Good news for Portuguese Hsb fans...

This may be irrelevant to you but i guess its a good sign overall...
I will check this news next week with more details to see if everything is true...

Since the begin that Hsb was imported to Portugal by small players...there never was a decent importer here.

Even after KTM bought Hsb, situation continued...and even got worse !
Hsb bikes didnt even happear in tests and the total of models avaiable for 2005 was:
FE450e
FE550e
FS650e
...and that was it !

OTOH, there was since the begin of KTM, many, many years ago, one single KTM importer here...
...that guys are a major player in two wheels markets in Portugal !
They have KTM, Michelin, Pirelli, IRC.etc. several of top brands are imported by them...and when i said two wheels, i meant also bycicles with Shimano,etc !

Now, KTM or Hsb, i dont know and dont care, axe'd the Hsb importer and KTM/Hsb decided from '06 models and on the importation of Hsb bikes will be by the company that imports KTM !

They seem to be decided to push Hsb brand here in Portugal to a decent and relevant position in our market and seem to carry the majority if no even all (!) models and to carry a decent stock of parts !

I gonna check next week with them...

Yeah, i also talked with my contact in S.C.Vouga
today...they have some '05 machines and they confirmed that they will receive ALL '06 models in October...Its nice to see a true importer

BTW, Husby, i dont have a Hsb...yet

I got Hsb under a close look for several years but i was allways affraid with reability...in middle '02 (IIRC) it was really pathetic...
so, in that year i was decided to buy a new machine and i gonne 2S,..no regrets and happy with it...still, i want to have now a second machine (at least till future of 2S is clarified and/or i decide which i like more...but i really hope, or should i say that i have a feeling , that the Hsb will be the one that i will end up) and so i continued to look to Hsb (im not new to 4S and one that i had was KTM 620 but it was heavy...an Hsb will be a lot lighter and with a more explosive (hopefully in the good way ) engine than the 620).

Hsb seem now realiable (enough)...

BTW, im not riding now because of the florest fires (instead im using free riding time to my 1st full overall of my 2S) so im not riding but when i restart to ride (hopefully in October) it will be in my usual riding area, "Barragem" da OTA )
Right now its more dusty than Sarah desert after a non-existent winter and no rain in spring !!!

70Marlin,
Im totally confident in the support from S.C.Vouga Lda...
One single example...like i said, i had a 620, when time for a rebuild arrived, i didnt even knew that KTM usually sells workshop manuals...so, i contacted them and asked if could send one and that i didnt mind to pay whatever they wanted (!)...instead my contact simply said "whats your address ?...dont worry"...several days after i received for *free* the manual

Later, (OK, second example ) i wanted to install parts from a specific version of the 620SC and others from the 620SX...they simply xerox'ed for *free* the manuals that i wanted and send everything for *free*...never had problems with any kind of part even the ones made specific only for USA market and that they dont usually (if ever) carry...

Json,
Not only that but also from the perspective from a potencial new buyer its really scary (like my example from '02) when we know that there will be dificulty to have parts or serious reability issues...and to have both at same time, make us look to somewhere else.

Hopefully, the new importer will give a good support both in parts, technnical advice,etc. and with bikes with an acceptable level of reability things seem better than ever to Hsb in Portugal.