An Old Man's Fond Memory

[ChipBeck_imp]

Guth,

In the Lucas taillight thread you made mention of my 40 year old Husqvarna and asked me to post some pictures of it here in the "Other Bikes " thread. Well here you go. In 1971 I was able to trade my Honda Trail 70 for my first real motorcycle, a Honda SL100 dirtbike. I rode with my friends every weekend and competed in desert races and enduros on that bike. I was very happy with it until my buddies and I went to the theater and saw the movie "On Any Sunday". I was a sophomore in high school and that movie was the coolest thing I had ever seen but there was a downside to it. The Swedish built Husqvarna's that Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen were riding in that flick filled all of us with lust and desire for rare and expensive machines that we couldn't afford. At least they were very expensive to high school kids. I stood in the Husqvarna dealership's showroom countless times and just stared at them. I had never wanted anything so intensely. I had to make it happen. For two summers I worked at my family's automobile dealership and saved my money to buy a Husky. But I knew that if I asked my parents permission they would say no so I had to figure out an alternate route. And they would certainly notice a shiny new Husqvarna in our garage. So as soon as I started saving for my 250WR, I went to a motorcycle shop and purchased a motorcycle cover that said "Husqvarna" on it and put it on my Honda SL100. When my dad saw it he asked me if I had a new motorcycle and I said no, then took the cover off and showed him the Honda underneath. A year and a half later I had squirreled away enough money, sold my SL100 to one of the mechanics who worked in our shop, and I purchased a brand-new 1973 Husqvarna 250WR. I took it home and put it underneath that same motorcycle cover that had been on my Honda for the last two years. Almost 2 more years went by before my parents figured out I didn't have a Honda anymore. It's easier to seek forgiveness than permission.

I kept that Husky all the way through college and after graduation I made the horrible mistake of selling it to a good friend. The bike was still in perfect condition having been maintained with the utmost care. Within six months my friend had trashed it. The new Huskies don't look anything like the amazing machines that Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith road in "On Any Sunday" and they are not even made in Sweden anymore. I always deeply regretted selling that bike as it was as much a piece of art to me as it was a piece of sporting equipment. Over the years I looked at several vintage Husqvarna's and they were all in disappointingly poor shape. It isn't easy to find a pristine 40-year-old dirt bike.

So I decided if I wanted one I was going to have to have it built for me. The premier vintage Husqvarna restorer in the nation is Husky Restorations in New York State. I found and purchased a tired old, worn out, but complete 1973 250WR and had it re-manufactured exactly as original right down to the red nylon lock nuts. The engine and six speed transmission, cables, spokes, handlebars, Magura levers and grips, cables, etc. are all brand-new or re-manufactured to brand-new condition. The paint/chrome tank is flawless and even the frame is refinished exactly as Husky did it. Every single sticker and label is exactly as it was when the bike came from the factory. The cost of the restoration was $9000. Although the bike was built to be ridden I have no intention of ever taking it out in the desert. It sits in my entryway underneath posters of Steve McQueen riding his 1970 Husky 250 Cross in the Elsinore Grand Prix, Malcolm Smith riding his 1970 400 Cross in a motocross race, and a reproduction of the original movie poster for the movie On Any Sunday. Every time I walk by it I feel like the high school kid who stood in that Husqvarna showroom staring at that bike from every angle and dreaming of the day that I would finally take one home, just like Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen. Once a young boy's dream, now an old man's fond memory. Cheers.

Chip

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[Guth_imp]

Great story to go with a great bike. A work of art indeed.

Thanks for sharing Chip!

[the Ferret]

Indeed AWESOME!

[Bayoucityrider_imp]

Awesome.......I really enjoyed this story.
Excellent restoration. Worth every penny. I have known guys to lose more than that one night in Vegas with nothing to show for it,except a trip to the doctor. Thanks for sharing.

[The Spaceman_imp]

Isn't it amazing how things that were once a commodity can become such valuable collector's items in a few decades? I did a similar restoration of a '77 HD Low Rider back in the 90's after finding one in 80% original condition on consignment in a local shop. Stuff people ripped off and threw away like factory exhausts, handlebars, turn signals, etc. were so damn hard to find, and unbelievably expensive once found. Someday 20 years from now a guy will be looking for a factory exhaust/seat/tank for an old 2013 CB1100 he found in a barn...

[BuffaloBill_imp]

WOW! Very cool story, even cooler Bike & Resto! Thanks for asking Guth and Chip, thanks for sharing!!

[Utah1_imp]

Amazing resto on the Swedish iron and love the display in the house. Looks like an old Jeep in the other CB garage photos, does it have an interesting backstory as well?

[Bbref36_imp]

Great story Chip. Thanks for sharing and the photos. Mark

[Rolls_imp]

Wow. Awesome Husky and great backstory, Chip! Thanks for sharing it and telling the story so well it brought back my own memories of lusting after the first Huskies I saw as a kid on the dirt trails we rode as kids.

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

What a story! "It's better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission" has been my mantra forever. I never mention another bike to my wife until it's in my garage, then it's "Oh, yeah, I got that yesterday." We're still married 46 years. The same with boats. A friend and I are considering going partners on a sailboat that we can put on the lake.