Dual-sporting a 2010 TE 450, with cheap tricks

Haven't bought anything yet...100 degree days are the shit to ride dirt bikes in anyway. I am seriously thinking about a DR650: air cooled, factory oil cooler, accessible spark plugs, carbed, reliable. Give up on the serious single track stuff and stay on the forest roads. I think I'll be happy with that.

It would be good to get a goodbye wrap up report. Your opinion of ownership, the good the bad etc.

Hi I am new to this site and been reading this post as I'm picking up a te450 2010 model tomorrow now I'm thinking what have I done buying one are they that bad the one I'm getting has not been in use for 18 months 1 owner from new what would be the first thing you would do to it olderhuskyrider you seem to know a lot about these bikes any help and advice would be great thanks Leigh

I don't get on here much but its great to hear your Husky has been treating you right! I sold my 510SM over a year ago, it had over 23K street miles on it and the motor and never been apart. She has over 25K on her now and is still going strong, These bike last a very along time with just easy trail or street use.

I own one and have gone the opposite way. Be prepared to spent at least a grand on suspension and brakes pretty much straight away. Those 2 aspects of the DR650 belong in the 1970's at best. There's a lot of other things you'll be wanting to do just to bring it up to scratch. It's a deceptively expensive bike if you try and make it more than it really is, but if you get the suspension done and live with having a fat pig then it'll be a solid bike

I'm sorry I haven't kept you in the loop, OldHuskyRider. Life has been very busy since I sold the house, moved to Lake Charles, and got married. Life is great but there is not much time to play.

The Husky is now my only bike. I ride her to work most days, 2.2 miles of straight road. I sure miss my old road and all the great places to ride around there.

I have plastics on order. SilverBullet is bringing me the EFI programming cable sometime next week and I'll work on figuring out my the mileage is so poor. I'm going to strip her down and rewire her this winter if time allows. I'll slip those new rings on the piston while I'm at it. Maybe I'll pony up for a big tank once I get the bugs worked out.

For what it is worth, the TE450 has been my lifeline to riding and may be for another year or two. It means the world to me, and I can't thank you enough.

Best of luck on it, that bike has been used and abused for sure, it was sure fun tho.

I am seriously considering a 2015 WR250F, rad fan stock, quiet muffler, kick and electric start, wide ratio 6 speed. Its got alot of the stuff I was looking for when I got the Husky 5 years ago, just not street legal.

we could plate that 'lil 250 in an afternoon jake.

It's gonna need one of the those stickers or mini-plates with the GAWR stamped on it, the new inspection system sucks, my guy didnt even look at much of anything on the Harley but he needed the GAWR so that it would pass the data capture.

You could ride one of those down the main motorways over here, as long as it's registered and insured. What about the 2011-2015 Yamaha WR250R, did they not come out in the states?

WR250R weighs 300 pounds wet
WR250F weighs 260 pounds wet

2015 Yamaha WR250F
Editor Score: 90.0%
Engine 17.0/20
Suspension/Handling 15.0/15
Transmission/Clutch 9.0/10
Brakes 8.0/10
Instruments/Controls 5.0/5
Ergonomics/Comfort 9.0/10
Appearance/Quality 10.0/10
Desirability 9.0/10
Value 8.0/10
Overall Score 90/100
After riding Yamaha’s all-new 2015 WR250F at Cahuilla Creek Motocross Park in Anza, California, let’s just put it this way: If you’ve been waiting to sell your trusty pre-2014 Yamaha WR250F in the hope that Yamaha would introduce an all-new machine based around its AMA National Motocross Championship-winning rearward-inclined engine technology, the wait is over. It’s time to get your classified ad ready and get that old blue machine sold, because like its YZ250F sister, the 2015 WR250F is so radically improved that it practically obsoletes the previous model. It’s effectively a YZ250F that you can ride anywhere your trails take you. A year in the waiting – Yamaha didn’t sell a 2014 WR250F – the new WR’s 249cc DOHC four-stroke Single is virtually identical to the class-conquering 2014 YZ250F motocrosser, except that it’s tuned for enduro competition and aggressive trail riding and fitted with the required emissions and sound equipment to make it EPA-legal and CARB Green Sticker-certified.
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/yamaha/2015-yamaha-wr250f-first-ride-review.html

You have to remember when considering the weight difference. The 250R is a completely different bike to the F. Especially the pre 2015 F. Specifically the engine is designed for high speed highway driving due to its lubrication system. Ive always seen it as a modernized TTR250 with more power, better suspension, brakes and handling. They still target the R as a low maintenance do it all small cc dual sport. I'd argue that it's a true adventure bike rather than a dirt bike with plates.

Told myself the same thing! I started reading this thread last night and went through the 25 pages in no time. Thank you for that OHR, I mean for the journey(s) in the fantastic playground around your place, and also for the seasons you lived with the TE , there was no half measure, I am glad to see the bike survived ( though I am not really surprised because I recently got a 07 250 that may well have the same mileage, without the love and care you seemed to give to yours, and it is still working great )

Hope to read other epic journeys from you, someday.

New fender and side plastics are on the bike, and Safari Tank is in the mail.

Trying to get back to November of 2010.....

Well, I went full-on grandpa mode, 366 lbs of Big Gray Pig...it's got everything I wanted, after having the Husky for 4.5 years: air cooled, oil cooler stock, wide ratio tranny, carb, back to my roots. RollingJ should be posting up some pics of the 20K TE450 soon.

Check out those TE mirrors on the BGP...

You can get all the yellow plastics and go full Suzuki with your DR. Get a FMF exhaust on that thing, a jet kit, big arse fuel tank, and some Race Tech gold valves in the forks and you will be golden. It is a good bike stock, but they can always be better.

It's so old it looks photo shopped black and white. ☺. What happened to theYammy 250?