Mark Blackwell, Malcolm Smith, Jon-Erik Burleson, Dick Burleson and Larry Roeseler.
Mark Blackwell, Malcolm Smith, Jon-Erik Burleson, Dick Burleson and Larry Roeseler.Husqvarna Motorcycle NewsAlmost a year ago, Pierer Industry AG – an Austrian holding company owned by Stefan Pierer, who owns 51 percent of KTM (Bajaj of India is other major stakeholder) – purchased Husqvarna from BMW.
Plans were drastically changed for the Husqvarna brand, including a switch back to a complete motocross lineup. And once it arrived under the KTM North American management 10 months ago, things begin, including the unveiling of an all-new 2014 lineup of the Mattighofen-built Husky models.This past weekend, the new Husky facilities in Murrieta, Calif., officially opened ahead of the 2014 Husqvarna Dealer’s Meeting, and all prices for 2014 models were announced.Brad Hagi (Husqvarna Vice President) says: “We’re thrilled to have the to who’s who of motorcycle dealers and business owners here to commemorate this landmark moment.“The new headquarters is really impressive. The vintage photography alongside the brand-new Husqvarna motorcycles illustrates of how far this brand has come, and this all-new facility clearly shows our commitment to the future.”After a champagne toast and official ribbon cutting, over 300 dealers, VIPs, media and industry guests received a tour of the new 15,000 square-foot facility.From there, dealers attended a dinner and presentation at Ponte Winery in Temecula, California where Hagi, along with President Jon-Erik Burleson, talked about the future of the company. Topics included the re-uniting of Husqvarna and Husaberg, the direction of Husqvarna Motorcycles in 2014, and how the KTM and Husqvarna will complement each other in the market place.Jon-Erik Burleson says: “We not only have a great opportunity with Husqvarna, but also a responsibility to uphold its core values.“Husky stands for premium components, Swedish culture, heritage and of course, racing, and we remain dedicated to these values with the rebirth of Husqvarna.”Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH and KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG now stand together under the umbrella of KTM AG, and as such, will share a number of platforms and resources.Burleson also outlined where the companies will remain separate and distinct in the U.S. market: “We plan to have unique dealerships where possible,” Burleson explained. “Husqvarna’s marketing, customer service and racing efforts will be run completely separate from KTM North America. We’re excited to have two European brands to challenge the four Japanese brands with in the market place instead of just one, but I’m also really looking forward to going to the races and seeing Husqvarna and KTM battling each other for the win.”Burleson concluded the presentation by inviting Husqvarna legends up to the stage, which, of course, included his father, eight-time National Enduro champion and AMA Hall of Famer Dick Burleson. Also in the house were Malcolm Smith, Gunnar Lindstrom, Chuck Sun, Larry Roeseler and Mark Blackwell.“Husqvarna would also like to extend a sincere thank you to Tom White, Kelly Owen and Malcolm Smith for use of their immaculate vintage Husqvarna Motorcycles at the Southern California headquarters, which will remain on display,” Hagi added.With the North American facility now operational, and a healthy dealer network quickly taking shape, Husqvarna Motorcycles will be arriving on showroom floors as early as the first week of March. Model year 2014 MSRPs were also finally announced, as was the coming of a 2015 model year lineup in summer 2014.2014 Husqvarna Motorcycles MSRP (USD)Motocross TC 85 $5,399 TC 125 $6,549 TC 250 $7,249 FC 250 $8,049 FC 450 $9,049Enduro TE 250 $8,349 TE 300 $8,549 FE 250 $8,649 FE 350 $9,549 FE 501 $9,899
Hello everyone and welcome once again to the Ultimate Motorcycling podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
Motos and Friends is brought to you by the Yamaha YZF-R7—Yamaha’s awesome supersport machine that is as capable on the racetrack as it is on the street. …and it’s comfortable too! Check it out at at your local Yamaha dealer, or of course at YamahaMotorsports.com.
In this week’s first segment, Senior Editor Nic de Sena rides the BMW K 1600 GT. This is the sporty bagger version of BMW’s K series of machines, those are the models with the awesome 6-cylinder engine. The GT has been given a little makeover for 2023, and Nic gives us his take.
In the second segment, I chat with one of my all time heroes—three-time World Champion racer ‘fast’ Freddie Spencer. I’ll do my best not to come off as too much of a fanboy here, but frankly it’ll be tough!
In my humble opinion, Spencer is a contender for the GOAT—greatest of all time. Sure, his career was a little shorter than some, and his number of championships falls behind the likes of Lawson, Doohan, Rossi, and of course Marquez. But at the time, Freddie literally changed the way motorcycles were ridden. 30 years before Marc Marquez, Freddie was able to push the front wheel into a slide, corner after corner, lap after lap in order to get the bike turned faster than anyone else. Freddie took completely different lines and was able to get on the throttle so early he could out accelerate anyone off a corner.
In the modern era, of course Freddie is the chairman of the FIM MotoGP Stewards panel. This is the panel of referees for all three classes of Grand prix racing. I talked to Freddie about his task there, and although for contractual reasons with Dorna and the FIM he cannot talk about specific riders, teams, or events, nevertheless his explanation of the job makes for interesting listening. It’s a tough job, and frankly I wouldn’t want to do it!
At any rate, Freddie’s new book ‘Feel’ is available on Amazon—I’d highly recommend you reading it whether you’re a fan of Freddie or not, even whether you’re into racing or not; every rider has something to learn from his mental approach.
Actually—Ultimate Motorcycling is giving away five copies of the book—signed by Freddie himself—to the first five listeners who contact us with the correct answer to the question: How many national AMA championships did Freddie win, and which years were they?
Please email your answers to producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and we will contact the winners and send you a signed copy of Feel. Those five winners will be announced on a future episode. Unfortunately for legal reasons this offer is ONLY open to US residents.
So, from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
