I here you, this time around I went with a linkage system. But what a pain in the ass to get the shock off. I have 2 Slavins linkage guards that surround the dogbone section on the linkage and totally protect the rocker and bottom of the shock. I figured when one gets chingered up, I'll replace it with the spare one later on. I have to pull the likage off to do the install still and will get to it on the bike lift during the week when I get off. I asked in one of my posts if you offer a Motorsportz steering stabilizer for the new FE 501 last week ?? Got no response so I got a BRP rubber mounted Submount and Scotts damper coming for the bike this week I hope. It gets twitchy in the sand washes going fast. Used to having my damper. Probably also help putting on the GT 216 AA fatty I got from ZipTy out of his last shipment. I am going to go with a new set of Nuetech Tubliss system front and back and give them a try. My Buddies son just took his off of his CRF 450 because they were always bleeding down and said he didn't like them. Oh well he's a kid. I got a pair of brand new ones for like 150.00 and free shipping and hope they will work on a brand new set of wheels if done correctly. Cactus thorns a plenty here Buddy. Would rather slime them tires and shoot a plug. Than take the whole damned wheel off again like the last 9 hour ride I did on the BMW when I got a front flat. It only took 20 minutes but could have maybe been avoided.
Yeah linkage is more work but works right and is not so crazy temperamental to setup. Did not see your post about the damper. Scotts is good stuff. KTMs / huskys need them. I just got a tubliss to try from buddy Jake. It has been on three bikes and all removed them as they say they are too much maintenance to use. Many of my friends did it and have gone back to tubes. I have very few flats but really want to experiment with some tires and low pressures so thats my motivation. They were originally designed for MX to allow less unsprung weight and quicker acceleration (less rotating mass).
You are right but I believe that's all Husaberg did in the early days. No 2 Ts out of them in there line up that I ever knew of. I was riding Maico's back then so what do I know? Either way the deep, tall cases of the Honda XRs and higher out put countershafts required a major lack of ground clearance back then. from the swing arm to the bottom of the frame is what I was referring to. I should have explained further, The Honda's had a real angled down swing arm as well, to gain ground clearance. I parted out an 85 CR500 Honda years ago and put the engine in a 1986 TRX 250 Fourtrax. For flat track and TT racing. The entire rear Prolink linkage, forks wheel and swing arm was fitted to an 84 XR 500 4T Honda in my shop. Everything was cut off the frame that I didn't need behind the swing arm pivot point and fixtured in mid air to build all new mounts and hold the steering head at the same height and angle as well. I set the swing arm pivot points at the original height also to mount the complete CR 500s suspension to the XR500 4T chassis. It was pretty bad ass. New top shock mount at the precise angle and a new frame bottom front linkage mount to match and get the tire back on the ground at the precise height and angle of the swing arm when it had been on the CR frame.. It just had a deeper frame below the sprocket so had less over all ground clearance. The swing arm was lighter and longer than the original XRs, On a fresh groomed Lodi cycle bowl loamy Rough scrambles track it just dug a trench from one turn to the next as if you couldnt see part of the sprocket from the stands. With the front end just off the ground. The 4T revolution continued from the likes of Husky and Husaberg those old lower ends that were so busy with all the excess heavy rotating parts were replaced with much more compact lower ends much more suited to jumping over obstacles and such by the Husabergs and the Huskies even when the top end was aircooled on the Husky's.
you are correct, the "real" husaberg had nothing to do with 2 strokes. the real husaberg was dead and merely a graphic package when their name appeared on ktm 2 strokes. the husky engineers basically took the new at the time "primary kick" 2 cycle engine and added a 4 cycle topend and crank. no oil pump so yes a really compact, light, lower end. everyone credits yamaha with all the four stroke tech with their yzf400, which did unlock the thumper for mx again, but husky revolutionized it in in 83/84 with the air cooled 4v 510 using the 2 stroke bottom end. im pretty sure the first husabergs were 89, the year after husqvarna completely left sweden..
Yes Husky did the 4T aircooled top end on the light weight lower end first. But my response was that I thought that Husaberg did a hell of a lot to modernize and develop the water cooled modern era of 4T thumpers we know of today. Big Bore, Short Stroke, 4 valves.
It's a little more than just the name - The package is just a tiny bit better with the suspension (linkage) and sub-frame set-up. The White & Blue color beats the crap out of that pumpkin orange - that's got to be good for another 10MPH.
Just put on a Fastway solid billet linkage guard - very impressed. http://www.promotobillet.com/p-18128-adjustable-linkage-guards.html l
They did a lot to make ones that were very unreliable. Most of the stuff before the 70 degree motors are just ticking waiting to go. The husqvarna (swede) stuff was way more reliable. I had several friends with them and every one has done a total rebuild from a total boom of the motor.
Back when I was contemplating buying a 70 degree 570 I had heard the oiling issues caused them to go "Boom". Engine was cool though and lots of front stump jumping ground clearance built into the frame behind the front wheel. It shouldn't have had anything to do with the cylinder angle as it was. I have rebuilt radial engines in the past 23 years with my A&P license. Those cylinders would fill with oil when they sat for awhile and you just spun the props backwards to clear the cylinders with a group of guys before firing them off. I watched a 90 lbs girl hand prop a 9 cylinder radial engine by herself once it was primed and ready to go.
