Husqvarna CR50J

[Carp824]

I bought my son a 2002 Husqvarna CR50 Junior for Christmas. I got it brand new in the crate. Not from a dealer. The manual does not give a specific ratio for mixing gas and oil. One dealer I talked with says 40:1 another says 32:1 or 35:1.

Also, Manual says to use 95 Octane gas. I have been unable to find any other than Higher Octane Race Gas. I was told by dealer to use 93 Octane mixed with a little race gas.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on these two issues.

Now I have got to find time to get it out of the crate and put it together before Christmas.

Thanks for any help

 

[Bent6]

The manual says 2% oil mix. 2% is a 50:1 ratio. I would not worry about using 92-93 octane. IMO it may only be a problem if your kid is really fast or it is very hot when he goes riding. Just buy the best pump gas available in your area, and you should be fine.

 

[Jasle]

you will be fine with premium unleaded gas fromt he pump. The bike has a Franco Morini motor which is not shy high in the compression ratio. We use 40:1 on our Franco motor. My son races and rides hard and no topend problems. You can get slightly better throttle response with race fuels but your kid will probably never notice.

 

[Ricky]

CARP824 Where did you get the bike from and how much $? if you don't mind my asking! I am considering buying one of these for my daughter in the next few months? I'd appreciate any info.
Thanks, Ricky. e-mail me at [email protected]

 

[Bent6]

Ricky,

I bought my boy a very clean 2000 Husky Sr for $800 last month. How old and tall is your daughter? If I had it to do over, I'd have bought the Sr to start with. You can lower a Sr approx. 2" by putting a Jr seat on it.

 

[Carp824]

Ricky, I e-mailed you some details on the bike. If for some reason you don't receive it let me know.

Bent6, Have you been pleased with the husky Sr. you purchased? Have you had any problems?

 

[Bent6]

It seems nice. It actually seems to start better than the Jr did. It also seems a bit faster. No problems yet, but we have only put 3-4 hrs on it since we got it.

 

[Jasle]

The husky uses the same Morini motor the KTM used to. Also the cobra. Good motors but are a little prone to Stator failures. I would stock a spare if you race it. Otherwise if you get good dealer support you should have a lot of fun. If you don't have a good dealer there is one that ships in Florida. They stock most everything. Worst Case scenario you local Cobra dealer could probably help you out on some parts.

     And when you get really serious drop in the Cobra 3 shoe clutch.  Direct bolt in and it will hit a LOT harder than stock. 

 

[nephron]

I bought an LEM 2 Racer (11.5hp) for my son.

I've been told to run 24:1 for a few tanks, and I believe the guy after riding it. It hangs at about 9000-10000 rpm all day long. I definitely wouldn't go less than 32:1, and you'll make more power as well.

Ask Rich what he'd do. That's the RIGHT answer. :thumb:

 

[Jasle]

Hey nephron, gimme a shout after you've had that bike a while. I'd love a clutch report. Some of our new line of bikes will be using the Morini S8 motor. Almost the same as the S6 motor your lem uses. I'm pretty new to the LC Morini motors. I've heard the clutch setup is a nightmare. I'd love to hear what you think of it!
Are you using it to race? Where are you getting your LEM parts?

 

[mdsutton]

Hello, I bought my son a 2001 senior brand new in June. I run supreme gas with Spectro synthetic at 32:1. These bikes seem to run rich out of the box, but I haven't gotten into that yet. Been racing most weekends, no problems yet. Some things I have learned on the Sr and most apply to the junior as well.

Keep water away from the stator, and it shouldn't fail. Pull the plastic cover off after cleaning and make sure everything is pretty dry before riding. I think the stator fail after getting wet and then hot.

Change the gear oil and clean the air filter often. I change it after every race or practice.

Keep water out of the air box when cleaning, the way it is designed, the water and muck flows straight into the carb.

After about 4-5 tanks of gas, service the bike - inside the side case there is a gear on a left hand thread spindle. Be sure and Lock Tite the bolts holding it there. They may come loose and the gear comes out the side, breaking the cover.

If you have specific questions, the dealer I bought from is the largest Husky mini dealer west of the Mississippi river. You can call him. Bill at Bill's Motorcycle Plus in Salem Oregon (503-585-1153) He stocks most of the parts and will ship. He is very knowledgeable about these bikes.

Good luck and have fun.

Mike S.

 

[Carp824]

mdsutton, Thanks for the information! I will definitely use the tips. I finally got the bike ready and started up for the first time tonight. One more week til Christmas and then my son can try it out. He currently rides an XR50 I hope he will do well with the two-stroke. Has the Senior been doing well against the KTM's? Thanks Again.

 

[Jasle]

Originally posted by Carp824
Has the Senior been doing well against the KTM's? Thanks Again.

KTM's?   Go to http://www.peeweepowersports.com/Why%20Cobra.htm and see the top 15 from each 50 class at Loretta Lynns.  I think Loretta's is a good judge because that is where you'll see the least cheating...In My opinion.

The Husky isn't there.  It is a great bike to learn on.  But for racing the clutch is a real limiter.  You will need to update the 2 shoe to a 3-shoe.  This will give you much better drive out of the corners and on the start.  Unfortunatley this is illegal in AMA racing.  At local levels you probably won't get protested.  Many of the performance upgrades from the older Air Cobra's will work on the Husky.  You can also cut your clutch springs shorter to increase the rpm's that they engage at.  This will help some.  But if your coming from a xr50 to this wait a while before changing the clutch settings.

Jason

 

[Carp824]

Jason, I appreciate all your help and comments. Didn't mean to overlook the Cobra's. You are right. I do see them up front more often than not. Thanks!

 

[Jasle]

I wasn't taking it personal! Just trying to make a joke. Hard to do when I don't use a smiley! 8*)
Your kid will have fun on the Husky. They are fairly competative with good power. We had one here cracking the top 5 pretty often. A lot to do with the rider! Once your kid gets pretty fast drop the 3 shoe in from a cobra and it will make a world of difference. I think you can also use the performance 2-shoe clutch springs from the Polini? They look like they will work but I haven't tride them yet.

 

[mdsutton]

My son finishes mid pack. There are lot's of Husky's here because of Bill (Bill's Motocycle Plus). He is great and comes to all the races and will work on any bike that needs it. He also brings several bikes of his own, in case one of the mini's breaks, he lets the kid ride one of his. He also puts on a Husky Half time race. He draws 5 kids names out of a hat and puts them on 5 identical Husky Jr's and they get to race a moto. At the end of the season he makes a big deal out of the season winners. He has given gift certificates of $500 and even a brand new bike. Not to brag on Bill, but He is why out of all the mini's here, close to half are Husky's.

Our local arenacross track is tight and technical, so quickness, cornering, and jumping are more important than top speed. On a good night there is usually 6-10 bikes in the 7-8 class and about half are Huskys' (same with the 4-6 crowd). There is a LC Cobra and a LC Husky that alternate finishs of 1st and 2nd, unless they crash, and they have been racing at least 2 years. I think the AC Husky and AC KTM are pretty even and depends more on the rider. We are in it for fun, and not to go to Nationals or stuff like that. If my son started jumping like the other kids, he would place better, his first race was the end of August, so he's working on it. At least he's not getting lapped anymore. With the track here, I think the SR could win, depending on rider and tuning.

I agree with Jason, if you get serious, any AC bike won't get you very far. You will need to go to a LC Race bike. From what I have seen the LC Husky is pretty competitive. I'd like to see how one would finish at Loretta's, with a good rider.

 

[Jasle]

Man I think more guys should be like BIll!! We got interested in Cobra's after out KTM broke down. ONe of the Cobra Dads let us borrow his King. The kid loved it and looked way better on it than his KTM. also our Cobra dealer attends almost every race...definete plus. The localktm dealer doesn't stock many parts and when I queried them about how to increase performance I just got a blank stare and man them bikes are plenty fast for a kid. They are also the husky dealer which probably explains why we don't have any of the LC huskies out here yet. We get 15-20 Cobra's one or 2 polini's maybe 2 huskies and another 10 or so KTM's. The top 5 in both 4-6 and 7-8 are all Cobra every time. That might change because Bailey Bruner lives here and I heard he just switched to KTM. Bailey was 5th at loretta on his Cobra. He'll be fast on whatever he rides!
Jason

 

[Carp824]

I agree sounds like Bill is a great guy. I really do appreciate all the help with my questions. I was a little hesitant in buying the Husky because we just don't have many around here and haven't seen many run. But we are also racing just for the fun of it. I have not desire to spend all the money and time it would take to get into serious racing. I just want my son to learn the skills to be a good safe rider and enjoy the sport for a long time.

 

[mdsutton]

You say your not serious... just wait... It takes a lot of self control on the parental side. Before long, you will be buying the sticker kit (~$50), Renthal bars (~$80), quarter turn throttle (~$50), Dominator clutch (~$150) and the list goes on and on... And all that is before you even get to the track.

The first time your kid says "I could've won if the bike was just a little faster" your screwed.

Good luck and keep telling yourself "Just for fun". :)

Mike

 

[Jasle]

yeah and then the other dads that are trying to sell a bike tell you Wow he looks like a natural. He'd probably be faster on a newer/better bike. I have one for sale BTW... Then its hey you really need to get him on a 65, it will make him faster on his 50. I have one for sale BTW! 8*)

 

[Jasle]

Here I stole this from my friend Mike Burkeen. He actually practices what he preaches here in this article he wrote. I know its been very hard for me to not get wrapped up in winning...especially when my kid started running with the front pack!!

Most of you guys have already seen this but for those who are new, here is an article I wrote for MXAmerica last year. I think it is being reprinted in the D6 magazine this year as well. I read it every couple of months just to remind myself to stay focused on the things that will create fun and success.

Mike

How To Be a Good Peewee Parent

As my wife and I look back on our 5-year-old son’s first year of 50cc motocross racing, we are excited at the progress he has made and the fun our entire family has had in this wonderful sport. We have seen improvements in our son’s schoolwork, his attitude, and also in his ability to ride a motorcycle. Although we have made some of the common mistakes parents make in all sports, we are confident that we are on the track to fun and success for our family in motocross. For those who are new to the sport or are considering starting, I would like to share what my we feel are ten of the most important things we have learned from more experienced parents over the last year:

1. Do not yell at your child to go faster when he is racing- This is very distracting to a peewee racer. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have seen a young racer crash while looking at a parent who was screaming. A five year old needs to watch where he is going. In most cases a child is not going to go fast because his parents want him to go fast, he will go fast when his competitiveness is stronger than his fear. Only the child can make this decision.
2. Always keep safety as a high priority- We have purchased every piece of safety gear made and our son, Matthew, wears all of it every time he rides. He wears boots, pants, a long sleeve jersey, a helmet, goggles, a neck brace, knee pads, a chest protector, and elbow pads every time he practices or races. Knee braces will be the next piece of protective equipment that we will make him wear. Don’t let your child use the excuse that all of this gear is not comfortable. After a couple of rides in a new piece of gear they will not even notice it is on.
3. Give three pieces of praise before any criticism and end each critique with a compliment- When our son comes off the track I always ask him how he felt that his moto went. He is usually pretty in tune with the things he did well and the opportunities he has to improve. I then tell him at least three things that he did perfectly before giving him any constructive criticism. These compliments usually involve things like getting the holeshot, taking a great line or making a great pass but can also be less significant things like not falling down, finishing the race, or keeping his goggles on. It really doesn’t matter how far you have to reach for the compliment, just make sure there are three good things before any constructive criticism.
4. Be supportive of your child and all of the other kids at the track- In our area most of the parents are very supportive of all of the kids racing. Some of Matthew’s biggest rival’s parents are on the track cheering for him as well as their own children. When Matthew won the first moto of his career, Linda Evers was the first person to congratulate him. She ran up to him and gave him a huge hug and cheered wildly. This was an awesome display of support because Matthew had passed her son a couple of turns from the finish for the moto win. In a recent race Matthew and a good friend of his, John McGinty III, were battling side by side all night long in both of their classes. In one moto John fell in a corner and Matthew was stuck in a rut behind him. John’s father was the first to get to the crash and he made sure Matthew was able to get by before picking up John’s bike, starting it, and sending him on his way. It was a great display of sportsmanship!

5. If you are not an experienced motocross racer it makes sense to get professional instruction for your child- If your child wants to play competitive tennis or golf you would send them to a tennis or golf professional. It is very important that kids learn to use correct form early when racing! If your child is not using proper form he may still be quite fast but will probably tend to crash a lot and have inconsistent results. Professional instruction will help them progress as quickly and safely as possible.
6. Be a resource to the parents of the kids in your child’s class and to the kids coming up- If we named all of the people who gave us advice, both good and bad, over the last year it would fill this page. While we are by no means experts, we have gained a lot of knowledge from other parents over the last year and are happy to share our experience with anyone. In addition to knowledge, most of the parents in our district are quick to offer up parts or one of their bikes to ride if another rider has bike problems.
7. Match or exceed the effort of your child- Peewee motocross racing is a lot of work for the child and also for the parents. Parents are responsible for taking the child to practice, making sure they have a clean well-maintained motorcycle, motivating their rider, and a host of other tasks. Without a huge amount of effort on the parent’s part, it will be very difficult for their child to have success.
8. DO NOT CHEAT- It never ceases to amaze me that some parents think winning a race for 4-6 year olds is important enough for them to cheat. We have seen and protested kids with 60cc pistons running in the 50cc shaft class. Parents who succumb to the pressure to run illegal bikes are doing a disservice to their kids. I wonder how they explain it to their child when they get caught? Well Johnny, I didn’t think you were as good as the other kids so I made your bike faster so you could win? I also do not buy the excuse that you have to cheat because everyone else does. If you think someone is cheating, and you need to be pretty sure you are right, file a protest. That’s why the protest procedure is in the rulebook. If you happen to be wrong, apologize and hope the protested party takes it as a compliment.
9. Set goals- Families participate in this sport for many different reasons. Some feel they have the next James Stewart on their hands while others are just out to have some fun. Figure out why your family is involved in the sport and set your goals accordingly. Make sure the goals are attainable yet challenging and reward your child for attaining them. When your child reaches their goals, raise the bar.
10. HAVE FUN!!!

See you at the races!

Mike and Lynne Burkeen
Proud parents of Matthew (our racer), Jensen, and Andrew
[email protected]

 

[Carp824]

Wonderful Article! I will print it out and read often.

 

[mdsutton]

Thanks, I have seen and read the article several times and I practice it as well. I am about the only Dad on the track that does nothing but stand, watch, cheer and clap. The first thing I say to him when he comes off the track (no matter what) is how proud I am.

I also believe that he should have the tools he needs to be the best he can be. So, for Christmas I traded in his Husky Senior for the Husky Race LC. Not because I want him to go any faster (he already is fast enough for me), but he has started "out riding" the Senior, and because of his size. (52 inches, 70 lbs. and only 7 yrs old). This last Saturday he was in fierce competition with another kid on a LC bike. He never got more that 10 ft. behind, but no closer than side by side. He simply did not have the power to pass. It was the best "racing" I have seen in a long time. When he came off the track he was nothing but smiles. I think, I am succeeding.

My rules are pretty simple:

Have fun.
Do good in school or no riding. No exception.
Only do what you are comfortable doing, don't do anything stupid because the other kids are. Your time will come.
Only race the kid in front of you, and then then next and the next... Don't get overwhelmed trying to race everyone on the track at the same time.
Winning is great, but if your not having fun doing it, it is not worth it.

 

[mdsutton]

Also, I keep his bikes completely stock (AMA legal) except for the sticker kit and Renthal bars.

I will probably change to a quarter turn throttle after awhile. Only because I want him to learn the control of the quicker throttle before he gets on a 65. Once we move to a 65, he will have enough to think about. Learning the clutch and shifting will be an adventure in themselves.

Mike

 

[Jeff Sexton]

I bought my son an '02 Husky CR50SLC this past spring and he rode it to a 2nd place points in AMA D-17 Hare Scrambles this year. Our experience with the bike was mixed. It's fast, and with a competetive rider, will hang with the Polinis that seem to dominate in our area. On the downside, our bike was extremely high maintenance with failures and breakages that I firmly believe were the result of flawed engineering. My dealer said they were addressing those problems in the '03 models, but that's little consolation for me.

On a more positive note, the Husky JR and SR air cooled bikes were very reliable. However, the air cooled 50 SR gives up about 5 HP to the liquid cooled version.