Are online forums a reason you bought a Husqvarna Bike?

Until the last 2-3years, with the poor dealer network across the county and great lack of ads/test in dirt magazines in years past, in my area, if they weren't ol.....ah.....vetern riders, few people even knew they existed.
I still get a lot of people taking a double look at mine and/or saying "I thought they only made chain saws, mowers and sewing machines"

I don't think forums played a very big roll in my decision. I was looking for light weight, good performance and street legal. The TE250 seemed made to order for me. That said, forums like this one and TT are a great resource.
As far as the dealer situation goes, What you say is true, there can't be dealers everywhere but I live in a rather highly populated area and there are only two dealers in the entire state of Illinois and AFAIK none in Indiana.
You can hardly swing a dead cat around here without hitting a Starbucks though...

like Kelly said..........I don't recall there was an internet in 1982 so.............no.
Great group of Husky nuts here though bar none. I bought a Husky because they are what every off road motorcycles dreams of becoming once they grow up.
Later Bros
oe

$3000 leftover 08 cr 125's is what got me on a husky!! I liked the fact that husky still makes a woods specific 125 but they are no where to be found. Say what you want about the internet .. still good to have a good dealer close by. CH and TT helped with the back ground info. If it wasn't for the 3k 08's though ... there would most likely be a an 09ktm 200 in my shed. Hopefully the 125 thing works out and keeps the orange plague at bay. I guess I'd give it a 50/50. without the background info I would not have pulled the trigger even at 3k.

In '04 i was ready to take a break from dirt bikes, but not for the usual reasons--it was politics. Seeing all the Honda cheating in baja, and all then being endlessly attacked on TT from the Honda cheaters--i was over it. Not to mention i was fired from two Honda based moto jobs for 'keeping it real' on the internet. Sad, when it gets that petty.

Then i saw a pic of a 2004 Centennial Husky in red and white. Fall of '04

I drove over to Uptite Husky, just a few minutes from my house.

Met George and he was a great ambassador. Taking time to show me how to adjust Husky valves, etc.

I left knowing there was at least one guy around who knew everything about the bike. That was assurance enough. Bought a 510 a few weeks later.

I didnt know anyone who rode Husky, didnt know anything about them (other than the one i rode in the '70's). But yeah--in a weird way the internet did have a little bit to do with it. It turned me off of decades of mostly Hondas.

I quickly found the Husky vibe and its been mostly a great expereince. I got right back into riding and racing. Met lots of others with an interest in the new Husky. My race partners loved my Husky and they too where sick of the Honda crap. So they bought 510's. Then it really spread. Lots of folks started buying Huskys.

The parts/late bikes thing has been bugging me lately, but that seems to be just about fixed now.

Ive been racing bikes since Nixon was hanging out with Elvis. Mostly Hondas. But i wont ever buy another Honda. Its unlikely i will ever buy another Jbike.

The euro bikes are just so so so much more fun on so many levels, and this is easily seen reflected in the internet forum cultures.

So i think its far more than the internet forums provide technical information. Its the sense of community, the Husky vibe, found on these forums that is such a great asset. At the same time, the negative associations of other brands has got to be pushing riders away, too, from 'some brands'. At least it did for me.

Not with my first Husky, I have been watching Husky for a long time and when I saw the 08 te510 it was a done deal. It turned out not to be a great dualsport (but a great dirt bike). As I still wanted a true ds I paid alot of attention to this forum and others. Cafe Husky was the reason I got a 08 TE610.

I'm probably the exception...

When I got married in 2006, I suddenly found myself with an MX-racing step son who re-ignited my childhood passion for dirt bikes. I grew up on bikes in the coal mining regions of Pennsylvania from 1969 through 1977. Roger Decoster was my hero as a kid.

After a few trips to the track to observe and assist my son... I couldn't resist the urge to buy a bike for myself. I rationalized..."Now I can follow Cody around and keep him out of trouble".

Since my re-birth into the dirt bike world, over the past 3 years I've bought, ridden, and traded the following bikes for the following reasons:

• '07 Yamaha 230. Way to wimpy. Traded as soon as humanly possible on...
• '08 KTM 250 XCFW. Almost decent bike that overheated at the drop of a hat. Intermittently functional E-start. Ultra sensitive to jetting. Should have had overflow tank and fan standard. Traded on an '08 KTM 250 SXF bought to race in 40+ MX. One week after buying was informed of connecting rod recall. Back at shop for over 4 weeks waiting on parts. "Fixed" under warranty but leaking oil profusely. Back to shop. Another week to get gaskets. Leak "fixed" again. NOT! still leaking... yada yada yada. TRADED!
• '08 KTM 144 SX. Son's race bike for '08 season. Great performer. "Secret" recalls galore for melting pistons. We make it through the season.
• '09 Honda CRF 250 R. The single most DISMAL bike I've ever owned. Meant to be the transition from 2T to 4T bike for Cody. Won't start. Won't run. Valves out of spec out of the box. Defective ignition coil pack. Screwed up stock jetting. ACK!

I didn't run to Husky.... I FLED with all my energy to Husky. I desperately threw myself at the feet of Husky in search of a reliable bike.

After 3 RELIABLE Husky's in the past year... I've never looked back.

Not for me. Needed a plated bike here in Nazi-Cali. A real plated bike. A KTM530 or Husky 510. The final decision was that I was able to get my 07 510 in the crate for dealer cost. Valves in spec still after over 370hrs. I will purchase another 510,hopefully a 2010.

The online community really helped me make the choice I did. Last spring, I decided to get back into off-road after a long break. I was getting bored with street riding, and started doing my research.

I had kept up on things somewhat, and knew basicly what I wanted. I knew I wanted European, I knew I wanted a 4 stroke, and I knew I wanted a licence plate. And it had to be capable offroad, for banging around in the woods, and the occasional hare scramble or enduro. That left me with 3 obvious choices, Husky, GasGas, or a pumpkin.

To make a long story short, I felt at home with the Husky crowd, online and otherwise. I was able to make educated choices with all the resources available online, and in the forums. I think the choice for a Husky was made in the begining, but it was confirmed when I found my the '05 TE in Taskys. I have to give Jeff credit for answering all my questions, and helping me make the decision as well. But everyone here and at the other place (TT) have helped me more than I could have ever imagined. Thanks all!! I wanted the best, and I got it!

xymotic, welcome .....I recognize the screen name from my old www.f650.com days.

YES!

I got back into riding dirt bikes a few years ago for my sons. I rode bikes when I was a kid and remembered how much I enjoyed it. I have always been a Honda guy really for only one reason, the easy of finding a dealer and parts. After a couple years I found Honda did not have a model that fit what I was looking to get out of a bike. I began doing research on off-road forums because I found I got way more info then when I went into local dealers. I had heard of Husky but figured it was a fringe bike and worried I'd never be able to work on it or find parts.

Low and behold I found people on TT and CafeHusky that knew the bikes and had all the info I needed to decide to buy.

I can say without a doubt I would have never given Husky a thought had I not been able to find the info on the bikes or have met the people I have through this site.

I still use TT but it is not the same as when Dean was the Mod. If I need help or an answer here is where I go!!! Thanks Dean!!!

On a side note my neighbor who spent big $$$ on his KTM is now looking to this site as he wants to be a Husky owner in a great part to the experience I have had.

Yes. Was on TT Kawi forums and thinking about something street legal that wasn't neutered. One of the senior posters there mentioned the later model Husky's to fit that criteria and......Kablam! I drank the grappa and still like it!

Yup, I still post over there, and I like a bunch of the ppl, but I have to say I don;t see myself keeping the Dakar or buying a x challenge to replace the 610 anytime soon.

Not me, I only bought my husky because it was ti good a deal to pass up. haven't looked back since though.
Would prefer to buy husky next time, but if a really good second hand deal on another brand comes along

The internet helped in my decision but the main reason I went Husky because in the Peoples Republic Of New Jersey you need a plate to ride. I researched the mags and internet to get different opinions on Husky's reliability, ride, etc. Being a dirt rider from the late '70s, I saw how Husky just about disappeared from the off road scene and needed more info about the brand. Now it is all I'll buy.

The internet played no part in it for me, the fact that half the bikes I see on the trails are Husky's helped though. I had ridden Jakes Husky 250F a couple of times and it did everything right but for some reason didn't call to me. With that bike I really felt like "It's not you, it's me...." I couldn't fault it, yet didn't want it. Chassis was magic, motor was perfect....ly boring. Can't think of many better bikes to try to put 100 mile days on though.

What really got me was riding Kelly's CR125 though. It just works for me for some reason. I'm not the fastest rider in the world, or more accurately I tend to be one of the slowest in the group I ride with but some of those guys are pretty damn fast so I don't sweat it. I've mostly been a two stroke guy although I've had my share of four strokes as well, I just have more fun on the two strokes (love my CR500 but it kicks my ass). So one weekend up in Belfair we are riding and I am on a KDX220 which I had enjoyed in the mud but I was really not getting along with well in the dry singletrack. I was struggling and Jake and Kelly ended up waiting for me quite a bit and in an act of mercy Jake let me ride his 250, Kelly rode my KDX, and Jake rode Kelly's CR125. After riding the new Husky chassis I was doing much better, keeping up better and not feeling so tired. Meanwhile Jake was struggling a little on Kelly's CR125 and when we stopped next Jake told me I need to ride the CR125, but more as a joke than anything else. A bit of "if you think your kdx is hard to ride, try that thing" so I figured what the hell, I've heard how tough 125s are to ride in the woods but never done it and I'll try just about anything once. What do you know, I throw a leg over the CR125 and I'm instantly faster on it than the 250F. It just worked for me like no bike I've ever ridden. I have never been that comfortable that quickly. I tried to steal it from Kelly then and there but he wasn't having it so I ended up doing Tasky's Demo Day and decided to buy a new WR125 after riding the 08 and 09 125s. In my case the internet almost kept me from buying because the powervalve issues, pipe hitting the shock issues, and motor mount breaking issues weren't exactly confidence inspiring but I decided that Husky could be trusted to make it right so I went ahead and bought one. My new WR125 will be going on it's maiden voyage Thursday at Gifford Pinchot!

Honestly, I didn't even know Husky still made motorcycles when I was in the market for a dual sport in March '08. My uncle "Riderdnf" on TT had a '06 TE610 at the time, gave me all tech talk about 'em and suggested an '08 for the fuel injection. I searched the Husqvarna USA website and absolutely fell in love with it at first sight! Got on TT right away as a lurker at first, then jumped into the forum after purchase, and haven't stopped since. Thanks to all that have helped me get back in the saddle after years of being without a dirtbike! Especially, Rajobigguyand McInfantry! And to all the one's I've got advice from here. Thanks to all! SALUTE TO CAFE HUSKY!!

I was looking for a SM again and Husky is the only "volume" SM manuafacturer. I found the forums after the bike. I like this forum, I am an old Suzuki TL guy and I moderate their TLZ forum. The only thing I feel could be improved here is how to's and such. Lots of dirt bike talk, very little SM. That said, I have gained some great insight from here, keep up the good work.