Husqvarna is a proud Swedish company with over a 100-year history of making motorcycles. While they built many street and road-racing bikes prior to WW2, they are best known for their dominance in motocross, enduro and desert racing in the 1960s and 70s. The 1978 Husky 390 put out 41HP at 8000rpm and was very competitive with the open motocrossers of the day.
At the request of the Swedish military, who wanted a motorcycle with an automatic transmission, Husky developed the 360 ATX. After working out some bugs, it was followed in 1978 by the 390ATX, basically a fully automatic dirtbike. You started the bike in neutral, put it in drive, and rolled away. You were always in the right gear, which vastly simplified riding, especially for novices. There were some odd quirks, as there was no engine decel when you rolled off the power – it simply freewheeled. This could be disconcerting until you mastered the quirky riding technique. There is a great review and description of the bike’s quirks here on PulpMX.
The suspension was chassis were top-notch and the 390 was one of the best handling motocrossers available. Power and torque were abundant and in the right hands it was a formidable racer.
This Husky has not been restored, but it has had some recent engine work and new fenders. For an almost 40-year old bike it shows appropriate wear and tear. You can find this Husqvarna 390 AMX for sale for $1,650 here on Craigslist in Atlanta, Georgia.