Identifying Husky forks

[Rossik]

After thinking about it a lot, I decided to replace the standard forks on my 1985 Husky 500AE with upside down forks, with disk breaks instead of drum.
I've read a lot on the subject here and so I settled for a different set from an SM model (which came with the upper & lower triple clamps as well as the disk caliper assembly in the fork leg and the cable and lever/reservoir setup).
So all I need now is a front wheel with disc but that's where my dilemma starts.......
The guy I bought the forks from is uncertain which model or year they came from, he thinks it was an SM model from the 2000's but that#s as much as he could tell me (he bought them himself but decided to can his restoration project and buy an new Husky instead).

Does anyone have tips on how to identify which model & year the forks are from?

 

[2premo]

do you have any pictures?
a lot of Husky parts will interchange but some need to be matched

 

[Xcuvator]

If the forks are 2000 or newer the hubs are the same, the difference is the bearings, bearing spacer, seals and axle. In 2003 or 2004 the axle went from 20mm to 25mm. So you could measure the ID of the left side axle hole to see which axle they take. I have converted early hubs/wheels for use on later bikes.

 

[2premo]

If the forks are 2000 or newer the hubs are the same, the difference is the bearings, bearing spacer, seals and axle. In 2003 or 2004 the axle went from 20mm to 25mm. So you could measure the ID of the left side axle hole to see which axle they take. I have converted early hubs/wheels for use on later bikes.

question
what did you do to correct the spacers, I am looking at putting an 04 front on mine, I have a 93 wheel and bought the bearings, they fit but the spacers dont work with the 93 hub offset

 

[jimspac]

The standard steering stem takes 25mm ID bearings top and bottom. The race OD is 50mm. Measure the stem diameter on the 2000 front end and get a set of bearing from All Ballz to make it fit. You make need some spacers if the stem is longer

 

[2premo]

The standard steering stem takes 25mm ID bearings top and bottom. The race OD is 50mm. Measure the stem diameter on the 2000 front end and get a set of bearing from All Ballz to make it fit. You make need some spacers if the stem is longer

I was referimg to the axle, the steering bearings are common on so many Huskys it amazes me,
thanks for the tip

 

[Xcuvator]

question
what did you do to correct the spacers, I am looking at putting an 04 front on mine, I have a 93 wheel and bought the bearings, they fit but the spacers dont work with the 93 hub offset

I'm not familiar with 93 wheels. On 99-02 front wheels, the center spacer, bearings and seal can be swapped to work with the 04 up 25mm axle and brake side outer spacer. You may be able to find out with a little research on Hall's online catalog.

 

[2premo]

my 99 wheel and axle look identical to my 93
the difference on the spacers is the dimension in on the wheel bearings

 

[Motosportz]

Get an entire front end off a 1999 and up husky and bolt it on. Brakes and all. Put 99 Wr250 front end on my 86 WR400. Bolted right on. Was a HUGE upgrade in performance. Did not F-up the handling in fact I liked it better. Great mod IMHO.

 

[suprize]

That looks like a real weapon .

 

[Motosportz]

That looks like a real weapon .

Surprisingly I could go just about as fast on that as a modern bike. Motor is real nice.

 

[2premo]

the 400 is a very tractable easy to work engine
makes power most everywhere

 

[Motosportz]

the 400 is a very tractable easy to work engine
makes power most everywhere

Makes power everywhere but you want to short shift and use the massive lower mid range. It is a very EZ motor to get along with. Very usable power.

 

[2premo]

funny you mention short shifting, my brother an I were talking about it yesterday
if you short shift and keep the rpm's low you don't get the gyro effect of a bigger engine and you can "flick" them through the corners more like a smaller engine
when I climb hills I start out by upshifting a nd have better traction control, but it's that bottom grunt that makes it possible

 

[jimspac]

I was referimg to the axle, the steering bearings are common on so many Huskys it amazes me,
thanks for the tip

Sorry about that. I would usually try to get the entire front end(forks, triples, wheel) and adapt as an assembly to the 80's bike

 

[Motosportz]

funny you mention short shifting, my brother an I were talking about it yesterday
if you short shift and keep the rpm's low you don't get the gyro effect of a bigger engine and you can "flick" them through the corners more like a smaller engine
when I climb hills I start out by upshifting and have better traction control, but it's that bottom grunt that makes it possible

exactly and yes, hill climbing beast.

 

[Motosportz]

Sorry about that. I would usually try to get the entire front end(forks, triples, wheel) and adapt as an assembly to the 80's bike

Yes save yourself a lot of grief and get a complete front end, triples, forks, wheel assembly, brakes, all of it. Makes it real simple. Lots of buys out there on CL or local connections. Ask around.

 

[dukkman]

exactly and yes, hill climbing beast.

Make a mistake , just back off, line it up right and wind it back on.
Brilliant

 

[fran...k.]

[quote="Rossik, post: 265140, member: 9754 I settled for a different set from an SM model (which came with the upper & lower triple clamps as well as the disk caliper assembly in the fork leg and the cable and lever/reservoir setup).
So all I need now is a front wheel with disc but that's where my dilemma starts.......
The guy I bought the forks from is uncertain which model or year they came from, he thinks it was an SM model from the 2000's but that#s as much as he could tell me (he bought them himself but decided to can his restoration project and buy an new Husky instead).

Does anyone have tips on how to identify which model & year the forks are from?[/quote]

Kind of intresting I bought some almost new supermoto 450 year 2004 forks off ebay for $100 plus shipping a number of years ago, no one else bid. I intend on putting them on my 420 auto. For what I bid I didn't do any research. They only have eight inches of travel. That is closer to what my 81-82 had origionally than what your bike origionally had, at least I suspect you had about 10 inches for something like a wr which I think is ae suspention wise. I am pretty sure the supermoto wheel has a larger disc. I have a 2004 wr 250 and the place the caliper hanger attaches on the supermoto forks is in exactly the same location but the holes are larger. To complete my project I need sleeve down the holes to accept a dirt bike brake assembly. I think I have evrything for a complete set up to attach to the bike except I still would have to borrow the axle and wheel.

Those whole front ends for the 45 mm forks of husky that vintage discussed here don't go for a lot, the wheel probably is the only thing (I am ony looking for the larger axle one) that can't regularly got relatively cheap. However the supermoto ones if not crashed probably are virtually new inside. That 1998 125 in my current avatar has 2004 ktm stuff on it which I bought piece meal over a few years, The 98 forks are pretty worthless but with some 1999-2003? forks and clamps the wheel and axle and brakes got migrated to a vingage bike.

Pobably you should measure the offset of the triple clamp. I can measure the one I have not attached to anything pretty easy. I am not sure if husky had different offset cr vs wr vs supermoto. The ktm ones 2004 (125-200cc parts book) are 20 mm exc and 14 mm sx If I recall and less than 20 and adjustable more recently again as I recall. Could also measure the distance center to center of the forks, that is a problem in some fork swap projects and the supermoto tire is thicker.

Fran