Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH is an Austrian company of Swedish origin that designs, builds, manufactures and distributes motocross, enduro, supermoto and street bikes.
Husqvarna was founded near the city of Huskvarna in Sweden in 1689. Initially, the company produced muskets, and the Husqvarna logo still shows the sight as seen from the end of the barrel.
As with many motorcycle manufacturers, Husqvarna first began producing bicycles in the late 19th century. In 1903, they switched to the production of motorcycles.
The first "Husky" motorcycles used imported engines, and it was not until 1918 that Husqvarna began producing machines entirely built in-house. It was around this time that they signed a contract with the Swedish army, and also began taking part in cross country and long distance motorcycle races.
In 1920, Husqvarna set up its own engine factory, and the first engine to be designed was a 550cc V-twin 4-stroke engine with 50-degree side valves, similar to those produced by companies such as Harley-Davidson and Indian.
Husqvarna competed in the 350cc and 500cc Grand Prix road races in the 1930s and was Sweden's largest motorcycle manufacturer until 1939.
With the advent of motocross as a sport, Husqvarna focused on producing lightweight racing bikes. They adapted their lightweight single cylinder motorcycle to racing and introduced the "Silverpilen" ("Silver Arrow"). Weighing 75 kg and intended for racing, the motorcycle became very popular. Thanks to many innovations, such as the telescopic front fork and hydraulic suspension suspension, it has been an international success. Husqvarna was the dominant force in the motocross world in the 1960s and 1970s, winning 14 Motocross World Championships in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc categories, 24 enduro world championships and 11 Baja1000 victories.
Recently, Husqvarna Motorcycles are gearing up to re-enter the street bike market. In 2014, the company presented prototypes of the newly developed 401 Vitpilen and 401 Svartpilen at the EICMA trade fair in Milan, Italy.
In 2017, Husqvarna Motorcycles introduced a new range of enduro motorcycles with a self-developed two-stroke fuel injection system (Transfer Port Injection - TPI). The new energy-saving sensor-controlled technology complies with Euro 4 emissions management regulations.