Husqvarna To Make India Debut Before Festive Season; Production To Begin At Bajaj’s Chakan Unit

Husqvarna is a swedish motorcycle manufacturer that is well-known for its off-road motorcycles and scramblers or street-naked bikes. It is one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers in the world and has produced quite a few legendary bikes.

It has now been five years since KTM took over controlling stake in Husqvarna, and now KTM's parent-company Bajaj is all set to launch the Husqvarna brand in India. Bajaj plans to launch two Husqvarna motorcycles in India - The Svartpilen 401 and the Vitpilen 401.

Both the models are street motorcycles based on the KTM 390 Duke. We wouldn't be wrong in saying that the Husqvarna models are rebadged KTMs. They are powered by the same liquid-cooled, 373cc, single-cylinder engine as in the 390 Duke. The swingarm, suspension, brakes and wheels are also exactly the same as found on the KTM.

What has changed though is the design. The Husqvarna bikes sport a scrambler/cafe racer styling with classy round headlamps and a muscular fuel tank with minimalistic styling at the rear end. Bajaj Auto will also be debuting the Urbanite brand in India which would retail electric two-wheelers.

Rakesh Sharma, director, Bajaj Auto was quoted as saying, "Urbanite will start to make an appearance in the next six to nine months. That's also around the time we would see the Husqvarna models coming in. Husqvarna models will be presented from the same channel. We already have a very strong network for KTM, so the ktm-Husqvarna will be presented to the channel."

Bajaj retails the KTM brand through the 230 ProBiking dealerships it has throughout the country. Before Kawasaki made an independent entry into the Indian market, the Japanese motorcycles were being sold alongside KTM models at the Bajaj ProBiking outlets.

Now, the same outlets would have to prepare to bring in the more premium Husqvarna motorcycles. On the sidelines, Rakesh Sharma also gave clues about the Bajaj-Triumph alliance. The Anglo-Indian partnership would develop budget-friendly motorcycles between 400-800c and this would be pitted directly against the Royal Enfield 650cc twins.

Thoughts On Husqvarna India Launch Details
Husqvarna motorcycles' entry to the Indian market has been due for a long time and Bajaj has been planning it. Husqvarna is a premium lifestyle brand and Bajaj will peg it at a slightly higher price than even KTM. Know more about Husqvarna's venture in India.