You heard that right; there is a company that built the modern-day KTM starting in 2013, and that company was Husaberg. KTM purchased Husaberg in 1995. In the United States in the '90s and early 2000s, both KTM and Husaberg were well-known. Let's face it; pick up any motorcycle magazine during that time period, and with all the Japanese bikes, KTM would be there, not Husaberg. Why wasn't Husaberg in that magazine? Because they built the fastest 4-stroke big-bore dirt bikes for their time. I know you might think of the Honda XR 400, XR600, or XR650, but Husaberg ate them alive. Husaberg was in a class of its own.
KTM in the early '90s and 2000s built an expensive dirt bike with a chrome-moly frame and WP suspension. The coined linkage-less suspension was always standard, making it a pogo stick to ride and a frame that flexed if you pushed it hard. By pushing it hard, I mean go jump 60 to 80 feet with one, and you will know what I mean. The bike was also tall, so if you were short, too bad. Husaberg frames were long and tall with a right-side kickstart and, of course, the unique way of starting these huge CC engines. Husaberg built a 4-stroke engine that was a marvel for its time. Every year, starting in the early 2000s and for the next 13 years, they got better and better. KTM always took bits of their technology and put them into their 4-stroke lineup until the 4-stroke world became mainstream, and I would say mainstream in the United States. Europe will always be a separate market with separate needs.
The main reason I write this article is because of the first time riding a Husaberg as a kid and then riding them as a supermoto; those two moments stand out in my mind. In high school, one of my neighbors experienced a growth spurt and outweighed most kids in our neighborhood in height and size. His dad went onto eBay and bought him a 1999 Husaberg 501, which was the fastest dirt four-stroke at the time. When he brought the bike over to show it off, it had Ohlins suspension as standard. The frame was an airbox, and it was nearly impossible to kick over, so bump-starting it was the only way.
My first thought when riding it was that it made my 125cc 2-stroke feel like a toy, mainly due to the arm-pulling torque it had. The only bike that pulls that hard is my fully built 1978 Yamaha SR 500. The suspension wasn't tuned, so it would dive down on jumps, and I found it quite soft. When I watch videos of these bikes, it's always the case. The technology was in the engine
The second experience was with a KTM 525, and yet another was a Husaberg 501. I rode both bikes side by side during a supermoto racing event. Both bikes had suspension issues, either tuned to be too soft or too hard. Suspension always plagued the KTM. The bikes would rip on the track, being able to utilize all that torque in corners and over jumps; they really shined. On the street, the KTM 525 was perfection. It was a blast on surface streets and runs to the grocery store. Compared to big 2-stroke 500s that vibrated you to death, these bikes were smooth. Plus, the KTM came with an electric start.
Here is where I get to my point. Without KTM purchasing and incorporating Husaberg technology, there is no way KTM could have become as large as it has, nor would it have the power to market and price its bikes competitively. KTMs were consistently priced $2,000-$3,000 higher than Japanese bikes. It saddens me to hear so many Husaberg exhaust notes, which were once unique to them, now in KTMs. Although KTMs are expensive to work on, their suspension has greatly improved over time. Some argue they are on the forefront of technology.
KTM merged Husaberg and Husqvarna back together, making them one entity. It's a sad state. If you ever get a chance to ride a Husaberg, especially one from the early 2000s before KTM became what it is today, do so. Husaberg will always be a bike that I reflect on, and I refuse to let that bike go; it will always have a spot in my garage
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