Husqvarna Creates New Stealth Bike

[JETZcorp]

Okay, so these pictures aren't of a two-stroke, but I suspect the 125CR will get a similar treatment to this 2011 four-stroke thing.  Found this on MXSimulator.com, and I thought it was interesting.  Certainly not a fan of where they went with the styling, I honestly prefer how they look now, but some of the engineering is interesting.  Note the position of the front sprocket, which is something I gather BMW have a patent on, or something.  What really makes it interesting is that I was thinking of ways of designing an engine with its sprocket there, myself.









Oh, and here's one of the responses to the bike on MXS that stood out.   

i for one would never buy anything other then the big 4.

[2smoker]

See I like it.. I am happy that Husky is getting a share of the business..because I totally hate what the big 4 did to our sport for the last couple years.. I like the idea with the sprocket.. Just a big disappointment to see a damn 4 stroke engine in that frame They took the engine from the BMW and in person the big is gigantic.. This bike looks so frigging big.. I would  like to compare it with with an RM 250 side by side.. I like to see TMs, Aprilias and Huskys racing against the Jap manufacturers.. But in North America we are stuck with the AMA lol

[MMS]

I think Husky will become a big player in the off-road market over the next few years. I was reading up about it in one of the "trade" rags and OK, they all like to talk big but to be fair look at what they're doing in WSB etc, and bear in mind how much they've saved by pulling out of F1 which they can now invest elsewhere, and you'd have to take their claims seriously.

On a note more relevant to this site, they also claim to be committed to the development of 2-strokes for the off-road market and to continue having a full ranger of strokers for the foreseeable future. Again while talk is cheap, at least they're not pedalling the Japanese line of 2-strokes being dead, obsolete, having no future, blah, blah, blah.

[JohnN]

I too like the idea of the counter-shaft sprocket being in that position. What I really wonder is why the Japanese machines never did it?

While I'm not a big fan of the black plastic (probably just a prototype) the styling is a little bizarre. But at least it's not the dame cookie-cutter plastic that seems to be on everything else!

Another cool part of this machine is where the gas cap is located (not shown in these photos) right behind the seat!

I enjoy seeing companies try alternative ideas when designing bikes. I know that a bunch of folks in the USA at least think that anything that isn't a Japanese bike looks like crap, but these are the same guys that think a cool graphics kit is more important than performance! 

I really hope that BMW/Husqvarna does follow through with the two-stroke agenda. It would be interesting to see what they come up with.

[MXLord327]

Has anyone ridden any of the newer Husky 2-strokes?  I know they were always smooth, slow revving bikes, typical Euro power that had a hard time keeping up with the japanese bikes corner to corner on a track.  Since Bobby Garrison won the 2-stroke race at Glen Helen on one, maybe things have changed.  The mainstream mags don't seem to want to test anything but 4 strokes, and if they do test a 2 stroke it is more of a novelty than an actual race bike test.  Anyone with any experience on them?  Someone told me last year there was a dealer here in the Northeast selling the CR125 model (MX) for under $4000 new!!!

[SachsGS]

I don't have the actual figures but Husky sales are up significantly where as the "big four" have seen a decline in sales,some (Suzuki) more then others. With BMW's technical expertise and DEEP pockets I think we will see a dramatic resurgance of the brand. I'm not sold on the countershaft sprocket/swingarm fulcrum thing or the stacked transmission though, I think some things that are time tested and proven are still the best way to go. Norton first got the engine/swingarm placement correct and I suspect this is partly why David Knight couldn't come to terms with the BMW 450.

[miedosoracing]

Has anyone ridden any of the newer Husky 2-strokes?  I know they were always smooth, slow revving bikes, typical Euro power that had a hard time keeping up with the japanese bikes corner to corner on a track.  Since Bobby Garrison won the 2-stroke race at Glen Helen on one, maybe things have changed.  The mainstream mags don't seem to want to test anything but 4 strokes, and if they do test a 2 stroke it is more of a novelty than an actual race bike test.  Anyone with any experience on them?  Someone told me last year there was a dealer here in the Northeast selling the CR125 model (MX) for under $4000 new!!!

Friend of mine emailed me this Sunday.  
"I got 3rd out of 9 the first moto on MXA 300cc  two
stroke Husky that won the 2 stroke National and it was a
pretty good moto. The 300 was a pretty good bike and I would rather race it than a 250 four
stroke."

Keep in mind, this is a person who only races 4 strokes usually.

[Out of Order]

I like the new Husky, besides the tractor engine. Actually I like how they moved the cylinder forward and stacked the trans to make the engine more compacted. Now they have to do it to the 125, 250, and 300 2 stroke. The plastic design doesn't look much different from the 2010 except some mods like cutting some plastic here and there, and it seems they made the radiator shrouds a part of the side panels.   

[metal_miracle]

That looks like a   black bmw

[MXLord327]

If it is a take-off on the BMW, I hope the beefed up the frame.  I know of at least a couple enduro riders from this area that broke them last year!!

[admiral]

Has anyone ridden any of the newer Husky 2-strokes?  I know they were always smooth, slow revving bikes, typical Euro power that had a hard time keeping up with the japanese bikes corner to corner on a track.  Since Bobby Garrison won the 2-stroke race at Glen Helen on one, maybe things have changed.  The mainstream mags don't seem to want to test anything but 4 strokes, and if they do test a 2 stroke it is more of a novelty than an actual race bike test.  Anyone with any experience on them?  Someone told me last year there was a dealer here in the Northeast selling the CR125 model (MX) for under $4000 new!!!

the stock WR300 makes a whopping 42 hp. the MXA bike which was ported/ head mod by Mitch Payton himself made 48hp. Husky needs a modern 250/300 engine platform as the current one is very long in the tooth.

[JETZcorp]

42?  Damn, that's the sort of horsepower you expect from a crusty old anemic 250 from the '80s.

[JohnN]

Horsepower figures are next to useless... most manufacturers fudge this a bit on their sales brochures...

Plus truthfully, if you don't use the same dyno you can't compare one machine to the other. And I'd imagine that would be worse comparing dynos built in 1950 versus dynos built in 2009.

To add to the problem, two exact same machines from the same manufacturer, even with sequential serial numbers could have horsepower figures significantly different from one another.

The real question is, what difference does it make what the number is? It matters how you like the bike and if it makes enough power for you to ride the way you want to.

Most of these horsepower "discussions" come across more like, "my dad can kick your dad's ass" feel to them.

The next question I have is how many of you have actually put any machine you owned on a dyno? I can tell you how many I have..... ZERO. So I don't feel qualified to mention horsepower numbers.

I just don't want you guys getting all worked up or upset with one another because of horsepower figures.

And just so you know my bike puts out 79 horsepower... not bad for a 125 two stroke! 

[admiral]

Horsepower figures are next to useless... most manufacturers fudge this a bit on their sales brochures...

Plus truthfully, if you don't use the same dyno you can't compare one machine to the other. And I'd imagine that would be worse comparing dynos built in 1950 versus dynos built in 2009.

To add to the problem, two exact same machines from the same manufacturer, even with sequential serial numbers could have horsepower figures significantly different from one another.

The real question is, what difference does it make what the number is? It matters how you like the bike and if it makes enough power for you to ride the way you want to.

Most of these horsepower "discussions" come across more like, "my dad can kick your dad's ass" feel to them.

The next question I have is how many of you have actually put any machine you owned on a dyno? I can tell you how many I have..... ZERO. So I don't feel qualified to mention horsepower numbers.

I just don't want you guys getting all worked up or upset with one another because of horsepower figures.

And just so you know my bike puts out 79 horsepower... not bad for a 125 two stroke! 

alot of what you say is true John. i personally have dyno'ed well over 300 bikes (mostly street bikes) as it's part of what i do for a living. a dyno is not the be all end all but is one more tool in your arsenal. i haven't ridden a late model WR300 but i have dyno'ed and ridden two different stock '04 KX 250's back when they were new. this was the last year of the older engine before the '05 redesign. they also made 42hp and were by far the slowest modern MX bikes i ever rode. right after we dyno'ed those KX's we put an '03 KTM 250SX on the dyno. those were the strongest stock 250  2 strokes i have ever tested. 49 hp stock and with a Pro Circuit pipe it would hit 50.9hp. i have dyno'ed my KX 500's, CR 500's, KTM 380's and 250's, and my Maico 490. alot of the hp/torque graphs look very close but feel really different when ridden. the most powerful dirt bike i ever put on the dyno (of course i haven't tested all of them) and ridden was a KTM 500.

[TMKIWI]

Your right Admiral.
Seat of the pants is the only way to compare performance.
Ride 2 bikes back to back and you will know which one has better performance regardless of what the brochure says.
The way the power comes on is different in the real world.