1976 Husqvarna street tracker

[samp615]

Inspired by the old trackers, I play on taking my bike:

And turning it into a tracker, inspired by these:

This is my first build. I do not plan on doing any chopping at all, out of respect to the husky. Here's the plan:

Tear down

repaint frame, rims, trees, fork lowers

new tires, possibly some from coker

lower front forks (hard part for me)

lower back, possibly have to buy new shocks (hard part for me)

new handlebars, speedo, kill switch, headlight

Possibly build new seat

I will leave the tank as is. I like the patina. I hopefully will keep the cables and just clean them up. Hopefully I will just have to fix up the breaks and not buy new ones. I am unsure about the seat but that will be last.

Does anyone have any advice on lowering the bike?

Feel free to chime in and give me some constructive criticism.

I want the bike to be functional and have a timeless look. I am on a budget, so hopefully I can do everything under $100. The tires may be the most costly. If I work real hard I bet I can do it for 500.

 

[samp615]

Day 1

Had a solid 4 hours today between class to start the tear down. I do not have a garage or shop so thankfully it was sunny.

First thing I did was print out the entire part list and pinned them to a bulletin board so I can bag every screw with the correct number.

I tried to keep the bags on top/near the right piece of paper.

http://The tear down went pretty well. This is my first build so I was very nervous and tried to take my time.

The motor was a pain in the butt to get out. The bottom mount screw took some time to get off. I had to place the bike on my weight lifting bench to get leverage but finally got it. I pray to god I wasn't too rough and screwed something up.

[img width=770 height=574]http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k581/samp615/9deecbd3.jpg

The back wheel came off nicely. I am a bit confused about the swing arm because it doesn't have a bolt going across the entire arm like I am use to.



I kept the motor, stator, coil, and carb all attached because the bike as running find before tear down and I am very nerous to screw anything up

The bolt on the top triple tree was a pain in the a ss. I didn't have a big enough socket to get it off so I tried a vise grip. After a few tries I realized I was being dumb and may ruin the thing, so just need to go buy the proper tool. I ended there in order to end the day relatively trouble free.

Because I am a poor college kid I am trying to save money anywhere I can on the build. The frame is nice with little rust. Would it be possible to just use an aircraft stipper, then prime and rattle can paint it? I may do the same with the rims, or just get them down to bare metal then clear coat them. Do you reckon I'll have to rebuild them or can I leave the spokes in there?

 

[guernz]

I love vintage dirt track bikes like that. ;D

 

[samp615]

Frame is stripped, primed, and getting ready for paint.

While it dries I am considering how I am going to lower the bike. I have thought about cutting the front spring and either buying xs650 back shocks or using 1976 ke125 back shocks. The ke125 is about 3 inches shorter. I could also use the ke125 forks, but I am nervous it may be too low.

This is the height I am going for.

What do you think I should do?

 

[guernz]

I would mock the bike back up, slide the forks up through the trees, and block the rear end up to the desired height. Then you can measure and see what shock length and fork length your looking for. I have a 1981 Can-Am 250 Qualifier I have been thinking about doing something like this to. 8)

 

[samp615]

I ant my bike to have a similiar shape to the bike in your photo

 

[klx678]

If you want decent handling you're going to break your $100 mark with the shocks alone.

Put the bike on a jack under the engine, pull the shocks and loosen the triple clamps, then lower the bike down to where you want it. Measure how long the shocks must be and how far the fork stanchion tube sticks up above the top clamp. That will tell you how long your shocks will need to be, the springs will need to be fairly stiff due to the laid down angle, that increases the leverage factor nearly 50%.

On the fork you can install a travel limiting spacer about equal to the length you need to lower the bike, then install it between the top of the damper rod and the stanchion tube to cut the travel down. If you can not compress the fork springs enough you can cut off a nummber of coils, but not the full amount you want to lower the bike, because the bike was fairly soft in the initial travel as an MX or XC bike. You don't want them too soft.

As for tires, if you want authentic look tires, do Dunlop K70s and/or Duro HF308s. I did a 3.50-19 Dunlop K70, not a 4.00, because the only 4.00 is a Duro six ply HF 308 which is too stiff a sidewall, plus the 3.50 will work better on the road. On the rear I did a Duro HF308 4.00-18 four ply because the 4.00-18 Dunlop wore too fast and I wanted to try the Duro. All in all I had $180 in tires, the Dunlop was on sale at Bikebandit at $78 or so and the Duro was $73 plus shipping on ebay. They are the identical tread set up I ran on my old Bultaco short tracker, but the front was a 4.00-19 and the rear was a Pirelli MT53 4.00-18 which is the tread copied by Duro. Real vintage tread pattern from the 70s.

The Bultaco M66 175cc Sherpa S:

The tires on my project bike:

After I get this bike done, a two stroke single, preferably a Bultaco in a Sherpa S frame, will be the next project. Your Husky looks exciting. Keep posting the pictures.

 

[klx678]

I forgot to mention a few things.

First, you may be able to get enough money out of your Husky rear shocks to buy some aftermarket stuff if they aren't blown out. Vintage stuff sells fairly good. A set of Hagon shocks could be had for about $200.

Second, after thinking about it, the rims you want to run on a budget will be 18" front and rear. That will give you the best DOT legal real old school dirt track tires you can get. The 18" rims are not going to be as expensive as 19s and you may already have one on the rear. I will do 18s on my two stroke project because the ridged alloy 18s are readily available from a gazillion European motocrossers; the 19s are rarer. Every Bultaco that wasn't an Astro short tracker had an 18" rear rim, as did all Huskies that didn't run 17s. Then you can run the 4.00 Dunlop or Duro without any problems. Two of them would be cheaper than one 19" flat track tire.

If I can be of any help or suggestion, send a PM or email. I will reply for sure. You want to build a real short tracker legal for the street, none of the brat or stripped down streetbike stuff that many pass off as a street tracker. The street tracker came about when flat trackers took their old flat track BSA, Triumph, or Yamaha and made them street legal. That is the process I'm using - build the racer first, then put on the lights. Part of my plan is to do some track days at a motorcycle club I know of, then possibly some ice "racing" during the winter if the guys are still playing. Been there on a converted TT500 and it was a blast. Street tires with a thousand ice screws in them (like sheet metal screws but slightly longer thread and V cut heads).

I had a number of friends who did the track bike on the street thing back in the 70s before the term street tracker existed. The bikes - an XR chassis Sportster engine XR900, a Honda 450 twin cut and built up as a short tracker, an actual Power Dyne (Yamaha rip off) 360 short tracker with a Yamaha lighting system, and a cut and built up Kawasaki Big Horn 350 short tracker. All of them on the street in 1976, pre-street track. The guy with the XR900 sold it and built a full on Shell Thuett 750 kitted Champion framed Yamaha XS650 for the street. He sold it after a few years and the buyer stripped the lights of to race the bike. It was still being raced last time we heard of it.

 

[samp615]

Thanks for the response. I'll get a proper reply after work.

FYI the 100-500 budget was a typo. I meant 500-1000

 

[samp615]

Got the frame painted and did a mock up.

I slid the forks up about 3 inches. I really like this height for the front end. For the back, I used some 1976 ke125 shocks. I think this may be a little too low. These back shocks are roughly 3-4 inches shorter than stock. The way the seat works I am not worried about the back wheel hitting, just not sure if I like the look.

Anyone have suggestions?


As for the rims and a few other items I cannot decide if I am going polish them clean or leave them rough and dirty looking. This project as turned into an art project for me. I am trying to have a few things rough looking just because the Husky was a famous dirt bike while also slightly changing the shape to make it look hip.

 

[samp615]

I want to get the k70 tires, or something that looks just like it.

MY current tires on the bike read:
3.50x21 and 5x17.


I would like the tires to be nice and big. I think the back tire is a nice size, but the front could be a bit beefier. I plan on keeping the stock rims, which are 2.5x17 and 3x21. Does Dunlap make tires that can fit the bill?

 

[klx678]

If you stay with the 21" wheel the tire selection will be 3.00x21, 3.00x21, and 3.00x21. You really do need to dump the 21 and as I said, I'd recommend putting an 18" rim on it. You'll spend $100 in spokes, but should be able to get a decent aluminum rim for maybe $30 off ebay or find one from someone who hoards dirt bikes. They were the common rear rim. The 17" rear is also an issue for a tire like the K70. You may be able to find some dual sport tread that will be blocky, but will not have the old dirt track look. The general bike looks good at this point. You should be able to take the fork legs apart and put in some lowering spacers that will drop the bike the 3" you like and the front wheel will not hit the bottom triple clamp if done that way.

Later...

 

[samp615]

Man...

Up until this point I was really wanting the keep the original rims. They had some of the gold paint on them, but just really had a neat look and it is important to me that I have as many original parts as possible. In my opinion, the gold rims really add a ton to the look.

I think I'm gonna have to spend some time brain storming to figure out how to make it work. Worst case scenario means buying new rims and but being able to find tires easily. Best case is keep the rims and find tires that work.

 

[samp615]

just an update-

just ordered the shinko 244. Because of a small budget I had to go this route, but in the future I hope to get new rims and try the dunlops

 

[klx678]

Man...

Up until this point I was really wanting the keep the original rims. They had some of the gold paint on them, but just really had a neat look and it is important to me that I have as many original parts as possible. In my opinion, the gold rims really add a ton to the look.

I think I'm gonna have to spend some time brain storming to figure out how to make it work. Worst case scenario means buying new rims and but being able to find tires easily. Best case is keep the rims and find tires that work.

It's all in how real you want it to be. That was totally my goal. I am building a short tracker first - race capable - and that included tires. I would love to do the 19s, but the cost of the current flat track tires is more than the cost of both of the old school street tread flat track tires. By the way at the AMA museum you will actually see vintage flat trackers with the Dunlop K70 and Pirelli MT53 tires on them because they actually ran the street tires and those worked the best. Only in 1975 did the bikes start outperforming those tires and the manufacturers started working on DT only tire.

If you wanted to do so you could pick up a used 18" front wheel from some Honda somewhere and maybe find another Husky wheel with an 18 on it or do some measuring and fit up another wheel to it. The different front wheel will give you better brakes, especially if you fit up a disc brake, but the old Honda twin leading shoe 350 brake would be easier to fit up.

If you could get to a vintage swap meet like Mid Ohio has you could probably score wheels low buck. ebay is a bit costly at times. You could also check out local bike shops to see if you could find a couple of old "dirtbike" rear wheels in 18" to get your rims cheap. There has to be guys with junk bikes that would part with the common rims for $20 or so.

But that's later.

At the moment you seem to be going the route of making a lowered MX bike, which is fine. Just another breed of bike. I knew of a few guys running the Husky enduros on the streets back in the 70s. Why not just do the same with yours - saves swapping shocks and stuff. Clean it up, build it stock, install some lights to meet the DOT codes of your state for home built bike, put on the dual sport tires and ride it. I certainly would. No wheel swap, no tricks or gimmics, just a good ride on the cheap on a unique bike.

 

[Narb1989]

Glad to see that there are other poor college kids out there trying to get a project together. This thread caught my eye because I have two vintage (not as vintage as yours) Huskys. I think they are from the early eighties.

Are you planning on putting this on the road? How does one go about doing that; if it is even possible.

 

[samp615]

Yes I plan on making it road worthy. I have a lighting coil for the bike. Here in TN I only need a headlight and tailight.

This bike never had a title, so I will have to do some paperwork at the DMV, but it ain't too bad.

 

[samp615]

Using this diagram, could someone tell me what parts the spacer goes betweem?



Would I put the spacer on the bottom of number 26?

 

[klx678]

If 26 is the damper rod, yes, put the spacer on there. It should pull the damper rod up shortening the travel, without changing when it bottoms out, thus the fact that the tire will not hit the inside of the fender.

 

[samp615]

Got the wheels taken apart. All I need is some tubes to finish the build.

I've begun to prime and paint the spokes, wheels, and hubs. I've currently got the flu so project will be on hold for a day or two.