1979 WR 390

This is a project that my dad, brother and I just started a few weeks a go. it is a 1979 WR 390. This is our second bike. we did a 1976 CR 360 before. We figured that we would post it up here to see what other Husky people think of our project. this bike is going to be a rider. So after just a few weeks and countless hours of tearing down, sanding, and painting this is what we have so far. I will post more pictures as we go
This was after we first got it home
We had an extra tank that we painted period correct red for the 1976 that we put on to replace the plastic one

After we tore it apart we started with the frame. This is it before we cleared it.

This is right after we finished repairing the red tank, then we painted it black.

We bought the correct Ohlins Shocks for the bike, because it had Suzuki shocks on it. So we cleaned them up put them on the bike with the tank to see how it looks.

This how it looks


We then bought the Husky sticker and some gold pinstripe paint and finished the tank. the only thing we need is to get a gas cap.

Next we cleaned up the wheels, spokes and nipples and put them on the bike.

This is all that we have done so far, but the bike has come a long way in just a few weeks. it might be a while before I post more pictures of the process because my dad is going into knee surgery on Tuesday, but I will take more pictures as we. Thanks for looking and all comments are welcome. Thanks

Looks great so far! Keep up the good work.

Thanks. It is a lot of fun working on old Husky's. I have some other picture that I will post up within in the next couple days.

Did you guys pull the motor apart yet?

Yes we pulled the head and jug off. It looks like the crank bearing is locked up. My dad decided to wait to work on the motor till the bike is a complete roller. Here is pictures of the motor.


The head looks to be in good shape.

The cylinder wall looks to be in good shape also.

I was kinda concerned about that. I was pretty sure the water from the air filter got down into the crank. Hopefully the cases are still good.

Scott

The cases still look good but we haven't got into the motor so it is hard to tell.
We did put the bars on, grips levers and perches. We also put a fender on the front, it is starting to look more like a bike

excellent work....at the start you said its a rider...looks like a piece of artwork to me!

I had one as my 1st Husky. 1979 390WR, Michigan license plate on it (1984) The Rear tire had the H's in the nobbies.
Bicycle squeeze horn and mirior. Yamaha brake light switch put on.
Cops almost flipped thier cars turning around to chase me (I was riding this in the uptown part of the city).
I would tap the brakes for the light, they would radio in the plate on thats what it went to.Never got "pulled"
To this day, I keep saying to myself "what was I thinking when I sold it"
I have a 100% 1979 250WR and a 100% 1983 250WR "milk truck"
Enjoy

Team WR

Thanks Suprize, it is going to be a rider. My dad would like to ride it in our local GP races in the vintage class.

Team WR that sounds like a cool bike that sounds like a bike that would come from the 80's. You got to do what you got to do to ride the bike. I like to hear old stories that people have of their bikes. Do you ride either one of your 250's?

Yes, but not on the street anymore with them. I would not race them (to nice), used Yamaha Wr's to race Dist 14 hare scrables.
Back to the 79 black 390WR, I put a BAJA light on the front (with the big support mount to hold it) like 12" dia.
Was like a frieght train light a night, new guys run dual ones @ BAJA

I had an accident with our 76 on the street. It was bad.
I can only imagine what that looked like at night, like a freight train. I have just fell in love with Husky's after we finished our 76 CR 360. I think they are the best bikes of that time period. My dad said he would like to at least five of them, and I would like to have five of my own.

Good to hear you are OK , no such thing as too many. Husky's were out of the box racers, Your Dad's is right and so are you.
No turning back, GO, GO, GO
(had to re-do the lighting coils for that light, watch "Dust to Glory" and you will see that light work @ 100 mph on a XR650)
Back to the Black 79 390WR, Look at "King Richards" bike, its in the AMA museum, he did well on Huskys
Penton's are VERY good also

Team WR

Good thread; keep it going! I also have a '79 390WR, but it's on the back-burner as I finish up my '80 WR Hybrid (84 forks, OR engine) and a '77 390CR. I also have Pentons and agree: Very Good!

I would love to just keep buying and building them, they are an obsession of mine kind of like my Volkswagen beetle.
I have seen that movie over 100 times, and that is crazy the speeds they travel at on modern 650's but that would be just plain crazy to race a Husky like that at night.
WOW that bike looks amazing. That's awesome to see what our bike looked like off the showroom floor. We are changing our up a little though, we are not putting the rear tail light or the front light. I have some more pictures of the rear fender that I will try to put up later.
Thanks for posting that picture, I like to see bikes other people have done.

Is that you riding that WR 390 Team WR?


We haven't been able to do much to the bike due to a knee surgery that my dad had on Tuesday, but this is what we have done.
sorry the pictures are sideways, my phone took them wrong.

We got a rear fender on it, mounted and a nice Husqvarna sticker to top it off.

another picture.

We got yellow number plates to go around. so we put the front one on and a Husqvarna bar pad.
Again sorry for the crappy pictures. next time I will take better pictures.