Text and images by Brandon Croney

Motocross history is all around us. Sometimes you don't even realize that history is right under your nose, and, heck, sometimes it's literally in your backyard for years and you don't stumble upon it until catching up with a friend. That's exactly how this piece of history was brought to my attention. The piece of history in question is a replica of the 1982 Husqvarna that Ed Lojak Sr. raced in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) race in Czechoslovakia. Lojak helped team USA to a second overall place finish that, at the time, was the best finish for team USA in ISDE history. Why is a bike from 1982 still making waves today, in 2026, over four decades later?

Ed Lojak Sr., born on December 18, 1960, in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, was raised in the Fawn Township area in Pennsylvania. Lojak was first introduced to riding and dirt bike racing by his uncles, Ron and Joe Lojak, as the then-young Lojak watched his uncles ride throughout the woods. In 1973, his uncles started a local motorcycle shop that would later be known as Lojaks Cycle Sales, which further immersed Ed Sr. into the off-road racing community. Ed first tossed a leg over a bike at age eight, and by age ten he was competing in local off-road events throughout western Pennsylvania. That first initial ride set the stage for a career that few would have predicted.

"Ed had some of the greatest teachers in the world with his Uncle Joe and Uncle Ron, as a matter of fact we all did, riding out of the family shop," recalled longtime friend Dave Jones.

While still in his teenage years, Lojak turned pro in 1976 and quickly earned a ride with Team Husqvarna. He was known for his stamina and ability to succeed in the brutal conditions of the long-distance races he was competing in. His aggressive riding style made him successful in the hare scrambles and cross-country competition that would give him the advantage over his other competitors in the series, ultimately earning him a reputation as a powerhouse on the dirt in the most physical conditions the tracks had to offer.

Between 1976-1988, Lojak began to dominate the off-road racing scene. Regarded as one of the most dominant racers of his generation, he won the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) overall title nine times from 1980-1984 and again from 1986-1989. That record still stands as the most titles to this day! Three times he was the AMA National Hare Scramble Overall Champion (1982, 1983 and 1987) and at the Blackwater 100 race, the famously difficult off-road race in West Virginia, Lojak collected two overall wins there in 1984 and again in 1989. He was also a part of the USA ISDE teams five times between 1979-1982 in Europe, where Lojak helped the U.S. win two gold and two silver medals during that span of time. Lojak's ride during the ISDE in Czechoslovakia led the team to their best overall finish for the U.S. at that time, placing second overall. Lojak's ride with team USA that year ultimately earned him the 1982 AMA Amateur Athlete of the Year honors.

Lojak's dominance and accolades are nothing short of amazing. During his time racing there wasn't much that he did not win while on a motorcycle. His off-road career carved his legacy as one of the most dominant racers of his era, and he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame with the class of 2017. Ed Lojak passed away peacefully in his sleep in July of 2024 after a short illness. He was just 63 years old.

Some bikes are built and replicated because they're rare. Others are rebuilt to tell a story of their favorite rider, or maybe to relive a championship or important moment in moto history. This 1982 Husqvarna certainly does both. Every decal, every bolt, and every worn detail on this bike pays tribute to the late great Ed Lojak Sr., who was an unsung hero in American off-road motocross racing and a member of the U.S. world trophy team that nearly shocked the world at the 1982 ISDE.

As the sport of motocross continues to evolve and grow, it's certainly easy to celebrate the newest and upcoming stars that are dominating the sport, all while forgetting about those who helped pave the way for us today. There will always be local legends that leave behind something more valuable than championships or fast laps on the tracks we ride upon; they leave behind race communities that are stronger because they were involved and a part of it.

Dave Jones, the owner and builder of this amazingly built replica bike, began to build the bike in 2016. It took two and a half years to complete the build fully.

"I wanted to keep it as original as he would have raced the bike," Dave said, showing the stock handlebars, seat cover, original levers, and Magura grips that pay homage to the 1982 Husqvarna.

The motor was rebuilt by Dave himself, with new piston rings and clutches. All while a custom hand-painted tank was done by Bryan Bartley to match the original Husky paint.

But the build didn't go exactly as planned the entire way through.

"The front counter shaft sprocket was something I had to stop looking for because I was never able to find it, it drove me nuts!" Dave exclaimed while talking over the bike.

The rebuilding of the suspension was also another trial-and-error run for him.

"They just don't make proper seals and inner parts...when I built this motorcycle there was not a lot of knowledge or place to get the suspension work done on the bike locally," he said, "but PR2 took the suspension in and rebuilt everything so hats off to those guys for being able to rebuild it working with such old parts!"

When Dave unloaded the bike in front of Lojaks Cycle Sales with both of Ed's sons, Ryan and Eddie Jr., standing there taking a look at the bike for the first time, you felt the emotions in each of their voices as they both talked to Dave.

"I was proud and blessed to have known Ed and his family so well. I wanted him to see this bike, to autograph the tank for me, but he unfortunately left us too soon," Dave said, with both pride and regret in his voice.

Seeing Ryan approve to have this bike of his dad's be on display at the shop his dad once owned, and now he owns, was something truly remarkable to see.

Dave said to Ryan, "I think the bike should stay here at the shop. For those who walk in and see the bike to remember Ed and the racing that he built, the bike tells a piece of who he was all while paying tribute to a legend of off-road racing."