Launched last year, the Husqvarna Vitpilen and Svartpilen naked sports bikes are the Swedish firm’s new direction for 2017, and it has been announced the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 models will be produced in India by 2018. This is a result of a collobaration between Austrian firm KTM, which owns the Husqvarna brand, and Bajaj Auto of India, which in turn owns 47.99% of KTM.
As part of KTM’s strategy to take Husqvarna global, and into the mainstream, global production of the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 will be transferred to Bajaj’s Chakan assembly facility in 2018. This move will be made after an initial production run in KTM’s plant in Mattighofen, Austria in 2017.
The strategy was agreed upon by Stefan Pierer, chief executive officer of KTM, and Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj, in order to increase economies of scale for the Husqvarna brand. Husqvarna has traditionally been known for its range of very competent enduro and motocross machines, gaining a reputation for powerful, good-handling off-road racing motorcycles.
Both the Vitpilen and Svartpilen will share a common engine, the 373 cc single-cylinder power plant taken from the KTM 390 Duke/RC 390, which puts out 43 hp and 37 Nm of torque. The chassis will also be taken from the 390 Duke, but will be clad in different bodywork – the Vitpilen being a cafe racer and the Svartpilen in scrambler styling.
Bajaj aims to raise sales of the Husqvarna brand to match current levels of KTM motorcycles in markets such as India and Indonesia. Its plant currently produces 100,000 motorcycles a year, and Bajaj expects to double that number with the introduction of Husqvarna.
GALLERY: 2018 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401
GALLERY: 2018 Husqvarna Vitpilen 401
Everybody is now choosing their plants in Indonesia, Thailand and India. They are condusive countries who have no red tape. No need duit kopi in millions to do business. No politics.
Easy to deal and no need to give 30% of your company away FREE.
So says the cave katak thats never been in these countries he mentioned. Lolz!
There see, replies like this is what potential investors get when they want to invest in Malaysia. No sense. No relevance.
Potential investors do better than listen to trolls on internet. They use brains. Why else they still come here in droves despite the bad PR campaign to sully our great country?
Is that why everybody is running to Thailand and not Malaysia? Still giving fake news?
Really? Then what they, when u google
“malaysia economy 2017”?
Now, shud we belip regional economists or just trust ur cave facts?
Have to agree. These are the answers I get when I try to communicate with Putrajaya.
Same calibre.
Of cuz. If u ask stoopid questions, u get reply in kind. The country dun have the time to entertain stupidity, it needs to advance.
No wonder nobody got time to reply. They can’t understand words like “stoopid”.
Well, its not like u can understand colloquial english. Only citizens of commonwealth countries do.
Caveman does not know Malaysia is commonwealth?
MY is in commonwealth, but whether ur cave is in MY, thats up for debate.
If thats the logic then these companies would probably open their plant in singapore, the most business friendly country in the world with least red tape of all. But yet they didnt cuz unlike those countries, Spore does not provide cheap labor and large domestic market.
Basher logic. Jangan persoal.
The Vitpilen is a unique-looking naked bike and very stylish as well, which also would make a great companion to the KTM 390 Duke. Malaysia could be one of the markets..
There were 10 comments above U but only U stick to the point. Bravo & Kudos to U.