On The Pegs November 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 11 | Page 76

On The Pegs
P 78
On The Pegs
Vol. 3 Issue 11 - November 2018
P 79
THE SILVER ARROW
EPISODE 1
By Kenneth Olausson
The Husqvarna Silver Arrow – one of the most famous and successful ma-
chines the Swedish factory ever produced. 11,300 175cc 2-stroke units were
produced with many victories earned in both motocross and enduro.
In all of Husqvarna’s history, probably one of the most important developments is the Silver
A rrow, Silverpilen. This 175 cc 2-stroke, three-speed machine paved the way for
the company’s future success. The Silver Arrow was the basis for a victorious path
on track. Husqvarna won 13 individual world championship titles in motocross
and many enduro victories from this lightweight machine. The hit started in 1955
when the classic bike was born...
My first and only motocross bike was of course a Husqvarna, developed from
the Dream Machine, which had first seen the light of day back in 1953. Despite
good intentions, I never became successful on the track, but I remember as a kid
dreaming of reaching the top of this gruelling sport. My neighbour had bought
a used Silver Arrow, which I had the privilege of trying out in the dark woods
around the western Stockholm area where I grew up.
Since the Dream Machine never sold to expectations, a new motorcycle was
introduced in January 1955, stealing the name “Silver Arrow” from Mercedes suc-
cessful four-wheeled racers. It was sales director Harald Carlström who baptised
this embryo, since he was both a motorsport man and drove a Mercedes. The
newcomer had exactly the right styling to tempt many a youngster to become
a motorcyclist over the next decade. Actually, the Huskvarna factory benefitted
over almost twenty years from income and developments that could be traced
back to the Silver Arrow. A common joke was that the weapons factory reloaded
its guns from releasing a silver-plated arrow to shooting a silver bullet through
the air. All in all, 11,300 units were produced between 1955 and 1965 in the prov-
ince of Smaland, before sales then stopped.
The model name consisted of the three tiny figures 282, which later had the
extra tag of an “E” on the refined versions for export. Crucially, according to Swed-
ish law restrictions, the new machine had a weight just below 75 kilos, which was
the legal formality for using a “Lightweight Machine”. In this weight classification
both equipment and a full tank of petrol were included in order to make the bike
legal for 16-year olds with a riding license. The law was actually counter-produc-
tive and bureaucratic as the factory was inclined to use lightweight, budget com-
ponents in order to reach the 75-kilo-limit. Consequently, the factory had to use