1. Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

'85/'86 Husqvarna 125cr

Discussion in 'Vintage/Left Kickers' started by Bigbill, Oct 12, 2017.

  1. Bigbill Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    '83 250wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    0 right now
    I had purchased in the past three complete parts bikes. All had been beat to death. I managed to mix and match all the used parts into one bike. Two of the cases on the ignition side had the stator screws ripped out. I noticed bad crankbearings. They were run till they didn't turn anymore. I still can't believe how hard these were ridden.
    Has anyone ever seen this self destruct on these 125's? The one I got running back then wasn't too bad powerwise.
    I can see the internal rotor on the crank being so loose on the crank bearing it hit the stator ripping it loose.

    Any thoughts?
  2. fran...k. Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    eastern ct
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    420ae 98wr125 2004wr250 others
    Other Motorcycles:
    electric freeride 1993 yam gts
    These things were intended for the original owner to enter competitive events. Folks that buy new dirt bikes do multiple times, generally speaking.
  3. Up-tite Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Resleeve the bearing bores back to stock dim.
    Have done many.
    Later George
  4. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    125's generally end up as the "training wheels" bikes and continually slide down the ladder of knowledgeable riders till they are at the beck and call of the"teenager". ill say no more:banghead:
  5. jimspac Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 250WR, 82 430WR, 84 250WR, 85 400
    Other Motorcycles:
    86 400WR, 82 Montesa Cota 349
    And the fine tradition continues on to this day. People on Thumpertalk were disparaging an after market piston manufacturer(not Wiseco or Wossner)about piston skirts breaking off and grenading their engines. If the clowns had checked out the piston often enough, they could have replaced the piston and gotten more time before an overbore was required(if applicable). I know by finding traces of that tradition after taking down 2 engines and finding broken skirt damage within the crankcase. One engine (390WR) had .020"smaller piston than bore size. The other engine was my 84 250WR. The piston I took out was.008" smaller than the bore but the skirt was intact. I found the damage in the crankwell from it's predecessor.
  6. Kartwheel68 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Newnan, Georgia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 125XC, 250XC, 430XC, 430WR, 250CR
    Other Motorcycles:
    83 175WR , 76 250WR, 74 250 Mag
    Husky 125s were never competitive after 74 when the El-Snore, TM and YZ came out and by '85-'86 they were hopelessly underpowered and 30lbs heavier than everything else.
    roberto75015 and Picklito like this.
  7. Picklito Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Washington
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    430, 430, 430, ,400, 175
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM250xc, KTM500mx, KTM440exc
    That is the unfortunate truth right there. Today they are only good for the nostalgia, which definitely has some merit... but no speed.
  8. Kartwheel68 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Newnan, Georgia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 125XC, 250XC, 430XC, 430WR, 250CR
    Other Motorcycles:
    83 175WR , 76 250WR, 74 250 Mag
    Even so, I love Husky 125s and I raced my '82 125XC in the 80s long after it was even remotely competitive. The engines themselves were not terrible, what really made them so uncompetitive was Husky no making a 125 specific chassis, which is what caused them to be 30-40lbs heavier than the competition. For example, my '84 KTM125 weighs 192lbs and an '84 Husky 125 weighed 230lbs and the KTM made a LOT more power. You can get away with being 20-30-40lbs heavier if its an open class bike, but that is a killer on a 125. Of course that KTM is the most unreliable bike I have ever owned outside of the '86 Cagiva WMX, so its got its own problems.
  9. Bigbill Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    '83 250wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    0 right now
    I enjoy the 85 125cr husky nice little bike.
  10. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    you need to sort the 125 engine with a port tool
  11. Kartwheel68 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Newnan, Georgia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 125XC, 250XC, 430XC, 430WR, 250CR
    Other Motorcycles:
    83 175WR , 76 250WR, 74 250 Mag
    You can make a Husky 125 fast but then they become unreliable, they start breaking rods and ventilating cases.
  12. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    there isd a guy in vic who has a very fast and strong 125 husky (he has had it for years and its a very reliable bike...( Dont ask me how many engines to get it right) but if i ever get a 125, he will be doing the engine
  13. getoverload Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Rome, Italy
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    cr 250 1982 - nuda 900 R - TE 350
    (May be I have to open another threath) but can someone (Kartwheel68?) explain me which are the differences between 1981 - 1982 and 1983 125cc. engine ? Are cilinders switchables?
    Thanks
  14. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    according to my "tech specs" sheet, the 81 125 cr has a 32 boing carb and the 82 - 83 engine has a 38 mikuni...bore and stroke same right through
  15. dmcoz Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1974 CR250, 125 2003 TE250
    81 had the old cylinder with the v8 reed black, and 83 had the new cylinder with one big reed. New cases also to match the cylinder. Eng number 2040 went from 77 through to 81 I believe.
  16. Kartwheel68 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Newnan, Georgia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 125XC, 250XC, 430XC, 430WR, 250CR
    Other Motorcycles:
    83 175WR , 76 250WR, 74 250 Mag

    All bottom ends are the same from '77-'83 except for minor transmission ratio differences, but '83 has the finer spline countershaft the bigger bikes got in 79 I think. All cylinders from '77-'83 are interchangeable, '77-'81 (and the '82 WR) use the small reed block, the '82 XC/CR and 83-up use the larger reed block. Bikes with the small reed block came with 32mm Bings, bikes with the large reed block came with 38mm Mikunis, but that is too big, a 36mm or 34mm Mikuni should be used instead. Most are 2040 engine numbers, but the '82 WR had a different number, as did the '83s, but they are all interchangeable. Even the '84 water cooled engine used the same basic cases with internal changes to make it primary kick.
  17. getoverload Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Rome, Italy
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    cr 250 1982 - nuda 900 R - TE 350
    Thanks a lot to suprize, dmcoz, Kartwheel68. That's what only a forum can do!
    justintendo likes this.
  18. auto Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    NJ,USA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    too many
    I have a 77 125 with a asch pipe and some porting that goes pretty dam good and is holding up just fine.I remember other people getting disappointing results from the big reed block topend. The motor just couldn't pull enough mixture through the larger reed cage.
  19. Kartwheel68 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Newnan, Georgia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 125XC, 250XC, 430XC, 430WR, 250CR
    Other Motorcycles:
    83 175WR , 76 250WR, 74 250 Mag
    The small reed block cylinder is much better than the big one. In addition to not running as well, the pistons for the big reed cylinder break skirts every 10-15 hours because the two oval windows cut in the intake side are too big.
  20. Picklito Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Washington
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    430, 430, 430, ,400, 175
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM250xc, KTM500mx, KTM440exc
    Having never owned a Husky 125, I hang out with a 125 fanatic who swore the small reed cylinder was better.