Photo: Husqvarna
Believe it or not, Husqvarna has had an amazing year in 2014 under the KTM umbrella. The company’s sales figures surpassed not only the wildest expectations but also broke the all-time records. Husky managed to deliver 16,337 bikes to final customers last year, and this represents a major improvement from 2012, the last full year under BMW ownership.
To get a better picture of what “major improvement” really means, we’ll add that in 2012, Husqvarna sold 10,700 units. The last year figures see an increase rate of more than 50%, and this is really huge. Slotting as a premium off-road brand as KTM intended, Husky managed to better their commercial dynamics, selling around 6,000 motocross bikes in markets worldwide. The enduro segment has also been one of the most important segments fueling the brand’s growth.
That is, even though Husqvarna has made an exceptional debut under KTM ownership, the brand is not strong enough yet to fuel its own growth and is still relying on massive involvement from KTM. 2014 may indeed be the best season in the 111 years-long history of the Swedish name but one swallow doesn’t make a summer, and KTM CEO Stefan Pierer knows this very well and will not rest until Husky becomes financially independent to sustain production and the development of new models.
Husqvarna also envisages a brighter future for the road going motorcycles, despite Pierer’s initial declarations that the brand will remain an off-road icon solely. We recently saw husky’s new concepts the Vitpilen and Svartpilen at EICMA 2014 and learned that the bikes will in fact enter production as future on-road models, as reported.
Far from cannibalizing KTM’s bikes to the insane degree some expected, it looks like Husqvarna is becoming an increasingly strong asset for the Austrian manufacturer. And this only means we’re in for more top-drawer bikes from Husky, for both trail dirt and asphalt aggression.
111-year-old Husqvarna taking flight once more
It looks like the fears that KTM was somehow planning to finish Husky off and thus eliminate a competitor for Mattighofen machines were only panicked delusions. KTM knew better, and is making solid efforts to instill more liveliness into Husqvarna, hoping to see the brand able to support itself.That is, even though Husqvarna has made an exceptional debut under KTM ownership, the brand is not strong enough yet to fuel its own growth and is still relying on massive involvement from KTM. 2014 may indeed be the best season in the 111 years-long history of the Swedish name but one swallow doesn’t make a summer, and KTM CEO Stefan Pierer knows this very well and will not rest until Husky becomes financially independent to sustain production and the development of new models.
Husqvarna also envisages a brighter future for the road going motorcycles, despite Pierer’s initial declarations that the brand will remain an off-road icon solely. We recently saw husky’s new concepts the Vitpilen and Svartpilen at EICMA 2014 and learned that the bikes will in fact enter production as future on-road models, as reported.
Far from cannibalizing KTM’s bikes to the insane degree some expected, it looks like Husqvarna is becoming an increasingly strong asset for the Austrian manufacturer. And this only means we’re in for more top-drawer bikes from Husky, for both trail dirt and asphalt aggression.
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