Husqvarna executive: minibikes are on the way

BMW-owned Husqvarna will be a competitor in the lucrative minibike market within 12-15 months, according to the company's chief financial officer, Thomas Moser.

The Austrian, who attended last week's Australian press launch of the 2010 Husqvarna enduro and motocross range on the Gold Coast, confirmed the minibike strategy, which will presumably fall under the manufacturer's audacious plan to introduce 20 new models over the next three years.

"The introduction of minibikes into the Husqvarna range is a perfect way of building brand loyalty," said Moser. "We have been trying to convince BMW of the benefits, and at the moment we are working hard on making it happen.

"Over the next three years, expenditure on product development will increase massively as we introduce a number of new models."

Husqvarna's European arch-rival, KTM, already has a minibike range, as do the Japanese marques. At the moment, 250cc is the smallest capacity Husqvarna, available in two-stroke (WR250) and four-stroke (TC250, TE250) configurations.

Production capacity certainly isn't an issue for Husqvarna, which is now based out of new headquarters in Cassinetta, Italy. According to Moser, the plant has the potential to produce 40,000 units a year, based on a "quality offensive" straight from the BMW handbook.

But the head honcho didn't mince words about the challenges facing his company.

"Husqvarna has to continue to regain more ground on reliability," said Moser. "And we also have to catch up in a few areas and be a bit more critical of ourselves.

"I am happy with the progress we have made over the last three years, and I want to give people the feeling they are betting on the right horse. We want to be in the right business with the right brand."

According to Moser, Husqvarna's goal is to sell 30,000 units worldwide by 2013, a 122 percent increase on 2009.

In Australia, the objective is a 100 per cent increase to 3000 units in the same four-year block.

Australia is currently the third biggest market for Husqvarna, where it holds 3.3 per cent of market share.

Of that 3.3 per cent, 89 per cent of sales are for enduro bikes, 6.4 for motocross and 3.8 for road (supermoto).

Obviously, the comparatively poor performance of Husqvarna motocross range hasn't gone unnoticed, and the introduction of a minibike range will go some way towards addressing the imbalance.

As will the launch of the new TC250, which the Australian importer (The Paul Feeney Group) is triumphantly labelling its new motocross flagship.

The PFG plans to campaign a TC250 in next year's Australian Motocross Championship in a team run by Craig Anderson, who hopes to combine managerial duties with TC450 combat.

The TC250, nicknamed the X light for the fact that it is right on the category weight limit, has been totally redesigned for 2010 and is now on sale in Husqvarna dealerships across Australia.

The Bikesales Network enjoyed a play on the TC250 at last week's press launch, along with the rest of the 2010 off-road Husqvarna range except the big-bore TE610.

Visit the Husqvarna TC250 in Bike Showroom.

Keep your eyes peeled for a full launch report.