BMW sells Husqvarna Motorcycles

BMW has announced it is selling its Husqvarna motorcycles division to Pierer Industries AG.

Pierer Industries AG is a company owned by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer and not KTM itself. KTM is largely owned by Cross Industries (51%) and Bajaj (47%). BMW bought Husqvarna in 2007 from the MV Agusta Motorcycle Group.

A statement issued by BMW 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."

In an interview with nieuwsmotor.nl, Manfred Grunert Head of Product Communications at BMW Motorrad said: "Due of the enormous downward offroad market, BMW has decided to focus purely on BMW Motorrad, so onroad models of over 600cc. Never say never, but in the short term, BMW will therefore not return in the offroad segment."

What we want to know is, what's going to power Husqvarnas from now on: will the new owners keep the supply of BMW/Rotax engines or will they go back to older Husqvarna engines? We don't know but we'll find out.

Thanks to www.nieuwsmotor.nl for the tip.