http://www.cafehusky.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4278 They are inviting set up tips, c-mon WR300 riders/fans!! DRmail@sorc.com
Whats the, "factory jetting kit", that DR mentions? Does it come with the bike purchase or is it something sold at the dealership as an extra item? Mitch.
I'd have to read the article before I give them free information. My 300 has been absolutely perfect for my style of riding. I tweaked the jets a bit and softened the Zokes up, but nothing outside of ordinary "tweaks". I've also ridden the "competition" many times and have posted my opinions. Based on what I've read in the other thread, it sounds like DR Mag has more negative comments than positive comments about the 300. I will try to get a copy of the article before passing judgement, but if they've trashed the Husky 300 in favor of the KTM and Gas Gas (and I LOVE the Gas Gas), I would question what they were smoking while they were testing...
Got the magazine last night. Typical Pumpkin-Praising Propaganda. They're not worthy of my time to send them my set-up tips. I'd rather share stuff here with people who care. Shame that the mag was plastic wrapped... I had to spend $7.00 to read one article. That won't happen again.
They must have gotten a jet kit provided with the bike. I didn't get one and had to buy my own brass. As most folks who read this forum know, most 300 owners have had to do some minor jet tweaks to get things dialed in. That part of the article wasn't a surprise.
Fact is its impossible to tune a race motor/chassis for all temps/alts and especially riders. Listening to the revs on some of the vids posted here then listen to the revs of a pro like WEC Guillaume or GNCC Kearney. It is just worlds apart. So even if mortals send in the their local/personal specs it would do little. I think I would have given an OEM 300 to Wyatt Seals for a week or 2 for a simple going over then sent the thing out for Mag testing. PS if the bike worked well (better out of the box, or whatever they would say it). The bar is very high,these are guys that test factory/race team prepped machinery all the time. and the write up is still favorable as is the bike is very much in the hunt. They gave the Aprilia MXV a very nice write up , with some beefs just like the WR300.
I agree, it would have been nice had they ridden a bike set-up by Wyatt. My main beef with these guys, and most of the other mag writers is the fact that they can't even seem to write half a paragraph about another brand before the letters KTM are splashed on the pages as though the heavens parted and God himself came down to type them into the word processor!
OK, so I overcame my intuition and responded to Dirt Rider Mag's request for Wr 300 tweaks. Here's my response... Just got the Sept. issue and read the Husky 300 article. You asked for owner recommended tweaks so I thought I'd offer a few of my own. But first, I'll offer my opinion about your praise for the KTM 300. I've ridden the KTM 300 numerous times as two of my riding buddies own them. BOTH of my friends have removed E-start from their bikes due to the common problem of the starter hardware self-destructing after it is used more than a few times! It's a well-known issue. You only need to go to KTMTalk forum to validate the fact that the E-start on the KTM 300 is DISMAL at best. In light of the KTM E-start debacle, I find it hard to believe that anyone in the media would use E-start as a criteria for praising KTM 300's. The Husky 300 will suck the orange plastic off the KTM at WOT (I think you acknowledged that in the article but it was open for interpretation). I agree with your assessment of the stiff clutch. It's cable and it's got a harder pull than most hydraulics. Point taken. I also agree with your vibration comments. Although, after many hours of "bonding" with my machine I have grown to accept it as a tolerable trait... A trait that is MUCH overcome by the sensation of sucking orange plastic off KTM's at WOT. OK... then there's my past experience with KTM's I've owned (and raced) within the past two years. '08 144 SX with melting pistons (see KTMTalk) and '08 KTM 250 SXF's with exploding connecting rods (see KTM's list of factory recalls).... Whew! Now for the Husky tweaks: The "stumpy" kick starter is vastly improved by moving it forward (clockwise) one or two splines till it leans forward about like this (yes, it will rest on the pipe): Once the kicker is in this position, you can adjust your kicking "style" to a more backward (horizontal) motion by positioning yourself in a more forward (chest over the handlebars) position. It also helps to advance the piston to TDC prior to kicking. My bike starts in one or two kicks using this method hot or cold, every time. Nice when compared to the 15 to 20 kicks it took to get my KTM 250 SXF and Honda CRF 250R fired. Compared to those "cranky crankers", the WR 300's "stumpy" kicker is a GODSEND! The stock jetting on my bike was a bit rich off-idle and through mid. I solved this by changing the pilot from a 35 to a 32.5 and dropping the stock needle one clip (one clip leaner). Obviously, like all brands, jetting is going to be dependent on your conditions. I'm still trying to figure out your comments about the brakes. Must be the fact that you guys measure everything in terms of "balls to the wall" "hell bent for leather" extreme conditions. I can understand that. The brakes on my 300 are perfect for my style of riding, but it also seems obvious that some of your brake issues were due to oil on the front rotor due to a leaking fork seal... a phenomenon I've NEVER seen mentioned in the Husky forums I visit daily. You must have gotten a test mule from a previously abusive magazine test staff, or a rare new Husky with a factory defect. The suspension settings seem to be a matter of personal preference. I've got the Zokes and the Sachs dialed out a few clicks softer than the stock settings of both compression and rebound. The Sachs fast damp (large red knob) is set all the way out (stock). These settings serve my 5' 9.5", 190 lb body well for tight single trails as well as wide open fire roads. Thanks for giving Husqvarna the attention it deserves. Regards, Krieg
Gotta admit that DR article had me a little miffed. I cant relate to much of what they were saying, but whatever.... opinions are like assholes. They friggin stink like shit I guess Husky's aren't for everyone. They're for me though. I rode an 06' WR250 for 5 minutes and bought the 300 the next day. I just felt 'at home' on it. I hope Husky doesn't change things to appease magazine folk. I think the 300 is about as good as it gets for that bike segment, even with my minuscule complaints about it. It may not do one thing extraordinarily, but it does all things well. Plus the KTM guys look at it like Kryptonite, which I find hilarious. Especially here where 8 out of 10 bikes are orange.
I wonder if a clutch arm lengthening mod and a real good cable lube would get the feel lighter (good lube job first of course). There are many articles about other bikes adding some length (welding) to the arm for better leverage.Or one of our cafe manufacturers could just fab one after some test lengths are done. There is also the option of a different ratio lever, does the 300 have Magura lever/ perch set up? There may be a Moose or other brand lever with better leverage, I used to use a particular Moose lever on my Kato 250EXC that had really good feel (older cable clutch model).
You can use a standard clutch perch and lever from any Japanese bike. It will pull less cable but much easier.
No wonder they look at it like Kryptonite! If it's anything like me and my KTM buddies... they're ALWAYS looking at it... from BEHIND in my dust!
Sorry for my language, but we have great beers here in Oregon and they were doing the talking. Last Saturday me and my buddy on a KTM200 rode up in WA. We saw 12 bikes all day.... 10 KTM's, 1 Honda and my Husky. The KTM guys would talk to me with their eyes on the Husky. Kinda like a man talks to well endowed woman with his eyes her prize. Nobody asked me a single thing about the bike, but there sure was a lot of staring. It was kinda weird.
