125-200cc ktm 150 vs husky 144 in mx form

gonna get one or the other. have a yz 250f and a 350sxf. would really like a 2 strk. any opinions???

I have a 08 CR165 Husky and love it. Until recently I haven't had a chance to ride a small bore KTM. A few weeks ago at our MX track I had a chance to ride a members 2011 150 KTM. It's light weight like the Husky but honestly the ergos just don't suite me on the KTM's so I didn't push the bike. KTM motor feels in line with when my Husky was 144 cc's. Both close power wise but I just like the natural feeling the Huskys give me. Another huge advantage with the Husky is you can take it a step up with a 165 if you find the 144's aren't enough. You have a KTM so you may feel different about the ergos but the handling? You need to get a test ride on a Husky 125.

I have Both. The handling and the Suspension are far better on the husky. At first i thought the motor on the ktm had way more power, however the more i ride The Husky 144 the more ive come to realize they are about the same power just the husky is A LOT easier to get on the pipe. My Very first lap on my H144 i was 4 seconds faster than my ktm . KTM is now for sale! BTW ive been on orange bike the last 6 years and i have to say Switching to Husqvarna has been easy!

I have a 144, and ride regularly with a KTM 150. Of note, until I got this bike, I've been a die hard KTM guy, so I have no bias really... I think the bikes are VERY similar. I like both ergos when set up for me. I think the Husky ergos are a bit more open overall. They're both great bikes for sure, to the point that I'd say get the one that's sexier looking to you...

We've owned and raced 2 KTM 144 SX's and 3 Husky 125/150's CR's. Both bikes make good MX'ers, but the Husky has the edge in handling (by far) and power (slightly) up top where it's needed most. FWIW, both our KTM's eventually grenaded due to the well-known ring-snagging, blow-up issue. Never had a Husky grenade all by itself like the KTM's... hence the reason I will never buy another KTM MX 2 stroke. Well... maybe the 250 SX.

thanks guys. the husky is by far the sexier bike. goin shoppin tomorrow. i will keep u updated. great site here. think i found a new home.

Good luck. Where are you located?

red deer. alberta. hope theres some 12s around;. our closesst dealer is 30 min away

30 mins. that's awesome. My dealer is about 5 hours away!

no 12s at the laocal store. 13s in soon. doesnt matter when as its minus 10 here. 4 more months of winter. im runnin studded trellys on the 350 so i get my fix on the odd warmer day. 7100 otd with the 144 kit installed. these are canadian prices and the regular sales girl who i know was not in. i think the msrp is 7100. so essentialy the labour to install the 144 kit and our 5% tax is taken off. . im thinkin that will come down when i talk to the the reg sals chick. shes hot and a dam good rider. went to the isde for canada. back to the subject. i will continue my search today. probly end up buyin the 13 from the local shop. `

my 144 felt very solid but also big framed. Picking it up after crashing, it felt heavy for a 125. I guess all bikes feel heavy after crashing though. I think the ktm's are quite a bit lighter.

Good luck with whatever you get.
For what it's worth I have a '12 KTM150SX & had a '10 Husky CR144 and the KTM is my preference. The KTM has a monster motor and just overall great build quality and handling. Both are lots of fun and you can't go wrong either way.

For you guys that have both, what's your opinion of the clutches? Is the hydro a lot better? I've read that the CR requires a lot of attention to the adjuster after the clutch heats up. Is that you experience?

Husky clutch holds up fine in my experience and being a tiddler the pull is easy.
The KTM hydro clutch imo is the standard everyone should shoot for!

I'm struggling a bit with the monster motor statement. We briefly owned a 2010 KTM 150 and a 2011 Husky CR 150 simultaneously and the CR would suck the orange clean out of the KTM plastic in a drag race... even with my fat ass driving the CR! Never weighed either bike, but the Husky felt lighter and handled much better. The KTM website lists the 150 SX as 7 lbs. lighter (dry) than the Husky. I doubt that. But even so, 7lbs apparently didn't make up for the weaker KTM motor at WOT as track times were always a second or more faster in favor of the CR. The KTM was harder to work on. The only plus I can remember about the KTM was the carb was more forgiving and you could futz with the power valve a bit more easily. Given the whopper price difference... it's a no-brainer for this simple-minded rider.

Well let's see I've had several of my vet expert buddies as well as myself and my brother(slow vets)ride both bikes back to back and everyone's first impressions were "wow" when it came to the KTM engine in comparison to the Husky. In fact just a couple of weeks ago my buddy who is a very fast 40+ expert who finished top 10 at Lorettas a couple of years ago finally had a chance to ride my KTM and his first words was "Holy shit that thing is fast" . Sorry your experience wasn't favorable when it came to the KTM motor but you're like the only one who I've ever heard who wasn't impressed with the power.

I have the 12 Husky and a good friend has the KTM. We swapped bike recently and each thought the other's bike was more powerful. I think what happens is you notice whatever parts of the power curve are better than yours, but the motors are both so good and so much fun that you just like them. However, we both liked the Husky feeling better. And I've been on KTM since 1984. The Husky has some handling magic that I just don't feel on the KTM. However, I have not yet ridden one of the newest KTM linkage bikes.

I'm happy for you. But I forgot to tell you that I invited my close personal friends James Stewart and Chad Reed to compare my KTM and Husky. Both of them said "WOW" about the Husky. Then Bubba crashed on the KTM. Then Chad Reed said "holy shit I wish I could race this CR 150 in the 450 class"! Then Bubba crashed again on the KTM. Just to make sure Chad and Bubba weren't pulling my leg, I invited my 'ole bud Ryan Villopoto to test drive both bikes. Ryan offered me 10 grand for my CR. Obviously, I had to turn him down.

Take a look at the other post showing the dyno curves of the woods versions. http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/125-144-165-dyno-comparison.29610/

Husky FTW ! Not even close for me on many points. Ergo's, handling, and price being at the top of the list along with I think the Husky will last longer. I said "think" based on my 08 CR125/144/165 and hearing about the 125/144 KTM's. I just can't get along with the ergo's and handling on a KTM long enough to see how well they hold up.

Power is very similar for sure. Each person's story will differ, as whoever's bike they've ridden has different jetting, PV setting, etc., than all the others ridden by other folks. To say there's much output difference between either bike tuned right is just wrong.

How is a KTM harder to work on? I'm on a Husky now, and think my KTM was easier to wrench if simply because the PV is much easier to get to....

I prefer the Husky because it's different, not better or worse.....

Quick release seat and enough room between the head and gas tank to do a topend without removing the fuel tank .