did you know that TE's are for trailriders and CRF's are for REAL racers????

Geez, I have a CRF and really like it. I also have a 08 KTM 450 EXC and really like it. And I have a Husky WR 250 and like it too. Maybe Dirt Rider should hire me, because I seem to like everything. I would not say a bad thing about any bike and therefore keep everybody happy.

I have the utmost respect for Jimmy Lewis, he's highly accomplished and has lived the "Dirt Bike Dream". I can remember when he won the ISDE Junior Trophy with local boy Steve Hatch. When he was at Cycle World he always gave Husky a fair shake. In head to head competition, Husky did well. TE610E was DS bike of the year0n '01 when all the Dirt Rags were raving about the DRZ400S. Husky got at least one other award, maybe more.

I was glad to hear he was going to Dirt Rider. The first thing was the intro of the street legal TE's. Jimmy rode a TE450 to an overall win in the morning race at the Unadilla GNCC. Race Tools had a shake down day at local MX track just before the race and some guys I know got to see JL shaking it down. Shortly after that Husky did the press intro in NY. I was excited to read about these events in DR. Months went by and no stories, then more months. Finally a small blurb about 6 months later. JL wins a GNCC on the first real street legal dirt bike and it isn't news? JL rides the the KTM 400XCW last year at Fun Enduro in Mexico and it's get multi page article. No one from DR went to the press intro, so no story. Thank God for Clipper and Trail Rider.

KTM's and Husaberg always seemed high on the radar. I know '07-'08 Husky didn't push too much in the US, so no Press intro or bikes. '09 comes and big Press intro. The only DR news is TE310 intro buried in blog section of website. Husaberg intro gets big front page splash though. The Husaberg technology is ground breaking, but the price and fact that they aren't Green Sticker, much less Street Legal and only 500 come to North America makes them a little marginal for the average consumer. Never a full story on Husky intro which is coming more mainstream. Press intro article on TC seemed okay. The 450 shoot out was apples and oranges. It should have been all street legal bikes or all off road in my opinion.

My take is DR has a culture of discounting Husky and Jimmy has adapted to it and lost the good vibe that he seemed to have for Husky at Cycle World.

I don't get the $1k hop-ups to the jap bikes either. If they only turn out the same bike with new stickers then that is what you should test against other manufacturer's "as sold" bikes. Isn't that fair? Or, put the same $1k into the Husky and BMW to address the shortcomings they identify and then compare them.

What has always frustrated me about these magazine shootouts, which consistently lean japanese, is that IMO they inhibit the growth and acceptance of new or non-japanese manufacturers. They always call it a good try, but not quite there yet in comparison to the big four. This does more to steer people away than anything and I don't think it helps the sport overall. just my .02

I have the XR4 and the 08TE450 and they are so much alike that when I am riding I don't even know what bike I am on.........NOT! Completely different bikes. Even my nephew liked my TE450; he also rides a XR4 because after riding mine he had to have one. When he was here I talked him into riding my TE and he finally did. His whole excuse was, "The last time I road your bike I had to have one (referring to the XR) I don't have the $$ for a TE.) ...He road it and he can't afford it, but the same as the XR4? Not even close. After riding my XR and then jumping on my TE he came back with a grin on his face and said WOW that thing is AWSOME. My XR is set up very nice and has plenty of grunt, but lacks top. None the less, ALL mag columnists are paid big bucks to do articles. And they flavor them to corporate money.

same .02

This was my argument exactly. I can tell you that if I had not been riding my TE for over a year when my buddies go the new Japanese brands, I would have probably been impressed, but that wasn't the case. My dealer did get mine tuned and jetted before I picked it up (left on the stupid charcoal cannister, but that really doesn't hinder performance anyway) and mine screams like a bitch. The KLX was smooth, but power delivery was very tame for a modern 450 4t. In fact, I was thinking the exact same "ghost of XR" thought that DR had about the TE. The CRF was better, but still not the shoulder-separating power of my TE. Anyone who gets on all threein progression notices the difference. You go from the KLX-strong and smooth, but nothing happening too quickly, to the CRF-stronger, faster and a little more "race-ready" & not as much "California-ready" as the KLX, to the TE-"damn my arms hurt from trying to hold onto that thing it has so much torque and accelleration". My impresison of the KLX is that Kawasaki gives you a bike that you can spend $2,000 on and take to a race, but they can still sell them in California. The CRF seems more like you just need a new exhaust and and a rejet. The TE is more like "DAMN! That ain't my dad's old XR! Why would anyone need that much power on a dirtbike?"

The long and short of this trajedy is that they know the Japanese bikes don't come ready to race-not by a long shot, so they consider modding them & testing them agianst the Euro bikes as std. protocol. They now nothing about the intimacies of making a new stock husky go fast, so they just did the std. emissions stuff & called it good.

In closing, anything these MX'ers get their hands on is considered a freakin' dual sport just becuase it has turn signals on it. I found out a while back that the TE makes a much better dirt wepaon than a d.s. commuter and that it really wasn't meant for long stretches on the rd. However, everyone that saw the bike with signals on it wanted to trash talk about it as if it were a DR-400 and just blew it off without even wanting to ride it. Since I removed every but the head & talilights, when people get on it now, they go home & place a damned ad on Craig's List to get rid of their sub-standard Japanese bikes. I have already converted 4 local racers to TE's & TXC's just from one chance metting at a weekend ride.

Again, I'm cancelling my DR subscription. It was cheap, but it's now obvious that there are other mags in the wrag drawer that need my attention. The other day..."honey can you bring me some paper from the other bathroom?" "I'm busy sweetie, just use my DR. It's in the drawer beside you."

Long live the "H".

Ok, do not take this as a defense of DR, but the statement they made on Husky’s “close-ratio gearbox does not have the legs of the other bikes.”......I have to agree with.
My '05 TE is lowered geared stock than the new ones, but I don't think there is any way even the new ones will run at the top end of bikes like the KTM's wide-ratio can.

One of the guys I ride with most the time, rides a '07 KTM 525EXC. He has geared it down 5T larger in the rear, 1T smaller in front making our 1st /2nd gears close, 3rd gear is a little taller, but you can really feel it goes longer in upper gears.
On paper, WOT in 6th, the geared down 525EXC still shows another 20mph on me.......I have verified on hardpack my TE510 tops out about 90mph, which matches spreadsheet at 9k rpm in 6th (hard to pull much more rpm in 6th). We have not verified the KTM has a higher top speed, because it's just not as stable, if not borderline scary much over 70, let alone over 90.

I don't about you guys in your areas, but being able to run 90mph on a dirt bike in most of Idaho is not a high priority, so personally I fine the supposedly short-legged close ratio Husky almost perfect for my off-road riding.

got 90 on mine as well. that short gear box keeps you in the power most all of the way up & helps get you there faster. Whats wrong with that or the 90mph? Does a KLX or CRF do that?

Exactly what I like!
Off-road, shifting up/down rarely throws you into bogging or over-revving, plus close ratio can allow riding a gear higher in lower end of useful power-band to help keep the suspension unloaded a bit.
Seems to always be able to be in the right gear for the situation.......except maybe a gentle low rpm on the hiway at 70mph.

That's true, I wasn't thinking about those two still having a 5spd as far as true top end go. w/o actually running to top end, I can see their perception of the others being longer legged compared to the Husky's.
(the predecessors like my old DR350 and XR's had 6spd so I sometimes forget they went to back to 5spd on the DRZ & CRF/X...& always search for 6th when riding).

On my nephew's DRZ400, (plus a couple others) and another friends CRF450X we dropped a tooth on the front to pull the gearing in a bit and make them more trail friendly for our area..........cut the DRZ top end to +/-80

I just read the Enduro 450 shootout in ADB Mag (Australia) and even with the new editor i am stunned at the results. 8 bikes all up Husky came in 6th.
Yami 1st
Berg
KTM
Honda
Kwaka
Husky
Serco
BMW

Last year the Yami finished 4th behind KTM and Husky, so what they are saying is that a bike that has not changed since 07 model is now better than all of the other 7 brands including the exact same bikes that beat it last year. KTM, Honda, Kwaka, have not changed for 09 Husky has had slight changes which apparently made it worse cause last year it was just pipped at the post by KTM.
I have ridden the Yami, Ktm, Berg and Husky my choice is easily the Husky for ist ability to steer better than anything i have ever ridden, however the testers found it hard to steer!
The testers said that the Husky has the Strongest, ballsiest motor and everyone came back smiling after riding it, with bung out too loud, I agree with that. Yet they rated the motor 6th? I must be clueless!

It is fair to say that the Yami is a great Trailbike especially on more open trails, but it feels twice as heavy as the Husky in the tight stuff and cant cut lines like the Husky. The Berg is also very easy to ride but all my mates who have bought them have'nt stopped trying to get them to feel like the Husky in the front end! And they are also putting mapping switches on them to get more power! What Gives?

Anyway i feel sponsorship dollars have a lot to say in these bike tests so i am not too worried about their results, i am very happy on the New TE 450 (09), i can ride this bike quicker than anything else ive ridden!

Go and buy one!

true that !!