Rumors of BMW selling Husqvarna to arch rival KTM have come out to be true but with a slight twist. The German automaker has announced Pierer Industrie AG has bought Husqvarna for an undisclosed amount, which will not be revealed by either party in the future. Pierer Industrie AG is headed by Stefan Pierer who is the CEO of KTM, which means KTM is not the new owner of Husqvarna. However we yet to hear from Stefan Pierer about how he plans to head both the motorcycle companies.
Husqvarna produces off-road bikes, sales of which have fallen drastically due to the global financial melt down. BMW had bought Husqvarna from the owners of MV Agusta in 2008. The German auto giant then invested heavily in R&D and launched new motorcycles, including the Nuda 900R. The Nuda uses a 800cc parallel-twin engine which was developed by BMW for its motorcycle range. It produces 105 HP of power at 8500 RPM and 100 Nm of torque at 7000 RPM. The Nuda 900R is on sale in India through BMW Motorrad dealerships, priced at Rs. 15 lakhs.
“The BMW Group is realigning its BMW Motorrad business. In the context of changing motorcycle markets, demographic trends and increasing environmental demands, BMW Motorrad will expand its product offering to exploit future growth potential,” BMW said.
If Stefan Pierer does decide to bring the Swedish born company under the KTM umbrella, Bajaj Auto could become a potential manufacturer of future Husky bikes. Bajaj Auto is instrumental in the success of KTM’s recent motorcycles, the Duke 125 and Duke 200. The Pulsar manufacturer could invest in Husqvarna, leading to these dirt bikes being manufactured in India. If that happens, the biggest gainers from BMW’s sale of the Italian headquartered company would be Indian bike enthusiasts.
