• Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

  • Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

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1987 500xc?

eezz

eezz

Husqvarna
I'm thinking about picking up a 1987 500xc to turn it into a streetable motard. I was also looking at a 1986 400wr. I would appreciate knowledgable opinions; pros v cons; etc. I'm betting the stock front brakes are inadequate on either so maybe a front end off a newer Husky would do the trick. Does anyone here know if that kind of swap is do-able in regard to the head/neck bearings?

thanks
 
eezz said:
I'm thinking about picking up a 1987 500xc to turn it into a streetable motard. I was also looking at a 1986 400wr. I would appreciate knowledgable opinions; pros v cons; etc. I'm betting the stock front brakes are inadequate on either so maybe a front end off a newer Husky would do the trick. Does anyone here know if that kind of swap is do-able in regard to the head/neck bearings?

thanks
Click to expand...
Look at this thread: http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/1985-xc500.17748/

I've seen people use anything from '98 CR500 forks to early 2000s husky forks suspension and wheels.

This thread and the owner of this bike will have much more information. The setup he is currecntly using can easly have a set of motard wheel bolted up to it (atleast in the front to give you a big brake) and then a slick in the rear.

Pros are you have a very unique bike in the end of your project

Cons are you will spend just as much making the old bike into a supermoto bike and it still won't be as fast or do anything as well as a newer Husky, KTM, husaberg, etc etc etc.

In short, if you're even thinking about racing the bike (some people street and race) don't bother. There would be no class for it and it wouldn't be competitive in a newer class.
 
Check out Shimmellaws (sp) Motard/Supermoto project in the restoration/project section also. Awesome work! Sounds like a great project and please post your project in the project section.
 
Assuming the bikes you are intrested in are properly identified by year, The frame and linkage is superior on the 87. The chain really does a harmonic up and down thing if you mount street tires and ride on the road. I am talking from experience I mounted up a set of metzler marathon tires and did it. Chances are the frame isn't really strong enough for big tires and motrad type use. It is kind of fun but one rides in fear of getting an inspection required citation.

fran
 
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