• 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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Steering Head Angle

1982 XC 430

1982 XC 430

Husqvarna
AA Class
I have one of the 1984 250 AC WR Frames. It is assumed that it is the 30.5 deg's head angle and not the 28 deg's of the 84 LC. I need to do some welding on the frame before I send it out to the Powder Coater and I am considering changing the Head Angle it to the later design. So how do I measure the Angle ? Considering the various Shock Lengths and suspension sag swing arm lengths and different fork lengths there are so many variances no two bikes could be alike. Since I currently have a bare frame, I'd like a way to measure the angle of what I have. Is there any portion of the Frame that is considered Level ? (like the bars below the seat) Something I could measure the Angle from ? Other wise I can just strap the frame down on my welding table, and change it 2 1/2 degs, but I would sure hate to do that if it turned out to be the desired angle already. For what ever it is worth, my Frame Number is WO 11613. Looking at the serial numbers guide this should make this bike the 613th WR frame for 84, which I would think is somewhat early production, or a left over 83.
 
Buy putting a Level on my Seat Frame Tubes and using an Inclinometer on the Steering Head I'm getting a reading of 30 deg's. I think I might of found my own answer.
 
My 84 250WR is a prime example of this discussion. It clearly has a serial number that is firmly entrenched into the 1984 model year but has the 30.5° rake of the leftover 83 frames. I do know that by the time the Dirt Bike mag tested it, the 84 250WR they tested had the specified angle .
 
Do you see a difference between riding both bike with different angles? Does one steer or turn faster over the other?

I could get on any husqvarna from that era and ride it.

The only I notice that's different is the '79 seat to the '83 seat. The '83 seat is wider and lower. The '79 seat is higher.
 
I have yet to ride either frame as of yet. I have read the Dirt Bike test that states the true 84 corners easier, not requiring the same effort the 83 frame required. They also stated that the 82/83 250WR engines were much friendlier on low and mid range where the 84 lost much of that low mid power with much greater top end. The 84 WR top end as you have heard already was direct from the 83 250CR. The older frames could corner but you had to work for it, it did not just happen without forcing your weight toward the front wheel
 
I have ridden both and I prefer the 30.5 rake over the 28, but I am in a clear minority. In my opinion (which is free, and only worth what you paid for it) the 40mm fork tubes flex more when the rake is tightened up, offsetting any gains from the sharper rake. The way I have my '82s set up they will turn with anything.
 
i also believe that the difference is kind of observed in its own vacuum...both models still handle like guided missiles compared to most other bikes. its just that one of the missiles has a lil different fins, lol
 
I actually rode my '82 250CR and a friend's '84 250CR back to back on the same day. Of course my bike was set up exactly how I like it, and maybe I was expecting too much from the sharper rake, but I was not impressed, I thought my bike was better in turns.
 
sure bike setup is key, little stuff is huge. my friends huskies ive rode over the years always feel weird to me.
 
Myself if using steeper rake/ less trail I would go to larger fork tubes like 43mm on the Kaw/Yam Kayabas I have. One Kaw set is likely to go on the 1983 430WR I am making for my self and the other Kaw set will go on which ever 400WR LC I end up keeping. The Yamaha 43mm will go on my HL500 build
 
How much the forks are poking thru the top triple clamp is critical to how the bike will turn.. yes the rake is already a factor.. but you can make the bike turn much easier by sliding the forks up and down in the clamps..
 
Moving the tubes up into the triples is effectively reducing trail and rake. Trail is more of a factor here rather then rake by itself You can reduce offset at the same rake and have much sharper turning by moving the axle toward the triples.
 
The '86-up triples have less offset, which is what I run on my '82 with the clamps as far down as they will go without the tire hitting the fender at bottom.
 
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