Husqvarna Motorcycles

About Husqvarna

Husqvarna Motorcycles, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pierer Industrie AG, designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes motocross, enduro and supermoto motorcycles. Husqvarna company started in 1689 in the town of Huskvarna, making weapons.

As with many motorcycle manufacturers, Husqvarna first began producing bicycles in the late 19th century. In 1903, they made the jump to motorcycle manufacturing. The first "Husky" motorcycles used imported engines, and it wasn't until 1918 that Husqvarna began producing machines built entirely in-house.

In 1920, Husqvarna established its own engine factory and the first engine to be designed was a 550 cc four-stroke 50-degree side-valve V-twin engine, similar to those made by companies like Harley-Davidson and Indian.

Husqvarna was Sweden's largest motorcycle manufacturer by 1939.

Motorcyclists had to be 18-years-old to ride, but bikes under 75 kilos (165 pounds) were deemed appropriate for riders aged 16 and up. Husqvarna first targeted the lightweight motorcycle realm with a 98cc moped, inadvertently starting down a path that would change off-road racing. In 1955, the “Silverpilen,” or “Silver Arrow” was introduced in Sweden with a 175cc motor and three-speed transmission. Consumers immediately began modifying the 2-stroke for off-road use, and by 1959 the factory produced five special machines for its racers which featured an enlarged 250cc engine and 4-speed tranny.

In the 1960s, their lightweight, two-stroke engined off-road bikes helped make the once dominant British four-stroke motorcycles obsolete. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Husqvarna was a dominant force in the motocross world, winning 14 Motocross world championships in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc divisions, 24 enduro world championships and 11 Baja 1000 victories.

In 1987, the Husqvarna motorcycle division (not the other arms of the brand such as chainsaw production) was sold to Italian motorcycle manufacturer Cagiva and became part of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. The motorcycles, widely known as "Huskies"/ "Husky", are now produced in Varese. In July 2007, Husqvarna motorcycles was purchased by BMW.

Moto blog

Day 1 Dakar 2014: Barreda Draws First Blood

Team HRC’s Joan Barreda on the Honda CRF450 Rally, got off to a storming start in day one of the 2014 Dakar rally, clocking up the fastest time of all the 175 riders at the first time-check. The former Husqvarna rider who moved to Honda in the middle of the season inaugurated his 2014 Dakar with an acrobatic performance. The motorcycle competition was expected to be wide open, and that is indeed what the classification shows after the opening stage. It was a very early start for the Rally Dakar. The pack of riders headed off at four in the morning on a long 251 miles that took them towards the vibrant city of Rosario for the start of the 112 mile special.

2013 Long Beach International Motorcycle Show Report

Today the motorcycle press descended upon the Long Beach Convention Center to attend media day at the annual International Motorcycle Show. After feasting from a continental breakfast buffet the discerning journalists set to the task of reporting on the bounty of new model motorcycles – most of which has been previously showcased in our November EICMA reporting. If you missed anything from that show here’s a run down of what to look forward to: Triumph Thunderbird LT Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Can-Am Spyder Royal Enfield Continental GT Zero KTM Super Duke R – KTM confirmed the retail price to be $16,999 BMW R NineT Ducati Monster S 1200 Honda Valkyrie Kawasaki Z1000 Husqvarna A cool item of interest included a reproduction TZ750-powered flat tracker King Kenny Roberts made famous.

Husqvarna to Race Moto3 in 2014

Husqvarna announced it will enter the 2014 Moto3 World Championship, fielding Danny Kent and Niklas Ajo in the 250cc road racing class. The team will be sponsored by energy drink maker Red Bull, which means the team won’t be lacking in funds. Husqvarna did not mention the motorcycle the team will use, but with the company now owned by KTM Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pierer, the Red Bull Husqvarna team will use machines similar to KTM’s winning Moto3 racer.

EICMA 2013: Husqvarna 701 Prototype

In what direction Husqvarna’s going with this prototype we don’t really know. Husky hasn’t released any factual information about the company’s 701 prototype except for some existential blather on the company’s Facebook page. “It is a glimpse of the future Husqvarna design direction, the philosophy that future Husqvarna’s will follow, where the surfaces of the bodywork are understated, focusing on simplicity.” That’s more bodywork than we’ve seen on any modern Husky.

Husqvarna Teases New Prototype for EICMA

Husqvarna has a history of unveiling surprising new concepts at EICMA, but now that the company is under the auspices of KTM Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pierer, we weren’t sure if that tradition would continue for the upcoming show in Milan. It appears we had nothing to fear, as Husqvarna announced it would unveil a new prototype at EICMA that will “offer a visual incite into the future evolution of the brand”. We’re pretty sure Husky meant “insight” there, but we’ll forgive the Swedish brand if the prototype is as impressive as advertised.

Rare Racing Motorcycles To Be Displayed At AMA Legends Weekend

A number of rare, one-of-a-kind bikes with ties to the AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame‘s newest inductees will be on display at the 2013 AMA Legends Weekend, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday and Saturday, Oct 18-19. Tickets are available to the general public. Jeffrey V.

New 2014 Husqvarna Models – Get Your Two-Strokes Here!

To celebrate its 110th birthday this year, Husqvarna is offering no less than ten different North American models including two-strokes and four-strokes and sizes ranging from 85cc to 501cc. Several of Husqvarna’s innovations can be found on the 2014 machines – most notably the polyamide rear subframe. Housing the airbox and electronics of each model, the high-tech composite construction of the polyamide subframe is designed to offer optimum rigidity while also allowing more flex than a traditional aluminum structure (polyamide will bend back into place unlike aluminum). The innovative subframe is applied to every new Husqvarna – even the TCs which marks the first time a composite rear subframe has been offered on a production two-stroke motocrosser.  Each model in the 2014 line also utilizes WP front suspension mounted by Husqvarna’s distinctive CNC-machined black triple clamps.

Long Live Two-Strokes! Husqvarna Unveil TC300 To Compete In New Two-Stroke Series

Husqvarna, which was recently acquired by, and will act as a sister company to, KTM has not given up on two-stroke technology, despite the four-stroke revolution practically overcoming the rest of motorcycling. In fact, Husqvarna is committed to advancing two-stroke technology with the introduction of its latest motorcycle, the TC300. Designed to compete in the newly formed European Motocross 300cc two-stroke championship, the TC300 is a TC250 two-stroke, upgraded to 300cc with accessories soon to be available from the Husky Power range of special parts.

Enduro Legend Juha Salminen Announces Retirement

Finnish racer Juha Salminen announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 2013 World Enduro Championship, capping off a career that included 13 world championships and a record 96 World Enduro Championship wins. Only the great Giacomo Agostini holds more individual motorcycle racing world titles than Salminen with 15. “Enduro as a sport has given me a lot, but now it is time to move on to new challenges.

2013 Husqvarna CR125, WR125, WR250 and WR300 Recalled for Throttle Malfunctions

The Consumer Public Safety Commission announced a recall for the 2013 Husqvarna CR125, WR125, WR250 and WR300 off-road models because of a problem with the throttle cable. According to the CPSC, the throttle cables on the affected units may malfunction, causing the rider to lose control of the motorcycle’s speed, posing a crash hazard. No further details about the problem were announced by the CPSC, but a similar recall on the same models was announced for Australia in May.