2022 Husqvarna Norden 901 (Photos by Marco Campelli & Sebas Romero)

Husqvarna is a storied brand that goes way back. It takes its name from the Swedish town ? now spelled Huskvarna, which means ?millhouse? ? where it was founded in 1689. The fledgling company used hydropower from a nearby waterfall to make muskets, and its logo depicts a gun sight viewed from the end of a barrel with an ?H? in the center. In the late 1800s, as the world became more mechanized, Husqvarna started making sewing machines, cast-iron kitchen equipment, and bicycles.

In 1903, the same year Harley-Davidson began operations, Husqvarna started manufacturing motorcycles, first with imported engines and later its own. In the 1920s, it produced a 550cc side-valve V-Twin similar to those built by Harley and Indian, and in the 1930s it began competing in Grand Prix racing.
As John L. Stein chronicled in ?Striking Vikings,? Husqvarna produced its first purpose-built enduro, the Silverpilen (Silver Arrow), in 1953. Husky made a name for itself on American and European motocross tracks, and the brand was popularized in the iconic 1971 film, On Any Sunday.

Husqvarna sold its motorcycle business to Cagiva in 1987, building motorcycles under the same name while the original company ? now headquartered in Stockholm ? focused on chainsaws and lawnmowers. After 20 years of Italian ownership, Husqvarna Motorcycles was sold to BMW, and it continued making motocross, enduro, and hardcore dual-spo...