Models
brand story
Husaberg was a manufacturer of enduro motorcycles with four and two-stroke engines, the displacements ranging from 125 cc to 650 cc. Originally based in Sweden, its motorcycles were latter manufactured in Austria by parent company KTM until the line was retired in 2014.
Foundation
Husaberg Motor AB was established in 1988 from the circumstances arisen out of the purchase of the motorcycle division of Swedish company Husqvarna by Italian Cagiva in 1987. Cagiva shifted the production of motorcycles to Varese, Italy. A group of engineers led by Thomas Gustavsson decided to stay back in Sweden and continue to work on their project. Husaberg Motor AB was registered in January 1988. The other Husqvarna employees who joined Husaberg were Ruben Helmin (Husqvarna chief engineer and Husaberg's first managing director), Urban Larsson (Husqvarna designer[1] ), Björn Elwin (chief of Husqvarna test department). Roland Söderqwist, a small Swedish mechanical firm owner was also involved in the Foundation of the company. The first factory was set up in a woodshed at lake Vättern in the town of Husabergs Udde from which the name of the company is derived.
The name Husaberg was only made official by Gustavsson when entering an enduro race at Skillingaryd, as he was forced to declare the make of his motorcycle.
The Husaberg team tried to compensate for their lack of funds by their courage to rely on technical innovations and could never afford to hire established professional riders but rather ambitious rookies such as Joël Smets, Jimmie Eriksson, Walter Bartolini, Kent Karlsson, Anders Eriksson, Jaroslav Katriňák, Mike Tosswill and Peter Jansson.
Takeover by KTM
Good results on the tracks could not compensate for slow sales, and Husaberg was eventually purchased by the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM in 1995.
Although Husaberg motorcycles have been produced at the KTM factory in Mattighofen, Austria since 2003, and the development department is also at KTM in Mattighofen, the Motorsport department remains in Sweden.
Husaberg's previous slogan, "Ready to Race" was adopted by KTM as its own. Husaberg then adopted the slogan "4 Stroke force" as up until 2012 they only produced four stroke bikes, and were the leader in 4stoke performance. Husaberg's current slogan is now "Pure Enduro"
End of the Husaberg brand
In 2014 Husaberg celebrated not only its 25th anniversary but the last year of the brand. In January 2013 Stefan Pierer, The CEO of KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG a 51% shareholder of KTM AG, purchased 100% stake in Husqvarna AG from BMW through his company Pierer Industrie AG and renamed it to Husqvarna Sportmotorcycle GmbH. Although Husaberg AB and Husqvarna Sportmotocycle GmbH were not merged, it was decided by both KTM and Pierer Industrie that Husaberg brand would cease to exist, citing to reunite what came out of shared roots 25 years ago. Husqvarna will be using Husaberg's technology while keeping the better-known brand name of Husqvarna.The new motorcycles uses the traditional blue, yellow and white colors of Husqvarna.