GP’s Classic Steel #80: 1978 Husqvarna 125CR

For this week’s GP’s Classic Steel we are going to take a look back one of the last European holdouts against the Japanese 125 invasion, the 1978 Husqvarna 125CR.

For this week’s GP’s Classic Steel we are going to take a look back one of the last European holdouts against the Japanese 125 invasion, the 1978 Husqvarna 125CR.

By 1978, the European 125 was something of an anomaly in America.  Although CZ, Maico, Husky and KTM still produced the eighth-liter machines, few riders this side of the pond took them seriously.

As the 1970’s began, the sport of motocross was thoroughly in the hands of the Old World European marques. Husqvarna, CZ, Penton, Butlaco and Maico ruled the roost (if you will pardon the pun) and took home all the glory. Then a machine called the Elsinore came along and rewrote all the rules.

Within five years of the Elsinore’s arrival, the Japanese had all but wiped out thirty years of European domination. The new Japanese bikes were cheaper, more reliable and often better performing than their European counterparts.  While the old guard still maintained a strong presence in the Open class, in the small bike classes, they were quickly becoming also-rans.

For 1978, Husqvarna made several changes to their 124cc reed-valve mill to increase power and improve reliability. A new un-bridged exhaust port, additional transfers and a boost port were all added to promote better flow. Although slightly more powerful than the year before, the ’78 CR was not going to win any horsepower contests.

In no other class was this seismic shift more apparent than in the 125’s. In Europe, the tiddlers were little more than an afterthought. Across the pond, real men rode 500’s and liked it that way. Here in America, however, the 125 class was exploding in popularity. The emergence of Marty Smith as a true motocross superstar and the availability of inexpensive, high-performance 125’s from Japan, made the eighth-liter division the fastest growing segment in motocross.

In the 1970’s, Husqvarna was no oddball machine for outliers and Enduro fans; it was a real-world motocross powerhouse. Four-time World Motocross Champion Heikki Mikkola demonstrates.

By 1978, most of the European brands had all but given up on the 125 class. Either unable, or unwilling to compete with the onslaught of excellent bikes from Japan, nearly all had ceded that class to the Nipponese competition. In spite of this domination by the Japanese, a few European manufacturers were not quite ready to throw in the towel. One of these last holdouts was the pride of Sweden – Husqvarna.

The grunter:  In the seventies, the Grand Prix tracks of Europe were far rougher and more technical than most of the smooth, high-speed circuits found here in America. This led the Swedish engineers to tune the 125 CR more for torque than high-rpm horsepower. As a result, its torquey low-to-mid power was out of step with most American’s 125 tastes in the late seventies.

Today, Husqvarna is in a period of transition. With KTM’s recent acquisition and relaunching of the brand, Husky’s are being transitioned from rebadged Italian bikes, to rebadged Austrian bikes. Once a proud and historic Swedish brand, Husqvarna has been shuffled and traded from one owner to another since being sold to Cagiva in 1987. In the intervening twenty-five years, they have enjoyed some success (‘93 500, ’98-’99 125 World Motocross titles), but have largely remained a bit player in motocross. High profile signings (Steve Lamson, Stefan Everts and maybe, a young Jason Thomas if you want to be generous), have backfired miserably and their bikes have consistently lagged behind the best from Japan and Austria. For one of the true pioneers of the sport, it has been a rough run indeed.

Comin’ in hot: A strong chassis and excellent suspension made the  Husky 125 CR one of the surest handling bikes of ’78.

In the seventies, things were very different for Husqvarna. At the start of the decade, Husky’s were considered some of the finest machines available from any continent. They were hand crafted, with Old World precision by off-road enthusiasts who truly had passion for the sport. These Swedish machines were some of the best handling bikes available and served as the inspiration for more than a few of the early Japanese designs. In the seventies, Husky was still a contender.

The Swedes always had their own way of doing things. Items like this unique bi-plane reed-valve were a perfect example of how the Scandinavians put their own spin on a proven design.

  

This brings us to the 125 landscape of 1978, a landscape that was awash in yellow. By ’78, the initial lead Honda had enjoyed with its original Elsinore had all but evaporated into motocross ether.  The introduction of the first Yamaha Mono and the long-travel Suzuki RM had quickly rendered the short legged CR irrelevant. A series of Band-Aid improvements and a coat of red paint were not enough to hold off the rapid march of technology in the 125 class. In 1978, Honda chose to take the year off to regroup and planned to come back with guns blazing in ’79 with an all-new long-travel CR125 “R” Elsinore.

In 1978, Kawasaki came roaring back from the brink of irrelevance with their all-new KX125 A-4.  Blazing-fast, incredibly light and nearly impossible to acquire, it was the first sign that the green guys were starting to actually get serious about motocross.

As for the Kawasaki, the KX had never been a legitimate contender in the 125 class. The little Kwaker was torquey, but too slow to run with the other Japanese tiddlers. For ’78, Kawasaki introduced a much improved KX125 with their new works replica A-4. The KX125A-4 was feather-light and powerful, but hard to ride and impossible to get (only 1600 were produced).

The Dominator: For more than half-a-decade, the RM125 was THE bike to have in the 125 class.

This left the lion’s share of the laurels to the two top Japanese contenders of the late seventies, Yamaha and Suzuki. Both the YZ and the RM had been fast to jump on the long-travel bandwagon and quickly left their under-suspended competition in their wake. In 1978, suspension was the name of the game, and the two yellow bikes had their Japanese competitors covered. As it turned out, though, Yamaha and Suzuki were not the only yellow 125’s ready to play the long-travel game in 1978.

Hurricane warning: For several years in the late seventies, the only real competition for the omnipotent Suzuki’s came from Yamaha. Always a close battle, more often than not, the RM’s came out on top.

When it came to the 125 class, the Swedes always took a very different approach to building a 125 than the Japanese. Part of that was fundamental to the way they thought about building bikes, and some of that was due to the environment in which they raced them. In the seventies, the tracks of Europe were far rougher and more technical than the typical American equivalent. Over here, our tracks were smooth and fast, and placed a premium on top end speed. European tracks by comparison, were slower and rougher, requiring bikes to be more torquey and durable.

This iconic tank design was a Husky hallmark for nearly three decades. The switch to plastic tanks would doom this alloy beauty to the history books in the early-eighties.

As a result of this, Husky 125’s tended to be both bigger and sturdier than your typical Japanese tiddler. Unlike the Japanese, who built their 125’s specifically for the smaller and lighter riders typically found in the class, the Swedes just took a 250/390 frame and bolted in a smaller motor. At the time, the reasoning for this was that the 125’s were capable of hitting the same bumps as the big bikes, so they needed to be just as tough (Husky believed this so strongly, that their frames came with a lifetime warranty against breakage).  While there was certainly some validity to this in the grueling world of 45-minute GP moto’s common to Europe, here in America, we cared more about speed.

Some of the Husky’s top-end power deficiency problems could probably be laid at the feet of its undersized Bing carburetor. While the Japanese were spec’ing 34mm mixers for their 125’s, Husky once again went their own way with a 32mm mixer for the 125 CR.

This is where the Husky was at a disadvantage to its Japanese competition. To begin with, it weighed 20 pounds more than the Far East machines. That big sturdy frame and full sized running gear may have been stronger, but it put a mighty load on the Husky’s little 125 motor. Not helping matters was the motor itself, which ran more like an enduro mill than your typical 125 screamer. It put a premium on low-end torque and mid-range thrust over top-end rev. Again, this was largely due to the difference in the GP tracks, which tended to favor torque over horsepower, with their rougher and hillier layouts. In America, our tracks were smooth and fast and we liked to hold it wide open; in Europe that was not possible and not practical on many circuits.

In 1978, if you wanted things like a folding tip on your shifter, you had to go aftermarket.

The 55 x 52mm, 124cc mill in the 125 CR was thoroughly modern for the time, featuring an air-cooled radial finned head, 9:1 compression ratio, electronic ignition and reed–valve induction (configured in an unique eight-pedal “vertical-plane” arrangement). Carburation was handled by a 32mm Bing mixer, which was smaller than the 34mm Keihin and Mikuni carbs typically found on Japanese 125’s of the day.  Left-hand kickstart further differentiated the Husky and added to its European flavor.

All-or-nothing: While the 19.97 HP pumped out by the Husky was considered a competitive number in ’78, its utter lack of top-end was a major handicap. Just as most 125’s were getting going, the little Swede’s power curve fell off a cliff.

On the track, the little Husky produced a strong and torquey delivery off idle quite unlike most 125’s. It pulled the next gear easily when short shifted and preferred to be torqued instead of revved around the track. Mid-range was plentiful, but the bike hit an absolute wall just as the most tiddlers were just getting started. Revving the bike out actually yielded less speed, and it was best to keep the bike a gear tall to maximize its torquey delivery.

Unlike most 125’s, the Husky 125 CR used running gear right off its big brothers. Heavy-duty Akront rims and conical hubs graced the wheels and provided the best braking performance in the class.

On tight and technical tracks, the Husky could be ridden competitively, but if the course offered any long straits, the overweight and underpowered 125 CR was in trouble. It was a good motor for off-road use and play riding, but just not powerful enough to keep up with the KX, YZ and RM. For those looking to do more than just racing, the Husqvarna made an excellent choice, but for hard core motocross, it needed a little help.

No Fear: Although it may have lacked some ponies, airtime was no issue on the Hooska. Plush suspension front and read made landings a breeze.

One area where the Husqvarna 125 CR took a back seat to no one was in the suspension department. Unlike many of the Japanese brands, the Husky 125 got the benefit of the same high quality suspension and components found on its big brothers. This meant full size 35mm Husky built front forks, punching out 9.4 inches of travel (most in the class) and a set of “fat-body” gas-emulsion Girling shocks out back.

The leading axle 35mm front forks found on the Husky were unique to the Swedish brand. Unlike most manufacturers, Husqvarna tested, designed and built their own front silverware. Even with leaky seals and sack-prone springs, these were the best forks in the 125 class.

Unlike the Japanese, Husky actually designed their own forks for use on their off-road machines. By engineering and building their own components, the Swedish manufacturer could ensure the highest quality and be certain the performance met with their expectations. Internally, the Husky forks used a dual-spring setup, with a small spring used to prevent topping out and a larger spring for bump absorption. In stock condition, there was no external adjustability, but Husky did offer accessory air caps, which could be used to further tune performance.

On the track, the 35mm Husky forks offered excellent performance. They were exceedingly plush and smooth over rough terrain and gobbled up breaking bumps and small chatter like it was not there. For heavier and faster riders, the accessory air caps were recommended, and an additional seven-psi of pressure seemed to be the hot setup for most.

Out back, Husky used a set of nitrogen-charged Girling shocks to provide a smooth and controlled ride. Offering a full 10.0 inches of travel, the Swede featured the best ride in the 125 class.

While the forks were generally very well liked, there were two areas of concern with their performance. Seal life had always been questionable with Husky forks, and the 125 CR continued this tradition. They started out weepy and only got worse with time.  Fork spring life was also suspect (a common problem in this era), as they tended to sack out very quickly. As the springs petered out, fork performance went from plush, to brutal, as the front sagged and bottomed out on hard hits. In both cases, aftermarket solutions were the hot setup.

In the rear, the Husky came equipped with a set of, “fat-body” gas-emulsion Girling shocks. These premium dampers were produced exclusively for the 125 CR and built to Husky’s specifications. They lacked the remote reservoirs of the Ohlins shocks found on the larger Husky’s, but offered an excellent 10.0 inches of travel. The Girlings were straightforward for the time, using a nitrogen-charged air/oil damping system. Dual-springs on each shock offered further fine-tuning possibilities, but there was no external damping adjustment available.

The specially designed “fat-body” gas-emulsion shocks (The fat-body is on the left, the normal Girlings on the right) used on the 125 CR were designed and built exclusively for Husqvarna by Girling. The offered more consistent damping, better fade resistance and increased reliability over the standard issue Girling’s of the day.

In terms of performance, the Husky offered the best rear suspension in the class in ’78.  The Girlings were exceedingly plush and well damped, tracking straight and true through the gnarliest terrain. Jumps, whoops and bumps were no problem for the yellow Swede. While the Husky may have made less outright power than the best from Japan, it excellent rear suspension and smooth delivery made sure every precious horsepower was converted to forward thrust.

Little touches, like the lubrication fittings built right into the control cables, showed Husky’s meticulous attention to detail on their off-road machines.

In the handling department, the Husky offered a very “un-125-like” feel. The large frame, 36-inch seat height and longish 57.5-inch wheelbase made the bike feel much more like a very slow 250, than a razor sharp 125. Over rough terrain, the bike was as stable as a locomotive, but in the tight stuff, the bike was at a disadvantage. It’s smooth, torquey delivery and excellent suspension made it one of the easiest bikes to go fast on, but it was never going to be mistaken for an RM125.

Foot pegs have come a long way in thirty-five years.

Detailing on the Husky was far and away the best in the class. The excellent conical drum brakes front and rear were straight of the 390 CR and offered the most power and best feel in the 125 class. The sturdy 4130 chrome-moly steel frame was strong and nearly indestructible. Fasteners on the Husky were of the Allen varieties, which today are largely frowned upon in dirt bike circles. In  1978, however, these little hexagonal bolts were a huge improvement over the pot-metal (and easily stripped) Phillips screws seen on most Japanese bikes. In addition to the high quality fasteners, all the bolts came equipped with aircraft grade self-locking washers to prevent bolts and nuts from coming loose mid-moto. Sturdy Akront rims were mated to premium Trelleborg tires front and rear, offering excellent traction in mud and slop, but weak performance on the typical Southern California baked clay.

In 1978, the Husky 125 CR was destined to be a bit played in the 125 class. The Japanese had a strangle hold on the tiddler division and the little Husky lacked the firepower to turn that tide. It was built with care, well suspended and handled well, but also badly underpowered, overweight and too expensive. In 1978, that was a hard sell to your average American teenager.

At $1425, the Husky 125 CR cost a lot more than your typical Japanese 125 in 1978 (as much as 20% more). For that money, you got premium materials throughout and the best build quality in the eighth-liter division. It was plush and handled well, but too slow for most American tracks. It was bred for the sport as it existed in Europe, which was very different than the flavor seen on this side of the pond. In 1978, Husky was quickly becoming out of step with the American market. To their credit, the Swedes were determined to do it their way, regardless of the consequences.  In the pre-Japanese market, that had been an advantage, but in the post-Elsinore era, that was just not good enough.