Now that's a bike I'd want!View attachment 28697View attachment 28695 I found this post a few days ago, just figured out how to post pics. Here goes
I only just logged on, so prior to that I could only see the small pics, and without my glasses I just didn't clock the rear disc and later front end.
Really, we need a reality check at times. An older bike, so long as it was a "good" one, with some good, later model additions, can go up against the latest bikes, very, very often. It's really just the "age" of the bikes that gets them - wear and tear, and corrosion - rust never sleeps, as they say.
And, you ain't going to be "outdated" next model year.
I always recall Kevin Hines and Terry Cunnyingham's (sp?) 430 Autos, when I think of trick bikes I'd love to have. Hines was the 'trickest', but that pretty much would describe any of his bikes ....... I always gathered he was not lacking for funds, over and above his sponsorship deals. Looking at old pictures of both their bikes, all I'd want, beside set up for me, is a rear disc.
The bike above has just that. Later 'Zokes? - which, I think can be made to be very nice, and the rear end - well, that's a given that you could make it work whichever way you wanted. They, If I recall correctly, had quite a nice ratio curve. And "modern bikes", just jump around with those, with the latest 'perceived, perfect ratio'.
The 400 / 430 engine is one of the absolute Gems of 2ts - I recall Tinkens employer being quoted in a " real power" article in Dirt Bike that a modern , PV'd water cooled 400cc 2t, would be damned near the perfect engine. The Husky 400 /430s were not "it", but not to far off. Just a side note to Tinken, re his putting up of HP figures of modern 4t 450 /510s against ancient 500 2ts , in , I think the Destry Abbott 500 video - as Danny LaPorte was quoted in the article ( probably 7 / 8 years ago, but, still applicable) - "huge amounts of complication and effort, and look how far we've progressed" ( not verbatim, but that's the jist) ...... try to give just a moment thought to how far 2ts of any type could have come in well over 20 years, with the tiniest of development efforts - the KX500 and CR500s, were / are late 80s / early nineties engines with no development. A CR500 engine, is barely above a BSA Bantam / DKW engine, only having water cooling , CDI and reed valves as base design changes over those WW2 era engines ( BSA got the DKW engine as part of "war reparations"). I know, my current, long time ride is a 2003 CRE500. All I'd want from it now, is a wider ratio gearbox / 6 speed gearbox, and I'd be happy forever - Oh, plus a ES - my RH leg is getting more bent by the day, even with a auto decomp, and an ultra short KS lever. It'll have an ES, eventually.
Anyway - back to the 430 Auto. I do wish somehow someone could re-visit the Auto concept like Huskies - once again, a bit of development, and just think how amazing it could be. We, who use Rekluses ( I fitted it so as to have a hand brake - my legs don't work to well, especially when it comes to brakes), are used to near 'freewheeling', dependent on the set up. So there are now quite a few people now near 'trained' to a true Auto Gearbox.
The market is 'ripe' for such a thing. Honda even raced with their "Dog Leg / Scissor Link" Auto gearbox - mainly in the "All Japan MX Championships", but Eric Geboers raced a 250 in the Japanese GP, I think - a loooooong time ago, of course. That same basic gearbox concept - the adjustable pivot point, and 'stroke', Scissor Link was campaigned by Honda's works DH team - nothing tests a gearbox's action better than a set of human legs - with three fifths of f*** all HP, but enormous torque, at mind bogglingly low revs, smooth gear changing is very, very hard to get. Of course, they eventually just used a derailleur inside the casing, but it was a brilliant use of "human power/ feel" in conjunction with all their computer modelling and 'engined' testing.
In the late 90s, Husky Australia scored a 'forgotten consignment' of 430 Autos - either 'found' in Canada, or they were 'ear marked for Canada, and forgotten about in the factory - a bizzare story, either way. I think, near a 100 of them. Hans got them, and they went out the door for about $3,995 - a cheap, cheap price in OZ, even up against Japanese 'trailbikes such as XRs, at the time.
I've long regretted not snaffling a couple up. A rear disc, a different front end - cripes, I recently got an entire WP CC front end, for just on $400, to put on my CRE500 - you can find bargains on the internet and, with my valving, my changes to make them 'real' CCs, and an SKF Seal and bushing kit, it's sooooo much better than the much fettled 46mm Kayaba's. With the benefit of the real reason I wanted the front end for - the 4mm reduction in clamp offset, with another 2mm to play with - 18/20s, over 24mm std.
Some will say the older Huskies steered slowly - well, I get on them, and find those - the single shock / spine framers, to steer well. And they are even better with a different front end from the std 40s. And, if it were needed, a days cutting and shutting, could bring the head angle to whatever you wanted - I'm a bicycle and motorycle frame maker, so it's no problem to do such things.
Slim, simple, with a reasonable 'drop tank' - one of my obsessions on bikes, and that wonderful engine, with the last of the Autos. I wish some company would produce a modern version of the Husky Auto.
I'm not at all surprised that bloke is doing well on his '86.
