New to Dirtbikes, New to Husky!!

Hi all,

I am brand new to the sport and just recently purchased my first ever bike!! I went with a 2005 TE 510 mainly because of the size of the bike and from some of the threads posted on this forum. I am 6'6" 240 lbs. and at 260 lbs. dry I think the 510 will be a good starter bike for me. I looked at a Honda 650L and decided it was just too heavy and bulky for me to start out with. I have extremely minimal experience with a friends CRF450 and KTM 450 and the progressive throttle of the 510 seems to be a good fit so far.

I was wondering what advice you guys have for a brand new, non-experienced rider. Naturally I want to take it easy at first and not get myself killed however I do want to progress over time and get to where I'm comfortable doing single-track type rides.

Also please educate me on the maintenance of this bike. I will be doing all my own work but am uncertain on types of oils, lubes, etc. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys!!

first things first...

You have made a good purchase. For your size, you would quickly grow bored of smaller bike. Beginner or not, you, my new Husky friend, are a big-bore guy.

I know you said you want to do your own work, but being you are new to the sport, I'm taking it to mean that you are also new to working on motorcycles. The bike you have purchased is a performance racing-oriented bike. It's engine will require closer maintainence intervals than the less-than-performance-oriented XR650L. State of tune is slanted towards racing and not really longevity, though if you maintain it at the proper intervals, it can last as long as that XR650L.

The first thing, and I mean the very first thing I would do with that bike if it were mine, is take it to a Husky dealer or high-end mechanic who is accustomed to working on performance 4-strokes. Get him to check valve clearances, timing chain, timing chain tension, etc. These are the major issue with any modern 4-stroke. These should be checked immediately. How you plan to ride this bike is irrelevant. What is relevant is its age and how it HAS BEEN ridden. Bottom-ends are usually as sound as any, but top-ends on a performance 4-stroke are another story. I've seen testimonials from Husky owners that had ridden 100 hours and the valves were still in spec. Others needed minor adjustments after 20 hours. By the way 20 hours is a good rule of thumb for valve clearance-check intervals, never go over 40. Mine had to be adjusted at 20 hours. It all depends on how hard the bike has been ridden.

Get your top-end checked by a professional. While he's at it, have him clean your carb top to bottom and make sure that the bike is jetted properly for your area. If the bike came from a different climate or elevation, chances are rejetting could make it start easier and run cleaner for you. Even if the bike has been around your area for a while, it might not hurt to have him listen to it to make sure it's right. This could save you some hassle. However, have him clean it for sure. A bike of this age needs a good carb cleaning if it's never been done. Make sure the plug is fresh.

Get your top-end checked now. This bike will last, but you got to check the valves and timing chain regularly. Not knowing how well it's been kept up with by the previous owner(s), it is absolutely the first thing you should do. By the way, it's not rocket science, but it's probably not the first task you should try to tackle yourself, unless you are already a pretty savy auto-mechanic and valves, timing and cams are not rocket-science to you.

After your top-end has been given clean bill of health take it easy. Don't try to get crazy all at once. For your size, you have chosen a bike that will be easy to ride. This bike will lug and get you out of a jam with the sligtest flick of the wrist. It's probably better suited to a beginner than the 450 or the 250.

Next, take some pictures of you with your new awesome ride-action shots, clean shots, better yet get it as muddy as you can and get a pic. Then, proudly display them on Cafe Husky for all to see. When you're here, you're among some real Husky-crazy enthusiasts! We want to see some iron!

Avoid the front brake for the first few rides.

Hit obstacles straight on, not at an angle. If you hit a speed bump in your car with hard braking, its gonna be a hard hit, its the same with bikes. Hit the brakes, but when you actually go over the rock/bump/tree branch, lean back and give it some throttle.

Like a bicycle, motorcycles are hard to ride and unstable at slow speeds. The faster ya go, the smoother and easier it is.

Avoid 'target fixation' -- when ya see something up ahead and ride right into it. Try looking further down the trail.

Just some ideas.

Eventually bike set up (handlebar height, suspension stiffness, etc) will be a factor, but for now its probably enough to avoid crashing.

Make sure you have full protective gear. Thats rule #1.

In 48 years on the planet, I've learned two essential tips about machines that also apply to beasts of burden:

1. KNOW your mount and know its disposition.
2. Power will get you out of WAY more trouble than it will get you into... but ONLY if you follow tip #1!

Wow thanks for the quick replies everyone!! I can tell I'm in good company already with this group. I have a freind/co-worker who has ridden pretty extensively the last 20 years or so and he'll be teaching/coaching me so that will help me with my learning skills as well as the great advice you guys have posted up on here.

As far as maintenance, he is a Honda and KTM guy and knows very little about the Husqvarna brand so I'll be taking the bike to a local Husky dealer to have them go over my new bike. My goal will be to learn as I go and eventually do all the work myself because I have the time and enjoy that stuff but as of now I'm still new to all of this.

Thanks again guys and feel free to post up anything new if you think of it. The one thing I was wondering was what kind of oil you guys use?? I have the previous owners records showing all the things he had a shop do for him in the spring but I'd feel more comfortable getting it done myself and knowing everything was in line.

Yeah I plan on getting the bike street legal but like you said it'll mainly be trails and connecting roads. I have a couple guys at work that I've been talking to and we're planning on taking this kind of a course together.

That has to be one of the biggest issues I've seen with new riders. Even experienced riders fall victim to this once in a while (myself included)
.........look where you want to go and the bike will follow.


Basically repeating some of what's already been said......The '05 TE510 is a strong bike that can be a handful, especially in tight single track trails and probably not the ideal beginner bike, BUT will make most hillclimbs easy(ier) for you and if you're gentle on the throttle it will be gentle on you.
However, if you get in over your head trying to go too fast, get out of shape bouncing off a big hit and accidentally whack the throttle, it will have no trouble throwing all 240lbs.
(goes right back to krieg's tips above)

Maintenance on these isn't hard, being one of the easier to work on of the current bikes out there and based on my '05 a very reliable bike.

Mine was made street legal, if I remember right, stock wiring has most of whats needed tucked in there someplace.
If you take to the street and it has stock 14/50 gearing, pick up a 15tooth front and a pair of snap ring pliers.
Swapping out the front sprocket only takes a few minutes and will make the faster road ride nicer (it's still a true dirt bike though, so don't expect much comfort on street rides)

Thumpertlube 20w-50. Expensive, but you need a heavy hitter in the heat. I'm in the heat too and it's about the only thing that will hold up. Specially formulated for performance single-cylinder 4T's.