On Any Tuesday: 1969 Husqvarna 250 Cross
The image of Steve McQueen riding a Husqvarna 400 Cross on the beach at Camp Pendleton in On Any Sunday was burned into the impressionable young minds in the 1970’s. Steve was (still is) the epitome of cool. In the film, Steve also rode the 400’s little brother, the 250 Cross in the Lake Elsinore GP. Find this 1969 Husqvarna 250 Cross for sale in Sumner, WA for $6,000 via craigslist.
Famed off-road racer and McQueen buddy Malcolm Smith said the 250 wasn’t super powerful, but was easy to ride and with an 8 speed transmission, could easily negotiate the tight stuff in the Elsinore GP. On the 1969’s your 8 speeds are shifted on the right.
When new in 1969, the 250 retailed for $1,149 – that’s about $7,400 of today’s dollars. With a $6,000 ask, you seem to be getting a deal on what amounts to a new 1969 Husky.
This bike has been restored according to the seller “to show or display in museum, front room, office or wherever… Bike was not built to race, it was built to enjoy and share with others.” The motor was rebuilt by a renown Husky expert. The owner has never started it, and does not intend to. It looks like a piece of art, but its a shame not to ride it around a bit. A little dirt can always be washed off…
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When I was a kid I had a little 4 stroke Yamaha … then my buddy Paul Rossi ended up with a 400cc Husky with a purple tank and those polished sides. It was a mean mama-jama … a scooter with teeth … scars ensued.
Were I a super rich guy I'd have a tv show where I buy up museum quality restorations and then actually use them, on camera, with some running commentary. Maybe strippers introducing commercials to keep it interesting.
Not to intentionally destroy them because that might occur – things do happen – but to merely show that, gosh durn it, vehicles were made to be used.
Like this. This was made to be ridden. And maybe get a scratch or three on it. And maybe give you a skinned elbow or knee, or a mouth full of dirt because you only had on a period correct Great Gazoo helmet.
Or maybe if I was a super rich guy I'd travel the continent buying up every motorcycle hanging in a bar or cafe and ditch the tv show idea. I'd probably say something offensive that set off a tweet war or something anyway.
Yeah, it's kinda sad to own something like this and not want to use it. I guess there is something to be said for just looking at it, it is beautiful after all, but I too could not resist the urge to ride it. I wouldn't enter it in a AHRMA Vintage MX, but I would ride it down a dirt road.
When I went to the Monterey Historics in 2004 Fazza was the marque. There were 20 or so of the 39 GTO's on the track for a special GTO race. If those can be driven like an actual car, a $6K bike should be able to be ridden like an actual motorcycle.
Ah yes, Monterey Historics in 2004
thoughtballoon.com/hugh/crash/
LULU WANG substantially shortened her #3 1962 250 Ferrari GTO in the corkscrew Friday morning, but not to worry, she was not hurt and her husband, ANTHONY WANG, had two more Ferrari GTO's in the Group 7A race on Saturday, a 1963 Ferrari 330 LMB that he drove and his 1963 Ferrari 250 LMB that LOU SELLYEI drove. One of the other drivers in the GTO race was FREDERICO KROYMANS, who having recovered from wrecking his F1 Ferrari earlier in the day had a spectacularly long spin in his #160 Ferrari 250 GTO, but rejoined the race and finished fourteenth.
[img] thoughtballoon.com/hugh/crash/img_7553_thm.jpg[/img]
Ha, small world. My friend Dino and I were at turn 6 when that happened. Shocking, it was at such a low speed. We expected bent wings, but the whole nose snapped off like it was Testors'd on.
Who the hell let a girl drive a Ferrari on a racetrack? That's the bigger issue.
I was there too at the '04 Historics – I saw that nose-off F1 crash happen as well. Small world indeed. The 250 GTO race was glorious.
I was disappointed that Fazza wasn't the marque in 2014. I went to 1994 and 2004 and we were planning on OD-ing on the prancing horse in 2014, but the new owners of the Historics seem to have thrown tradition out the window.
Pretty Clean ….Husky was the King in the Day just a short trip down the hill from me.
I'm still baffled by the location of that exhaust. How can you not burn the hell out of your left inner thigh every time you get on the bike?