Vintage/EVO Husky Question

[Picklito]

My 500 is electric smooth compared to the 430 I rode.

What was that 430 like? Was it a modified 430? All pumped up for racing? Was it running like it was supposed to run? Agreed, with their shorter stroke they 'can' be made to run very 250-like, if that's what a guy wants. But, in general, I find them ridiculously easy to ride, and with much less vibration and much less fatigue that the 500 Husky. The shorter stroke also lets them turn a bit easier. This is not a 500 bash... love 'em. If you want a good old big bore husky and it's a 500 that you find, I certainly wouldn't let that stop you. But I am curious how that 430 ran.

 

[2whlrcr]

The 430 ran hard. No idea if the porting was stock. My 500 is mellow. As I've said, these are the only two examples of these models I have ridden. I also have a 78 250 CR and a 74 360 CR hybrid. Both of these bikes have different characteristics too.

 

[Leftcoast leftkicker]

hey 2whlrcr, what mods have you done to the 500 motor? stock?
George Erl (Up Tite) built my motor (a lot time on clutch, gearbox and k/s gear train) and other than some port clean up he removed metal from the head to lower the compression a bit- made it easier to start. I rode with stock & modified heads and biggest difference was stock hit real hard and mod was mellow (your electric?)

 

[Picklito]

I've got 4 430's in the garage right now, in a project that just sort of happened (came across several individual basket case 430's, got them cheap, brought them home to pick through and build from). I'm still sifting through all the carnage, picking this and that for my ultimate 430 build up (which changes daily as I find various parts to be good or bad) (and yes - there will be a thread with pics... eventually!)

But the point of all this is that I'm getting to look through a lot of "identical" motors. They are NOT identical! The stock set up of the motors varied widely, particularly in tuning elements that would drastically change the character of their power. I bet each of these 430's ran very differently when they were fresh. Deck heights are all over the map, as is squish and compression, port measurements are haphazard, ignition timing... no common setting between the 4 motors. Even allowing for any motor work that might have occurred in the 27 years since their production, it seems Husky's 'tolerances' were a bit generous in some very important areas. For example, Husky only provided one base gasket thickness (compare KTM - which offers several so you can get the deck height right) and what you get is what you get. Ya, some other brands only offer one, too, but they seem to have kept tighter production tolerances so one gasket usually gets it right. Not so with Husky. If I pull the cylinder off one bike and plop it onto another, the specs aren't right. Ya, it would run, but it wouldn't run the way it's supposed to, and it's anybody's guess as to how that might be.

So, I wonder how much of this is responsible for how differently all these motors ran. I think it's probably a lot.

George Erl would have gone through that motor and made all those dimensions correct, and might not have even mentioned it to you. How your engine performed after he built it... is how it's supposed to run! Because he finished the job!

 

[fatboycrash]

Gudday!!
Mate, do you really really want the 500?? If your gunna race, you'll have a whole lot more fun on a 1983/82 250. I have a 500 and usually leave it at home for the races. You need to be super super athlete fit to race the 500 with any conviction. The thing is amazing, scary fast with very average brakes. After 5 big natural terrain laps, I'm lay on the ground gasping and I'm fairly fit. I usually just take my 82 250 and can ride it all day, have heaps of fun and not worry about the monster swapping ends on me at the most inopportune moment... Not trying to put you off, just trying to put you in the picture. Have you raced an open class drum brake two banger?? No nice things like powervalves or multi map ignition on these old girls. Twist, nothing and then EXPLODE!!! Hang on baby!!! :-)

 

[mattskn]

Twist, nothing and then EXPLODE!!! Hang on baby!!! :-)

Looks like I know what my mext project is going to be a 430

 

[2whlrcr]

hey 2whlrcr, what mods have you done to the 500 motor? stock?
George Erl (Up Tite) built my motor (a lot time on clutch, gearbox and k/s gear train) and other than some port clean up he removed metal from the head to lower the compression a bit- made it easier to start. I rode with stock & modified heads and biggest difference was stock hit real hard and mod was mellow (your electric?)

As far as I know it's stock, but it may have been tamed down because it is not explosive at all. But maybe I just have it jetted on the rich side. I am not a 500 expert, but I have rode many other bikes that were scarier than this one.

 

[Picklito]

The nice thing about either big bore is that they're big... there's enough 'reserve' power that you can tune them any way you want, and you can't always get away with that on a smaller motor. Take a good condition 500 that rips your arms out and retard the ignition timing a bit... instant electric motor. Or do the lower compression thing, or...