Husqvarna motorcycles to share showroom space with KTM in India
It is already known that Bajaj Auto is all set to launch the premium two-wheeler brand Husqvarna in India. Also, these motorcycles will be positioned over the KTMs in India. And now we have learnt that the Husqvarna range of motorcycles will be sharing showroom space with the KTM motorcycles in India. While there is no official confirmation from Bajaj Auto regarding the launch timeline of the Husqvarna in India, we believe it should happen sometime next year after the launch of the much anticipated KTM 390 Adventure.
The Huskies, as the brand's motorcycles are popularly referred to, will come powered by the same 373.2cc liquid-cooled single cylinder engine as the KTM 390 Duke and RC390. The engine on the KTMs, also made at Chakan, puts out 43.5PS of power and 37Nm of torque and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with slipper clutch. They will also share the KTM 390 platform with these motorcycles.
The Husqvarna brand, however, will be positioned as a more premium offering than the KTMs and will hence be priced higher. Expect to see a price difference of at least Rs 30-40,000 over the orange counterparts. With a price closer to the Rs 3 lakh mark, the Huskies will compete with the BMW G 310 R, recently launched by BMW Motorrad India. India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) also launched the 2019 Ninja 300 at a price of Rs 2.98 lakh (ex-showroom) last week, adding ABS to the kit.
Husqvarna describes the Vitpilen 401 as a simple and progressive street motorcycle that is expected to go on sale late 2017 in some markets.
Sitting on the motorcycle immediately reveals a simple, pared back feel that is almost deliciously at odds with the sharply futuristic interpretations of nostalgic themes. The details are excellent though the models on the show floor - production ready for essentially prototypes - were just slightly rough around the edges.
The Vitpilen is flanked by the Svartpilen 401 which, as Husqvarna puts it, is the more functional of the two models. It gets knobby tyres - Pirelli Scorpion Rally and a beautiful aluminium rack that sits on top of the fuel tank. Husqvarna has also added a set of guards all around to underline the nature and intent of the motorcycle.
The big difference when you climb on, are the bars, which sit on conventional mounts and are a set of high and wide motocross-style handlebars unlike the dropped units on the Vitpilen. This is also set to go into production in late 2017 along with the Vitpilen.
Production and availability
The Husqvarna 401s were designed to be manufactured at Bajaj's Chakan facility just like the KTM Dukes. In as much, that is where they will go into production. We expect Bajaj and KTM to sell the Husqvarnas out of the KTM network when the sales begin in 2017. The pricing is unknown at this point but as we have said before, our guess is that the Husqvarnas will be positioned above the KTM line-up and be priced Rs 30-40,000 higher than the equivalent KTM, in this case, the KTM 390 Duke.