1. Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

85 - 86 CR/WR/XC Swingarms

Discussion in 'Vintage/Left Kickers' started by WayneL, Oct 12, 2015.

  1. WayneL Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    87 WR400 88 WR125 84 AE500 &13 WR300
    Other Motorcycles:
    BMW R1200GS and R80G/S PD
    Hi

    Question for the knowledgeable ...

    I am in the process of having an 85 model CR500 rebuilt (a mate is doing it for me), we come across a crack in the swingarm that has been badly repaired in the past. I have an 86 model WR swingarm in reasonable condition. Does anyone know if these two swingarms are the same? I can see that there is a difference between CR & XC swingarms in the manuals...

    Any help would be appreciated.

    PS. The bike is interstate, so I cant do a visual check.
    WayneL, Oct 12, 2015
    #1

  2. wrx Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    845 newyork
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1973 to 1986 husky's various models
    Other Motorcycles:
    RM -250 / Buell / Penton 400 mc5
    xc and cr swingarms are way different. as are the rear wheels,brake backing plate and spacers.
    wrx, Oct 13, 2015
    #2

  3. 2premo Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Northern NV
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    98 WR360, 1987 WR430, 1988 XC430
    Other Motorcycles:
    Sherco 300, 2002 KTM 380EXC
    The CR is a full floating brake
    2premo, Oct 13, 2015
    #3

  4. racemx904 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    owenton, ky
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2014 Beta 350RR & 1986 430XC
    Other Motorcycles:
    1975 Rokon and 2004 Kawasaki KX65
    Ya the swingarms are different.... XC has a "quick change" style wheel where there is no brake arm going from backing plate to frame....
    racemx904, Oct 13, 2015
    #4

  5. 2premo Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Northern NV
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    98 WR360, 1987 WR430, 1988 XC430
    Other Motorcycles:
    Sherco 300, 2002 KTM 380EXC
    the 85-86 CR swingarm was the same the 85 XC and WR are unique to the year and the 86 XC and WR were unique to their year
    the cr uses a floating backing plate with and arm that connects the frame just below the brake arm pivot
    the 85 XC WR uses a flat 10" aluminum bar that holds the backing plate and connects to the swingarm about half way
    the 86 uses a tab like the 87 87 but it has different linkage and shock so unique again
    your best bet is get a swingarm, except the criminal shipping costs to Aus-land I have a couple spare 85 86 CR swingarms
    by the way I have never seen an 85 or 86 broken swingarm, hard to imagine what happened :excuseme:
    2premo, Oct 13, 2015
    #5

  6. fran...k. Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    eastern ct
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    420ae 98wr125 2004wr250 others
    Other Motorcycles:
    electric freeride 1993 yam gts
    Some of the earliest aluminum swingarm bikes did have welded on pieces for the stay rod like on the steel swingarms before them. That quick change thing for some reason has quite a bit of wear, often anyways, for the bikes in this section 86-88 or so. I looked on the parts sheet for 1985 it looks to me like they show the bolt to attach to the stay for wrx and xc however the backing plate seems upside down.

    It looks like 2premo posted while I was typing. There are auto and four storke models that may reference two stroke sheets or have their own, not sure which is the case for the swingarms.
    fran...k., Oct 13, 2015
    #6

  7. 2premo Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Northern NV
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    98 WR360, 1987 WR430, 1988 XC430
    Other Motorcycles:
    Sherco 300, 2002 KTM 380EXC
    and one more thing the brake cable on the CR is below the swingarm the XC WR are above
    the brake arm on the backing plate is CR up, XC WR down
    the pedals are very different, the CR seems to have a lower pull point than the WR XC likely due to routing
    I have all the above laying around so quite familiar
    2premo, Oct 13, 2015
    #7