In a scenario similar to that of BSA, Husqvarna started out as a manufacturer of muskets. And like BSA, the Husqvarna emblem still holds on to its foundations with the inclusion of an iron sight – a feature to line up that shot when viewed down the barrel.
As the years rolled on, the Swedish outfit diversified in their operations, and in the late 19th century they started to produce bicycles to cater for the expanding need for people to move around over longer distances. As the combustion era started to rumble, it was only a natural transition for Husqvarna to test the concept of the motorcycle, as many other bicycle manufacturers did the same and the race to the top commenced.
The move into the automotive world happened in 1903 when Husqvarna outsourced motors from the likes of FN and Moto-Rêve, and plonked them into their modified bicycle frames to create a motorcycle. As time went on, the company started to produce their own engines to become more self-sufficient, and it was at this point that Husqvarna really started to blossom.
In 1916 Husqvarna began producing machines built entirely in-house. It was a positive time for the company, where they secured a contract with the Swedish Army, and began entering their motorcycles into cross-country and long-distance races. The V-Twin units became available later in the 1920s in both 546cc and 992cc capacities, the model 180 being the 546cc machine.
The Model 180 was manufactured from 1927 to 1929 and was subject to a few small modifications in its short life. At the time that it was entered into the market, the American V-twins were very popular motorcycles in Sweden, and it would seem that these iron horses influenced some of the characteristics on the Husqvarna machines. There is a certain physical resemblance to the Indian Scout of the period, and the carburettor is an American Schebler model H – a rare feature on a European motorcycle.
The Model 180 was advertised as the “solo-sportmodellen”. It was a relatively basic motorcycle and was set up to withstand the arduous Swedish road conditions with a robust side-valve 546cc V-Twin, churning out a modest power output of 14bhp @ 4000rpm, all via a three-speed gearbox. This was enough grunt to get the modest motorcyclist down the toughest of tracks.
The Husqvarna featured in this article is a 1927 Model 180 that has been afforded a new lease of life by Anze Petkovsek.
This bike was purchased by the first owner in 1928 – three months after he was married. An impressive move in its own right! The motorcycle lived an active life and was purchased by the next owner in 1946 from a farm, in sad state and with bent and twisted forks. It then had little action, up to the point that it was acquired by Anze who then set to work to bring the Husqvarna back to its former halcyon days.
The above photos show the motorcycle as it was acquired prior to the sympathetic restoration; and below, Anze takes us through some of the rehabilitation process with a series of photos that were taken during the rebuild.
The first major undertaking for Anze was the paint work. In its time, the Husqvarna had been repainted, but fortunately, the new coat was applied straight on top of what was there, and ultimately preserved the original factory paint underneath.
“I used two processes to remove the repaint. I was lucky that the factory paint was much more durable than the after-applied paint. I was able to remove most of the paint with solvent, but where that method didn’t work, I used the controversial method of removing the paint with an olfa knife… a slow but effective technique. At the end, I gently polished everything to remove the remaining paint and to revive the colour, and then used an oil cloth for the finish”.
“The motorcycle has been mechanically restored. The cylinders have been lightly honed, the valves are new and the valve seats have been rebuilt. Almost all bearings are new, but the bushings remain original, due to being well preserved. The main shaft was rebuilt and re-centred.”
“The bike still has the original cast iron pistons and despite the wear and tear on the cylinders over the years it still runs very well. I think that what ultimately saved the motorcycle from ruin was the fact that it was involved in an accident and has remained intact ever since.”
“The engine had a cracked block because the valve lifter gear had loosened and stretched, putting pressure on the block itself. The damage was re-aligned, welded and cut, so that it can serve its purpose again (it’s a good thing I didn’t start the motorcycle before I opened the engine, because I would have destroyed it for sure).”
“As for the transmission, I repaired the worn parts and relined it, so it now shifts flawlessly. The magneto was rewound as the motorcycle started to lose spark.”
“Another challenge was to align the front forks as they were bent from a previous accident. With heating and patient handling, I was able to get the fork back to the condition that it needed to be.”
“As for the carburettor, I completely rebuilt it and eliminated all clearances, because otherwise the motorcycle did not want to run well, especially at idle.”
“In short, I completely rebuilt the motorcycle myself, with the exception of welding the block and rebuilding the cylinders, which was taken care of by experts who specialise in this area. A special thanks to Pär Thell for providing me with the original exhaust and to Åke Sjöqvist for providing me with the necessary information.”
There is no doubt that the restoration does not detract from the character of the machine that wears its scrapes and scars from over the years extremely well. Anze now explains what the old dog is like to ride.
“I have ridden many pre-war motorcycles and I must admit that riding a Husqvarna is really something special. The motorcycle behaves well while riding, and the engine itself develops speed very elegantly and has very little vibration. What surprised me the most is how well it absorbs bumps in the road, despite the fact that there are no shock absorbers at the rear. It’s not the fastest motorcycle, but it’s very nice to cruise around on.”
“If I compare the ride with the Indian Scout 101 which has a similar design to the Husqvarna, I have to admit that it handles better on the road and feels somewhat more reliable, although they say the Scout 101 is one of the best vintage bikes to ride. Obviously, Husqvarna knew what they were doing. It’s a kind of magic. But in order not to write only positive things, I must mention that the brakes are practically useless when they heat up, so it is necessary to carefully monitor what is happening on the road, because you cannot expect rapid braking.”
There is no doubt that Anze has carried out a wonderful sympathetic restoration of a forgotten-about machine that is once again thumping around the roads of Slovenia, having languished for so many years. This is a short video that looks over the restored bike, during which Anze takes us for a spin on his pride and joy.
Thank you to Anze Petkovsek for taking the time to send over information and photos of the restoration of his treasured Husqvarna.
If you have an old motorcycle that you would be happy to have featured on this website, please feel free to get in touch.
an article by The Girder Club
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