With the TXC450 down for suspension service I've been channeling Anders Eriksson on my 99 TE610. Once I got into the swing of jamming/timing/gear and throttle control with the 610, I found that as is, she is a little soft in the suspension, but on flowing curvy single track the thing really flys. She is still OEM stock in pipes and jetting and she runs great on premium pump with some race gas to boost it. Also I may try to click my forks a little on the TXC450 to replicate the very planted front end of the big girl. 2nd and 3rd gear are about all I use, and she just goes like a train on tracks. I really feel that I could race the big girl with not too many negatives and do well in my class, she is still a very competent machine as delivered. (I put red plates with wht 401, Anders 1999 numbers on her, for fun). This is for those of us with older model machines, PS Anders = 5 WEC championships on Husky single cam big blocks.
no issues 90% I use my left leg, (years of playing soccer I think have helped to promote my weak side kick). The main factor after dealing with other friends 610s that were always hard to start is that they are properly maintained and tuned. Good oil, valves adjusted properly, fresh fuel etc. First start of the day (cold) I use the enrichment and kick through 5 times with CR, then pop it off and usually she is lit on the first kick. After that for the rest of the day she is a 1 or 2 kick starter. The big girl needs to be stroked not jabbed at, a good smooth stroke is the key to light her fire. Mix screw seems to be sensitive to change and mine stays very near to 1.5 turns out, with my idle screw just touching the slide a little bit, for a nice low but no braking stall idle. She will be used again this weekend, maybe we can get some h cam stuff. R I need to redo the skid plate one of the mount screws ripped though my modified routed/elongated holes, the plate is made for the later model 610s and I just modded it to fit. I should have used a load spreading washer under the screw head. It's the same plate that Motosportz sells for the 610s.
Your bike looks good. The mid pipe looks as think as a beer can. Even for a '99, it makes the current japanese DS look dated.
I had a 98 without a doubt one of the best bikes I ever owned. As far as the starting goes you are absolutley on the money with the maintaining them, do what your supposed to and they will reward you with a bike that will fire everytime. I think my 98 weighed about the same as my 09 510, it feels that way anyhow. That monster was like riding a rail through high speed whoops, and would also turn pretty well for "a big block". I live in the Northeast and we can run some ignorant tight single track, lock to lock stuff and that old girl surprised the hell out of some people trying to run away from me when riding it. I loved that bike in the mountains, it was a torque monster. I got rid of mine after I trashed that left leg in 07 at the first race of the year, I just couldn't get a good kick after they put the new parts back in(my leg).
