1975 Husqvarna 360

America hadn’t heard of Sweden’s Husqvarna until the 1960s. Starting in arms manufacture, construction machinery and white goods, the company attained numerous racing wins in Europe before taking on the US off-road market. Their agile, lightweight two-strokes of the late 1960s and ’70s would win 14 world motocross championships, countless medals in ISDT and enduro competition, and 11 Baja 1000 victories, three of the latter coming on Huskies ridden by Malcolm Smith. Unheard of on this side of the Atlantic when the Sixties began, Husqvarna’s series of two-stroke machines – first a 250, then a 360 that grew to 400cc – featured breathtakingly lusty single-cylinder engines suspended in lightweight steel frames. Painted steel gas tanks with the brand’s signature chromed panels, intended prevent a rider’s knees from marring the paint was the signature of the “look”.

The motorcycle offered

The 1975 Husqvarna 360CR on offer here was purchased from a collector in 2012 by our vendor, a discerning collector of 1960s and 70s off-roaders. He rode it only a couple of times before placing it on static display in his private collection. Reportedly restored by Vintage Husky of San Marcos, a veritable expert in the marque, the bike was fitted with a Mikuni carb for reliability & performance.

A Petrolicious video on Steve McQueen’s Husky