Calling all 2013 TE449 owners - Would you buy it again?

As much as I love my TE449 there are two issues not easily resolved.

1. For people with short legs, it is too tall. I had ZipTy lower mine. They did a great job, but it is Not an inexpensive fix. Good luck finding any decent bike today that is not way too tall.

2. Transmission, what were they thinking? [Shift] The ratios are way too close. [Shift] First is too high and [Shift] sixth is too low [Shift]. All in all [Shift] , if it were not for the transmission this good bike would be great [Shift].

Everything else I did I chalk up to personalization.

The transmission is for motocross. When Husqvarna found out I put the BMW back in, they couldn't understand why.

Agreed. Very hard to cover all terrains like you can with other enduro bikes with one set of sprockets.
I would have still bought mine, nothing else apealled to me at the time.

Agree to the ratio.... Maybe ok for Road use or what ever. But for Bush and open or tight stuff , just not suited.

So i bought a second Rear Wheel from a TE449 Insurance wrecker. $250 including a Mousse / Disc / 47tooth sprocket.

faster rides , i just change the rear wheel and i am ok.

Why not just change the front spocket to a 14 tooth . Then you have a great bottom end. And would I buy a TE 449 again ............................... Sh...it YEAH. its the ugly bike with a big heart . As they say you cant judge and book by its cover , or love in is the eye of the beholder.

Love is in the eye of the BEER HOLDER!
I would buy it again & the shape has grown on me.
I like a lot.

I just hit the 1 year mark on my 2013 TE449 and have 1,650 miles. Yes I would buy it again. It's not plug and play, but what bike is. KTMs don't even come with skid plates so some post purchase work is required with any bike. So to prospective new owners: do your homework, read this forum, and get acquainted with this model, it is a great bike, you just have to allow it to become one.

Here is my 1 year review:

After 30 miles of break in, I took it to ZipTy to have the basic day 1 mods completed; 1) breather relocate, 2) ground wire relocate, 3) capacitor flip 4) XF coolant 5) ECU reflash, 6) smog delete and 7) suspension resprung (for me at 215lbs it's a day one mod). Since then I have added tubliss front and rear, protection (hand, skid, header, exhaust, motorsportz rear disc and 7602 rad guards), 14T front sprocket, fastway pegs, scotts damper, zipty fuel cap and purchased Danny from the forum's TXC Akro pipe. I have also added a map switch (mode A and B of #3 set), taller bars, removed the butterfly, added a stainless steel oil filter, and increased the idle slightly. From day 1 I have run 0/40 oil at 1150cc and changed the oil on average at 300 miles. Just recently I installed an EFM autoclutch and converted my clutch lever to a rear brake (and removed the foot brake set up).

My bike has been completely trouble free. It has always started right up cold. Before increasing my idle slightly, it would be more difficult to start hot (I'd have to use some throttle) but now it starts trouble free both cold and hot. Transmission has been trouble free. Clutch has worked perfectly (operator has not). No throttle sticking, no dead throttle. Had some flame out issues before the map re-flash to set #3 but has been fine since. I have surely stalled it, but not a flame out as in blipping the throttle and it just dies. I have not had any oil in the airbox, no blowing oil, no gas boiling, no surging, no engine running issues at all. My suspension pivots and bearings are intact and all still full of grease. No overheating or running hot. Just stone cold reliability.

Pros:
Reliability
Cost
Fit (I am a bigger guy at 6'4")
Components
CTS system (climbing, especially techy rocky climbs)
Clutch feel
Brakes
Uniqueness (I get annoyed with the KTM fan boys)

Cons:
Transmission ratio spread (too high 1st, too low 6th)
Aftermarket support and product limitation
Crankcase width (clutch sticks out too far and will limit fitting between tight boulders)
Two tank fuel system
Fuel cap
Brake pedal

Regarding the "innovation" on this bike. My thought is they seem to gain an advantage in one area and lose an advantage in another. Example: CTS. Works great, really hooks up, but makes the bike wider. Clutch on the crank: clutch engagement feels great, seems to take a ton of abuse, but makes the crankcase too wide so the brake pedal will catch on rocks and the clutch cover is vulnerable. Mass centralization: feels good while underway, the air filter seems to stay cleaner and I like being able to slide all the way forward on the seat, but you have two gas tanks (can be slow to fill in race situation), a filling location that can be susceptible to dirt and debris finding its way into the tank, and a terrible OEM gas cap.

I feel similarly to others in the forum where I wish this bike had some more evolution because it's a different angle and it mixes things up a bit in a good way. It's a shame that a few simple things can prevent owner satisfaction, and perhaps proliferate a negative reputation, along with some "industry experts". I like my 449 and it has worked very well for me so far.

Very good review. Your assessment is spot on. I've got about 6000 miles on my 11' 511 and it's been trouble free aside from the damn flame out issues which have been an on and off thing with mine.
I've got the PCV + AT which has pretty much eliminated the flame-outs for the most part but recently it started doing it again and I'm at a loss to what is causing it. It doesn't seem to be FI related like before.
It's more like a cough or hiccup.
I totally agree on the close ratio tranny. It makes no sense at all. I've just accepted it and stay off the freeway. I love the CTS too and I think is does get better traction on rocky hill climbs and step ups. It really
just glides up and over gnarly terrain better than my 300 2T even.
A quick story about the durability of the clutch. Occasionally I'll truck my 511 up to my Dad's place just outside of Sac because I can take back roads up to the trails in the foothills. So I'm up at Mammoth Bar (a little ohv park)
and my gear shifter completely stripped out and left me in sixth gear. Long story short I had about a fifteen mile ride back to my Dad's on back streets but having to deal with stop lights and traffic stuck in sixth gear. I broke every
traffic law there is making my way back but there were a couple times where I had to stop. Starting from a dead stop in sixth gear took some pretty fancy clutch work and I was sure that I was going to fry it. Well not only did it survive the
abuse, it still to this day works better than ever. No issues at all.
Again,nice review that I completely agree with.

Yes I have to say the bike looks different to all other bikes and this is what attracted me to the TE449 , since all the mods , it's now a bike I would not part with.

And need to change the chain too. Need to shorten.

Just stumbled across this thread and although i have sold my TE449 for a more ADV rounded TE630, I would buy one again. It was a great bike, never a problem. Race map II and uncorked, oh and a heat shield on the exhaust (what were they thinking without one) were my only add ons!

My only complaint would be the trans gearing ratio, but a minor issue for what I was using it for.

My friend who I sold it to LOVES it !

Forgive my ignorance and I know this is an old thread but is it possible to replace just the stock cylinder and piston in a 2009 g450x with a cylinder and piston out of the 511, and everything fit and still work properly?
Thanks

Cro,

The above quote you used in your question was written to me. "ChaChing" Don't let it worry you. This was nothing more than a solicitation to combine parts from both engines to build an all out effort.
I have both engines, a TC449 and a G450X. The idea to combine parts from both would be for a total build using the most desirable components from these 2 engine assembled and combined. Something that isn't necessary for what I do with the bike. I would much rather have 2 complete engines and go buy a new bike soon.

To answer your question, will it bolt on? Of course it will. It gets done all the time. Everything will work fine and it is a direct bolt on with the proper gaskets. The 511 top end is actually only 3mm larger bore than the 449/G450s bore and is really 477cc.

I am on the fence. For the price 6,500$ plus tax and shipping.....YES I would.

For 10,000$ or whatever msrp was or even 8k. No freaking way ever.

The bike is overcomplicated and underperforming stock for stock. A ktm would rip turn key and ride (I hateee ktm's) with no issues. This bike did not run, race map II ran okay had the same power as a wr250. Power commander open pipe airbox tons of tuning later and it runs like a 500exc ktm does stock, if not a tad bit more power. Its missing a bit of torque which my tuning has sacrificed for more high rpm over rev on the road.

So again, if priced the same as a new husky, or a new ktm. No way. If priced where I purchased it? HELL YES! Super value and worth the money and time to extract the power from the bike. Also since these bikes are undesireable here in the usa most always there is 1 to 2 low mile bikes completely parted out on ebay. So parts are seemingly quite easy to get right now luckily.

Also in supermoto trim even with all my adjustments the bike just handles too sluggishly and is too "stable".

Its a very "safe" ride. I am thinking this is due to all the weight on the front also with the swingarm acting like its a mile long. The bike has tons of traction but cannot do quick switchbacks like any other supermoto bike.

I don't have much experience with KTMs but I have ridden with guys who do. One guy had a brand new (MY13) 350 four stroke, and the dam thing flamed out just as much as my TE did when it was stock. And worse, it was impossible to get it to start from the e-starter once it did flame out (no kick start on that bike, either). We ended up push starting him many times, until he bailed on the ride. Haven't seen him back on the trails since. My other ride buddy has the same bike and has spent thousands on it getting it to a point where he considers it "rideable". Seriously, he's spent money on EFI, had the original suspension resprung and revalved. Ended up completely replacing the fork internals two months later with ohlins. He replace the entire exhaust system. Ergos. Tires. Then he decided he hates the punk'n colors, so he replaced all the plastics and graphics. They do have really nice clutch pull though.

I have a few friends 1 bought a 350 4 stroke 2014, 2 bought 500's and all the bikes run perfect out of the box stock. With slightly less top end hp than my 511 but more torque. Add a pipe and airbox mods and tuning you will have a bike that has alot more torque and the same top end if not a bit more. The difference is you can ride it stock my 511 was seriously bad.

Every time we discuss the TE 449/511, I wonder if we could just gut the EFI and put a Lectron on it.