BMW sees Husqvarna motorbike sales up 30 pct in '08

FRANKFURT, April 16 (Reuters) - BMW (BMWG.DE), the world's biggest premium carmaker, aims to grow sales of its newly acquired Husqvarna motorcycle brand by about 30 percent this year, it said on Wednesday at the unveiling of a prototype concept.

BMW, which expects to boost its overall motorcycle volume from the nearly 102,500 bikes sold in 2007, said growth would come from higher customer interest resulting from the acquisition as well as a return to normal production after supplier difficulties.

Husqvarna, which posted sales of about 12,000 bikes last year according to a spokesman, was not consolidated in BMW's financial accounts for 2007.

"We are planning for volume growth of about 30 percent over last year and are currently fully on track," said Hendrik von Kuenheim, who took over as General Director of BMW Motorrad in January.

The 48-year old with a background in hotel management is the son of Eberhard von Kuenheim, who served as CEO of BMW from 1970 to 1993.

In a rare acquisition, BMW acquired single-cylinder bike specialist Husqvarna to improve its position in the field of light, sporty motorcycles and extend its range to include younger customer groups as well as the entire off-road and supermoto sector. "We are particularly confident after determining that the takeover by BMW has massively increased customer interest in Husqvarna, especially among (those in) amateur motor sport," von Kuenheim continued.

As part of its strategic review announced late in September, the group plans to sell about 150,000 BMW and Husqvarna motorcycles by 2012.

"In the (offroad) enduro segment we still see high potential for further volume growth. We have reached our limits though with our models in the touring and sports-touring segments," von Kuenheim explained.

Already well represented in the long-distance enduro segment with its popular R 1200 GS boxer, the group now plans to enter the sport enduro market with the BMW G 450 X in the second half of 2008 as well as the super-sport segment come next year with the four-cylinder inline BMW S 1000 RR, whose prototype was shown on Wednesday.

As part of its plans for the S 1000 RR, BMW will begin racing in the Superbike world championship where owners can watch their model in direct competition to others as opposed to the arguably more prestigious MotoGP circuit, in which driving ace Valentino Rossi competes with specially modified motorcycles.

With a share of about 85 percent, the four Japanese motorcycle brands -- Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki -- currently dominate the segment for super sport bikes with 1,000 cubic centimetre engines with a share of about 85 percent, in which Italy's Ducati also competes.

(Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)