WE RIDE IVAN TEDESCO’S PRO CIRCUIT 2019 HUSQVARNA TC125 TWO-STROKE

Since retiring, Ivan has been working as a test rider for various factory teams and currently does all of the test riding for the Pro Circuit/Monster Energy Kawasaki team. His connection to Pro Circuit is how the “Ivan Tedesco 2019 Husqvarna TC125” came to fruition. Since Husqvarna’s Andy Jefferson was a Pro Circuit rider back in the 1980s, he asked Mitch Payton if he would like to field Ivan Tedesco in the 125 Two-Stroke All-Star race at Washougal (the race Ryan Villopoto would win on a Pro Circuit YZ125) on a Husqvarna TC125. Mitch said yes, but at the time, 2019 TC125s were in short supply, so Andy asked MXA’s Jody Weisel if MXA would lend Mitch its Husqvarna TC125 test bike. MXA agreed to lend Pro Circuit its TC125 (and after the Washougal race, MXA would get Ivan Tedesco’s full-race Husky TC125 back to race and test).

Mitch would get a bike to build for Ivan. Tedesco would get a bike to race, and Husqvarna would get lots of publicity. It was a great plan that should have benefited everyone involved. It goes without saying that this is a true-to-life test of Ivan Tedesco’s 2019 Husqvarna TC125—the only problem? Ivan Tedesco never got to ride it.

Because the project was started only a week before Washougal, there were time constraints. Unfortunately, the TC125 didn’t get done in time to make it into the Pro Circuit Kawasaki semi when it left Corona, California, for Washougal, Washington. After missing the deadline, Mitch decided to take his time with the 2019 Husky TC125 project and get all-new stampings made for a next-generation exhaust pipe. Ivan Tedesco’s TC125 was finished for the MXA wrecking crew—not Ivan Tedesco.

Tedesco TC125 engine generated 5.25 horsepower more than the stock 2019 Husqvarna TC125 powerplant (and it was 8 horsepower up on the stock engine by the time the TC125 signed off at 12,400 rpm). The forks were Pro Circuit air-to-spring conversions, the shock was revalved and resprung, the engine was ported, head milled and jetting changed.  The TC125 featured Moto Tassinari reeds, MXR02 fuel, Pro Circuit linkage system (with bell crank and pull rods) and Decal Works did the special graphics for the MXA bike.