Swedish Can Am History

To our knowledge the first 2 Can Am bikes was brought to Sweden by Fleron and Huddinge Motor for Pickos mc show in Stockholm at spring time in 1974. It was the 250cc MX 1 and the 250 T´NT models. In autumn 1974, Movac in Umeå who had the Ski Doo agency in Sweden, started to sell the new challenger in Sweden. Unfortunately Movac couldn´t find time nor resources to introduce the bikes properly, so in 1976 JM Motor (Janos Mezaros) in Västerås was contracted to sell the bikes. But as Can Am bikes was rather expensive in Sweden he couldn´t sell more than a few bikes. In 1978 to 1980 ÅTM (Åsele Transport Mekano) made an attempt to sell the bikes, but according to the people we have interviewed from Movac and ÅTM, only a total of maximum 25 Can Am bikes where sold in Sweden during this period. Later on in the 80´s we haven´t found out about any dealers yet, altough we know there are at least a couple of 4 stroke Can Am Sonic 500cc bikes in Sweden.

The first Can AM rider in Swedish MX was Michael Öberg from Älvsbyn. His father was a Ski Doo dealer and got hold of the MX 1 250cc for his son in 1974 or 75. (Michael has promised more details later). In 1978 ÅTM contracted one mx rider named Tommy Flodin from Njurunda MK with an MX 3 250cc. Tommy soon found out that the suspension was poor and started experimenting with rebuilding the swing arm (about 70 mm longer). First he mounted Öhlins shocks but after some races he mounted Moto-X Fox shocks and a 25 mm longer front fork. After that he was satisfied with the suspension. Tommy is a very succesful rider but he had a big problem with the engine character of the Can Am. That´s because he started his mx career when he was 14 year old on a 500cc bike and before 1978 he only attended the 500cc class. Not until the last race of that season, in Umeå, he took his first and only win with the Can Am. (He lapped everybody but the guy finnished 2nd who also rode a Can Am bike)! In 1979 he only rode in the 500cc class with Bengt Åbergs ex HL Yamaha, but that´s another story!

Tommy Flodin sent these pictures for this page

   

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