Swedish Moto-Cross
SWEDISH MOTO-CROSS
THE FIRST Swedish moto-cross events were held in the "twenties," but it wasn't until 1946 that the sport really began in earnest. After the war, motorcycle clubs were looking for new events in which to compete, and the British-type "scrambles" races seemed to fill the bill. The first scrambles took place at Saxtorp, the same place where Grand Prix road races had been held before the war. But this time it was not on the road the motorcycles raced, it was off - through the big field which had been used previously as a parking lot.
Some people thought Axel Lofstrom, the man behind the scrambles racing, was crazy, but the sport which he introduced has become more popular than any other form of motorcycling in Sweden and in the future it should give Sweden more victories and champions than any other sporting field. In the first moto-cross events (the sport was at this time still called Scrambles), the machines were of very different quality than today. They included pre-war road racing bikes like Rudge and Nortons, big H-D 1200cc OHVs, ex-army bikes, etc. Winner of the event was a big boy named Gunnar Olsson, and he rod an AJS 7-R — but he never came back to try again.
The first Swedish star to be popular and well-known internationally was Helge Brinkeback. He began racing in 1947, first on a 350 Velocette and later on an Ariel 500. Brinkeback introduced a highly unusual vigorous riding technique and his machines were very well prepared.
Sweden first took part as a national team in 1948 when they entered the big Moto-Cross des Nations at Spa, Belgium. Sweden nearly finished third, but anyway . . .
In 1950 the big event was held in Sweden and the Swedish team took 3rd place — then in 1953 they finished one place better. Not until 1955 did the Swedish team of Bill Nilsson, Sten Lundin, Gunnar Johansson and Lars Gustafsson win the moto-cross International Trophy, riding BSAs. At this time, Sweden had not yet begun to produce its own moto-cross bikes. The riders were regularly competing on Britich machines, most of them second-hand, while the British riders in every instance rode factoryprepared machines. Sweden had two top riders in both moto-cross classes in 1959. For 1960 Husqvarna put their interest in the 500cc field and built two special machines with four-stroke engines for Rolf Tibblin and Bill Nilsson, who by now had signed for the Husky factory. The story behind the engine was as follows: Husqvarna made an old sports motorcycle engine in 193435 called "112 TV." This engine was sold under license during the war to the Albin boat engine factory who manufactured it for fitting in Monark frames for the Swedish army. After the war another company tried to manufacture the engine under a new name "Union" but failed due to lack of money. It is the same engine as fitted in Husqvarna, Monark and Lito, and originally it had a bore and stroke of 79mm x 101mm. Converted to its Husqvarna form it is 80mm x 99mm. New crankshaft, new cylinder of light alloy (the old was of cast iron). The difference between Monark, Lito and Husqvarna is that the first two have chrome on aluminum cylinders, Husqvarna employs a liner. At this time Bill Nilsson was building his own scramblers and calling them Nilssons. He and Tibblin really began to scrap with Husqvarnas in the 500cc class, Bill won both the World Title and the Swedish Championship 1960. Rolf Tibblin was also successful, but collected some injuries which put him behind. The riders and machines appeared to be best for moto-cross in the World. Husqvarna fitted out new factory machines especially for Torsten Hallman, a young student, who had ridden trials and moto-cross for them for some years, and Husqvarna was confident he was the right man to match Bickers. Hallman won the 1962 World Championship 250 title for Husqvarna and Husky also took back the 500 title from Lito with Rolf Tibblin on board. In the 250cc class a new star was in the making Joel Robert, a young Army serviceman of the Belgian NATO-Army. He had been racing for three years and was still unknown outside Belgium. Then he was offered a 250 CZ works bike at the end of the 1963 season. In 1964 he went straight after Bickers, the 1960 and
During 1957 the individual moto-cross Championship of the World was introduced. Bill Nilsson had finished with BSA and changed to a very interesting AJS, built up from a 7-R 350cc racing machine, but with a longer stroke which gave nearly 500cc. With this machine he gained the first ever World Championship title for Sweden.
Next year the late René Baeten of Belgium won the World title with an FN works machine, the last year this factory was in the moto-cross field. Later Baeten went over to a similar AJS as Bill Nilsson but was killed in 1959 in a motocross race.
The year 1959 was the first "Swedish all-around" moto-cross year. Monark, a moped factory which at this time built a limited number of motorcycles, entered Sten Lundin in the World Championship Grand Prix races and he won ahead of Nilsson, who had painted his old AJS bright orange, and called it "Crescent" after another moped factory. Sweden became a championship nation in the 250cc class, and Rolf Tibblin on Husqvarna's new Moto-Cross 250cc two-stroke took the title.
BENGT BJORKLUND
Lito won its first motorcycle manufacturer's championship in 1961 when Lundin took the World title on the new machine. A works replica series was manufactured and sold, and Husqvarna also had replicas (one year earlier) manufactured under license in the small workshop of Nils Hedlund outside Stockholm. In 1960 and 1961 the European 250cc World Championship title was won by Dave Bickers, England's Greeves factory rider, but Sweden also wanted that title.
The story was repeated in 1963 Tibblin and Hallman scored the two top titles for Husqvarna and Sweden. Best opposition in the 500cc class had come from Sten Lundin (Lito) and Jeff Smith on a BSA 420cc special. Hallman had a worse job with the Czechs whose CZs gained the three places behind him in the series. In 5th place a young Swedish rider, Jan Johansson on a converted Husqvarna 250cc (3-speed) called a "Lindstrom 250," showed great promise.
Husqvarna's new two-stroke 358cc special and Lindstrom's similar 356cc were becoming challengers for the bigger banger four-strokes. They weigh only a little over 200 instead of 300-350 pounds. Some events have been won by Jan Johansson and Torsten Hallman, and the manufacturers of larger, more expensive four-strokes were not very happy.
What is the reason for continued Swedish success for so many years? The great interest in motorcycle sport, in a nation with only 7 million people. There are over 200 licensed motorcycle clubs in the Swedish Federation, and a large number of them have moto-cross courses and events. There are over one hundred licensed open races in a season, from January to November, and more than 2000 licensed riders. Some of them take part in the rough "woods races" which are a Swedish specialty very good practice for moto-cross! Hard training, gymnastics, athletics and skiing take place in the winter. Other hearty sports in the offseason insure that Swedish riders are in good physical condition. Swedish motorcycle riders do not race during the winter, but in good weather they ride on snow which is also good training. Good machines, good factories, and good workmanship are some of the other secrets behind their successes.
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The 1964 and 1965 seasons were not so good for Swedish moto-cross riders. The 5900 class, Swedish monopolized since the World Championship began in 1957 (excent the René Baeten win on an FN in 1958), was lost for the first time to BSA's new light 441cc "Victor," successfully ridden by the skilled works rider, Jeff Smith. Jeff became a sensation in 1964, and until the last event for the year, he fought it out with Rolf Tibblin for the title . . . and won it with very few points to spare.
1961 Champ, and took a long series of Grand Prix victories. The result was that he outclassed everyone, including the
1962 and 1963 World Champ, Torsten Hallman.
Jeff Smith was again victorious in 1965. Tibblin found the N.H. too heavy to be competitive, but even on a 360cc CZ he was unable to catch Smith. Torsten Hallman took a new Swedish title for his own, and the Russian, Victor Arbekov, took the first World title for the big red nation.
A great newsflash for 1966 in the European moto-cross scene is the 750cc class, and the man behind the move is Sten Lundin, ex-World Champ (1959 and 1961), on 500cc machines. Sten still likes the big bikes and wants to be sure we have them in the future. He maintains, and many agree, the 360s are only slightly over-grown 250s and that he-man racing is disappearing.
