slowpoke. If I can't get more fuel capacity, I will be forced to switch brands on my next purchase.
We have requested fuel capacity in the 10-13 litre range on all future TE/TXC models. If not standard then at the very least they should have an aftremarket solution available when the bikes are released. I will let you know how that turns out. We realize that every customer(including me) requires this feature.
The idea of the fuel pump in a septate box is ingenuous and will make aftermarket tanks much more obtainable i would guess.
At the end of the day, if the bike goes well and is reliable, all it needs is a good rider in mx1 class who is capable of winning and it will sell loads. If Antonio Cairoli was on one and winning they would outsell anything, or in USA if Stewart was on one it'd be a similar story. If BMW are putting good money into the bike, then the next step is a good rider
This is not true. MIC data shows that what is winning on the track DOES NOT translate to retail sales. It has been proven for years now. When Ricky Carmichael dominated Motocross(whichever brand he was on) it did not translate to retail sales. Same is true for Bubba Stewart. Product is king pure and simple. Certainly having a competitive race team does not hurt to promote your brand but to say it translates to sales is ABSOLUTELY FALSE. The data backs that up. Sorry to burst your bubble.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/722/6742/Motorcycle-Article/2011-Husqvarna-TC450-Prototype-Revealed.aspx What always drew me to husky was the thought that went in to some of the maintenance items such as the valve adjustments and easily accessed spark plug etc. Husqvarna has always been enduro centric with thought from a rider's perspective. Looking over the pictures I doubt that the engine is as easy to work on. This may be a great bike and may compete well but looking at the pictures it is not a Husqvarna but another way to market their 450 engine. Reality is what it is and this is the way of the new "Husky" but for me this is a sign that the brand has all but passed on.
Good info. I assumed that was true. Maybe for the mini class kids want to ride what MC, RC, JS or others are on but i have never heard a ride buddy say he was going to get X bike because someone dominated on it. It is a great place to do test and evaluate and getting the bikes in a more prominent position might let people know they are available and competitive. BTW was just at the Seattle SX and it was hard to tell what bike was what model with all the crazy graphics and colors.
could be when thinking about building a new lighter 450 husky they went in search of a motor layout and realized they have 5 years development on a good motor with lots of WEC testing and some good results. Took said motor and improved what they did not like about it and wrapped it in a all new setup. If the current form of this motor makes great power and is light and within design parameters why start complete fresh with an untested engine? I find it real hard husky is actively trying to shoot themselves in the foot with this bike. If the motor sucked or did not live up to criteria I would guess it would be tossed. I bet there was a lot of discussion about the bad rap of the BMW motor too. I trust it will be good until proven otherwise.
All will be good..... I know I've grown used to certain styling cues on Huskys over the last model period and this bike (At least in pre-production form) doesn't have them. I adapt to change slowly, but adapt I do. I adapted in the Cagiva period, which in spite of a lot of naysaying produced a lot of great bikes, that people to this day say... "aren't real Huskys". Also over 2/3 of Husqvarna's World Championships were won during the Cagiva period, or AD (After Dick Burleson), as it may be. It has a lot of potential, so keep positive and... Go Husky!
