1970 Husqvarna 250

Complete.

Sold

The Husky was purchased through Imperial Motorsports  June, 1971 by Dennis Lee Hopper.

Dennis Lee Hopper -Easy Rider – You got to love him

from the movie “The Mechanic”

Charles Bronson’s own bike.

Doesn’t get any better.

Sold

Several Documents of Proof - Malcolm Smith Race Bike

Purchased by K&N Filters

It is not known how many 67 360 actually exist today. Very rare.

SOLD

Replica SM SuperMoto / SuperMotard

One of a kind

Front cover of Feb issue 2013

VJMC – Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club magazine

My goal was to produce a motorcycle that looked like a racer going down the road and as Stealth as i can get it.

I started this project June 2011.  As a vintage bike restorer and builder, this is sort of my tribute to the SuperMoto bikes that started it all, in the short lived 1979 series  by ABC Wide World of Sports. This bike is just my personal version, that is similar  to those bikes. This bike is intended to be street-able with full lighting.

The frame is a Yamaha HL500 replica with frame and swing arm modifications in order to install a wider rear wheel.

Aluminum triple tree with adjustable offset, custom made by Frame Crafters.

Titanium footpegs

Front forks – Shortened 1988 YZ250 43mm with Sonic Springs.

Front and rear hubs, rear axles, sprocket, brake disc mount and rear caliper mount by Cheney Engineering, Modifications by Rob

Nissin brake calipers

EBC brake disc

Magura front brake radial master cylinder with remote resevoir.

Magura hydraulic clutch system with decompression lever. Customized for TT500 by Rob

Buell rear brake master cylinder

Rims –  DNA Specialty  3.5 x 17 and 5.0 x 17

Tires - Michelin Pilot Power 2CT

Custom Ohlins piggy back shocks

TT500 engine

Megacycle cam

Mikuni Round Slide Carb

K&N Air Filter

Dual rocker steel braided oil feed and steel braided oil lines through out.

Frame Crafters  Steel exhaust, modified for Custom Silencer by Rob

MZB Electonic ignition

Custom headlight assembly with 10W LED by Rob

LED turn signals, tail light and brake light.

Vapor Tech Speedometer

Hand Guards with intregal turn signals.

Front modulate running lights.

Fuel Tank  - 1976 YZ125

Billet Aluminum fuel cap with check valve vent.

Custom 1976 YZ125 seat  upholstered by Pirate Upholstery, Kingston, NY Pirate does custom seat for Orange County Choppers.  Pirate

UFO Fenders -

Renthal Handle Bars

Sliders by Rob

Riderscan innovative blind spot mirror. Riderscan

Rear view camera with LCD display. ( No more rear view mirrors. )

Custom Kick start indicator.

Below you will see the rear red running lights that also act as brake lights.

Right above the red license plate is a row of LED’s shinny down as your license light.

You will see in the next photo the LED bar strip for addition rear brake and turn signal.

The round device on the back of the seat is rear facing camera. WHAT A CAMERA!!!! read on

Rear brake strip with yellow turn signals to either side.

Below you see the front turn signals in the hand guard. Just to the right of the led, you see a white light. There are

two of these used as running lights and to add to the safety margin the lights are modulated to get someone attention.

Here is another shot of the LED light bar and carbon fiber inner fender.

AH, What this?  A LCD display?  You got it. Its for the rear camera. See it active in next photo.

Next………….

Below the LCD is the coolest 180 degree blind spot mirror. If you look closely in the mirror you see me taking the

photo. My arm is stretched out holding a blue rag. Next to rag you see the handlebars. This super mirror allows you

to see everything from the handlebars back. No more blind spots.

Combined with rear facing camera, you could not get any more coverage from getting run over by something from rear.

The main reason I did these two items was to eliminate the rear view mirrors.

Not many have implemented this for motorcycle.

Motorcycle Rear facing back up camera and LCD display

You will like the following photo.

Since the ignition is electronic, we now longer need the points.

Since all TT riders know that in order to kick start a TT500 or XT500 you need to bring the piston

to Top Dead Center. You view through the cam cover until metallic indicator is in the window, and

then kick the engine over. Since the points open at approximate TDC I utilized the points to turn on

this small LED. You simply bring the engine to TDC and when the red light goes out., you are ready

to kick away. Nice feature for night time. LED Kick Indicator.

If you look at the end of kick lever, you will see I added a kicker restraint.

The End

Completed 7/13/21

SOLD

Uncommon Feature – NOS  Fuel tank NOS Fender

See the past  desert master in the completed bikes section

I have been putting off a Husky story from this past summer and was reminded of it when my friend Rick called tonight. Rick got to see the HarleyVarna first hand.
My wife and I were cooking up a couple New York Strip steaks. I had two glasses of wine while doing it. “14 Hands 2008 Cabernet” Good stuff. Keep that in mind as write this, but this is a true story.
I had general bike talk with Rick and mentioned to him that I took the HarleyVarna apart yesterday. May it rest in peace. Rick said, Ah, the HarleyVarna, as he starts laugh over the phone. I told a bunch of people about that one. LOL again. I got off the phone with Rick and decided to write the story.

I went on a road trip in the summer to pickup a few bikes in Ohio and Detroit. Rick lives in Ohio. He picked up a bike for me that was 10 minute from his house. A craigslist honey of a 67 Husky Commando. The guy found it way in the back of his yard. He never knew it was there, for the 20 years he lived there. Rick stopped by to get it and I think the guy offered it to him for $100. Rick being the wheeler dealer he is, offered him $50. The guy respond with, I don’t know, I got a call from someone, Rick cut him off.
Rick says, look, I offered $50, If I leave here and you call me to come back for the bike then it will be $30…… The guy says, I’ll take the fifty. Rick and the guy literally drag the bike, with both wheels rusted solid, to his truck.

The 67 is another story , so I’ll talk about that some other time.

So, I watch Craigslist on a regular bases looking for parts and bikes. Over the course of a year or so, this guy listed a 1970 400 Cross. Looking at the photos it was clear this was very special 400 Cross. So special no one wanted it. Maybe a few of you Huskyologists may have seen it. He started the price at $1500 I think two years ago. Now it’s two years later his price in down to $500 and still no takers. I knew he was in Ohio and I was passing through on this road trip.
I gave him a call. I asked him a few questions and offered him $350 cash and I’ll be there in 3 days with cash. He agreed.
Talking with the guy was, well, a little strange but he seemed like a nice guy.
I got directions and plugged it into the GPS. I was off a few days later.
I got to Ohio and the guy was near Youngstown. When I got close, the GPS sent me off the main highway. The GPS has me going right and left and right and back and forth. I am starting to wonder where the hell am I going, when I realize I am going through some pretty bad areas. Now I am getting worried. I lock the doors and start thinking. Oh shit, I have a few thousand dollars in cash on me. The GPS has me make a few more turns and it finally starts looking little better.
More turns and again then final few turns for the worst. Literally.
I am in bowels of town now, near the railroad, next to railroad tracks, with collapsing buildings and condemned houses when the GPS says turn right and we are there. Oh boy. You got to be kidding me.
I pull up to the house when I see a guy getting into his $100 truck. Turns out its my contact. He was, ah, little rough around the edges. We shook hands. He tells me the bike is in the house and to come on in. My brain flashes. I am in the worst part of town, literally next to the tracks, with $3000 in my pocket, nobody knows where I am and this guys looks like he is ready for next hit of crack.
A little reluctant, I step into his enclosed front porch with my back to the door ready for quick exit.
There it is. HarleyVarna. He says a few things about it ands asks if I want it. In the split few seconds I see the parts on the bike make it worth the amount. I said OK. He snaps back, he puts his hand out, palm up and starts pointing to his palm. I look at him. He says ok, CASH-OLA, while he is hitting his hand with his index finger.
I responded with, I’ll give it to you, lets get it on the trailer. I am having more bad thoughts and wanted out ASAP.
He says ok. We ended up having to open his front door to his living room to swing the bike around. I get to see his 12 inch black and white TV on few boards and bricks, with his state-of-the-art 8 track stereo with fifty 8 tracks stacked in the corner. and shag carpeting.
Wait! this is 2010 right? I thought.
We get the bike out side and behind the trailer when he starts hitting his palm again. CASH-OLA. I said, lets get it strapped down and I’ll give you the money. I get two straps on and reach into my pocket. I had moved few hundred into one pocket and thousands in the other, so he would only see that. I said to him, it was $300, Right? Knowing very well we agreed to $350. He looked at me like I had three heads and waited a moment and he said YA YA $300.I gave him the money. He’s now a happy camper.
All of a sudden this women shows up out of nowhere. She too looked like she was looking for her next hit.
We spoke a few words while I was putting the other tie downs on, when I heard her call to this other guy walking down the street. One tie down to go and I am paranoid now. Three against one.
I got the last tie-down on, said good by. I was OUT OF THERE.

I am sure the seller with 300 bucks in his pocket and female neighbor, had a great night that day.

Off to Rick’s to show him my new HarleyVarna and pick up my $50 67 Husky Commando.

So by now your saying, what the hell is a HarleyVarna. This where the photos come and you get a tour of American ingenuity. Just click the links after each description. I do use a little sarcasm.

The HarleyVarna is a 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross converted to a flat track bike, with few special parts.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC042741.JPG

Right side
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04277.JPG

Front number plate. Use to be a dry erase board. Triple tree bolts hold it very well.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04278.JPG

Kill switch with missing rubber cap. Just take a plastic nut and screw it on to the spring. Works and you finger is insulated http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04279.JPG

Here we have the clutch cable that appears to long. Just take a few nuts to take up the slack and of course tie wrap the adjuster.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04281.JPG

Here we have what appears to be the same problem with throttle cable to long. I think. Take up the slack with a portion of a Yamaha dual throttle cable and the small ends fits perfect jammed into the broken throttle body. Don’t need the cable for the oil injection and just use a spark plug cap to make that 90 degree bend.
Instant Gunnar gasser throttle.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04282.JPG

Silencer…. no clue, but look at the position of the top of the shock for now. It will make sense in coming photos.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04283.JPG

Flat tracker needs little seat. we’ll just make one. Rear fender? No clue but it did have holes for tail light before they were plugged.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04284.JPG

How to make a seat. easy. Piece of plywood, foam, vinyl and few NAILS.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04297.JPG

Need a fuel tank. Got to be a Harley Sportster. Dude http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04285.JPG

Carb? Got to be Harley Dude and we use water hose and hose clamps to put it on. We jam the opening in the end of the foam between the down tube and carb and filter is done.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04286.JPG

Oh no, throttle cable casing is to short. No Worries, piece of orange plastic tube will fix that.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04294.JPG

Spark plug cap. ? His truck maybe?
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04290.JPG

K16R Spark plug? Johnny, you still have that Toyota?
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04302.JPG

Inner fender? Honda?
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04298.JPG

Need a wear strip on the top of the swing arm. Use that other plastic piece and clamp it on with hose clamp.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04299.JPG

Remember the shock behind the exhaust pipe. Tricky. Multi-position upper shock mount. So since we are only doing left turns, we put this shock in the original top mount and on the other side we put it it the lower
hole because we need to pressure make left turns. I like the fox air
shocks.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04300.JPG

Lastly, this is a flat tracker. We don’t use front brake, so take the lever off.
http://huskyrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/DSC04293.JPG

Enjoy.

Rob

WELL, WHO KNOWS

I don’t think they should quit their day job.

The following is an unfortunate example of how you can be taken advantage of when buying from limited number of photos.

A customer sent me this bike to “Re-Restore” He purchased this bike for a large sum of money as a restored motorcycle. The sellers were under the impression they did a excellent job.

The first two photos are a reenactment of what the buyer got to see. This could happen to anyone. My heart goes out to my customer.

The rest of the photos are what he did not see.

There is a happy ending.

At the bottom of this page there will be a link to the bike after I re-restored it.

Caution! This is going to get ugly. Captions have a little sarcasm.

Nice looking bike. Right?

Right off, it is the wrong year tank. Wrong mounting bolt and wrong bolt size.

This is a 1971 and later tank not for 1970

Appears they ran the paint, so they just did the pin stripe over it.

Not the best paint job. Must have been a little cold or something.

Nice decal. Just stick it on when your done painting, no need to clear coat it and forget the 400 Cross decal that goes under it.

More tank defects and lots more I don’t show.

Original cap, that it is good, but the chrome worn off around the edges, not so.

It appears the hose is a little to big. I would be surprised the tank holds fuel.

Not good. Few defects.

Not pretty.

The front fender mount is for 72-73 and I guess dents and poor polishing is good enough? They forget the mud flap.

Few defects, not real good polish job, wrong style fender and wrong size fender washers.

Few dents in this inner fender, not so good paint work, didn’t finish the bondo repair, wrong rubber washer and no Disclaimer decal.

Looks like they forgot to restore the carb and the air bell brackets never had that hole in them for no reason.

Appears they ran out of NEW bolts for the fender.

Wrong year front fender mount. Clutch cable ran outside the motor mounts.

This exhaust is later version with springs and not of the clamp type. There was a conversion to do this but this is not it. Update: It was a later1973 450 pipe.

Center washers should be dual one piece.

I guess they did not think the shock covers needed new chrome. The other cover is the same with dents.

Update: The springs were two different spring rates.

Ah, don’t you just love Scotch Brite pads. No need to polish.

A few dings, the used spoke nipples look good when you stand back and we don’t need the stinking rim lock.

Update: Many of the spokes were longer ones cut and re-threaded. Tubes were used.

NOTE: See the space around the spoke nipple? The rim is laced backwards.

No, No, No. No allen cap screws on side covers. Nice surface finish.

What can I say? Dents and gouges in the pipe and bumps in the seat!

UPDATE! When I took the pipe off I found out they used a 1973 450 pipe not 400. AND in order to do that you have to cut off the four the cooling fins on the cylinder for it to fit.

So the pipe does not fit that well, its on isn’t it? Phew.

Few little oil leaks. So what.

Handle bar chrome?

At least 98 percent of the chrome is on.

Not the best homemade number plate bracket but it does do the job

No cable oilers? No need to polish the levers or throttle, and that throttle trap door looks fine, I guess.

And so what if the side number plate is different type from front one, They are all yellow.

Used handlebar clamp screws and washers. Oh, ya they look good.

So the wire loom cover is cracked, it will dry the wires in the wind.

Notch in the number plate? I don’t think so. Forgot the fender washers.

Not the best surface quality. What happened to the zinc coating on the shock spring retainers.

Lets cut the top of the chain guide off and then we have easy access to the rollers. What! Love those Japanese bolts.

Oops, wrong year chain guard. Boy that 71 parts bike came in handy. Chain should be ok, No?

Over spray from the engine quicky paint touch up. Shame, shame…….

I think you get the idea.

It’s a jungle out there.

Please be careful and know what your buying.

UPDATE: The piston, cylinder, cylinder head , connecting rod and several gears had to be replaced.

The brake plates, brake shoes and springs were sandblasted without being removed and then painted.

The carburetor was from a 1972 250, jetted for 74 and had a 1976 throttle slide.

The air cleaner cover aluminum standoff spacers turned out to be made from fork dampener rod. The rod was a tapered type, so each spacer was different diameter, tapered and all three were different lengths.

Many parts were spray painted over grease and dirt.

Here is the happy ending.

This is the bike after I got done with it. http://huskyrestoration.com/?p=2052

1971 Lola T202 Formula Ford

This was a basket case I bought in early 80’s and finshed it in 1989. This was pre-digital camera days so all I have is the original photos. I’ll have to scan them some day. Sadly I do not own it anymore.

Steve McQueen’s , Solar Automotive

“The Solar Husky”

One of a kind

(SOLD, last chance, only one left for sale)

The custom modified frame by Carroll Ditson

Built specifically for high speed desert racing.

Registered with California DMV August 15, 1971

Please enjoy this story and understand that this motorcycle, for its time, was State of the Art. It is one of the most extensively modified Husky 400 Cross I have ever seen, and was built by Steve McQueen. There is a special ending to this story that will amaze you. If your a McQueen fan, you will be an even bigger fan when you hear the ending.

The story was written in January 2010 when I purchase the bike from second owner.

I was told the bike was built by Solar Automotive, Steve McQueen’s company

The story gets a little technical but bare with it. I purchased this very cool old school (Frankenstein) Husky from a gentleman named John. He did not have any photos of the bike, so I went by his description to buy the bike. He told
me about some really nice design changes done to the bike, so I bought the bike. He had retired the bike to
under his porch in 1978, where it stayed until January 2010 when I bought it.. Since it was a LA Calif local
bike it weathered well so to speak. The owner told me the bike was upgraded by Solar Automotive and that it was heavily modified. The story goes, that John took is own 1971 Husqvarna 250 to McQueen’s shop to have them upgrade the bike to 400 engine, because the bike was too slow in the desert. (You will see what the real story is at the end.)

I eventually received some photos from John. The bike was in pretty sad shape, but it was complete.

Its now March, and I finally got the bike to New York. Close inspection shows front brake hub as being smaller 250, and the fuel tank says 250 Cross, but engine and frame are pure 400.

Front forks have been lightened, steering triple tree cut for lightening, handle bar mounts raised one inch.

The neat part, was the handle bars were Titanium. The levers and throttle were original Magura, but the grips were made by a LA California company called CAMCO? (see update above) Rear swing arm is stretched one inch, reinforced top swing arm gussets, and the lower shock mount moved forward. To top it off a nice set of Koni shock absorbers. The engine is an original 400 with 400 pipe.

Carburetor is a Bing, and air cleaner bracket is a one piece after market. Close inspection of swing arm shows it has a 10mm swing arm axle. This puts the bike into 1970

Here is where it gets interesting. The bike was built by Solar. You might ask, so what are the frame and engine numbers? Well, they are not original and they were stamped in by Solar. Why, because this 1970 frame is stamped 670030, which anyone with Husky frame number knowledge knows this is fabricated number of their own. To make matters more puzzling the engine is stamped with the same number which is also incorrect since 400 engines start with 400,401, 402 or 403. I showed this to Don Ince and my friend Christer in Sweden and we agree it appears to be a stamp over on the engine. I am planning to pull the engine to see if we can do some Forensics to determine the original
engine number.

Stamped over engine number. Usually the engine number are under cylinder head on the left side. It is blank on this engine.

Now the clincher!
Good old buddy Don Ince of http://vintageviking.com found a Med International document dated Jan 1971 signed by

Edison Dye and invoiced to none other Solar Automotive Steve / Don. Don is Don Mitchell, Steve’s race manager.The invoice is for a replacement frame and it states that Steve’s original frame was broken in two places.

Now back to the frame number. Replacement frames do not have frame numbers stamped on them which explains how a frame we know came from Solar was able to be stamped with a new number on a original blank surface. Why did Solar stamp this number and what does the number represent?

Also on the document is a note (not shown) to Pierre, Edisons shop forman, to give Solar the aircraft bolts they got from Rohr aircraft. Well ……
there are a number of aircraft bolts on this bike? I looked at a few of the bolts. On the head of a few of the bolts is a number. Seeing them without a magnifying glass the first letters look like ROHR for the aircraft company. The original ROHR Aircraft is gone but there is a website of Rohr employees, Alumni. I emailed them and they responded saying Rohr did not make their own bolts. I viewed the bolt again with a magnifying glass and saw RD111. Close to ROHR Now I have a real number and tracked it down to a company making aircraft bolts. I emailed them the bolt number and they kindly replied with basic information on the bolt but they said they could not give me anymore information because the information is proprietary to Pratt and Whitney, Rocketdyne. What????? I emailed the company back thanking them and told them about the motorcycle. The person responds with, I guess McQueen only puts the best on his motorcycles because those bolts are made only for rocket engines. LOL, LOL,

Closer look at the bolts on the whole bike, shows a few original bolts, a few aircraft bolts, four titanium bolts to bolt the engine on and of coarse you just got to have rocket engine bolts holding your shocks on. LOL

The motorcycle was filthy from 32 years of being under the porch so I decided to take the bike down the local car wash to use the high pressure sprayers. After about 30 quarters I noticed all of a sudden the paint is coming off the frame. Since I have restored a bunch of these bikes this should not be happening. So I am looking at the frame under the paint and it is shiny. I know chromemoly can be polished to be shiny but this does not look right. I left the car wash puzzled. I stopped by a friends body shop and showed him. He knew right off. That’s what I did to my race car, its “Nickel Plated” You got to be kidding me!

I took the bike home and saw that the frame, foot brake lever, brake rod, brake stay, chain guide, skid plate and swing arm are all nickel plated. I spoke to the last owner Jim and he said he knows nothing about the frame being nickel plated.

A few nights pass until last night when I started cleaning the bike up, and noticed the center exhaust bracket is almost twice as long as normal. I took the pipe and seat off and would you believe the frame has been cut at the seat area, rear hoop connections were re-done, a gusset plate welded in, and because the rear hoop section is tapered in the front, the seat pan was also tapered in to match the hoop. I then see up front there is a one inch piece welded into the front down tube. So prior to nickel plating the upper frame section was raised an inch. The reason for this, I am sure, is to lower the CG of the bike and increase the wheel base. Wheel base is almost 3 inchs longer than stock now. WOW!

The rest of the story? Who knows where it will take me.

April 2010

I started dismantling the bike. Like my other McQueen bike, the plan is NOT to restore this bike but to give it a super cleaning.

It has a nice set of 12 inch Koni’s which I took off so I can have the internals rebuilt. Not in bad shape but the seals are shot asyou might expect. I removed the engine for a ‘Internal” rebuild. I noticed few things unusual with the engine. The first is a large,very short, aircraft bolt was built into the top left side cover as a second oil fill hole. The original right side filler cap and vent hose was modified and fittedwith a 3/16 inch steel braided hose and fitting ? Engine side cover bolts are high strength Allen cap and they are nickel plated.

The another unsual item was the engine color. It looks like a very faded black, almost Titanium looking, but the problem with that is it isuniform over the entire engine. I took a photo of it with a normal cover so you can see the difference. What is that all about?

Update May 13, 2010. Thanks to Rick Horvat. Engine Coating was identified as Kal-Gard.

I tracked the company down who are now called KGcoatings. I spoke with Chris Fazio General Manager who was very helpful. He spoke tothe original founder Joe Ardigo of KalGard but no records exist. Chris believes the coating is their 2300 Original Gun Kote. I got to say foralmost 40 years olds this coating is in remarkable shape. You’ll see it in the final steps of the clean up. Chris says the coating is impervious to anychemical so I expect a nice clean up. After seeing this I’m sold on this product. Great stuff. See it at http://www.kgcoatings.com

I took the rear wheel off. Changes: Axle thread changed to fit the multi spline 7/16 aircraft nut. Custom chain tensioner spacers were madeof aluminum and extanded to cover the aircraft nuts. A 7/16 socket fits perfectly inside.

Rear brakes are stock but the brake plate bushing is now aluminum. Brake stay and chain guide are Nickel plated, aircraft bolts and brake stay stretched one inch. You can see the stretch next to the chain guide.

Rear swing arm is nickel plated and stretched at rear one inch. Shock mounts moved forward 4 inches. Minus the one inch stretch the shock is 3inches forward from stock. That would open the top clearance above the wheel and really change the geometry of the suspension. Top surface of swing arm heavily gusseted. I placed a normal swing arm along side.

Here is where the frame was stretched. Rear hoop connections were tapered in. Large gusset added.

Front down tube lengthened.

Titanium handle bars raised 1 inch.

Tripled tree clamps cut to save a few ounces.

Front forks were turned down to lighten. Almost a 1/4 of inch was taken off the diameter.

The after market air bell bracket and foot pegs. Don said Edison Dye did sell those type of foot pegs.

More recently found out they may have been made by Camco.

Skid plate. The plate is original but nickel plated. Tabs were welded to the frame to eliminate the original clamp. You can also see this unusual color to the engine side cover and a good shot of the left side oil fill plug.

Here I am pointing to where a frame support hoop that goes from both the side rails to down tube that was removed.

Now for the beginning of the clean up.

Swing arm stretched and chain wear strip welded above the mount.

This is where the lower hoop use to go from side to side. You can see the patch on the center of the down tube.

Here you see the frame extended, front tube, rear hoop tapered in and gusseted.

Rear hoop gusset cut and spacer welded in.

This is a side by side comparison of the Solar frame and a stock frame.

Nickel plated skid pad. Tabs for skid plated welded in and a extra tube in center welded in joint of Y section.

Nickel plated swing arm. Shock mount moved 3 inches forward from the stock location.

Fantastic old school modifications with a little bling.

She’s finally done and runs like a champ.

Update: 11/27/2010 Trying to determine who might be responsible for the frame modifications. I contacted Simon Cheney of famous Cheney Racing frames in UK. Simon said that his dad did do a fair amount of work for Steve but it appeared the frame was TIG welded. He said his dad did not use TIG back then for their frames.

Engine restored internally by Rick Horvat – Koni Shocks rebuilt by Koni King, Steve Dorenkamp.

Update: 1/1/2011 Email from Don Rickman. The frame was not modified by them

Update 1/13/2011 Added more evidence from several documents from Edison Dye records to bottom of this page. 1/22/71 being most important with rare titanium bars and other parts matching right up with the bike.

Update 2/13/2011
I finally got around to reviewing a few Edison Dye invoices that I have on this bike. All these invoices are address to Solar Automotive Steve/Don.

Update 11/30/2012 Found engraved number on crankshaft, not Husqvarna. The number is EG27267 . If any knows of someone balancing cranks in the day.
Update 11/30/2012 Engine dismantled so the case be sent for X-ray, to see if we can get the original engine number off the case. Unfortunately no results. Original number ground down leaving no evidence.
Update 1/27/2013 Spoke briefly with Mike Bihari. His dad is the founder of the CAMCO company who manufacture the grips found on this bike. He also made titanium handlebars, so the ones on this bike, may have been made by CAMCO.

Document dated Jan 8, 1971 is the main document where Solar gets replacement 400 frame.

Invoice 1/22/71 List following parts: Titanium Handles bars – Number plate set – Front and rear AA plastic fenders -Inner Plastic fender Viking vinyl air cover – lever covers and Sub note to Pierre from Edison, Send aircraft hardware from Rohr. Everything but air cleaner cover and number plates are on the Solar bike.

Invoice #012-21 Address to Solar: Tool kit – MH manual – Alloy foot pegs. Foot pegs are on Solar bike

Invoice. Torn and missing # but says Solar on lower left and there are letters in upper torn area showing Don’s Mitchell name and part of their phone number.

Parts list: Sprocket – Trailing arm – Chain Guide – Fender rear – Front Fender – Manifold -

Air cleaner cover – Carb complete – Pipe – fuel cock.

The amazing conclusion:

Steve built this bike 9 months prior to John contracting with
Steve shop to simply install a 400 engine into his 1971 Husky 250.
Instead of putting a 400 into John’s bike, Steve took this custom 1970 400 cross
he built, painted over the nickel plated frame with silver paint, just like the
original, and put Johns 250 tank on it. He then gave this custom bike,
worth five times John’s 1971, without telling John that is was Steve’s own bike
and not his original 1971 250 with 400 engine he requested.

Original owner Bud Ekins

SOLD

Restoration Complete 11/11/11

As you see below this is the original sales invoice for this bike and it is signed by Bud Ekins. The history of this motorcycle is unknown. If anyone knows why Bud Ekins purchased this Husqvarana I would love to know.

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