CASEY FOLKS AND HIS AMAZING HUSQVARNA COLLECTION: THE WRAP

[MotoFactory]

Casey Folks loved motorcycles. He loved racing, he loved the desert and more than anything he loved his Husqvarnas. In his years as the owner of Sportsman Cycle in Las Vegas, he accumulated dozens of them. Some of them were his personal bikes and some were historically significant ones. Sadly, Casey left us in 2017, but his family still has most of those motorcycles. Many are lovingly restored by John LeFevre. I got the chance to shoot most of the collection while it was still in one place, although it now appears that many of them will go to new homes. The collection includes a 1958 Silverpilen, which is the bike that really started Husqvarna on its path towards off-road racing and world championships. Torsten Hallman and Rolf Tibblin both started their racing careers on Silverpilens. There are several motocross bikes from 1967, which is the first year that Husqvarnas were sold in any number stateside. And there’s even the very bike that Jack Johnson used to win the 1976 Mint 400. Jack and Casey were good friends, and the Mint 400 was the race that inspired Casey to create the Best In The Desert’s Vegas To Reno classic.
The Folks family no longer owns Sportsman Cycle, but it still is entrenched in the Best In The Desert racing series, which is a racing venue unlike anything else in the world. That’s some legacy. Here are the motorcycles that I got to shoot in a makeshift studio near Sportsman Cycles. I’m no expert on the history of Husqvarna, so I bow to those with superior knowledge. If you have info on these bikes and their place in history, email me at riderswrite@hi-torque.com.

The Silverpilen is the bike that really got Husqvarna on the path towards its many world championships. You can read about the Silverpilen on the Husky Good Old Times Blog. This particular example might have been built for the ISDE.

 

Casey had several of the precious 1967 Cross models. This was the first big year for Edison Dye’s operation. He basically imported motocross as a sport to sell his Husqvarnas. There were only a few 1966 models brought in to the U.S. You can read Roger DeCoster’s recollection of those early years here.  1967 Husqvarna 250 Cross. You can tell the difference between those early 360sand 250s by counting the fins on the cylinder. This 1967 Husqvarna 250 Commando had frame numbers restamped so it could be sold as a 1968 model. The 1970 Husqvarna 250 Cross This is a 1971 Husqvarna 250 Cross 8-Speed. It has a 4-speed gearbox and a dual-range selector and the bars. Usually, riders left it in the high range all the time. This 1971 Husqvarna 250 Cross has the standard gearbox. Casey Folks rode and loved this 1971 250 Cross 8-speed. I dropped the helmet. Don’t tell anyone. 1969 Husqvarna 360 Cross 8-speed 1971 Husqvarna 360C Enduro 8-Speed 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross 1971 Husqvarna 400 Cross 1969 Husqvarna 400 Cross 1974 Husqvarna 250WR. Notice the brake pedal has switched to the right side. In mid 1974, Husqvarna built a hew motor in response to the Japanese bikes. It was the 250 Mag. I have one of these, but it’s not nearly as nice. This is one of the most beautiful bikes in the collection. It’s a 1975 Husqvarna 175GP Cross Country. My favorite: a 1975 Husqvarna 360GP CR. Casey was particularly attracted to the Husky 125s. This is a 1977-78 Husqvarna 125 CR. This is reputed to be just like the bike that Bob Hannah rode prior to Yamaha. It’s a 1975 Husqvarna 250GP CR 1976 Husqvarna 360WR This is the very bike that Jack Johnson used to win the Mint 400: a 1976 360 cross country. Some parts have been swapped over the years–it looks a little different from the one in the ad. 1977 Husqvarna 360CR 1977 Husqvarna 250CR The OR series was an off-beat cross country racer. 1978 Husqvarna 390 OR. Very nice looking. By 1978 the Husqvarna 125CR wasn’t especially competitive in the 125 class. They still attracted a lot of attention in the pits. In 1982 all the Huskys were gorgeous. This is a 430WR. 1982 Husqvarna 250XC This is probably the most powerful Husqvarna ever built in Sweden. The 1982 500CR was a response the the Maico 490. It was a brute. 1982 Husqvarna 125CR

 

In 1983 Husqvarna responded to the single-shock movement with ITC Ohlins shocks. It was an early version of PDS. 1983 Husqvarna 250WR One of the most significant bikes to come out of the Husky factory in the ’80s was the 1983 TX510. It demostrated that a four-stroke could be competitive with two-strokes of the day. That first year was difficult to start, but otherwise very good. Casey has a 1968 Honda S90 for some reason. I learned to ride on one of these.

 

See you next week!

–Ron Lawson

 

 

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