Photo: T. White
1969 Husqvarna 400 Cross
Bengt Åberg
late ‘60s things were starting to to 1969, we need to cast our Bengt Åberg entered the world become a little more uniform as on June 26 1944 in Sörbo, Hälsminds back a few years to the the quality of production bikes ingland, Sweden but it wasn’t early ‘60’s. You see, in 1963 the was getting a little better. Husq- FIM made the ruling that the until he was 15 that the farmers’ varna had had world championson rode a bike for the very first 500cc class bikes had to be at ship success in the premier class least 351cc, but from Husqvartime. However, his rise to staron three previous occasions in dom was a bit on the slow side na’s perspective they didn’t have the hands of Bill Nilsson, who and his first world championship any confidence in its transmisbecame Husqvarna’s first 500cc sion for the 360cc they were points didn’t arrive until 1966 world champion in 1960, followed running. The problem with the where he placed 12th overall in the 500cc class. Four years later, by Rolf Tibblin in 1962 and 1963 transmission was to do with the and by the time Bengt Åberg aged 25, he was world champion spacing between the two shafts The 125cc class in 400 the Cross European Championship puts a spotlight onoriginally the nextmade for the landed the title inusually 1969, you could riding a Husqvarna as it was sayof it the was 2015 long overdue, espeandname it’s this iconic bike Drombagen and Silverpilen, the big in now motocross. Inwe fact both FIM Motocross World Champions and are featuring this month in MXGP cially since the only other podium 3-speed 175cc road bikes. To try vice-world champions Romain Febvre, Gautier Paulin, Tim Gajser and Pauls Jonass placing came from Åke Jonsson mag. to solve this problem Husqvarna have all won the EMX125 championship onbefore theirinpaths motocross supremacy. one year 1968 to with 3rd incorporated the British-made overall. As was always the case, the BSA transmission, which wasn’t competition race bikes of this era unheard of back then. But when The six-year itch were very much built on a trial that turned out to be a failure, However, before we even get and error basis, although by the they were forced to suck it up
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