Husqvarna 390 Or
HUSQVARNA 390 OR
CYCLE WORLD TEST
When a racer gets ready for a new bike the first brand he considers is the one that has been consistently winning. In the western desert the most consistent Open class winning brand has been Husqvarna.
Husky has won 7 out of 10 Baja 1000s. In the Mojave Desert the total is almost as impressive. Malcolm Smith desert raced one of the first MX Huskys imported to the U.S.
Most desert racers looked at the first Huskys with doubt. “Looks too flimsy to hold together out here,” was the normal comment. It wasn’t long before the fragilelooking machines were first to the checkered flag. The rear end of the ’67 and ’68 models jumped back and forth so badly that trying to pass one at speed on a narrow trail was difficult. They were so light and nimble that riders who adapted to them were soon blowing most of the 300 lb. desert sleds into the weeds.
In 1969 Husqvarna introduced the new 400 Cross. It was willing to go straight and had a 400cc motor that was unmatched on long uphill washes and sandy grades. The 400s were so good that one was almost mandatory to be competitive in the Open class at most desert events.
Racers like Malcolm, J.N. Roberts, Whitey Martino, Mitch Mayes and Larry Roeseler have won desert races totaling into the hundreds on Husqvarna motorcycles.
With an off-road racing record as impressive as Husqvarna’s it seemed logical that they would eventually offer an out-ofthe-crate desert model.
In 1972 they offered a 450cc bike with large tank and wide ratio 5-speed gear box. They called it the Desert Master.
The problem was. most people couldn’t master it. The motor produced the right kind of power but the bike was heavy and didn’t handle all that w7ell. Desert Masters soon became unpopular. Most preferred the lighter 400 motocross model wdth modifications.
Husqvarna continued their development of MX machinery and tried to forget about the ill-fated Masters. In fact most of Husqvarna’s PR staff disavow any know ledge of such a model.
In 1975 they introduced a new GP series. These had smaller engine cases, reed valves, new frames, six speeds and cantilevered gas-charged Girling shocks. Along with the new 250and 360ce motocrossers, WR models were offered for offtrack use. The wide ratio gear boxes on these worked fine for enduro and mountain riders but wouldn’t pull the wide ratio top gears in desert-type terrain. Sixth gear was too widely spaced even for riding in Baja.
Most serious Husky desert racers chose to use the CR motocross model and added the WR’s 3 gal. tank. The motocross CR had more horsepower and would pull sixth gear on the long grades. The biggest problem with the CRs was that gearing for desert flats made the lower gears too tall. Climbing loose rocky hills w7as a problem for all but the best experts. Staunch Husky riders began experimenting with combinations of gears from both models. They came up with a combination that worked well for Western riding.
They started with the CR and used WR gears for first through third. CR gears remained for fourth through sixth. A WR 3-gal. tank was then mounted and gascharged Curnutt or Works Performance shocks replaced the gas Girlings. Many desert races and a couple of Baja events were won on Huskys set up this way.
For 1978 Husqvarna has added a new model, the OR, which stands for off-road. But never mind the name. It’s a desert machine. A fine one too. It is offered as a 250 and 390. The subject of this test is the 390.
To let everyone know it’s something different the 3-gal. tank is painted black and trimmed in gold with chrome sides. The forks are Husqvarna-made leading axle units like those used on the motocrosser but set up softer.
Rear shocks are 16-in. gas-charged Curnutts. A favorite desert shock.
Instead of using a skid plate to protect the engine cases, the OR has an extra frame tube that runs lengthwise under the center cases. The steering head rake has been pushed out to 31.5 deg. for highspeed stability and the fork turns in tapered Timken bearings.
The OR’s swing arm differs from the motocrosser. Both are made from larger diameter tubing but the shock mount on the OR is farther rearward. This position combined with soft shocks allows the rear end of the bike to sit lower than the MX.
The motocrosser and OR use frames that are identical except for steering head angle. Both are constructed from heattreated Swedish chrome-moly steel. The main backbone and front downtube are large diameter tubing. Smaller tubes split from the dowmtube and cradle the engine. They then go up and rearward, forming a wide V where the shocks mount. A large tube connects the backbone and smaller side rails, forming a T. The seat sits on more small tubes which continue back to form the rear fender loop.
Flat steel straps are used to hold on the air cleaner box and side number plates. It’s interesting to note the “T” section under the seat. Husky has used this design since the 1975 GPs. It works well enough for Honda to use the same approach on the new Elsinore CR250R.
The OR engine has the same porting as the CR but broadens the powerband with an off-road legal 86dBA pipe that contains a spark arrester.
The OR has the new style pretzelshaped kickstart lever that gives good leverage and lets your foot clear the peg when in use. This and the 38mm Mikuni carburetor makes starting the open class machine easy. One or two swift kicks will usually bring the engine to life. A 300 pounder is no longer needed to start a Husky big bore.
One still needs to be big or at least tall to even get on the OR. The seat height is only 36.2 in., but is compounded by a seat that swoops up higher (39 in.) at its rear. Even a tall person will have trouble trying to mount the OR if he is on the low side of it while sideways on a small incline. The soft suspension settles when the rider sits down, which makes it easier to touch the ground. A short person may still have toes in the air. though.
The seat, peg and handlebar placement is typical Husqvarna. Perfect.
The transmission ratios
are what the rn racers combined last year. A wide ratio first through third, and a CloSe ratio fourth through sixth. A perfect combination for the desert’s variety of terrain.
Not all of the OR's parts are unique to it. Some of the parts are shared with the CR model. Things like the 38mm Mikuni carburetor, needle bearing swing arm made from large diameter chrome-moly steel, good wide plastic fenders, eleated folding footpegs, deep center aluminum rims, nice chrome-moly bars, Magura dog-leg hand levers, cables with oiling nipples, large oiled foam air cleaner, full floating rear brake, large spokes and a new wider rear hub that is laced to a 17-in. rim.
All this makes for an impressive list of parts but the most impressive thing about the bike is riding it.
All of Husqvarna’s past desert racing experience is apparent as soon as the first whoop-de-doos are encountered. The depth and severity doesn't matter. The only speed limiting factor is the ability and nerve of the OR's pilot. The OR will go straight through at any speed the rider chooses. The beautifully functioning front forks and desert designed Curnutt shocks swallow up the whoops as if they don't exist. Even high speed sweepers that are rough and whooped can be negotiated safely at speed with full rider control.
The 31.5-deg. steering rake and the soft suspension give the rider a good safe feeling at high speeds down roads, open desert and sand washes. High speed, straight-line stability and comfort in the desert is unequaled by any other production dirt bike.
Sure, many of the new motocrossers can be modified to give equal comfort and stability in cross-country use, but the Husqvarna is the only one that can be purchased today and ridddn competitively tomorrow in a desert race without modification.
The only change we would make on the OR is the front tire. A 3.25 Metzeler would give a little more width than the 3.00 Trelleborg provided by the factory. The stock 3.00 is too narrow when the bike is in sand and causes the front end to search more than necessary. The 3.25 floats on top .of sand better and still gives good directional control.
Like most Huskys, the 390 works best when ridden fast. The faster it goes the better the shocks and forks work. Both are set up soft and springy so the wheels follow the irregularities at speed.
HUSQVARNA 390 OR
$2025
FRONT FORKS
Allowing for various rider preferences, forks on the OR are virtually ideal for most riding situations. Long travel and engagement, excellent damping and spring rates, and low seal friction make a combination hard to improve upon.
Tests performed at Number 1 Products
Quick cornering is also hampered at slow speeds because of the 31.5 deg. rake and soft shocks. Although slower in the tight corners' than its MX brother, the OR’s front wheel still sticks fairly well and doesn't push.
Some wallowing can be felt in slower bumpy corners as a result of this soft suspension tuning.
REAR SHOCKS
The damping characteristics of these gas-charged Curnutt shocks allows the rear suspension to bottom at low speeds, such as through deep, slow rollers. At high speeds, however, the suspension works well, and should be ideal for the majority of desert and cross-country riders.
The 390 has a very smooth powerband and gobs of torque. This combined with perfect transmission ratios lets the OR poke around rock hills like a mountain goat.
The engine’s torque and power also make it easy to wheelie the machine at virtually any speed. The front end is so light that the rider sometimes has little choice about flying the front wheel. This spooked some of the people who tried our 390 but the bike balances well and almost everyone soon began to enjoy it. The brakes are progressive and worked without complaint throughout our test.
The 5.00-17 Trelleborg rear tire worked extremely well in sand and rocks. It also has a long life. After 300 desert miles it looked almost new.
We only experienced one problem with the 390. Toward the end of the third day of desert testing third gear broke. While climbing a steep whooped grade a downshift from fourth to third produced a loud bang. This happened without warning. Throughout our test the bike had shifted smoothly and positively.
We have no way of telling how many total miles were on the machine. When we received the 390 it showed evidence of having been crashed, so it may have been damaged before our test started. At any rate it is a very impressive desert racer and general playbike.
Like any large bore European motorcycle the OR sells for a large sum of money. But when you consider you are buying a nearly exact copy of the 1977 Baja 1000 overall winner the price doesn't seem as high.
