September 2020 - Volume 4 - Issue 9 On The Pegs September 2020 | Page 108

On The Pegs 108
FROM ZERO TO HERO
GOOD OLD TIMES BLOG
By Kenneth Olausson
Photos: Husqvarna
After the 1960 season things looked gloomy for the Husqvarna Motorcycle division.
The company had won the 500cc world championship, but in the quarter-litre
class the situation was different. No research and development were done to the
smaller power plants and no factory sponsoring was available for keen 250cc riders
who wanted to conquer the world. As the “Silverpilen” street Huskys did not sell
any longer there were low-key factors as well as new hope for ace rider Torsten Hallman.
He seemed to be stepping up the ladder in the European championship.
In the statistics we can see the factory only churned out 423 units in the year of
1961. The Silverpilen street machines had stopped selling and the mopeds showed
a deep dip. The future forecast was pessimistic, and the board contemplated giving
up the two-wheel division entirely. A last-minute decision gave it another try, partly
due to the successful history of the company’s motorcycle adventures from 1903.