1976 Husqvarna Husky 360 WR - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1976 Husqvarna Husky 360 WR - 6-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
Husky 360 WR
An All-Round ^Motorcycle That Excels at Everything
How would you like a secure,
good-handling, well suspended, 220-lb.
rocketship to blast around on in the
desert, in enduros, or for just plain trail
riding at a fast clip? Husky has one in
the guise of a 360 WR. Basically the
same motorcycle as the motocross
machine, the WR is a tad faster, a bit
softer and a lot more fun to ride.
The WR (which stands for wide ratio)
is designed with the desert or enduro
rider in mind, by virtue of its far spaced
six-speed gearbox. The gears are
matched nicely enough to the good
powerband that you can use first for the
tighter enduro courses, and sixth is still
available to attain high speed runs for
making up time, or for hand speed
record attempts across the desert.
As with the CR model, there are quite
a few changes in the 1976 model that will
please the prospective Husky buyer. First
on the list of goodies is a new kickstarter
that works. This one is usable, doesn’t
break your ankle off in the event of
kickback and won’t shear off the
footpeg.
New fork seals are also included with
the bike. They still leak a little bit, but
they don’t pour oil out the forks as they
did in the past. If you want to get really
trick, you can put air caps on the top of
the fork tubes, and put in about six
pounds of air in each leg. That’s just
about enough to make a better seal
between the fork leg and the seal surface.
Another problem that Husky owners
had was the steering head bearings. It
seems that the little devils liked to
self-destruct, leaving you with a handful
of metal shavings and a badly behaving
motorcycle. The bearings are bigger, in a
better cage, and are less susceptible to
breakage. It seemed that although the
CR and WR shared common bearings up
front, the WR model, due to its heavier
and longer punishment in enduro and
desert runs, was eating up more bearings
than its motocrossing brother. Now that
problem is solved.
You’ll also find wider, longer fenders,
a better reed inlet housing, a new lower
end bearing that should last forever,
chrome-plated steel piston rings and a
new exhaust system that features
double walled construction (just like
Ford’s doors).
The WR features a larger gas tank for
those longer runs. Husky knew that the
bigger tank was necessary—the bike is
extremely thirsty. If you happen upon a
section that is longer than 65 to 70 miles
between gas stops, you’d better check out
an accessory tank that holds a little more
fuel than the stock unit, or else you
might find yourself pushing your way
to the pits, not a plus in your favor if
you're trying to get up towards the top of
the results sheet.
A heavier non-conical hub adorns the
WR, and there is an optional
speedometer and lighting kit available
from your Husky dealer. They use the
VDO speedometer, extremely precise in
its operation, and leave a small space
between the right fork leg and the brake
hub so that you can slip the little adapter
in without any modifications.
Nice fat enduro/desert-type tires outfit
the stock WR, eliminating the need to
run out and buy a set that really works.
You’ll also find that the suspension is a
little bit softer than its motocross twin,
mainly because the engineers felt that a
little plushness is welcome on rides
lasting longer than 40 minutes at a time.
Down in the underneath section, you'll
find a skid plate, a nice little extra that
your favorite Husky dealer throws in at
no extra charge. The plate protects the
belly of the engine, something you really
don’t want to see with a pizza-size hole in
it. The side cases of the powerplant
The 360 WR can be used in a variety of competitive events, and still have an edge
over the other brands.
and very secure when it touches back
It’s a good flyer, being light, powerful
down on the ground.
aren’t protected by the skid plate, but if
you go back a few issues and check out
Malcolm Smith’s bike, you can see how
that can be easily remedied.
Riding the WR was a blast. It’s a very
lightweight motorcycle, which enables
you to throw it around quite freely while
going at an incredible clip. We did,
however, have a few problems with the
machine during our initial test that you
also might come across.
The first problem was keeping the
engine running cleanly. You’re going to
go bananas trying to jet the bike
properly, and you’ll find that it never will
clean itself out and run consistently. The
culprit is a little water splash guard
found at the top of the airbox. It looks
just like a little shelf, and forces the air to
go up and around the guard before it can
get to the filter.
Originally, this was probably designed
to eliminate water penetration into the
engine, and to cut down on the intake
howl. All it really does is make the bike
run terrible. Grab a chisel and a
hammer, and break off the pop rivets
that hold the guard on. Now go back out
and try to jet your bike again. You’ll find
that it’s a lot more consistent, it runs at
least 50 percent better, and you get the
real potential that the engine offers by
turning that right wrist.
If you’re worried about the water
penetration, you can go to the K&N air
filter system that Malcolm Smith uses...
15189-AL-7607-01