The Husqvarna SM is the firm’s line of supermoto motorcycles, prepared for competition and for the road in capacities of 50, 125, 450, 510, 530, 610 and 701 cc. The four-stroke versions have been sold as the SM R since 1998, and the SM RR is the ready-to-race version without auxiliary electrics.
Husqvarna SM at a glance
| Type | supermoto |
|---|---|
| Capacities | 50, 125, 450, 510, 530, 610 and 701 cc |
| Derived from | Husqvarna WRE |
| Wheels | 17 inches front and rear, against 21 and 18 on the WRE |
| Brakes | larger front brake than the WRE’s, and wider tyres |
| SM R | four-stroke versions from 1998 |
| SM RR | ready-to-race version without auxiliary electrics |
| SM 50 | 2002, reintroduced in 2010 as a minibike |
| SM 125 | two-stroke from 1997 to 2013; four-stroke SMS4 from 2010 |
| SM 400 and 450 | 400 from 2002 to 2005, replaced by the 450 built to 2011 |
| SM 510 SMR | from 2005, replaced by the 511 in 2011 |
Based on one source: the Italian Wikipedia article on the SM line.
History of the Husqvarna SM
From the WRE
The SM models are motard motorcycles produced and prepared by Husqvarna for competitive supermoto and for road use. Compared with the Husqvarna WRE from which they derive, the rear wheel goes from 18 inches to 17 and the front from 21 to 17, while the front braking system is enlarged and the tyres are wider.
SM 50 and SM 125
The SM 50 was produced for 2002 only, with an 11.2-litre tank and a weight of 92 kg; its engine was a Minarelli AM 6 with a pedal start and it ran on 100/80-17 tyres at the front and 130/70-17 at the rear. It was reintroduced in 2010 as a minibike.
The two-stroke SM 125 was built from 1997 to 2013 with a 124.93 cc single with seven transfer ports, an electronic exhaust valve that became mechanical on the post-2010 models, and a carburettor. Three phases can be recognised: the models built up to 2005, those after 2006 and those after 2010. The 2006 restyling changed the frame colour from dark grey to silver-grey, the plastics, the instruments and the graphics, and moved from a PHBH 28 round-slide carburettor to a VHST 28 flat-slide, adding an electronic oil mixer controlled by the ECU through a throttle-position sensor. In 2010 the electronic exhaust valve was replaced by the mechanical valve of the racing WR and CR, the frame went from grey to white and the rims from grey to black anodised; from 2011 the Marzocchi 41 mm forks became Paioli 41 mm units, with a new rear shock absorber and narrower rims. All years use 17-inch wheels.
In 2010 the 125 was also offered as a four-stroke, the SMS4, with a liquid-cooled 124.45 cc Minarelli single, a six-speed gearbox and 15 hp to suit the licence rules.
SM 400, 450 and 510
The SM 400 was produced from 2002 to 2005 and replaced by the 450, in production from 2003 to 2011. The 2008 model had smaller side number plates and no handguards, moved from a carburettor to electronic fuel injection and changed from a frame of round tubes to one of square tubes.
The 510 is the road model taken from the competition machines: the 510 SMR was produced from 2005 and replaced by the 511 in 2011. The 2006 version introduced larger, more readable instruments and an exhaust updated to Euro 3; 2007 brought a standard ignition lock, black bodywork and rims instead of grey, a metal cover on the silencer and automatic lighting control; 2008 brought electronic fuel injection; 2009 brought a new livery, twin silencers instead of the single right-hand unit and a frame of square tubes. The engine displaces 501 cc, and Husqvarna does not declare power or torque: among enthusiasts figures of 50 to 60 hp are quoted, with a dry weight estimated at 109.3 kg for the 2006 version. The 510 SMR engine is essentially that of the 450 SMR with a longer stroke to raise the capacity, and all versions have electric starting, with a kickstart available as an extra and a decompressor fitted.
Design and features
- 17-inch wheels: front and rear, against 21 and 18 inches on the WRE.
- Bigger front brake: with wider tyres than the dual-purpose WRE.
- SM R and SM RR: the four-stroke supermoto versions from 1998 and the ready-to-race variant without auxiliary electrics.
- Electronic injection: adopted on the 450 and 510 in 2008.
- Racing-derived 510: a 501 cc engine taken from the 450 SMR with a longer stroke.
Husqvarna SM versions
- SM 50: built for 2002 and reintroduced in 2010 as a minibike.
- SM 125: two-stroke from 1997 to 2013, with the four-stroke SMS4 added in 2010.
- SM 400: produced from 2002 to 2005.
- SM 450: from 2003 to 2011, with fuel injection and a square-tube frame from 2008.
- SM 510 SMR: from 2005 to 2010, replaced by the 511 in 2011.
The SM was derived from the Husqvarna WRE 125, and its enduro relatives are the WR and the CR. More Husqvarna models are in the Husqvarna collection.
Video: Husqvarna SM 510 RR by GuzMotoracing
Video by guzforce on YouTube.
Sources
- Husqvarna SM, Italian Wikipedia: models, technical changes, 510 SMR
