Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

11mpression·-----------------.;. ~ Husky's 420 Automatic Enduro E o CO 0') ~~ - t ~ e ~ ~ Z 14 By Larry Langley When Husqvarna introduced the 360 Automatic a few years ago, it was intended for motocross use. However, it ended up in the hands of enduro riders more often than not. The clutchless operation lended itself especially well to the nasty kind of terram encountered by ~h~ clock watchers. The Automatic S . ability to inch through rocks, logs, etc. without killing the engine made it a popular machine for many riders. Developed for the Swedish Anny, the Automatic is available only in a 2SOcc model for the military, but the last couple of years it has been available here in a 390cc model. Rumors of a 420cc machine from Husky had been whispered for the last couple of years and they are finally available in the 1981 models. The first to arrive are the 420cc Automatics which are available in two models. The first is the 420 AE (Automatic Enduro) which we obtained for a ride. The other is the 420 AXC (Automatic Cross County) which is intended for MX use. The 420 AE is basically the same as the WR series Husky which is to say comes equipped with 9.S" of travel front and rear and is equipped with the shoner swingann for quicker turning and a non floating rear brake assembly for clearance. New this year is the inclusion of Cone Cosso remote reservoir shocks instead of the familiar Ohlins. Why? Ohlins cannot supply Husky with enough units to supply all their bikes so the AE gets Corte Cossos while the AXC gets remote reservoir Koni units, marking a return to the motorcycle marketplace in which Koni used to be so popular. All other Husky models will be equipped with Ohlins. The front forks remained unchanged at 5Smm for the Automatics, criticized by many as too spindly. Perhaps on the longer 11.8" Husky forks, but the 5Smm units work just fine with 9.5" of travel. After all, 35mm of Swedish steel is superior to 38mm of Japanese steel any day. The Husky frame is chromoly tubing, heat treated and is extremely strong. The swingann is also made of chromoly and rotates on sealed needle ~rings. The front hub is now the wider brake hub model, providing a marked increase in front wheel stopping power. The AE comes with a 5.1 gallon tank which Husky recommends a 25:1 mixture for. While Husky is not endorsing any panicular brand at the moment, we used Maxima SuperM, a castor fonilled oil supplied to us by Husky's Bob Popiel, who accompanied us on the ride. The 420's actual displacement is 4l2cc (86mm bore x 71mm stroke). The added displacement is entirely in the bore over the 390; the stroke remains unchanged. The carburetor is still a 58mro Mikuni which has worked excellently over the past few years. Incidently, the 412cc piston will fit 1980 590 Huskys (WR, CR, OR) by boring them out to 86mm. The pipe is designed to pass the 86db(A) California sound test requirements so it can be licensed for an offroad stickie and contains a Husky designed spark arrestor. The screen is easily removed for cleaning. The engine is basic Husky, torquey wtih lots of power right off idle. The centrifugal clutches shift to keep the power right in the torque range which works excellently in woods. type r!ding but lousy for desen or high alutude where more revs are needed. An easy fix is heavier clutch springs which make the engine rev higher before shifting. The four speed transmission has undergone several changes to make it more reliable. Gone is the handlebar engagement lever. The engagement lever is now located directly on the engine cases on the left side directly below the carbo Sounds awkward but it isn't. The only concern is that the engagement lever could be kicked into neutral by the rider's boot; however, that didn't happen in the time we had the bike. The old engagement system absolutely required the engine to be at a normal idle before the mechanism would engage. Trying to engage it on a fast idle would wear the internals very quickly, leading to early failures and a shaky reputation. The new setup utilizes a dog engagement instead of the old ratchet type. Also improved is the clutch dJ;Um..T-he drum is welded instead of bolted together. The countershaft shafts are bigger and there are more freewheels. New for the 1981 models are the SEM magnetos. Made in Sweden, the new units are pointless and have a very hefty 12 volt, 120-watt output! No more magneto rebuild to power the Baja lights. This is a lot more output than most street bikes. SEM has been building magnetos for Husqvama chainsaws for years so they are not exactly newcomers to the business. .At the .top, we stopped and tal~ed wl~h Popiel. He agreed at the ~Ig~ altitude the 420 would run better If It could rev higher, and that a set of optional heavier clutch springs w0';lld really help. Most desen and high altitude 420 (or 590) owners would benefit from the cha',lge. . The hardest. pan 10 getun~ used to the Auto~atlc IS the freewheeling effect when letting off the gas. It's compara?Ie t? pulling in the clutch and. coast109 I~ neutr~1 o~ a normal bIke. A certam techn~que ~s needed ~o adapt to the Automatic. It s not a bike for the masses. ~any riders will never a.dapt to the urnqueness of the Automatic no matter h?w many m~es they put on the machine. Others will adapt readily and be competitive in a shon while. You wiU learn to use both front and rear brakes on the Automatic properly if you want to go fast on it. Also, you'll need proper use of the throttle, learning to,get on the gas sooner and holding it on, even slightly, in the comers to avoid the freewheeling as much as possible. The Automatic hooks up so well that the throttle can be wicked on much sooner and left on in situations where you would nonnally let off or use part throttle to keep the rear wheel from sliding out. Other than the free wheeling effect, it's almost like riding a big bore four-stroke. The engine is always in the powerband. Shifting is instantaneous and is accomplished nearly without feeling it. Most of the time the only way you can tell the bike has shifted is by the sound of the engine as the revs drop. Off-cambers and slippery turns are a breeze on the Automatic, along with picking your way through rocks. On downhills, the freewheeling is a little spooky and the engine needs to be blipped w keep it running. Careful adjustment of the Mikuni will keep the idle high enough to keep it (rom stalling but low enough to let it engage into gear without excessive grinding. If the engine dies, it can't be bump staned. And that brings out another problem. What better place could we pick to test the 420 AE than the site of the 1979 Tuff E' Nuff National Enduro in the Piute Mountains' in the Sequoia National Forest near Lake Isabella? The challenging course was rated very high by the National AA Enduro riders who competed there. So early one moming, we packed up with Husky's Bob Popiel and headed for Kelso Valley, the starting point of the enduro course. A quick ride on the 420 to check jetting proved the 58mm Mikuni to be too rich for the altitude so Popiel quickly threw in a smaller main jet and lowered the needle. With the jetting pretty well dialed in we took off up a tricky ridge trail. The 420 pulled cleanly but the ftrst impression was that it wasn't going that fast. Some tricky rocky steps were taken with sutprising ease and none of the worries about killing the engine with a c1utchtype bike. The kick staner is located on the left side where Husky kickstarters have been since day one. However, it is not the trick bend that clears the footpeg like the CR/WR/OR. You can't get the whole of your foot on the lever to insure a hefty kick as the footpeg interferes with the foot. So it's tip~y toe Specifications Engine 412cc single cylinder two-stroke. Bore x stroke __ 86 x 71mm. Compression ratio __ . _ 11.5:1. Transmission .... Automatic four speed with four centrifugal clutches. Total gear ratios (crankshaft: rear wheel) 1st115.86:1.2nd/11.78:1. 3rdl9:36:1.4th17.78:1. Carburetor 38mm Mikuni. Electrical system _ : SEM COl. Front fork Husqvarnal9.5 in. trlilvel. Rear suspension _ Corte Cosso shockl9.5 in. travel. TIres (front/rear) 3.00x2115.50x17. Length: . _ _ _ 86.6 in. Height 48.2 in. Wheelbase 57.0 in. Seat height _ __ _. 36.4 in. Ground clearance _ __ _. __ 10.8 in. Weight (claimed) .. _ _ 240 Ibs. Fuel capacity 3.1 gal. time trying to kick over 412cc of high compression two-stroke. It's not easy_ A powerful through-the-entire-stroke kick is necessary to light of{ the 420. A half-heaned effon will only tire you out. Most riders don't have a good enough left leg to sit on the bike and stan it; most have to get of{ and use their stronger right leg. It's a matter of getting used to it more than anything. Mter a few hours of riding the Auwmatic, I switched over w a WR590 to let another rider try the bike out. I went 100 feet and killed the motor in a tum. Hmmm. That Automatic never did that. Went a couple of miles further and looped the WR crossing a tricky creek embankment. Now the Automatic was looking downright attractive. Couldn't wait to get back on it. It took most of a full day's riding to get somewhat used to the characteristics of the Automatic. Much more practice would be required to go out and be competitive in an enduro, especially on fast downhill sections. Suspension on the Automatic was excellent up front and OK in the rear. Popiel had fitted a stiffer primary (small) spring since we both were heavier than the ISO Ibs. the dual rate spring-equipped Cone Cossos were set up for. The spring. available from your Husky dealer, is an Ohlins item and fits the Cone COlISOlI perfectly. A lighter spring is also available. The Cone Cossos work OK but are damped a little heavy for enduro work. If they blow out they are not rebuildable which is a shame. With the cost of a good pair of shocks in the $200-$500 range, a rider should be able to rebuild the shocks. The 420 AE comes equipped with a 5.1 gallon tank. We didn't have a chance to check mileage but we' rode on a tough mountain 48-mile loop and didn't run out, so the Automatic should be capable of making most enduro loops. The seat has been redesigned this year allowing a one inch reduction in seat height. The 420 Automatic is about perfect in suspension travel and seat height for an enduro bike. A skid bar similar to the OR Husky is located under the engine to help protect the cases. The frame is basically the same as the other Husky models in geometry. The 57" wheelbase compares to the whopping 60" wheelbase of the 420 AXC. The AXC gets the longer wheelbase from a longer swingarm and longer forks. The 420 AE turns like any Husky. Up on the gas tank and throttle on. Popiel's theory about why Huskys handle the way they do is: If you have ever seen Husky's test track in Sweden. you'll know. It's really rough (Huskys have always handled over high speed rough terrain; that's why they dominated desen and Baja for so many years) and every turn is benned. Unfortunately not every woods tum or slick fireroad is bermed so you have to adapt. Again that word. If you can, the Husky isn't a problem. It wiU tum, but you have to work with it. Don't believe they won't. Dick Burleson earned a seventh consecutive National Enduro Championship on mostly stock WR Huskys. Popiel won both the 1979) Jack Pine two-day enduro and the rugged 1980 Tecate SOO on 590 Automatics. It's just a matter if you can adjust w the unique characteristics of the automatic transmission and the Husky handling traits. If you can the 420 Husqvarna AE is a very special motorcycle. We really liked it. •

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