Husqvarna 500xc
HUSQVARNA 500XC
CYCLE WORLD TEST
A COMPETITIVE DESERT RACERWITH A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE. Especially things like Husqvarnas, which have been the premier desert bikes since the first ones hit America's shores back in 1967. Since then, Huskys have collected enough cross-country trophies to fill a large warehouse. And from the looks of the 1985 Husqvarna 500XC, that warehouse better have some more room.
But even though Husqvarna's sta tus as desert king hasn't changed in years, Husqvarna motorcycles them selves have. This year's XC, in fact, will surely be remembered as the most changed Husky ever. It now has a modern, single-shock rear-suspen sion system. a disc front brake, an aluminum swingarm. a safety seat and a liquid-cooled engine. Nothing earth-shaking by Jap anese motorcycle standards, but those changes are big news from Husky, a company that for years has extolled the virtues of tradi tion over change.
Leading the list of differences be tween this and last year's XC is a newly designed. chrome-moly steel frame, which actually is quite similar to 1967-through-l97l Husqvarna frames. The major component of this new design is a large-diameter back bone that is welded to the bottom of the steering hea~L while a smaller tube runs from the top of the steering head to the center of the backbone. A wishbone-type front downtube splits into four tubes as it makes its way under the engine's cases, and a small, triangulated sub-frame section bolts into the curved main frame, provid ing a mounting place for the seat and rear fender. Simple, different and 12 pounds lighter than the dual-shock frame it replaces.
Weig 1SOIS the main reason a huge. we 1-made, boxed-aluminum swingarm finally replaces the chrome-moly steel unit of past years. Likewise, all of the shock linkage is aluminum, and its design was kept as simple as possible. The links and pivots appear strong enough to get the job done, but, unfortunately, there are no grease fittings. That means disassembly is required when it’s time to lubricate the joints.
The XC is perfectly happy when crawling along a rock face at five mph...
Regardless, the new suspension system is state-of-the-art, with Ohlins’ latest dual-clicker shock as standard equipment. Adjusting the compression and rebound damping is as easy as turning a knob on the reservoir (compression damping) or a larger, knurled ring on the bottom of the shock (rebound damping). Even the shock’s spring-preload adjuster rings are easy to reach with a medium-length punch.
After a bit of fiddling with numerous rear suspension settings, we settled on 1 5 clicks out on the compression knob (which has a 21-click range) and seven clicks out on the rebound (27 clicks available). Rearend sack was left at four inches with a fully-dressed rider on board.
But while the suspension might be new, the 1985 Husky crosses the bumps much like last year’s 500XC did: smoothly, comfortably and controllably. The Ohlins damper seldom bottoms, and shock fade seems to be non-existent.
Up front, the Husqvarna-built fork is almost as good as the rear suspension—but not quite. The fork is unchanged from last year’s, and although it works well on medium to large bumps, the ride is a little harsh on small ripples, even with 10-weight fork oil. Removing the harshness is easy, though. It’s just a matter of replacing the dual fork seals in each leg with one Kawasaki fork seal (part number 92049 1043). We’ve modified past test bikes this way and found that a single set of Kawasaki seals will outlast three sets of Husky seals. And once dialed-in, the Husky fork is one of the best there is across the desert.
When the subject is kickstarting, though, the Husky is one of the worst in the desert. The long, aluminum kick lever is placed high on the left side of the engine where anyone shorter than an NBA all-star has trouble using it. Pushing the bike into a ditch or standing on high ground is required to reach the lever comfortably. During our first three outings, our bike refused to kickstart when cold, but would fire up as soon as the clutch was released when bumpstarted. The problem eventually was traced to the Motoplat ignition. Spinning the engine at kickstart speeds wouldn’t generate enough spark to fire the engine. Once the ignition was replaced (which would have been covered under the 500XC’s warranty), two or three healthy boots would light the engine, hot or cold.
Once the engine starts, another fact is made tinglingly clear: The engine vibrates. Unfortunately, that’s normal for a big-bore Husqvarna. Some of our testers complained bitterly about the engine vibration, others didn’t mind much. Another complaint centered around the jetting, which seemed rich in the lowand mid-range. We left it alone until we had 1 50 break-in miles logged, then dropped the needle one notch and went two sizes leaner (to a No. 45) on the pilot jet.
That cleaned up the low-end jetting enough to make the XC perfectly happy when crawling along a rock face at five mph. And, of course, thanks to the six-speed gearbox and Baja-racing final gearing, the Husky is just as much at home at 100-plus top speeds. Flat-out in sixth, the XC can touch 105 mph. But the tall overall gearing and widely spaced ratios have the rider shifting gears a lot to keep the engine in its powerband. The stock gearing is perfect for Baja competition but too tall for regular off-road terrain. We changed the countershaft sprocket from a 14 to a 13-toother, which made the bike much more pleasant to ride. The change lets the engine get into its strong midrange power earlier, the rider has to shift a lot less, and top speed is still a respectable 97 mph.
.. .and the Husky is just as much at home at 100-plus top speeds.
Slowing the big XC from those roadracing speeds is much easier than it was on older Huskys. The large disc front brake has a good feel and is powerful without being grabby. Reaching the hand lever is quite a stretch for riders with small hands, though, and there’s no provision for adjustment. The rear brake is adjustable, and, like the front, works well.
Having good brakes is important with the Husky, because they have to stop a very big bike. And not only is the 500XC big, but it feels big. With a seat height of 38.3 inches, it forces most people to stretch just to touch the ground. Even underway, the XC feels large, and its 237-pound dry weight and nearly 60-inch wheelbase explain why. That doesn't mean the XC is a barge in the corners—far from it. With a 27-degree rake and 4.7inch trail, the 500XC turns easily and precisely. And in the straights, the long wheelbase helps maintain highspeed stability. Sandwashes are the big XC’s specialty, for the speeds possible there are limited only by the rider’s ability—and courage.
High-speed sweepers are great fun on the XC, too. Just charge into the turn, tap the brakes, crank up the throttle and pitch the bike over; the XC slides in a very controllable, predictable manner.
While the Husky also handles the tighter turns well, any bike as long as this one begins to feel a little clumsy if the tight going lasts for long. Big Huskys have had a top-heavy feel for some time, and for '85, they still do, although it's not as severe as it was with the older models. Like past Huskys, the XC isn’t a bar-dragger in turns; the 500 is happiest when corners are negotiated with the bike in a near-vertical position. And the XC has a self-righting feel when leaving the turn. The trait is very noticeable to first-time Husky riders, but no bother at all to long-time owners who have grown accustomed to the peculiar habits of Husqvarnas.
We had plenty of time to get used to the XC during our test, which consisted of rides up to 300 miles in length, but we had some problems that we could never get accustomed to experiencing. On the first of those rides, trouble started five miles from the truck when the nice-looking aluminum silencer and spark arrester fell off. The entire unit is held on the bike (or, at times, not held on the bike) by one 6mm bolt, and there's no clamp at the front where it slides onto the stinger. Husqvarna’s offical fix is the installation of the old-style green-rubber sleeve and two hose clamps at the pipe/silencer junctionafter sawing off the raised rib at the silencer's front. This isn’t a serious flaw, but it is one that shouldn’t be present on a $3250 dirt bike.
Another problem, one we consider unforgivable, is a kickstand that isn't able to hold up the bike. The 500XC fell over in our parking lot the first time we used the kickstand. Shortly thereafter, the stand’s flimsy pivot bracket broke offaltogether. No kickstand at all is better than one that lets the bike fall over so it will bend and break some expensive parts.
After that, the machine held up nicely—until the last day of testing. While liquid-cooling sounds like the hot setup on a desert bike, and no doubt will be a bonus during the hot summer months, it can also cause some grief if one of the exposed water hoses should get speared by a sharp bush, or if the radiator should get damaged, or—as happened to our bike during a 100-mile loop across the Mojave desert—the screws that hold the water-pump cover in place should come loose. That caused the loss of the coolant, resulting in a piston seizure. Loctite on the pumpcover screws should be part of the initial setup. And wrapping the water hoses with split, automotive-type heater hose would add a further measure of security.
Sandwashes are the big XC'S specialty, for the speeds possible there are limited only by the rider's ability-and courage.
On the other side of the coin, the Husky has a lot of well-thought-out details, too. The bike is thin through the middle, and the 3.3-gallon fuel tank is narrow and rides low on the bike. The seat has a medium-density foam with a shape that lets the rider move about easily, and the seating position places the rider in the bike, not on it. The throttle turns easily, the clutch pulls nicely and the shifting is smooth and positive, even if the throw is a little long for some.
Those details help make the XC the excellent machine it is. But there are a few areas where it could—no, should— be better. No motorcycle is perfect, of course, but a dirt bike selling for nearly $3300 should come out of the shipping crate almost perfect. Between a kickstand that isn’t capable of holding up the machine, a silencer that falls off unless modified, and carburetor jetting that is off the mark, the XC’s only hope for perfection is in an owner who will take the time to fix all its shortcomings, someone who will help the bike realize its potential to be the finest desert racer around. The Husqvarna can be great; it’s just up to the owner.
But, as we said earlier, some things never change.
HUSQVARNA
500XC
$3245
