A brief History of Husqvarna

[Coffee]

So is this correct?

• Company started in 1689 in the Town of Husqvarna Sweden and was called Husqvarna.
• At some point, possibly circa 1808, the name of the town was modernized from "Q" to "K" i.e. "Huskvarna" but the name of the company remained "Husqvarna".

 

[Stapleking]

yup....& I verified this with Arne yesterday. Who, BTW, wuz asking what kind of stuff to post re. HVA history. I told him whatever he thinks might be interesting that occurred during his time at the company. Stuff like inventing the first home microwave oven [betcha' didn't know that, didja'..?]

 

[tommie d]

I have a excellent book on the history of Husqvarna Motocycles with some really excellent pictures, (my favorite is a factory pic with the rows of the brand new 1983 models). Sad thing is, I only get to look at the pic's cause I read NO Finnish!

 

[Coffee]

yup....& I verified this with Arne yesterday. Who, BTW, wuz asking what kind of stuff to post re. HVA history. I told him whatever he thinks might be interesting that occurred during his time at the company. Stuff like inventing the first home microwave oven [betcha' didn't know that, didja'..?]

My primary goal is a 'coffee table' version of Husqvarna's past - a few easy to read paragraphs about what has happened since 2005ish. There will be a sticky at some point to entice people completely unfamiliar with Husqvarna to get an idea what Husqvarna is all about and buy bikes for sale on Craigs List, etc And of course a link to 'further information' for those who wish to read it.

Secondly a more thorough historical timeline regarding the bikes themselves.

Thirdly anything to do with Husqvarna's past - guns, microwaves, the wife of the first owners name... anything.

My primary intent as always is accuracy. Words like 'possibly' (see my previous post) can be interjected for things that are not well established but are believed to be true.

This forum is a blank slate. There are no hidden agendas. We can add stickies & subforums, we could add a subforum if it made sense. Tell Arne to just start rambling and the information can be sorted out later.

.

 

[Flying Trash Can]

So is this correct?

• Company started in 1689 in the Town of Husqvarna Sweden and was called Husqvarna.
• At some point, possibly circa 1808, the name of the town was modernized from "Q" to "K" i.e. "Huskvarna" but the name of the company remained "Husqvarna".

Hey Coffee, "cafehusqy.com is still open.

 

[Coffee]

Hey Coffee, "cafehusqy.com is still open.

Seems a bit obscure to me. Go ahead and buy it!

 

[pberguy]

Burleson 8X Enduro Champion

Don't forget to mention that Dick Burleson was the US national enduro champion 8 times on a Husky. He was the technical rep with Husky I contacted in 1973 with problems with the MJ Husky that appears in my avatar. I saw him ride in the 1977 MCI Stump Jumper National...he made it look effortless.

Terry Cunningham also won national enduro honors on a Husky (usually an automatic). I watched him pass guys in the handlebar tight woods in my trail section of the 1986 Pine Barons National Enduro...utterly amazing performance!

Without increasing the number of words of that first post (too much) - any comments?


I'm trying to give people a clue about Husqvarna in the briefest of detail... The 40yo dentist that is making good $, and wants to get back into bikes and thinks the TE license plate sounds like a good thing. Trouble is he knows absolutely nothing about Husqvarna.

To that end I'm trying to put a few top level points that is very quick to read.


EDIT - have there been significant changes to the Husqvarna offerings in other parts of the world in the last 5 years?

 

[Fugi]

well the old swedish husky history is great, and probably more well known. but what of the cagiva history, since they were the ones to make the newer bikes. a 88 cagiva 250 i think was the most powerfull 250 at the time, ahead of honda. that motor looks just like todays 250. the cagiva road race history, i bet those engineers worked on some dirtbikes too. 125s make the power they do, because it was the same cylinders used on vfours. so the RD was directly applied. im more of a technical guy, i wanna know those facts, the whos, hows, whys.

 

[Vegas Husky]

Didn't JN Roberts win the first Baja 1000 on a Husky?? I thought thats what I saw on the movie "Dust to Glory". Also it has some great footage of Malcom Smith on a old twin shock Husky. Great flick!!

 

[DrZero]

So it's a motorcycle with a difficult to pronounce Swedish name, owned by a German auto company, built in Italy. Mine has a little Italian flag decal from the factory.

Anyone know why Husqvarna sold the motorcycle operations in the first place. Around here there has been a huge influx of Husqvarna lawnmowers, chainsaws and other powertools. I think Sears sells them. I assume that those don't have much to do with the motorcycles, but I think some explanation of that would be good.

I find it odd that two totally different companies sell products with the same name and logo. I wonder how BMW, a very brand conscious company, can live with that. In the long term, I suspect they won't.

It's not great brand marketing to have your world-class brand associated with cheap Chinese crap lawn mowers.

 

[DrZero]

BTW: I don't see that the Cagiva history has much to do with Husky, really. It would be interesting to hear what the transition from Sweden to Italy was like, but Cagiva looked like it ran Husky as a holding company would, not as an integrated brand. The same thing BMW is doing. So the fact that BMW built air cooled horizontal twins, blah,blah,blah -- doesn't really belong in the Husky story either, in my humble opinion.

 

[Coffee]

Anyone know why Husqvarna sold the motorcycle operations in the first place.

Good question, why did Husqvarna sell to Electrolux?

I find it odd that two totally different companies sell products with the same name and logo. I wonder how BMW, a very brand conscious company, can live with that. In the long term, I suspect they won't.

It's not great brand marketing to have your world-class brand associated with cheap Chinese crap lawn mowers.

Actually it is the other way round. My understanding is Electrolux which owns the non-bike Husqvarna brands is a little sensitive to how the Husqvarna name is used.

I don't see how discussing the relative merits or quality of non-motorcycle Husqvarna products adds to this topic very much, but every single person that I've talked to thinks they are great quality. Perhaps you don't own one?

BTW: I don't see that the Cagiva history has much to do with Husky, really.

They controlled the company for a number of years, I think that makes Cagiva extremely relevant.

 

[Joe Chod]

The wifes name of the first owner was name Mrs. Husqvarna.....A-DUH.

 

[HuffieVA]

I don't see how discussing the relative merits or quality of non-motorcycle Husqvarna products adds to this topic very much, but every single person that I've talked to thinks they are great quality. Perhaps you don't own one?

I will second that, as their chainsaws are top of the line... My brother-in-law is a logger and uses nothing but Husky's. I have three saws, a weed eater and a mower and have been happy with all.

I will say that my first saw finally bit the dust last year, But I' have to say that 15 years for a chainsaw translates to quality, considering its first three winters were spent logging. I suppose I could rebuild it (never been touched except for replacing the handle and plastic from dropping a tree on it the first day I owned it) and I could get another 15 out of it but I'm happy with its performance.

I cant speak for the sewing machines as I've never been much of a seamstress, but the riding mower has lasted just as long as any other I've had (by the way all the smaller mowers are basically the same and you simply purchase a name)

Case in point, a brand doesn't tend to stick around through parts of several centuries if it isn't associated with quality the majority of the time...

Rodd

 

[Coffee]

i don't see how discussing the relative merits or quality of non-motorcycle husqvarna products adds to this topic very much...

...

 

[HuffieVA]

...

OK, how bout this...

My longing for a Husqvarna motorcycle dealer within driving distance as a child lead me to purchase a Husqvarna Chainsaw (Brand Loyalty Complex) which in turn strengthened my desire to own a Husqvarna motorcycle (not realizing they were different companies), Relevance being... had the saw been junk, it likely would have cured me of the complex, instead I currently have three Huskys in my garage along with multiple non-moto related implements...

At risk of going farther off topic, I've also got a Husqvarna "Cheese Grater" I found on eBay, but that was just for more of a conversation piece...

I do get your point though, but in a way its part of the history and has likely helped bring new people to the brand which is not often the case with companies with smiler names

But, I'll shut up now

 

[DrZero]

Right. I'll take another look at the Husky stuff at Sears next time I'm there.

Maybe I am painting them with too wide a brush, but the overall quality of Sear's products has fallen dramatically in the last decade. My last purchase from the was a Palmgren brand 2 Ton Arbor Press, which I needed for seating cups in motorcycle fraames. The "Palmgren" press was actually like a characature of the real machine, made in China, crude castings. The online Sears catalog from which I purchased it, of course, had a picture of the older, nicer (made in USA vintage) press.

It was amusing when you could go to Harbor Freight and buy machines and tools for 1/4 the cost of high quality American (or even higher quality Swedish made imports). It's depressing that the only things you can buy in many categories now are the Chinese clones of lower quality.

Sears used to OEM Rockwell drill presses. Now they sell Delta (which was related to Rockwell by merger, but is now seperate again?) but they are made in China and much less well made than the older ones. The other two brands are also made-in-China clones.

I think I looked at the Husky lawn mowers and said: more name brand appropriattion by low-cost, knock-off quality Chinese brands.

Are Husky lawn mowers made in Sweden? :-)

Shame about Husky no longer making guns. I was at the range with a guy who owned (and was sighting in) about 10 of them. Gorgeous workmanship. He was a collector of them, and carefully showed me the many excellent points they had. I wish I had taken notes.

I am sceptical that the home care appliances will provide the mystique to the Husqvarna brand name that the products the past did.

PS: Out here in commercial logging land I think STIHL is the favorite chainsaw.

 

[steve allen]

While I was living in Sweden I lived near to Huskvarna and visited the museum there. I have quite a few photos of the visit if anyone is interested I can upload them. It was a truly great day.

 

[MIKE310]

As someone who lives in Logging country I can tell you its pretty much a 50/50 split between Stihl and Husqvarna chainsaws. Every logger has his favorite and will never switch.

 

[Gotlabs]

...I think I looked at the Husky lawn mowers and said: more name brand appropriattion by low-cost, knock-off quality Chinese brands.

Are Husky lawn mowers made in Sweden? :-).....

Husqvarna lawnmowers are manufactured in Orangeburg, South Carolina.