Husqvarna Happy

HUSQVARNA HAPPY

FOUR-STROKES RULE? THEY CERTAINLY DO IN THE WORLD 500cc Motocross Championship. For the first time in 28 years a big four-stroker-the FIM allows them an extra 150cc to help maintain parity with the two-strokes-has taken home all the marbles.

That would be the Husqvarna, with Belgian Jacky Martens up. The last time a four-stroke rider won a championship in this series it was Jeff Smith, aboard a BSA, in 1965.

Husky's thumping victory is said to have been taken closely to heart by Honda, which is rumored to have its own all-new competition dirt Thumper under development. This is said to be a liquid-cooled-, 650cc, dohc, fuel-injected four-valve Single that not only would form the basis of Honda's 1994 world Mo tocross effort, but which would eventually replace-perhaps as early as the 1995 model year-the engine that now powers the XRÔOO and XRb5OL enduro and dual-purpose bikes. And if all that happens, can a street/sportbike powered by the same engine be far behind? Probably not. -Alan Cathcart