Recently acquired absolute basket case 85 500XC project

Hi guys, just joined, have lurked a tiny bit previously. Can't wait to join in on the Husqvarna fun times. I used to ride quite alot back in the 1980's, and always liked the Husky's, but previously primarily owned Kawasaki KX's, and a handful of Honda's (sorry if that's like profanity in here). Liked the dual shockers of the early 80's, and loved the first few years single shocker Husky's. Just really have always wanted one.

Anyway, a few months ago, a guy had a craigslist ad for an 85 500XC parts bike. This guy had bought a 3 wheeler he calls Frankentrike. He'd bought both out of Cali. His trike was per my observation made from an 86 model, and apparently the previous owner had blown the shock when trying to sort the custom big trike out. So, he bought what is now my bike, the 85 simply for parts and to steal the shock from. From what I can tell, my bike, appears to have had trans trouble, but also did not appear to be a very high use bike. Actually, was ultra original, and clearly just parked in somebodies backyard to let the sun do it's damage. Unfortunately, the guy I bought it from decided he need a whole bunch of stuff off of it as spares before he sold it to me, so by the time I got my hands on it, .........well she was quite the preverbial basket case. A rusty bottom end with no trans - original to his 86 in a box, no topend, no rear shock, no forks, and a whole lot of little stuff swipped in the night before thrash I'm sure, as it was to be in my hands the next morning.

She is a bonafide 85 500XC with a good title. I'm hopeing to get the original left engine case with the correct title engine numbers back. This bike could easily be called another Frankenbike, forsure. As it is being rebuilt thus far from ebay. I'm hopeing to finish the build with some things learned in here. Because she is such a parts bike, I have initially opted to fix her back up with the 87 appearance, as I like that a touch better. She has 86 forks, and soon to have the 87 tank, seat, and side panels. As well as the 87 swingarm, linkage and shock. I'm currently waiting on the gas tank brackets to mount the 87 tank, and am crossing my fingers she'll bolt together without to much resistance or additional needed fabrication work. Should in the end, look like an 87, with the heart of an 85.

Where is the best place to upload pics to???? So I can post them in here.

Thanks, and can't wait. I'm super stoked to be getting back into riding after many years of being out of it, and can't wait to be doing it finally with a now vintage Husqvarna. I still have trouble thinking of these as vintage, as I was so hardcore into riding back then. they still seem like a just a few years old bike, not so so many years. Can't wait !!

I have a 1985 XC500 and it is great. I have an outrageous top end in 6th gear. I clocked 87.5 mph in mud and ran out of room before I ran out of power. I was shocked to find out how good the suspension worked. It is quite a cushy ride. It is strange trying to start the bike because of the position of the kickstarter, but not really that hard to do. I just keep it running once I start it. It has never run hot and never fouled a plug. I think you will love the bike once it is done.

My '83 XC 500 is in the last throws of timing adjustment, to fire back up after 4 years languishing in the shop. These big bore single lungers have a boat load of power. Be gentle until you get to know her better. I remember the first time out on mine, and she looped me but good (left another swatch of skin on the road). If memory serves (questionable for an Old Geezer like me) they're rated from the factory at 104 mph tops. Good Lord, who would want to go that fast in the dirt?

Thanks much for the insight greenstreak, I appreciate it. Yeah, I think I'm gonna love it myself. I always wanted so much more power than 250's had on tap, so really think this will fit the bill perfectly. I'm a little worried about the kickstarting, but strictly because of injuries that I still have issues with.

Does anybody do machining to install a compression release for ease of starting???? I was looking at the cylinder and head I got for mine, and I'm not really seeing much room for anything like that to be added. Perhaps I won't need it anyways, fingers crossed on that one.

Are all the engine bearings and seals available for these????

I got some engine assembly manual pages off ebay, but they are leaving some details out if I remember right. Is there a whole manual available, that might even help me with cable and wire routing as it was from Husqvarna? As well as rebuilding every part of the bike? I have one like that for a 75 Honda XL350 I have, and it litterally goes right down to how the cables and wires are suppose to be routed, I thought that was handy.

I hear ya Geezer, I'm planning on taking it nice and easy, at first.

Where in AZ are you? I live in Tucson and could give you some help with manuals etc...

Hi greenstreak, I'm up in the PV northeast Phoenix area. Thanks much for the offer, I sure do appreciate it. Are there manuals online that are worth buying? Or perhaps freebies? I already found the freebie Parts Manual in pdf.

I bought a CD manual off of E-Bay. I can copy it for you if you want. I just got rid of a 1975 Honda XL350 and will look around for any parts or manuals for that one too. I will never have another one of those for sure. I had 2 and that was 2 too many. Spent a fortune on my last one and could never get it to run right.

That would sure be great on the CD greenstreak. As well, I'd be happy to get anything from your XL off of you as well. I haven't touched mine much yet, but she is a 2758 original mile bike. I've got a bunch of NOS cables for it. She hasn't run since likely the early 80's. I just need to go through checking everything and swapping out the cables, and she should be ready to light up. Likely will have some seals to replace I'm guessing. That's an amazing coincidence that you've had two of these same XL's also. What were the issues you had with it? Any more specifics there?

Do not remove the countershaft oil seal on your XL350! If you do, you will have to split the cases to replace it. I learned the hard way. I will look around for XL stuff and box it up. I have had 83 bikes and the 2 XL350's were the only bikes I couldn't get to run right. I think most of the problem with them come from the carb.
A Husky is a mcuh better bike and so easy to work on. I traded the XL350 for my XC500.

Interesting. I've heard it is common to replace the carb, and I did come be the supposed hot tune for both the stock carb, and others. Funny you mention that countershaft seal, as I think I will have to quickly replace that. Sounds like fun to replace.

Just got some parts for the conversion on the Husky to 87 spec today, and the guy left out a bunch of issues the parts have. So not to thrilled at the moment, but we'll getter done........

Is this place a good source for decent used parts???? I may still need a couple of gears for the trans, and some other plastic.

I have gotten some parts off of E-Bay. There is a guy in Tucson that has some Husky parts but he is so crazy high on his prices I won't buy anything from him. He is interested in XL350's so you might be able to wheel and deal with some parts?

My bike is thus far almost completely built off ebay parts. Total Frankenstien project. Too funny, I know exactly the guy your talking about, he sells on ebay, and his pricing is as though he was going by weight on solid gold parts. He's like 10 times or more, what everyone else wants for the same part. I'm staying away from that dude.

First of this week I've got OE 87 rad shrouds, left side number/side panel, and seat coming, for pretty cheap too. Seems like occasionally sellers on ebay, don't have the time to pay attention to the current market value, and they on rare occassion list things way below what they should have. That was the case on these particular parts I have coming. The guys other parts are actually priced a little high. His judgement on what things should bring was just off, and he had a buy it now, and I was all over these few items.

az-map is his name at eBay.
His parts are from beater bikes and outrageously high priced.

Yep, that's the guy. I spot his listings all the time, and usually just say WOW outloud, when I see the price.

I finally started useing a photobucket account I've actually opened some time back, and I'll see if I can't get some initial pics uploaded to start giving an idea of the Husky project/puzzle I have.

Here is the big project bike.

Tucked away inside, with parts slowly being accumulated. I'm not all that far from initial mock up, and fab work to update the plastics and rear suspension to the 87/88 parts.


Here are just two of the many pics the seller sent me before I took delivery. Yet more parts even, were swipped by the time I got it. Truely qualifying her as a basket case. What was I thinking? Well, she has a good Cal title, I always wanted one of these big bad Husky's, and I felt I could keep one more from being parted all the way and disappearing for good. Now that she's in my hands, she will be back, and digging trenches sooner or later.

lts a good thing bringing em back from the dead!

Thanks for the applause. Well, due to some other factors as well, I just wasn't going to get into a bike likely any other way really. Even though it will perhaps cost more in the end, I just couldn't come up with the much more sizeable chunk of change to go buy a running complete bike.

She found me as it were. I always wanted an 85, then it was or an 86. Then, when I saw the 87's and learned they were the last of the Swedish built bikes, well mostly due to looks preferences...........now we are rebuilding with the updates too.

She should look real nice when I'm done, as I'm in the same boat as many before me on other bikes, where I'm going to rebuild from the ground up. I look forward myself to seeing just how nice and how new I can make her look. Can't wait to hear her run for the first time too...........