Husqvarna Motorcycles

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Husqvarna Motorcycles

Husqvarna motorcycles were first produced in 1903, with the factory located in the Swedish town of Huskvarna (Husqvarna is the old Swedish spelling for the city name.). At that time, they were producing bicycles, with the move to producing motorcycles being the next logical step.

Founded in 1689, the original Husqvarna company built muskets for the Swedish Army. Since then, many companies have grown from the original, branching off and becoming separate businesses each using the original name.

In the early 1920's Husqvarna motorcycles built their own engine manufacturing facilities and began producing their own 550cc 4 cycle engines. While their initial production motorcycles were street bikes, Husqvarna has really made a name for themselves as producers of top-flight motocross and enduro motorcycles. A string of enduro wins in the 1960's and 1970's cemented their reputation and made Husqvarna synonymous with dirt championships.

In 2007, BMW bought Husqvarna motorcycles and today's Husqvarna motorcycles are fantastic machines. They combine the best of the lightweight, off road readiness of a true motocross or enduro bike, and cross them with street legal features allowing owners to ride from their garages to the trails, conquer the toughest single tracks and get home again easily. Some owners take their Husqvarna motorcycles form garage to race track and back to their garages - riding them the entire time. A good rider on a Husky can be very competitive in races. While typically heavier than a true motocross motorcycle, Husqvarnas are still very capable machines.

Today's Husqvarna motorcycles have excellent suspensions, slim chassis and strong, torquey motors. The latest models enjoy increased on road comfort with their 6 speed transmissions allowing riders to cruise the freeway will keeping engine revs low to increase rider comfort. This pays big dividends in a dualsport. Allowing riders to cover long distances on road, and still easily handle a bike capable of outrunning lesser riders on more specifically designed motorcycles.

Most models after 2008 enjoy fuel injection, making cold starts and off camber fueling issues a thing of the past. While all Husqvarna motorcycles enjoy a reputation for reliability, like many focused motorcycles, it does require more maintenance than some other makes/models. Due to their intended use, dual sport motorcycles will require more maintenance than street-focused motorcycles, especially when run off road.

Common complaints from the dual sport community about Husqvarna motorcycles typically revolve around an uncomfortable seat, a small gas tank (limiting range) and more frequent maintenance intervals that some competitors offer.

An uncomfortable seat is easily remedied by the aftermarket. Companies such as Corbin offer big increases in comfort with their upgraded Husqvarna motorcycle seats, though check with your wallet first, as full replacement seats from companies such as this are often quite expensive. A more wallet-friendly approach may be to find a local shop to alter the padding on your stock seat pan. Guys like Spencer and Rich off ride-in and mail-based services to increase your comfort at lower cost.

Small gas tank capacity can be addressed with a visit to companies such as Clarke, who offer larger gas tanks for many Husqvarna motorcycle models. Most gas tanks are bolt-on affairs, but be ready for a little friggery from time to time. Their styling is usually meant to mimic the stock tanks, so in some cases, others may not realize you've upgraded the stock unit to a higher capacity unit. The small stock gas tank on Husqvarna motorcycles reflects their race-oriented intentions. Upgrading to a larger tank is great if you intend to dual sport your Husky all day. Most aftermarket gas tanks are made of plastic, so choose carefully, after careful research, to ensure yours is well manufactured. Some cheaper units are prone to warping and use non-paintable plastics. If this latter point matters to you, there are aftermarket decals available that mimic the stock ones allowing you to cover up much of the plain white plastic. One good point of the white plastic units is that you can usually see how much gas you have left.

As for dealing with increased maintenance intervals, well, you've got to live with that when you use a Husqvarna motorcycle - or any motorcycle, for that matter- off road. Increased exposure to dirt increases maintenance needs. Add in the tight tolerances and high quality of Husqvarna motorcycles and you need to step up and take care of them. Most owners don't see this as a problem, though, as post-ride maintenance often entails a quick wash to remove dirt, a chain lube and tightening if needed and maybe a check of tire pressures. Modern Husqvarna motorcycles have super easy to access air filters making it a job of a few minutes to wash and replace the foam filters, leaving your ride ready for it's next dual sport adventure.