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

Huskys ridemore website calls its 650 dual purpose and calls the TE line dualsport and is for connecting trails. They are very clear

Coming from more of a dual-sport touring background sometimes I wonder (only briefly) if maybe the big Husky wasn't quite what I was looking for.
Honest answer...Absolutely not. I knew it was lighter and snappier than my old XR650 and all I really considered was how much lighter it would be to pick up when I dropped it halfway up a hill in the middle of no where.

I quickly learned 2 things.

1 - Be careful what you ask it to do. Because it will, and in a hurry!!
2 - I can't stop smiling when I'm on this bike.

As far as a D/S bike....this is what I did yesterday...
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2201520

Can't embed a link but copy and paste if interested.

And yes, I would buy it again.

CA...bought it from GP Motorcycles in San Diego...

Somewhere along the line, perhaps during the trip from Sweden to Italy, Husqvarna forgot what they knew about transmissions. Used to be you could take your pick of close ratio (CR), wide ratio (WR), or an "optimum ratio" (OR) that was a combination of both.

I guess that would have been nice. I would choose the close ratio for what I ride off road, and live with it on road.
A choice is always good.

After three years of wanting to get myself a new TE250 after many sweet rides of mates TE's we just bought three new TE449's 2013, traded the trusty DRZ400E's x 2 & 1 DRZ250, the TE's have been problem after problem. The DRZ's are the most reliable bike ever, all in all reduce the front cog to a 13(on the DRZ400), rise the bars by 25mm, put some Renthal Jimmy Button bends, bark busters, BB radiator guards and a BB bash plate and you will go most places all be it not as quick as a TE. I am saddened we just never did the suspension mods, the DRZ went everywhere just lacked the suspension over fast forest logging ruts, but soaked up the rocky stuff real well and climb almost anything with the right tyre pressures. We have had the new Huskies for just over a month, first one (bike 1) dropped its fluid first weekend out, spews oil into the air filter box, will start and wont run after 5 minutes, stuffed a great camping weekend, checked spark plug, now that's open heart surgery after you have the radiator guards fitted and try get the bolt head that holds the coil in, yep fouled plug as it appeared to run rich to compensate for the overheating??. Took to the dealer and gave me the faulty radiator cap story, replaced cap after three days cause doesn't have one in stock, advised me it lost 600ml of the 900ml and assures me of no engine damage. Made sure I got the service record in case we experience further issues. Second one (bike 2) increased its revs by itself, particular when down hill rolling and using gears to slow (poor compression braking to the DRZ) with poor dealer pre delivery, clutch had 3-5 mm engagement, lovely trick when you are trying to corner in tight down hill single track work and the throttle is on, so my son got to lay it down a couple of times (prettied up his Akropovic ). As I never checked his bike before hand and assuming all three would be pre delivered the same, somewhat disappointing. Third one (yeh my bike), wasn't cold starting after properly and after warming up also hard to start, dropped the radiator fluid, smelt like fish soup. Has now new radiator fluid, rode in 5C degree weather on the weekend and radiator cap let the fluid straight on the ground after idling for less than two minutes, because I was not going to turn off as battery is crap and even after trickle feeding since new has proven to be a waste of time . Why do these bikes not have a drain to siphon tank, never hardly had to check the DRZ in 2,500klm of Enduro work and even in temperatures of up to 40C they always started! I cant wait till summer! +35C days with the Huskie.... Back to dealer this week for them to check out my bike, over all very underwhelmed on $30K worth of investment! Id rather the bike that runs when you have a camping weekend than the one you stuff around in the car park with, go the DRZ if you want reliability and prepared to ride at about 65-75% of the TE's capacity.
Cant wait to see the resale value of the Huskies if they cant get their Sh1t together.

Keep to the 2011 if you don't want overheating issues and starting issues

I own both, an 09 DRZ and a 2012 TE 511. the drz is a nice playbike, if properly setup the 511 is way better.for some the drz is definely better, real dirtbikes require different setup/prep than dualsports. the seventy pounds, 15 horespower (after setup) less, and poor suspension make the drz a commuter playbike for meand the 511 a real dirtbike I can ride with the bigboys, and still ride on the street. if I did not ride hardcoresigletrack, and try to race my buddies on their YZ, KX etc I would mod the drz and just ride it.

I think with the DRZ - people mistake the S model with the E model. The DRZ400 E (dirt model) is just as great as most 450s.. maybe a few ponies less, but no great deal unless you are racing. But as far as maintenence is concerned and reliability - you can't beat the DRZ. In comparison, the S model is 310lbs with gas. The E model is around 265 lbs with gas. Slap blinkers on it and you can ride that on road all day and off without ever worrying while your other buddies bikes are being maintained or fixing misc. crap

I'm not saying anything about TE 449 as I don't own one, just the TE250. I have ridden other 450s, ktm and yamaha.. and a DRZ400 <E> - felt just as light, the 2000 model I rode actually felt lighter.. But there seems to be an overwhelming misunderstanding between the DRZ400 models. Really - if you are doing any comparisons DRZ with TE models, it should be with the 'E' version of the DRZ.. NOT the S version - which is what you have I believe James (from your Other Motorcycles tag profile).

And as far as 'DualSport / DualPurpose / Enduro' models are concerned... well.. I've never heard of DualSport Races that are used with a TE. Enduro races yes. So in that regard - I'd like to think the TE Lineup as 'Enduro' models.

Happy riding

There is nothing wrong with your Huskys, sounds to me like poor dealer setup. If you are willing to give me a few minutes of your time in another thread, I can have all three of your Huskys running better than expected.

The guys at hall's, and many other shops have raced TE models, with only minor modifications, the TXC is the same
bike excepts for the smog stuff, engine, suspension, brakes etc.All the same. ..I am aware of the differences in the "e" model,
Subframe, some engine differences etc, I have owned them, I would not race one, also keep comparing 50 state
Street legal to dirt only, is goofy, different rules and regulations. You cannot make the dirt only bikes street legal
In all states, less all the time. My state does not allow it, so you buy street legal and remove the EPA crap.
I used to buy a dirt bike and add street legal stuff, to much trouble now.
By the time you spend the money on a DRZ to put it on par with my 511 it is too expensive and too unreliable.
I really like my S model DRZ, ride it a lot. If you like the E buy one, my preference is the 50 state legal TE with
400 in mods, and it will in the right hands, be very competitive bike for open class harescrambles, and TT scrambles.
I have worked 63hrs worth of racing this year, still not one DRZ entered. Guess the racers just are not getting the
word.

That's cool, I have seen TT250' s entered in our harescrambles, but no one seems willing to ride our course for
2 hours on a XR400/650, or DR400/650. I know it can be done, but not for me. I can ride on my 511, but really have
More fun on the WR125. I have seen TE250's win at our harescrambles, and with 2 husky dealers with close
Driving distance, competitive 449/511's TE and TXC.

What's difference between Enduro races and Dual Sport races?

You are forgetting 90% of the people who have TE449 or 511s uncork them naturally, which does not I'm theory, make them 50 state legal. So in that regard, you can compare to dirt only models. Granted, since almost every shop doesn't care that you uncork a "factory" 50 state legal. I know when you do all the almost necessary mods to TE models, they are no longer 50 state legal under rigorous inspections. But like I said, no shop really cares as long as the "from factory" setup is 50 state legal they are generally fine passing inspection and registering for street. Funny how easy to forget how tame all the TE models are from factory which is what make them 50 state legal, but no one actually rides them that way.. Well most.

And I never said DRZ are faster then TE, from what I remember.. But for most TRAIL riders, not racers, reliability is a big factor. Two different animals.

I modded my WR450 to be street legal, I'm mechanically declined and it was quite easy. $500 total cost, and I didn't have to drive 3 hours to shop to reflash or try to diagnose stuff they weren't familiar with!

So you uncork it and it is only 49 State legal...big deal.