On The Pegs March 2020 - Volume 5 - Issue 3 | Page 86

On The Pegs
86
The Husqvarna “Special Racer” was developed with a British 491cc JAP engine
and came in 1930. A year later, Mannerstedt had improved this 4-stroke power
source, which now had the Husky logo on the side-cover and a displacement of
497cc and came equipped with a steering-damper. From having a performance
of around 10 HP, Mannerstedt trebled the output to an impressive 33 HP at 6,000
rpm and this new machine had a weight of approximately 150 kg. The 350cc
was easier to market, as the factory already had a homemade pie of this volume.
When mister Mannerstedt had done his magic work, the newcomer was launched
at 1,500 kronor – a fair price that most race-riders could afford. This small beast re-
ceived the nickname “Poor man’s racer” although it was a competitive bike. It now
had a sprint engine, developed from the earlier Husqvarna model 30TV from 1930
and the output ran at 25 HP at 6,500 rpm. Between 1930 and 1932, some 50 units
were sold of these two whirlwind wonders.