BMW-backed Husqvarna to launch five new road bikes

Italian motorcycle firm Husqvarna is just months away from unveiling the first of five new road bikes which will have BMW-derived twin and single cylinder engines. Find a Husqvarna for sale. There’s even a chance the radical concept Mille3 could make it into production.

MCN visited the firm’s Varese headquarters after receiving tip-offs that the company was about to announce dramatic road bike plans. And we weren’t disappointed – engineers excitedly sketched out the company’s five-year plan and spoke of Husqvarna road bikes with F800 parallel-twin motors.

The revelations come after Husqvarna stunned the bike world with the radical-looking 933cc triple Mille3 concept which took three single-cylinder motocross engines sharing a common crankshaft.

The styling owed a lot to the existing dirt bike range but also featured a mix of flattracker looks. It now appears this concept was paving the way for a future of road bikes.

Understandably, Husqvarna refused to give details of the bikes in the pipeline. However, they did disclose which engines would be used, and the spirit of the road bikes – sexier, lighter, younger than the nearest BMW – so a well-educated guess is possible.

It helps that KTM started life as an off-road specialist and diversified into road bikes – it would be no surprise if several of Husqvarna’s new bikes were not far from some KTMs.

Here are MCN’s predictions for the five future Huskys:
1. Stripped down naked 800, using BMW’s parallel-twin. Direct rival: MV’s new Brutale 675.
2. Stylish city commuter, using BMW’s 650cc single. Direct rival: Yamaha MT-03.
3. Big supermoto, using bored out F800 motor. Direct rival: Ducati Hypermotard.
4. Stylish flattracker, again using the F800 engine. Direct rival: none.
5. Adventure bike, using bored out F800 engine. Direct rival: Triumph Tiger 800.

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