The Rise and Fall of Husqvarna Motorcycles Photo Gallery

Kent Howerton lofts his Husqvarna at Red Bud, 1977.

Husqvarna motorcycles have a long, storied past. Filled with triumphs and failures, Husky's history is one that helped shape off-road motorcycling. Read the full feature story in The Rise and Fall of Husqvarna Motorcycles.

Edison Dye is widely considered the grandfather of motocross, but Torsten Hallman (shown) was the man responsible for demonstrating Husqvarna's motocross prowess. His fluid, aggressive riding style was unimaginable for Americans at the time.

Gunnar Lindstrom navigates the Superbowl of Motocross at the L.A. Coliseum in 1972 where fellow Husky riders Arne Kring and Thorleif Hansen also competed. Gunnar made the jump from Sweden to America where his racing career continued alongside his role as a Husqvarna engineer.

Brad Lackey races his Husqvarna 360 during the 1975 Trans-AM series. It was Husqvarna that gave Lackey his first factory support in World Motocross, launching a GP career that ultimately led to the first-ever title by an American in the 1982 500 class.

Brad Lackey

Brad Lackey pilots his factory Husqvarna.

Mark Blackwell ran the Number 1 plate during the 1971 Florida Winter Series where he battled the likes of Yamaha-mounted Gary Jones (88x).

Mark Blackwell went to europe for the '71 GP season which he contested under the guidence of Rolf Tibblin (left) and ended with a career-ending eye injury.

Scot Harden

Gunnar Lindstrom

Unlike his motocross counterparts, Scot Harden expanded the tradition of Husqvarna's desert racing dominance. With Harden back at the US helm, it's no suprise that Husky is re-establishing a strong emphasis within the off-road community.

Malcolm Smith, shown here during the 1967 Baja 1000, became synonymous with the Husqvarna brand following years of success.

Torsten Hallman leads Rolf Tibblin.

(L to R) JN Roberts, Lars Larson, Bill Silverthorne and Gunnar Lindstrom produced some impressive results for Husqvarna.