What a beauty, the sound of that ol two-stroke Husky brings back fond memories, I remember here in So. Cal. back in the early 70’s everybody wanted to be Brad Lackey & Steve McQueen ridin a Husky, we used to go to Malcom Smith’s Motorcycle shop out in Riverside, Ca. a lot for the meet & greet sessions of motocross & desert racers, and to look at all the cool Husky’s he had there, good times indeed I tell ya!
Very nice vid of a very original Husky! McQueen was a regular customer of ours at Valerian's Two Cycle City in West Los Angeles. He was riding a CZ at the time and often came back in the shop to talk story with us. Very nice guy. I started wrenching there just after Whitey Martino left and rebuilt a great many of those 360s and 400s. They blew rods with depressing regularity, and the gears rounded off the engagement dogs with equal regularity (don't believe what they say about Swedish steel!) The Bing carb was also problematic, so we had Mikuni manifolds cast up and did a big business selling Mikuni carb kits. The other standard mod for the Husky was to bore out the fork seal holder slightly to accept Honda 305 fork seals. However, the CZ was in all respects a better machine, the engine in particular, though we also put Mikunis, Honda fork seals and better rims on them. For every 5 or 6 Husky motors I rebuilt I might have done 1 CZ, as they were close to bulletproof. After 'On Any Sunday' MeQueen started hanging with Malcom Smith more and started riding Husky. Charles Bronson was another customer of ours, sort of..... We supplied the Huskies used in the movie 'The Mechanic', and the Husqvarna distributer gave him a couple of bikes which his kids rode 'cause he wasn't a motorcycle guy. So many good memories......
Diz don't sound right. Always loved Swedish chromoly steel. Certainly a lot better than the Japanese steel which would break all the time e.g. Roger DeCosta in a GP at Saddleback.
A bit of HVA history. In the fifties we had a weight limit of 75kg for motorcycles for 16 year old. So Husqvarna made a 175cc bike witch became very popular amongst the kids. Fast but a bit flimsy. Later they also made a faster 200cc model. Resulting in a rule change limiting capacity to 125. Ending Husqvarna street bike production. But a pair of small companies had began making 250 cylinders. One of them, Lindström, started to make a complete motocross machine with a duplex frame based on the same engine. I once had one of these. A few years ago I visited the Husqvarna museum and found a lookalike bike branded Husqvarna. The 250 proved very competitive so they went to motocross production only. After a few years they enlarged it to 360 to be able to compete in the 500 class. Later growing to 400. Not bad for a 175 engine to grow to double capacity. A bit like BSA B25 growing to the B50.
Great to see one of the best machines of the 60s. Nail in the coffin for off-road Brit bikes but that's progress. If you have look on RUclips there is an episode where one like this is converted into a chopper. Grounds for execution I would say. Thanks for this video.
I love your channel, it inspires me every time I watch. I recall that 2-stroke smell and sound oh so well!! Do you know Mary McGee? She is an amazing lady, I am so fortunate to have met her a few years back. She at one time raced the Baja, and eventually raced motocross on a Husky 250, slightly newer than this example. She lives in the Reno area and wouldn’t it be fantastic to see her on tour channel? Keep up the fantastic work!
My first bike was a used 68 Husky 250 in 1972. Right now, I have 2, 1971, 400's and a 70, Husky 360, all in parts. I was sidetracked with 82-84 KTM 495's, but the Huskies are next in the build lineup.
I got myself a used ‘76 husqvarna 250WR back when I was much younger. What an awesome machine. I miss it so much. I relive my misspent youth today with late model husqvarna FE’s
Those Husqvarna's had a straight-cut primary drive, which gave a certain type of "whine" when running. Old Time Desert racer's say they could hear the "whine" of the primary before you could hear the exhaust of those old Husky's as they where coming up to a check-point in a Hare and Hound event! Cool bike and cool presentation! Well done Mr. Wheeler!
I never noticed any gear whine, but the exhaust, with it's "Booming Flat Rap" was noticeable. I never noticed gear whine on any competitor's bike. Sorry, but your second hand story is false.
@@519CZRacer On further reflection the 360 was probably the 1974 Heikki Mikkola World Champ w the purple tank. Owned a 250 & 400 before that and added a 390WR afterwards
I grew up in So Ca and we used to go out to lucern valley all the time. These things absolutely dominated the desert! The fast guys usually ran Curnett (spelling) shocks. Well in 1975 that all changed when Yamaha dropped the bomb and debuted the Mono shock. Game changer. Love those old Husky’s though.
Yes, the desert was our playground! BTW Bill, let me know when you want to do a hotrod Moto Guzzi Lemans. Or how about a super cool HD street tracker? I even have a mint 73 CB750 you can try. Come by Scotties and we can discuss it. I’m up in Arnold.
Thanks for bringing back soooo many memories from the good old days of dirt bikes, and this includes all of the comments coming in from my fellow old farts 😀
Ohhhhh! I could write a book here. Recently saw something about one of McQueen's Huskys selling at auction. The first thing I thought was, Wheelhouse Garage should do an episode on a 'Varna MXer. I'm sure you didn't read my mind, but you sure made my week!
When i grew up there was ( and still is) a small Husqvarna dealer around the corner where i lived. As a child in the early 2000's to 2010's it was not onusual to see and here a 450 supermoto or enduro wheelie ing by... Oh the sweet memories...
My racing buddy had one. I had a 250 CZ . We were at a race by state college pa. My friend started it up and the when we arrived and the throttle was stuck wide open. No kill switch. The thing was screaming. He dumped the clutch to stall it, and it got away from him. It went around in circles on the ground. Someone came over with a big pry bar and pulled the plug. The 400 was gone.
Unfathomababbbubble! My '70 400 Cross is sitting, patiently waiting for me to fix up. I think I got the last cheap one. Mine was converted to 8 speed and trail raced.
The Husky was the holy grail of dirt bikes in those days. I couldn't afford one and had to settle for a 250cc t/s Suzuki. I was surprised the one time I raced it that, going up a substantial hill, I was able to out climb a husky, CZ and even a Maico. Surprised the hell out of me. Then for some reason the bike decided to go tree climbing on a long sweeping turn coming off the longest straight section on the track. For some reason they thought that a good place for a tree was right at the apex of the corner. I felt really stupid (as I was in third at the time). About two weeks later a guy broke his back on that tree, so they cut it down.
Great video! I saw a band called Graveyard in Seattle and scored a poster. It was 2013 and still have it. It’s a distorted photo of a dude on a motorcycle. It is now 2024 and you just showed me that it is Malcom Smith that’s been hangin on my wall. Sick! And even further, the band is from Sweden !! Thanks for another great vid, diggin your channel.
The Heikki Mikkola 360 that won the open case World Championship came after the 400 Cross, no? I bought one new at Smith's shop in Riverside c. '70 or '71.
Love the grunt of the Husky and the Bultaco's too. You'll all here probably hate me for saying I always had a big soft spot for the early dt's 360s. OK I know they really not in the same league.
I can smell it from here. I used to lust after Huskys at Cycle Shack. The Husqvarna dealer in Houston back in the day. They also sold Pentons & Sachs/DKW.
I just subscribed a couple days ago and I have a question, if I may. I have many of the bikes you showcase ( but am looking forward to checking out the beer).Do you keep all the beautiful bikes? I have been accused of having mental issues cause I don't seem to be able to part with my bikes I have loved since I was 13 in 1968.I consider myself the caretaker of these two wheeled works of art and l plan to auction them to benefit rescue animals in the future. Thanks so much for your informative videos. P.S. just pulled the 1970 BSA 441 Victor from the barn after I moved the 71 Husky 400 out of the way!
I actually had the pleasure of riding Malcolm Smith's 250 he used in the 1976 Forest 300 Enduro in Australia! He had signed the tank "John (Laws, the famous radio personality) did this, not me. Malcolm Smith" with and arrow pointing to a dent in the tank 😆
@@wheelhousegarage yes. He is also friends with Dave Elkins Buds brother and we have one of Dave's old Hondas the was similar to the bike he rode in Baja before there was a Baja 1000..Dad was riding triumphs early 60s and placed when the triumph s sweeped the nationals.he has the cyclenews arrival on his walk.sorry to ramble on.but if your ever in Castaic CA. look us up
44 years ago I knew a 16 year old kid who had a 'standard' Husky 250 (which looked similar to the one in the video, but no chrome of course) and whilst it looked cool and not state of the art, it stood out among the CRs & RMs others owned.
I'm curious about the use of the "cross" designation, is that slang? Back in the day I had a '72 250 Husky and the models were WR and CR, which designated wide or close ratios in the tranny. The CR being for closed courses (MX) and the WR for open country. Wouldn't the desert racers like Smith have been using the WR?
Answering my own Q here, did a search and found that the model was indeed "Cross" in '69. Anybody know when they became WR and CR? Great look back, it really is strikingly similar to my '72 250WR, wish I still had her.
The "WR" and "CR" suffixes came out in 1972. They stood for wide ratio and close ratio respectively, close ratio for MX. The enduro bikes (pre 72) had a selectable final ratio, making them a sort of eight speed.
Had the 74' 175 WR 6 speed. I was not even 15 years old. Mission Hills Tracy performed the forward mount shock mod. All husky riders of the day woyld know who Tracy is. I'm sure Steve McQueen would have known him. Steve must have bought Huskies from him. Mojave desert Enduro and Hare and Hound in the 70s. That was the center of the universe for all this.
very..very nice bike. you should find some original handle bars ( the handle bars are the only thing i see not original ) incredible very nice. so... the compression release is for cleaning the bottom end when it gets gummed up . ive been doing it diffrent
New sub here, damn that’s one sweet bike ! Looks a great and fun bike to ride too, powerful but handle’able ( I made that last word up 😂) but makes sense. M Cool upload pal, great bit of history information ❤
Both Malcolm’s and Steve’s bikes had the padded leather cushion over the tank bolt this bike is missing plus there were tweaks in the frame geometry done my Malcolm.
@@wheelhousegarage McQueen burned a hole in his piston while filming Junior Bonner in AZ. He had his husky brought in to the dealer in Phx where I sat on it.
Really like your channel....your a legit enthusiast......got to laugh at the entitie(s) with the deep inherited pockets going around buying everything and playing Captain America. I have a 71 250 cross.....keep up the good work
I had a 400wr Husky in 1973. I thought it was the fastest dirt bike ever. I remember riding with some friends and the husky would back fire and run backwards. Everyone getting ready to take off and I went backwards. Good for a laugh😂
I broke my back and had a spinal cord injury in 1994 on my 1972 bulltaco 360 El Bandido it was in pristine condition. after I broke my back had the spinal cord injury I had to sell my horse by 650 Triumph and my Bultaco both went out the yard on a trailer for 900.00$ bucks the guy ripped me off!! I had a wife and four kids I was hanging out the door my log cabin looking unable to walk the guy really ripped me off I was desperate I couldn't walk or feed my family
@@wheelhousegarage a few years later after the Lord help me walk again and go back to work on 40 ft ladders painting barns with metal rods up my spine ,now a semi paraplegic for life, I seen the guy that come out to my log cabin and bought my rip me and kids off showing off my pristine 72 El Bandido 360 cc. and my 650 Triumph .. for peanuts 900.00$ I seen him at a motorcycle swap meet with my bikes both out there polished up!! I walked up and saide!!! you remember me?? and a guy hung his head down couldn't even look at me. I sold my log cabin my 10 acres and move to the Upper Peninsula Michigan Wilderness and started homesteading again
Too bad Husky's from 1985 on turned into being just a shadow of the quality bikes they were known for before that. Luckily the Castiglioni-brothers saved the day for the legendary brand and put Cagiva-engines in the two strokes but the early four-stroke engines still were left as a disaster as far as reliabilaty was concerned. They still had the looks though and they proved to be highly performant but still: if you would take them on the track, you needed a thick wallet to keep 'm going!
@@wheelhousegarage I once owned a 1985 Husqvarna CR500. You can't imagine all the things that went wrong with that bike. On every - and I do mean EVERY ride I had with that thing, something seemed to have to break. In the end the one crankcase literarly broke right in half when I kickstarted it and that was it for me. I'ld been riding Maico's before that and surely there was some issues on those but not half as bad as on that Husky. Apart from the one I had owned, I did lots of repairs and maintenance on other Husqvarna's of that same era and years after (so not just the two-strokes) and it's a miracle how they managed to survive as a brand, with credits to Cagiva, BMW and eventually KTM now which owns the brand name. Hate to repeat again but those mid-80 Husqvarna's were plain rubbish... but still beautiful to look at! :-) There's no denial however how fast those late 80-early 90 Husqvarna's were but they were ever so fragile.
Os lo digo en español, porque no tenéis ni idea. Lleváis una moto, copia, en chasis, cilindrada y con menos prestaciones, de una bultaco frontera mk9. Casi todas, menos la mía, fueron al país de las barras y estrellas. Hacer un poco de humildad y no copies lo q ya estaba inventado. La frontera o la pursang fueron lo q os enseñó a hacer motos al otro lado del charco. Listos, q sois unos listos. No supesteis lo que fueron los dos tiempos hasta q os volvió a conquistar España. Mirad la wikipedia y aprender un poco.
![BRASIL vs. URUGUAY [1-1] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 12](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-hWBAuxF1eY/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a 1969 model loved it raced it (still have it) and hade my 2 sons ride it. Today I,m refurbishing it for my grandson. Great bike!
What a beauty, the sound of that ol two-stroke Husky brings back fond memories, I remember here in So. Cal. back in the early 70’s everybody wanted to be Brad Lackey & Steve McQueen ridin a Husky, we used to go to Malcom Smith’s Motorcycle shop out in Riverside, Ca. a lot for the meet & greet sessions of motocross & desert racers, and to look at all the cool Husky’s he had there, good times indeed I tell ya!
I can smell the CASTROL R bean oil burning…….I had a 1972 WR250. Awesome fun and well worth the wait, when I factory ordered it.
oh yeah!!
Very nice vid of a very original Husky! McQueen was a regular customer of ours at Valerian's Two Cycle City in West Los Angeles. He was riding a CZ at the time and often came back in the shop to talk story with us. Very nice guy. I started wrenching there just after Whitey Martino left and rebuilt a great many of those 360s and 400s. They blew rods with depressing regularity, and the gears rounded off the engagement dogs with equal regularity (don't believe what they say about Swedish steel!) The Bing carb was also problematic, so we had Mikuni manifolds cast up and did a big business selling Mikuni carb kits. The other standard mod for the Husky was to bore out the fork seal holder slightly to accept Honda 305 fork seals. However, the CZ was in all respects a better machine, the engine in particular, though we also put Mikunis, Honda fork seals and better rims on them. For every 5 or 6 Husky motors I rebuilt I might have done 1 CZ, as they were close to bulletproof. After 'On Any Sunday' MeQueen started hanging with Malcom Smith more and started riding Husky.
Charles Bronson was another customer of ours, sort of..... We supplied the Huskies used in the movie 'The Mechanic', and the Husqvarna distributer gave him a couple of bikes which his kids rode 'cause he wasn't a motorcycle guy. So many good memories......
The scene with the bike chase blew my mind as a young kid.
Amazing story and info. Thanks for sharing!
So good
Oh yeah!!
Diz don't sound right. Always loved Swedish chromoly steel. Certainly a lot better than the Japanese steel which would break all the time e.g. Roger DeCosta in a GP at Saddleback.
A bit of HVA history. In the fifties we had a weight limit of 75kg for motorcycles for 16 year old. So Husqvarna made a 175cc bike witch became very popular amongst the kids. Fast but a bit flimsy. Later they also made a faster 200cc model. Resulting in a rule change limiting capacity to 125. Ending Husqvarna street bike production. But a pair of small companies had began making 250 cylinders. One of them, Lindström, started to make a complete motocross machine with a duplex frame based on the same engine. I once had one of these. A few years ago I visited the Husqvarna museum and found a lookalike bike branded Husqvarna. The 250 proved very competitive so they went to motocross production only. After a few years they enlarged it to 360 to be able to compete in the 500 class. Later growing to 400. Not bad for a 175 engine to grow to double capacity.
A bit like BSA B25 growing to the B50.
Had two of them when I was young. A 360 enduro and a 450CR. Both were excellent machines.
Right on!
A very lucky you, I couldn’t afford something as neat as that back then.👍🇦🇺
That eight speed was interesting. It made it doable on the street.
Great to see one of the best machines of the 60s. Nail in the coffin for off-road Brit bikes but that's progress. If you have look on RUclips there is an episode where one like this is converted into a chopper. Grounds for execution I would say. Thanks for this video.
Great video. I raced my 1969 360 Husky Cross back then great bike. I still have it today in my office.
Thanks! That’s so cool that you kept your bike!
We need a full riding video out on the Husky!!! Stunning bikes
😁😁😁
There is it’s called on any Sunday haha
I love your channel, it inspires me every time I watch. I recall that 2-stroke smell and sound oh so well!!
Do you know Mary McGee? She is an amazing lady, I am so fortunate to have met her a few years back. She at one time raced the Baja, and eventually raced motocross on a Husky 250, slightly newer than this example. She lives in the Reno area and wouldn’t it be fantastic to see her on tour channel? Keep up the fantastic work!
My first bike was a used 68 Husky 250 in 1972. Right now, I have 2, 1971, 400's and a 70, Husky 360, all in parts. I was sidetracked with 82-84 KTM 495's, but the Huskies are next in the build lineup.
Nice lineup my friend!
I got myself a used ‘76 husqvarna 250WR back when I was much younger. What an awesome machine. I miss it so much. I relive my misspent youth today with late model husqvarna FE’s
Right on!!
Husqvarna made really cool bikes back then.
They sure did!
I've got the 50th '74 Yamaha MX175A built...was bought brand new by my Uncle (RIP) Memorial Day weekend of 1974 and will be 50 this year.....
Very cool!
Bloody awesome bike thanks for sharing and the education cheers 🍻🇬🇧🍀👍🙏🇺🇸
It's my pleasure Keith! Thanks for watching!
Those Husqvarna's had a straight-cut primary drive, which gave a certain type of "whine" when running. Old Time Desert racer's say they could hear the "whine" of the primary before you could hear the exhaust of those old Husky's as they where coming up to a check-point in a Hare and Hound event! Cool bike and cool presentation! Well done Mr. Wheeler!
Thank you Allen! Couldn't do it without you!
😊
I never noticed any gear whine, but the exhaust, with it's "Booming Flat Rap" was noticeable. I never noticed gear whine on any competitor's bike.
Sorry, but your second hand story is false.
@@stevek8829 Thanks for sharing Steve!
Great bike great video, Mert is definitely riding a Greaves, aluminium in place of a steel down tube. Cheers
Good eye!
A neighbor of Mert told me Mert’s nephew owns the Greeves, complete with the Harley tank.
@@519CZRacer His nephew was and insurance adjuster ????!
@@richardthelionheart5594 Thanks for the update. My info dates many years ago from a conversation at an AHRMA vintage MX national.
@@519CZRacer On further reflection the 360 was probably the 1974 Heikki Mikkola World Champ w the purple tank. Owned a 250 & 400 before that and added a 390WR afterwards
I just love the smell of Castrol R in the morning.
Nothing better!
Blendzall maybe. 🤪@@wheelhousegarage
One of the Best vintage bike ever!.
Steve be proud of this bike..
Cheers from Italy 🤘🍻
I grew up in So Ca and we used to go out to lucern valley all the time. These things absolutely dominated the desert! The fast guys usually ran Curnett (spelling) shocks. Well in 1975 that all changed when Yamaha dropped the bomb and debuted the Mono shock. Game changer. Love those old Husky’s though.
So cool you that you lived through the Golden Age of Desert Racing at the epicenter!
Yes, the desert was our playground! BTW Bill, let me know when you want to do a hotrod Moto Guzzi Lemans. Or how about a super cool HD street tracker? I even have a mint 73 CB750 you can try. Come by Scotties and we can discuss it. I’m up in Arnold.
Those shocks were made by Charlie Curnutt. Most of us that ran them called them curplunks because of the clanking sound they made at full rebound.
Thanks for bringing back soooo many memories from the good old days of dirt bikes, and this includes all of the comments coming in from my fellow old farts 😀
Haha it's my pleasure!
Ohhhhh! I could write a book here.
Recently saw something about one of McQueen's Huskys selling at auction. The first thing I thought was, Wheelhouse Garage should do an episode on a 'Varna MXer.
I'm sure you didn't read my mind, but you sure made my week!
That is awesome! So stoked that you like this one! The bike is soooo fun!
WOW !! You can easily see the power, can only imagine if that bike had an open desert to run !
If all things go as planned, I'll be opening her up in the SoCal desert at the Biltwell 100 in April!🤞
@@wheelhousegarage Great video will wait to see more, thanks.
When i grew up there was ( and still is) a small Husqvarna dealer around the corner where i lived. As a child in the early 2000's to 2010's it was not onusual to see and here a 450 supermoto or enduro wheelie ing by... Oh the sweet memories...
Nothing cooler for a kid!
I had a 75 cr, Husky! It was a blast,when I figured out how to ride it!
Oh yeah!
My racing buddy had one. I had a 250 CZ . We were at a race by state college pa. My friend started it up and the when we arrived and the throttle was stuck wide open. No kill switch. The thing was screaming. He dumped the clutch to stall it, and it got away from him. It went around in circles on the ground. Someone came over with a big pry bar and pulled the plug. The 400 was gone.
I had a husky 125 same color same model wow that was back in the 70's
This is helping me decide I really need one :-), good stuff
I love that old husky
Me too!
Unfathomababbbubble! My '70 400 Cross is sitting, patiently waiting for me to fix up. I think I got the last cheap one. Mine was converted to 8 speed and trail raced.
Sounds incredible! Time to get that bad boy up and running!
very nice example, I have the big brother, 450cr Desert Master, I love it,
Right on!
The Husky was the holy grail of dirt bikes in those days. I couldn't afford one and had to settle for a 250cc t/s Suzuki. I was surprised the one time I raced it that, going up a substantial hill, I was able to out climb a husky, CZ and even a Maico. Surprised the hell out of me. Then for some reason the bike decided to go tree climbing on a long sweeping turn coming off the longest straight section on the track. For some reason they thought that a good place for a tree was right at the apex of the corner. I felt really stupid (as I was in third at the time). About two weeks later a guy broke his back on that tree, so they cut it down.
Again a great episode, love those vintage bikes
Glad you like them! Thank you!
Front 'shocks'. For shame! 😁
Seriously wicked machine, need a full ride video!
Haha! Slip of the tongue.
Had Bultaco Sherpa 175..great times..I was 15..
I can feel the vibrations from here in Australia
Oh yeah!! 👍👍
One of the most beautiful movies scenes ever for me was a helicopter shot of a Husky being ridden flat out across the desert.
So epic!
Great video! I saw a band called Graveyard in Seattle and scored a poster. It was 2013 and still have it. It’s a distorted photo of a dude on a motorcycle. It is now 2024 and you just showed me that it is Malcom Smith that’s been hangin on my wall. Sick! And even further, the band is from Sweden !! Thanks for another great vid, diggin your channel.
Very cool!
This bike was highlighted in the movie..The Mechanic, with Charles Bronson..!!
I bought one a few months before the movie. The movie floored me, yea- 1971 400 Cross.
So cool!
Great video Bill :)
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
The Heikki Mikkola 360 that won the open case World Championship came after the 400 Cross, no? I bought one new at Smith's shop in Riverside c. '70 or '71.
Gotta love the 2 strokes , great video thanks
Thanks for watching!
Always remember my HVA 240 WR in the 80´s 👍
Oh yeah
Mert the Squirt Lawill. Absolutely amazing Biker.
Oh yeah!!
Two strokes are just so much cooler
Braaaaap!
@@wheelhousegarage how much is this bike worth?
Love the grunt of the Husky and the Bultaco's too. You'll all here probably hate me for saying I always had a big soft spot for the early dt's 360s. OK I know they really not in the same league.
Those are cool too!... Just not as cool😁
I can smell it from here. I used to lust after Huskys at Cycle Shack. The Husqvarna dealer in Houston back in the day. They also sold Pentons & Sachs/DKW.
Sweet smell of Castor!!
I raced Huskies back in the '70's and we all called them "Hus-kuh-VAR-nas". Must have been a Texas thing.
Had a cr360 when i was 15 , was a great bike but took some starting from cold , wish i still had it
I just subscribed a couple days ago and I have a question, if I may. I have many of the bikes you showcase ( but am looking forward to checking out the beer).Do you keep all the beautiful bikes? I have been accused of having mental issues cause I don't seem to be able to part with my bikes I have loved since I was 13 in 1968.I consider myself the caretaker of these two wheeled works of art and l plan to auction them to benefit rescue animals in the future. Thanks so much for your informative videos. P.S. just pulled the 1970 BSA 441 Victor from the barn after I moved the 71 Husky 400 out of the way!
2 strokes were how people TRAINED to go REAL FAST 💨
And then 4 strokes finally caught up.
Haha indeed!
I actually had the pleasure of riding Malcolm Smith's 250 he used in the 1976 Forest 300 Enduro in Australia! He had signed the tank "John (Laws, the famous radio personality) did this, not me. Malcolm Smith" with and arrow pointing to a dent in the tank 😆
Amazing!
To get the real feel pull the silencer and it lets you know what it's used for..
Haha!!
Motard wheels and a light kit, be awesome to hoon around on one of those!
Haha! Never thought of that!
Cool bike ,my father raced back then and new .J.N Robert's he also has many vintage bikes.including a husky
Must have been amazing to race in those days!
@@wheelhousegarage yes. He is also friends with Dave Elkins Buds brother and we have one of Dave's old Hondas the was similar to the bike he rode in Baja before there was a Baja 1000..Dad was riding triumphs early 60s and placed when the triumph s sweeped the nationals.he has the cyclenews arrival on his walk.sorry to ramble on.but if your ever in Castaic CA. look us up
Mine is a 360 8speed Sportsman. She’s a fun and fast ride.
Great bikes!
44 years ago I knew a 16 year old kid who had a 'standard' Husky 250 (which looked similar to the one in the video, but no chrome of course) and whilst it looked cool and not state of the art, it stood out among the CRs & RMs others owned.
Pretty sure 1978 and 1979 had Chrome on the tanks
@@daffyduck9901 The one owned by the other young lad was several years old when he had it, so a plain style, no chrome.
@@Jonathan-L they didn't make one with a plain style back then they all had Chrome maybe somebody painted it
I'm curious about the use of the "cross" designation, is that slang? Back in the day I had a '72 250 Husky and the models were WR and CR, which designated wide or close ratios in the tranny. The CR being for closed courses (MX) and the WR for open country. Wouldn't the desert racers like Smith have been using the WR?
Answering my own Q here, did a search and found that the model was indeed "Cross" in '69. Anybody know when they became WR and CR? Great look back, it really is strikingly similar to my '72 250WR, wish I still had her.
My 360 cross is a 1969 and it has Husqvarna 360 Cross on the tank. Short for motocross I’m sure.
Or Cross Country 🤔
The "WR" and "CR" suffixes came out in 1972. They stood for wide ratio and close ratio respectively, close ratio for MX. The enduro bikes (pre 72) had a selectable final ratio, making them a sort of eight speed.
Had the 74' 175 WR 6 speed. I was not even 15 years old. Mission Hills Tracy performed the forward mount shock mod. All husky riders of the day woyld know who Tracy is. I'm sure Steve McQueen would have known him. Steve must have bought Huskies from him. Mojave desert Enduro and Hare and Hound in the 70s. That was the center of the universe for all this.
The center!!
Nice well built bike. I'd love one. As I was born in 1969!!
You must have one!
very..very nice bike. you should find some original handle bars ( the handle bars are the only thing i see not original ) incredible very nice. so... the compression release is for cleaning the bottom end when it gets gummed up . ive been doing it diffrent
Thanks for watching an commenting!
Cool !!!
So rad!
You should test out the rm370.i race one in the 70s.the best dirt bike besides the Maico 400
I'll keep an eye out for one!
I heard the Husqvarna emblem was actually a rifle site 🎼🤘🏻
Indeed!
Malcolm Smith's street number matches the year Husky was founded. I know, so what.
Ok so funny that you commented that! I thought I was the only one who noticed!!
The bike sounds great !!!! The beer not so much 😊😊😊😊😊
Lol!
What I wouldn’t give for a ride on that!
So fun!
New sub here, damn that’s one sweet bike ! Looks a great and fun bike to ride too, powerful but handle’able ( I made that last word up 😂) but makes sense. M
Cool upload pal, great bit of history information ❤
Thank you so much for turning in and subscribing
Husky continued the 400 well after 71. i have a 1973 400cr.
Nice!
Had a strong Husky 430.
💪
Had a 69 360 cross then went to a 71 Suzuki TM400. The Suzuki was faster than the 360 but really beat you up.
I owned 3 Huskys. The MK400CR was the coolest
Nice!
Both Malcolm’s and Steve’s bikes had the padded leather cushion over the tank bolt this bike is missing plus there were tweaks in the frame geometry done my Malcolm.
Cool info! Thanks for sharing.
@@wheelhousegarage McQueen burned a hole in his piston while filming Junior Bonner in AZ. He had his husky brought in to the dealer in Phx where I sat on it.
If you ever came down on the Husky's tank bolt, as your muddy feet slipped of the pegs, you know the agony.
Really like your channel....your a legit enthusiast......got to laugh at the entitie(s) with the deep inherited pockets going around buying everything and playing Captain America. I have a 71 250 cross.....keep up the good work
Thank you so much. I’m honored.
Hi , i looking for year 71 or early 400 cross, do you have one for sale? Thanks
Not at the moment Dan. But I'll message you if I get one👍
I have 3 & a 69 360 cross, sell for right price
I had a 400wr Husky in 1973. I thought it was the fastest dirt bike ever. I remember riding with some friends and the husky would back fire and run backwards. Everyone getting ready to take off and I went backwards. Good for a laugh😂
Haha. That's crazy!
Trelleborg tires?
Dude looks like Rick "super hunky" Sieman.
🤣 I'll take that as a compliment!
Akron rims were mud collectors
lol. But they’re lighter if there’s no mud! 😁
❤🎉
Looks and performs not that much different than my 71 Bultaco Pursang 350. A lot of fun. Always draws a crowd.
I broke my back and had a spinal cord injury in 1994 on my 1972 bulltaco 360 El Bandido it was in pristine condition. after I broke my back had the spinal cord injury I had to sell my horse by 650 Triumph and my Bultaco both went out the yard on a trailer for 900.00$ bucks the guy ripped me off!! I had a wife and four kids I was hanging out the door my log cabin looking unable to walk the guy really ripped me off I was desperate I couldn't walk or feed my family
Oh man, that's rough!
@@wheelhousegarage a few years later after the Lord help me walk again and go back to work on 40 ft ladders painting barns with metal rods up my spine ,now a semi paraplegic for life, I seen the guy that come out to my log cabin and bought my rip me and kids off showing off my pristine 72 El Bandido 360 cc. and my 650 Triumph .. for peanuts 900.00$ I seen him at a motorcycle swap meet with my bikes both out there polished up!! I walked up and saide!!! you remember me?? and a guy hung his head down couldn't even look at me. I sold my log cabin my 10 acres and move to the Upper Peninsula Michigan Wilderness and started homesteading again
@@wheelhousegarage thanks you're the only one to ever say it
He won the ISDE
Sure did!
J ais des 400 a vendre husqvarna
Too bad Husky's from 1985 on turned into being just a shadow of the quality bikes they were known for before that. Luckily the Castiglioni-brothers saved the day for the legendary brand and put Cagiva-engines in the two strokes but the early four-stroke engines still were left as a disaster as far as reliabilaty was concerned. They still had the looks though and they proved to be highly performant but still: if you would take them on the track, you needed a thick wallet to keep 'm going!
Ya the mid-late 80’s seem to be a different animal
@@wheelhousegarage I once owned a 1985 Husqvarna CR500. You can't imagine all the things that went wrong with that bike. On every - and I do mean EVERY ride I had with that thing, something seemed to have to break. In the end the one crankcase literarly broke right in half when I kickstarted it and that was it for me. I'ld been riding Maico's before that and surely there was some issues on those but not half as bad as on that Husky. Apart from the one I had owned, I did lots of repairs and maintenance on other Husqvarna's of that same era and years after (so not just the two-strokes) and it's a miracle how they managed to survive as a brand, with credits to Cagiva, BMW and eventually KTM now which owns the brand name. Hate to repeat again but those mid-80 Husqvarna's were plain rubbish... but still beautiful to look at! :-) There's no denial however how fast those late 80-early 90 Husqvarna's were but they were ever so fragile.
😂 they were ok but hang on to your balls even if you knew how to ride ! Unpredictable power band. It was stupid 😅
Video's out of sync
Just watched the whole thing again and I don't see it. Maybe check your internet connection? Appreciate you watching!
@@wheelhousegarage oh ok it could well be a fault this end as the connection does fluctuat
Os lo digo en español, porque no tenéis ni idea. Lleváis una moto, copia, en chasis, cilindrada y con menos prestaciones, de una bultaco frontera mk9. Casi todas, menos la mía, fueron al país de las barras y estrellas. Hacer un poco de humildad y no copies lo q ya estaba inventado. La frontera o la pursang fueron lo q os enseñó a hacer motos al otro lado del charco. Listos, q sois unos listos. No supesteis lo que fueron los dos tiempos hasta q os volvió a conquistar España. Mirad la wikipedia y aprender un poco.
hilarious
@@wheelhousegarage 😆😆
1st bike at 14 years old-100 yamaha. 2nd bike at 16 - 360 husky such an upgrade
What a difference!