A pilot project is currently underway in Bavaria for the second motorcycle marque of the BMW Group. On March 14 the BMW Motorcycle Centre in Munich celebrated the new start to the motorcycling season by surprising more than 1,200 visitors and prospective customers with a revised show area for the Husqvarna motorcycle marque, which was acquired in the summer of 2007 by the BMW Group.

The special Husqvarna showroom is the first time a BMW AG-owned dealership has set up a dedicated area in its premises for showcasing the Husqvarna range of on- and off-road motorcycles. With almost 100 square metres of display area, the new Husqvarna centre is the largest showroom for the marque in the world and if successful, the concept could be extended to other BMW AG-owned dealerships in Germany and elsewhere.

"With our Husqvarna showroom, we are proud to have established this pilot project in the German sales region, where for the first time both motorcycle marques are under the same roof," explained Michael Sommer, Director of the BMW Motorcycle Centre in Munich. "Husqvarna is a youthful, outgoing and sporting marque which ideally complements BMW motorcycle products," he added.

During the traditional 'New Season' launch party, there was an extremely positive reaction to Husqvarna's inclusion within BMW Motorrad's flagship centre in Munich. The dealership - which stretches over several floors and sells and services new and used BMW motorcycles, as well as displaying the biggest selection of BMW rider equipment in the world - has incorporated the Husqvarna shop on the first floor, with clearly defined branding, display areas and separate sales advisors.

While the sporting Husqvarna models are primarily aimed at competition, the BMW Group's motorcycle range is wide reaching and recent model introductions have appealed to younger buying groups as well as the whole wider off-road and Supermoto sectors. Sharing facilities and having the two brands together in such a large premises offers certain advantages according to Michael Sommer, who believes that there are significant benefits to be gained from this association.

"This is a very exciting experiment for us to be carrying out and if it proves to be successful, it would be great to 'roll out' this concept to other BMW dealerships all over the world," he said. "The inclusion of Husqvarna in the new Flagship Store concept is a great opportunity for motorcycle fans to see what the brand has to offer and I invite all off-road enthusiasts to enter the Husqvarna world with us."

Like BMW motorcycles, Husqvarna is steeped in history and tradition. It first started producing motorcycles in Sweden in 1903 and has been operating since 1996 in Italy.  The brand has a great racing tradition thanks to its sporting activities around the world, which started more than half a century ago. Since then, a massive total of 74 world titles have been gained in Enduro, Motocross and Supermotard disciplines.