You’ve seen the pic of Marco Melandri motocross training on the Husqvarna TC 250 and read why he believes that this type of training is essential for him, and now you get to see the Italian rider in action at the Pomposa circuit (located at San Giuseppe di Comacchio near Ferrara).

Despite the recent off season injuries of MotoGP riders Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso, motocross and supermoto riding is still a basic part of training for professional motorcycle racers and this includes Superbike rider Marco Melandri who has also taken part in several motocross charity benefits, and as a kid used to race in minicross against David Philippaerts and now often trains together with Tony Cairoli.

Having switched to BMW Motorrad Superbike team for the season, Melandri is now training with a Husqvarna TC 250 (Husqvarna Motorcycles is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of the BMW Group).

“I ride a lot, almost every week,” said Melandri. “I like riding with friends, mainly just to have fun. We find nice routes, enjoy the views and stop somewhere for lunch. I really enjoy riding the bike. I love it. It is perfect for me - it is easy to ride. I also like the fact that it does not have a kick-starter, but an electric start, as I am quite small.”

Many fans say that riding a MX bike is too dangerous for motorcycle racers and eventual injuries could jeopardize their seasons, however Melandri as well as others, say that it plays an important part in training “It is the best way to train my concentration “In the gym you can chat with other people or think about other things. On a bike, however, you have to remain focussed. While the test ban is in place during the winter, riding an off-road bike is the best opportunity to practice this.”

“Let the season begin, I am ready,” said the Italian, who can’t wait for the 2012 championship to begin. The season opener will be held in Phillip Island, Australia, on 26th February andMelandri and team mate Leon Haslam will be testing the BMW S1000RR the week before.

Husqvarna took a brand new model at the EICMA: it is a concept called Moab that combines vintage looks with modern technology. Husqvarna color scheme choice and many other details reinforce the idea that the manufacturer sees the Moab as present day version of the mighty H400 model ridden by Steve McQueen on a famous cover of Sports Ilustrated in 1966, a move that made that bike an instant reference point for all off-road bikes for years to come. The name comes from a desert area in Utah which is very popular amongst off-road enthusiasts.

Husqvarna Concept Moab is equipped with a 650 cc engine fitted in a perimeter frame, progressive linkage on the swingarm, 17″ rims and semi-knobbly tyres which make it perfect for off-road use. ncastonato in un telaio perimetrale, con monotrave anteriore e forcellone dotato di sospensione a progressività variabile. See the pictures of the model taken at the 2011 EICMA by clicking on the link below.

View the full Husqvarna Concept Moab at the 2011 Eicma photo gallery

The new Husqvarna Nuda 900 and 900R are certainly revolutionary for the brand itself, but we’d probably stick to less exaggerated terms and call them instead a pleasant evolution in the motorcycle market, revamping BMW engine technology to make new bikes. No Husqvarna Nuda 900 first rides are available yet, but we can’t wait to get on this thing and see if Husqvarna’s claims of new riding feel are true to the technical hyperbole released about the bike.

Using the BMW F 800 R’s engine, Husqvarna has bored it out and gotten a larger 898cc displacement. That and a new 315º crankshaft setup means that Husqvarna claims a “more aggressive racing feel” for its Nuda bike. On paper, we’re impressed - you get characteristic Husky design on a new supermoto-naked cross and some improved BMW engine technology to boot.

Will it all come true for Husqvarna in the ride feel and market demand? With no pricing announced, the latter is anyone’s guess, but so far it looks like the Nuda 900 and 900R could be a winning ticket as the brand expands its range. See after the jump for details from Husqvarna on the model and new pics.

Husqvarna Nuda 900 and 900R new pics

Nuda 900 and Nuda 900R – a taste of things to come

Developed as a crossover model between a supermoto and a naked bike, Husqvarna doesn’t feel the Nuda can be shoehorned into any specific category. It delivers a sporty, dynamic ride where agility is balanced perfectly with performance in a bike with a bold and fresh look. Is it a supermoto? Is it a naked bike? The Nuda is whatever you want it to be, but above all it’s a Husqvarna.

Styling

With the factory situated to the north-west of Milan, Husqvarna’s team of designers draw inspiration from the passion and flair that encapsulates this area of Italy. Inside the ‘Centro Stile’ a specially selected group of talented young designers work tirelessly to create the look that is unique to every Husqvarna, whether it be an on or off-road model.

Despite being minimalist in its design, every panel on the Nuda helps define its athletic body, giving it a sense of dynamic tension that flows the length of the bike and finishes on the tapered tail that mimics the aerodynamics of a sports bike. The exposed trellis frame, high level exhaust and red rocker cover hint at the performance that lies behind the curvy body, while the bike’s unique headlight – its face on the road – glowers intent. Sporty yet elegant, sleek yet purposeful, the Nuda is bold Italian styling at its very finest.

The Nuda 900R proudly displays the company’s distinctive red and white competition colours, made famous through race success, while the Nuda 900 has a more subtle black paint scheme.

Engine

Husqvarna understands that the heart and soul of a motorcycle comes from its engine and so choosing the right motor formed a crucial part of the Nuda project. A joint decision was made with BMW’s engine development team in Munich to use the highly reliable and technologically advanced F 800 R motor as a basis for both the Nuda 900 and Nuda 900R – however it would then be adapted to meet Husqvarna’s specific needs and demands.

Designed to reflect Husqvarna’s sporting pedigree, this new configuration not only delivers a more aggressive racing feel and sound at maximum performance, it also vastly improves the power and torque characteristics of the engine, not to forget the higher capacity of 900cc Husqvarna has increased the power and torque (>100hp and 100Nm) while managing to retain the linear, fluid nature of the power delivery at small throttle openings and low revs.

Finally, to add the Husqvarna stamp to the engine, the rocker box cover is painted red – a feature common to all Husqvarna motorcycles.

Chassis

With its vast racing experience, Husqvarna knows which components to turn to for the ultimate performance and how to extract the maximum from a chassis. To further increase prestige of the Nuda 900R, Husqvarna has equipped its chassis with the very highest specification of components. The 48mm Sachs forks are fully adjustable and the Öhlins shock comes with compression, rebound and spring preload adjustment as well as a ride height adjustor. The Nuda 900R’s suspension is designed to raise the bike’s centre of gravity compared to the Nuda 900, increasing ground clearance and improving the handling to deliver a thrilling and responsive ride.

To create a motorcycle more suited to urban life or touring, the Nuda 900 comes with 48mm Sachs forks and a fully adjustable Sachs monoshock. The suspension is set-up to deliver a smoother ride and make the bike more relaxed and user-friendly while the seat has a double level to provide greater comfort also for the pillion

Husqvarna has made the ergonomics and handling a priority on both models of Nuda and as a result the bike’s fuel tank is located under the seat to allow the weight distribution to be as close to the centre of gravity as possible. This work has created a bike that is both stable at high speed and agile at low speed that delivers a safe and comforting ride whatever the conditions.

This, along with the relaxed and natural riding position, is certain to be appreciated and exploited in full by both beginner and expert riders alike.

While both models have radial brake calipers, in order to further enhance its sporty appeal, the Nuda 900R comes with Brembo monobloc racing brakes with 320mm discs. Constructed out of a single piece of aluminium for maximum feel and power with minimal flex, these twin four-piston radial calipers give the Nuda 900R superior braking power on both the road and track. The Nuda 900 also features Brembo four-piston radial calipers and 320mm discs with sintered pads, delivering powerful, accurate and smooth braking feel whatever the conditions. Both models use the same 240mm disc and Brembo two piston caliper rear brake.

Weight is crucial in making a motorcycle agile and Husqvarna has managed to keep the mass of the Nuda 900 to less than 175kg (dry weight), thanks to clever engineering solutions and compact design.. Both models of Nuda come with a stainless steel exhaust muffler, however the 900R has a carbon fibre clamp, end cap and heat shield.

Accessories

Should owners of the Nuda 900 or Nuda 900R wish to take full advantage of the motorcycle’s all-round ability, or simply want to personalize their machine, Husqvarna has developed a full range of accessories. For example those wishing to take their Nuda touring, either solo or with a pillion, either for a relaxed day loop in your home turf or multiple days with your friends, can perfectly enhance the experience with a high windshield kit and in their size easily adjustable sidebags.

Mauno Hermunen not only is a very promising Supermoto rider who has already won several national championships, he is also the only person, excluding official testers, to have been given the opportunity to try out the new Husqvarna Nuda 900R. So who better than him could describe this bike?

In the video we can see him getting busy with the tools of the trade as well as riding this new bicylinder naked bike. It is clear that one of the maker’s aim is to promote this motorbike within the young and the sporty. We think that Husky’s goal has been achieved: the Husqvarna Nuda 900R looks appealing, fun, stylish and fresh. Don’t you?

View the full Husqvarna Nuda 900R Official Photo Gallery

Let’s forget for a moment about the Husqvarna Nuda 900R and get back to its offroad roots, checking out the Husqvarna dirt bike range for 2012. These Husqvarna cross bikes follow the enduro range with a few updates, but nothing revolutionary for the new year. The range kicks off with a few changes to the Husqvarna CR125, with a new molybdenum chrome chassis, which has been strengthened around the steering zone to optimise the Kayaba fork. The CR125 also gets new graphics and uses InMould paint technology to better protect the design from wear and tear.

The CR125 single-cylinder, two-stroke engine gets some updates with a Mikuni TMX38 carburettor, V-Force pack and the four-stroke TC250 clutch. The exhaust and silencer are lightweight components and the six-speed transmission gets improved protection from the air filter. Moving from the high-performance two-stroke, we come to the Husqvarna TC250 which borrows some MX2 championship experience.

The production model TC250 gets the same chassis updates previously mentioned, but uses a tubular steel frame, new steering components and once again new graphics. The Husqvarna four-stroke engine is a recently developed project, and is still the lightest and most compact in its class. The whole camshaft setup has been redesigned and now we get four valves in titantium and new pistons which contribute to a ten-percent increase in power and torque. The TC250 also gets new Keihin injection technology with 46-mm throttle valve and Kokusan electronic ignition.

The range-topping Husqvarna TC449 continues its development and keeps its under-seat tank and high airbox for better balance, but improved cooling system. New pins on the fronk fork have been designed to reduce the chain pull effect, and the steering and chassis is now more rigid with Kayaba suspension. The rear shock has been updated to improve its smoothness and a new progressive spring and protection adds to better control.

The 449 gets electronic ignition, new WP radiators to improve the cooling circuit around the motor, and a larger air intake has been included. The fuel distribution system has been tweaked to improve performance and the piston rods have been treated with DLC high-resistance finish. Bringing up the final changes to the 2012 Husqvarna offroad model range is the Husqvarna CR65 for teenagers starting their motocross experience. It has a water-cooled 65cc engine with two radiators, and a Mikuni 24 mm carburettor is included. A six-speed hydraulic clutch is fitted and overall the small bike weighs just 55 kg (dry).

Just in case we weren’t sure that the Husqvarna Nuda 900R could actually go, here is the first official video of the new 900cc Husqvarna. We like the funky music but it does mean we don’t actually get to hear any engine noise. The video gives us a few close-ups of the finer design details and as if to prove a point, we see a burnout and a few wheelies as well.

The video certainly gives the impression that the 100 hp of the Nuda 900R are fitted to an agile bike, and we can’t wait to see this live at the 2011 EICMA and get a test ride in the near future, too.

The Husqvarna Nuda 900R has turned out to be one of the anticipated new releases for this year, and almost against the odds. When Husqvarna first announced it was developing some new roadgoing models and a 900cc engine, while we expected competent and well-designed models in themselves, we weren’t sure whether there was room in the market for the additional brand.

And then the first Nuda 900R pics were released and that characteristic Husky style turned out to be very well interpreted. We’re impressed with the individualism of the bike, it’s spikey lines, and of course the 100hp it pulls. That Husqvarna has been able to rely on the backing of BMW has been lucky, and obvious in the Nuda 900R release at the Innovation Day.

It looks like we get a twin-cylinder 900cc Husqvarna, edgy styling and the finishes of a BMW F. That could make for quite a winning bike. The Nuda 900R has been designed to be lighter and more powerful than an F800R, although it has much in common with the BMW with its forks and wheels. The chassis is built on the 800GS, and as we already know so is the engine although new internal components give it a sportier feel.

BMW and Husqvarna have decided to kit out the Nuda 900R with some top notch technology, including Brembo brakes, front Sachs suspension and rear Ohlins shock, and according to Husqvarna technicians, the carbon exhaust will be a standard fit. Some of the design elements have been borrowed from the Concept Mille3 which so impressed at EICMA last year, and the offroad pedigree is evident. That might be the only thing that turn some people off this naked/motard, given that purist naked bike riders might find the offroad style too obvious.

The front nose of the Nuda 900R and the mudguard which looks like a dart are creating a stir and we get the feeling it will be a love-it or hate-it affair for many. The part around the airbox and tank looks refined to us, and Husqvarna engineers have obviously lavished some close attention on the bike - creating an overall well-proportioned effort. Some of the offroad and urban-style elements look thrown together on a casual basis, but there was probably a reason behind the choices and if the BMW quality is there (as it looks like it is) all that will be forgiven.

The riding position is a surprise and we’ll have to try it before we can judge it, but it looks like it’s a cross between a motard and aggressive naked bike, with a high, hard seat. It’s been positioned to help the close centre of gravity of the Nuda 900R, which also gets forward-placed pedals and higher handlebars. It doesn’t look like the most comfortable place to be to complete kilometres of road touring, but is definitely an aggressive pose for an urban and offroad ride.

Husqvarna Nuda 900R technical details still haven’t been released, but there’s talk of 100 hp and 100 Nm of torque, on a dry weight of 175 kg. That’s enough to excite us (although additional weight for passenger pedals, mirrors and indicators needs to be added to that figure). The Nuda 900R will slot right into the twin-cylinder supermotard segment and will probably provide some serious competition for Aprilia and Ducati as it does so. The Nuda 900R will be released on the market before the EICMA show and we should see it on the road by 2011 end.

Pics of the new Husqvarna Nuda 900R have been released and not only is this a hot looking machine, we understand it’s got the performance to back up the looks. While full technical specs and other details haven’t been released at the moment, the BMW F800GS transformed to the Husqvarna Nuda 900R is a powerful little motorcycle.

The new Husqvarna 900 engine makes 100 hp and about 100 Nm of torque. What’s more we get some very impressive technical components with Sachs and Ohlins suspension, and a set of 320-mm Brembo brakes. We just can’t wait to get our hands on one of these, in the meantime check back for more details.

The Husqvarna 900 continues its “spy” or teaser campaign, with another video in which we see the new bike on the road. Leaving aside whether this video was created by Husqvarna itself (we guess they release this stuff anyway, knowing someone else will if they don’t), the video doesn’t show us much of what we haven’t already seen of the new roadgoing maxi-motard Husqvarna.

Seeing the Husqvarna 900 in motion, it looks better proportioned than what we had previously imagined. After some focus on the new engine, we’ve shifted to the design elements of the bike itself and have promises from Husqvarna that it will be characteristically “Husky” in style. Still, we’re more interested in eventually trying the new motard as we expect the company can offer something interesting and different for the market, and we’re keen to see how Husqvarna can evolve from off the road to on it.

We will forgive any “what the…” questions on seeing this image, but here is the new Husqvarna 900 website. There’s not heaps to see on the dedicated website right now except for a cool, retro-looking splash page, the image of the Husqvarna 900 you see above and the design video we saw last week. The company is preparing to launch the Husqvarna 900 on July 1st and today we should get more updates from the site.

The great little Husqvarna 900 preview gallery below shows some fantastic imagery but it doesn’t give us much of an idea about the overall design of the bike. From the pics though, we’re guessing this will be a kind of urban-offroader and we’ve been lead to believe it’s quite the Husqvarna design manifesto. This Friday the company will release the technical data of the Husqvarna 900 before the official July 1st launch.

After the first Husqvarna 900 pics emerged, debate as to the merits and beauty of the thing kicked off straight away. In this video we get to hear it all from the horse’s mouth as Husqvarna explains the philosophy behind the new Husky road bike design. The fact that the first “spy” pics of the Husqvarna 900 were taken outside BMW facilities was not lost on us, but in this video head designer Raffaele Zaccagnini talks of Husqvarna interpreting its own motorcycle design identity and translating that to a new road bike.