Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541571
December 2025 35 With the rise of scrambles and motocross as a sport, Husqvarna focused on producing light- weight racing motorcycles. The company adapted its lightweight, single-cylinder design to racing and delivered the Silverpilen, meaning 'silver arrow' in Swedish. At a svelte 165 pounds and engineered specifically for racing, the Silverpilen gained wide- spread popularity. Spor ng many innova ons, such as telescopic front forks and hydraulically damped rear suspension, it became an interna- onal success. The 1959 motocross championship went to Rolf Tibblin and his 250cc Husqvarna. The 1960 World 500cc motocross championship was won by Bill Nilsson on a four-stroke Husqvarna. During the mid '60s, Husqvarna's lightweight, two- stroke, off-road motorcycles were instrumental in making the once-dominant Bri sh four-stroke motorcycles obsolete. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, the Swedish Husqvarna was a dominant force in motocross, winning 14 world championships in the 125, 250, and 500cc divisions. In off-road compe on, Hus- ky was also a force to be reckoned with, earning the company 24 enduro world championships and 11 Baja 1000 victories. As for the 1968 Husqvarna 360 Viking, it was Husky's very first big-bore, two-stroke, and it was an instant hit on motocross tracks all over the globe. Construct- ed specifically for motocross racing, the 360 Viking was an exact replica of the factory Husqvarna ridden by four- me World Champion Torsten Hallman (Tor- sten Hallman Off Road or THOR). The 360 Viking shot into the limelight here in the U.S. at the hands of Husqvarna factory rider and later World Champion, Bengt Aberg. During the 1968 season, Aberg was a member of the Swedish team that won the Trophée des Na ons aboard his factory 360 Viking. Aberg also won the FIM 500cc Motocross World Championship in '69 and '70 while riding a 400 'Cross, a machine almost iden cal to the 360 Viking with the excep on of a larger displacement at 390cc. It was during one of four races in California where legendary actor and racer Steve McQueen watched Bengt Aberg and his factory 360 Husky tear up the track. As the story goes, McQueen had his people approach Aberg and purchased the bike on the spot. Bengt finished the season on another bike. That 360 Viking was the first of many Husqvarnas for Mc- Queen, as the machines fit him and his style quite well.