Despite the weird weather in Central PA I got to take the new 449 on a great 30 mile ride in a variety of conditions including tight rocky, rooty, rutty single trails, fire roads, rail beds, coal banks, and transition roads. The first, and most pleasant discovery is the flawless EFI and electric, perfectly predictable power delivery. What a great motor! As has been discussed by others, the bike handles and feels a lot lighter than it is. I was expecting a wrestling match in the tight stuff, especially in the watermellon sized rocks. The 449 plowed through all of it, firmly planted and predictable. I was fully prepared to feel "beat up" and tired after riding, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only time I was aware of the bike's real weight was when I had to lift the backend to scoot the bike around Mom's basement! Make no mistake, this bike is heavy. It just doesn't act like it when in motion. It took me a while to adapt to the shifter position. Initially, it felt oddly misplaced. Upshifting was awkward. I quickly adapted and found the transmission to be smooth as butter. Clutch feel is a bit stiff, but it's going to be very hard to find any clutch as good as the Gas Gas in terms of feel and light pull. Brakes are ok, nothing stellar, again... the Gas Gas brakes are the gold standard IMO. On the highway (yeah, I found a remote stretch to ride on without a plate) the bike felt stable and planted at speeds up to 50 MPH, I didn't go any faster. The front end never shook or wobbled, but that may have been due to the fact that Chris at Toy Tech used tireballs(?) (or something similar) in the rims. This thing will do fine on the road for the minimal use it will see. Only negatives so far... the battery was weak out of the box, barely able to crank the bike in a few circumstances. One time I was about 5 miles into the woods. The thought of having to push the bike out, was a bit unsettling. I really dislike the lack of a kicker. When I got the bike home, I put the battery on a trickle charge overnight and it was a lot stronger after several hours. Negative #2, The horn quit working after the second "test blow". No big deal until I have to get the bike inspected for the plate. I'm really impressed with the build quality of this bike. It's obvious that Husky is improving in this department... maybe due to BMW's influence? Not that my previous Huskies were bad, the 449 is just noticeably better. Mother Nature seemed to be on my side this morning when I woke up to sunshine and warm temps. despite the forecast for rain. I plan another shake down today! Stay tuned...
I was wondering if you picked it up Thursday as I haven't read anything util this report. So it sounds pretty good so far and like K I look forward to future ride reports. BTW congrats on your latest bike pick up.
Took it out again today. Concentrated on single trails today. This bike will chug and lug through anything. I can literally let this bike idle and lug me through tough, rocky stuff with an occasional blip of the throttle. I can't overstate how light this bike feels while it's in motion. Moving it and lifting it while static is like trying to scoot the Empire State Building with a single arm. Starting performance was much better today, thanks to a fully charged battery. I really love this bike. It seems to do everything well.
I am parking my 2011 GG 250 and racing my TE449 in a real enduro next weekend. I havent had a chance to get mine on some real trails yet but just messing around, it feels really good. I have to admit, it feels better than I thought it would.
Glad to see some more of you guys experiencing the joy of the 449/511. I have to enjoy vicariously while my wrist heals up for a couple of months. Ride on.
he he he, I knew it would just take people rinding the bike to understand how good it is. Amazing bike the proves itself every day. I have 700 miles on mine and just love the beast.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised. All my riding buds say I am faster on this bike in the tight woods than any bike i have owned including my 144. Once you get in that flow on the 449/511 platform it is hard not to just rail. It's just super accommodating and more than willing to go and reward you for it. Look forward to your feelings after the race. Good luck.
I can't believe they have no kick starter, that's just a long walk in the making but what I don't like about this new bike is the same thing I didn't like and the reason I sold my 07 te450. The gear ratios are to close, gear it for the freeway and it sucks on the trail, gear it for the trail and the motor is screaming down the freeway. The KTM 530 tranny is a much better set up for trail and highway speeds, it sucks because I love Husky's. I still have a tc510 and a tc250, both 07's and they are great on the trail but for a duel sport bike I need something that will work on the dirt as well as the highway and wont leave me stranded in the woods wondering, What no kick starter :{.
Good points. I put a 46 on the rear of mine and it cruzes at 65-70 and still does tight single track. The great EFI and awesome clutch allow this. I do have to clutch is some on real tight trails but it is good. A 48 rear would be about perfect. I plan to pack one of the super small light batteries with me on more remote rides or some small jumper cables like I see Berg dude packing. The bike is fantastic so I will make a few small concessions to ride it.
I am also loving my 449 TE! I have mostly only ridden the tight nasty with her and she loves it. Couple more rides to dial her in and I'm ready to race it. I am already carrying a set of cables and a compact battery along with my other normal tools in my new fuel injected tool pack since riding Bergs for two years. But they are still unused.
