BMW Selling Husky?

The Bigfella

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Husqvarna being sold to KTM? - | Motorcycle News | Bike News | Motorbike Videos | MCN

High-placed motorcycle industry sources have tipped MCN off that BMW is negotiating the sale of Husqvarna to Austrian firm KTM with an announcement expected as early as the end of this week to officially confirm it.

German giant BMW bought Husqvarna from MV Agusta in 2008; just as the world entered a financial crisis but has ploughed huge sums of money into the firm which is based in northern Italy with new road bikes like the Nuda 900 and a complete reworking of the off-road range too.

BMW has not just revamped the range of road and off-road bikes but it has completely renovated the production lines, built a brand new racing and research and development arm along with transferring lots of BMW staff from Munich to Italy to work on the brand.

Now it appears BMW is in the final process of selling Husqvarna to KTM; which itself is part-owned by the massive Indian firm Bajaj. One source who didn’t want to be named said: “I do not know if this is a signed deal yet but I understand the final parts of the negotiations are happening now.”

The rumours have reached MCN from multiple sources with some even claiming the deal is going to be announced later this week. Sources in Austria, Germany and Italy are all in broad agreement this is happening.

BMW traditionally refuses to comment on speculation of any kind and this is the same in this case with no response to questions. Husqvarna and KTM are also saying nothing at this stage.

MCN will update this story as soon as there is anything to add
 
Sale announced.... but not to KTM. This could throw the cat among the pigeons at KTM.... This from MCN

BMW has officially announced the sale of Italian dirt bike brand Husqvarna to Pierer Industrie AG - the firm headed by Stefan Pierer who is currently boss of KTM.

MCN was the first to reveal BMW was lining up to sell the company earlier this week but that first rumour suggested it was KTM buying the company. It turns out its KTM CEO Pierer completely independently of KTM.

The sale of Husqvarna comes less than five years after BMW bought it from the Castiglioni family (which owned it alongside MV Agusta) and has since ploughed tens of millions of Euros of investment into the firm, built an all-new Research and Design department and transformed the production facilities.

Both BMW and Pierer have agreed the price of the purchase will not be released. The purchase of Husqvarna coincided with the global financial crisis with off-road bike sales dropping off a cliff and not yet recovering.

Road bike sales of the new Nuda 900 have never been as high as hoped either.

Pierer is the current CEO of KTM but this purchase has been completed by his own Pierer Industrie AG firm and it is unknown at this stage if he will be allowed to stay on with KTM.

The BMW statement in full reads: "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.

"The focus of the realignment will be on urban mobility and e-mobility. By restructuring the segment, the BMW Group will concentrate on expanding and utilising the resources of the BMW Motorrad brand.

"Therefore the BMW Group signed a purchase agreement with Pierer Industrie AG (Austria) for the acquisition of Husqvarna Motorcycles. The acquisition will proceed subject to approval by anti-trust authorities. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

"BMW Motorrad achieved a new sales record in 2012. With the realignment of its motorcycle business, BMW Motorrad aims to maintain profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years.

"Its current core business consists exclusively of premium vehicles in the categories "Tourer", "Enduro", "Sport", "Roadster" and "Maxi-Scooter" from 650 to 1600 cc. BMW Motorrad entered the urban mobility segment for the first time in 2012 with the C 650 GT and C 600 Sport maxi-scooters.

"The next step in the expansion of the product line-up in this segment will be the series launch of the "C evolution" electric scooter in 2014. Further innovative vehicle concepts are also under consideration. Drive trains will include both environmentally-friendly combustion engines and pure electric drives.

"This move by BMW Motorrad reflects the BMW Group's overall focus on early identification of trends, such as megacities and traffic density, as well as environmental issues. Corresponding products and services are already available for the Automobile segment."
 
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