Husqvarna Moab Concept

Too bad Steve McQueen couldn't be around to see his image invoked over not one but two new motorcycles at EICMA. As we reported two weeks ago, Triumph has announced the retro-styled Steve McQueen Bonneville for 2012 in honor of the actor's famous fence-jumping scene in "The Great Escape."

Now Husqvarna has also taken the opportunity to pay homage to The Cool One in the form of the Moab, a styling exercise based upon parent company BMW’s F650GS Single. A new tank with the classic polished insert shining through and a big, thick saddle say vintage, while an inverted fork, LED lighting, fat dual-sport rubber on 17-inch wheels and a big O2 sensor stuck in the header say modern bike.

Husqvarna officials claim that the colors of the Moab match exactly those of the 400 Husky that McQueen often raced, and the Moab name is in recognition of the Moab Desert in Utah, where quite a few motorcycle movies have been filmed.

It’s hard to say how much of this “concept” bike could make it through to production, but it’s fun to speculate—and cool—to see Husqvarna acknowledging its roots. Or is that its roosts?