TE/SM610 - 650 V-strom - 08 650 Ninja

Discussion in 'Get togethers - Reports' started by Motosportz, Sep 9, 2008.

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  1. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    One of my friends recently got a new Kawasaki 650 Ninja. Nice bike, kind of a standard with sport bike looks, semi budget bike (no adjustable suspension etc.) but overall very nice. Comfortable, nice motor, feels good. Another friend has a new DL650 V-Strom. We have been hitting the twisties as of late and just having some good fun friendly rides.

    Now here is the funny thing. The 610 does just fine in this company. In fact it is the most fun, is actually as fast or faster than the Ninja and I believe faster than the V-strom to about 80 or so. Then it just starts to run out of gearing. The 610 feels like it pulls a lot harder than both in the mid range and roll on. It is super fun to blast around on and unlike my VT1000 it is fun at semi legal speeds. Another thing is when people approach us to talk about the bike the 610 is always the center of attention. Funny.

    Anyway I have been very impressed with the fun and useful TE/SM610. A VERY versatile bike you can ride near the front of the pack on street day and then convert it a discover some new lake in the woods the next day. Very cool machine IMHO.

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    Motosportz, Sep 9, 2008
    #1

  2. Fast1 Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN
    +1

    I'll take a 08 SM610 with fuel injection in dark grey... economy, handling, agility, and best of all a blast to ride.
    Fast1, Sep 9, 2008
    #2

  3. Coffee CH Owner

    Location:
    Between homes - in ft Wayne IN
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2006 TE250, 2013 TR650 Terra - sold
    What types of things are you converting? Thought it could do both as is?


    Cupholders?
    Coffee, Sep 9, 2008
    #3

  4. rajobigguy Administrator

    Location:
    So.Cal.
    Kelly:
    In my experience the 610 is capable of defending itself or even embarrassing just about anything in its' displacement sz. at least in the stoplight Grand Prix. I have run with or ahead of bikes up 900cc in the 100yd dash. Obviously the bigger 4 cylinder bikes have an advantage on top end but for a short blast to speed the 610 will raise quite a few eyebrows.
    I haven't got around to setting up a SM conversion yet but I''ll take you're word for it that it is more than capable of defending its' honor in that arena as well.
    rajobigguy, Sep 9, 2008
    #4

  5. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    It did pretty good with a KTM990 and a x12 Buell as well. Husky can build a motor, My TXC450 and this 610 are amazingly versatile and powerful.
    Motosportz, Sep 9, 2008
    #5

  6. tadgh Husqvarna
    A Class

    i have ridden the DL650 and to be honest it feels pretty gutless on the road, i suppose to get the best out of the motor they have geared it to cruise at reasonably high speeds but the acceleration suffers because of it...
    having said that it should be the easiest to get off the line in the traffic light gp because of that..:) i ride a gsxr 750 on the road myself and unless you are commited most of the supermotos will beat you off the line because its much easier to just drop the clutch and hammer off than a superbike (the old fear of looping all that brittle plastic :() however within 50 metres of so you'll pass like a freight train.

    ..but whats even worse is all the guys on twist and go scooters pretty much line up against you at every light in the city here..after a few hairy moments you generally stop racing them in traffic (..must be getting old)

    oh yeah happy birthday
    tadgh, Sep 10, 2008
    #6

  7. Michael Lueders Husqvarna
    A Class

    Location:
    Northbay, CA
    Happiness is lapping liter class sport bikes on a high speed track (Thunderhill in Willows, CA) on a older 450 SMR...bliss, shear bliss!:D
    Michael Lueders, Sep 10, 2008
    #7

  8. Coffee CH Owner

    Location:
    Between homes - in ft Wayne IN
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2006 TE250, 2013 TR650 Terra - sold
    Now who would have done something like that? :D
    Coffee, Sep 10, 2008
    #8

  9. skywalker951 Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Gaylord, Mi
    vstrom vs xr650r and te510

    This is my line up for the y:doh:ear ending 08. I got the 08 te510 this spring and just got it dialed in on my last ride of 08 before the s,nows came. (MI) I have an 07 650 vstorm which I purchased during the gas farse, the problem with his bike is it is a street bike that go down a gravel road and little else. It will be for sale in the spring. I find myself going back to the xr650. It is a 01 that is loaded, fmf headers with q exhaust, 41 mm pumper carb, torque hot cam, lowered 2", it also has the Baja Designs treatment with electic start, 250 stator and road kit. It has many other options seat, rack and a touring kit (choice of two windshields, ims tank, seat and many other toys. The only (real) issue I have is it is a 5 speed and not a fuel injection. Which leads me back to my 510. Did I buy the wrong husky? a 610? or when the suzuki is gone get a 610sm and I can with minor changes swap wheels with 510 and get twice the fun. I doubt I will get rid of the honda as it is like having a lab lying next to the wood stove. Would a ride on a 610 make me forget the honda?
    skywalker951, Dec 8, 2008
    #9

  10. pvduke Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    ... on the gas...
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    tripple-hondo hoosk...
    Other Motorcycles:
    dozens of them, kicked to the curb
    Hmmm.....

    Hadda '02 Duke II, and an '04 SMC- like the 610 Hoosk?,don't mess wif 'em.

    While a bit of a trailer queen, and quite proud of it....my SM510R was just stupid. I could scrape pages going into corners slipping the clutch. There was a very small road up here, more like an asphalt ST, super twsty with humps and dips you could loft the rear off of and tranny into the next corner- ZAP!, and yer gone. Nothing could touch that thing up to 70mph. Nothing. Not even my buddy's 15k$ big-bore 525KTM convert- it killed his orange crate and pissed him off...

    Really wish I hadn't slipped on that banana peel going to the bank at 20mph, ending up under a 10,000# box van....

    I miss it so.....sitting atta light, John Q. Anything pulls up and you just know you got him covered to the next one. Super agile, super fun just to go up stairs, or just knowing you could. I'd make up or find excuses to ride those 'Tards....... "off for some milk, honey!"...yeh right...I'm going to hoik some mingers man and come home with smoldering boggered up tires...... love them street-tards...

    It's alla bout the WEEEEEEEE!

    RIP baby..... you were the King of Swing. (1 mile on the odo here)

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    pvduke, Dec 8, 2008
    #10

  11. Coffee CH Owner

    Location:
    Between homes - in ft Wayne IN
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2006 TE250, 2013 TR650 Terra - sold
    I can't tell if you are asking for peoples input on your situation or not. If so you could start a new thread so your question would get the proper amount of attention it deserves.
    Coffee, Dec 8, 2008
    #11

  12. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    Good stuff duke :lol:
    Motosportz, Dec 8, 2008
    #12

  13. pvduke Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    ... on the gas...
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    tripple-hondo hoosk...
    Other Motorcycles:
    dozens of them, kicked to the curb
    ..speaking of 600's....

    A bud of mine up yerin's way dual-sports a Hayabusa....no sheet. He's nuts...so long as it aint too rocky? He goes. With saddle bags too. Gotta pic around here somehere...

    Got me thinkin- about sipeing some wet's for this 600... but the thought of gravel knicking up the Ferrari red on it?...well, no thanks. I got's ta draw the line somewhere.

    ;)

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    pvduke, Dec 9, 2008
    #13

  14. WoodsChick Administrator

    Location:
    Oakland, CA Miramonte, CA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    3 Terras, 2 `07 SM610s, `09 WB165,
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM, GasGas, Suzuki, Honda

    I can relate to what you're saying. I, too, ride the 610 in street trim with a few other bikes and as long as we're in the twisties, no one is going to leave me behind. I'm willing to bet, though, that you are probably riding your 610 much more aggressively than your riding partners are riding their machines...especially if one of them is brand new. Yours is probably set up better, too :) It's just the nature of the beast.

    Out of all the bikes I've ever had (and they've all been dirtbikes and sportbikes) I love my 610 the best. Yeah, it ain't the best "dirtbike" I've ever had, but it most certainly is the best streetbike I've ever had, and it is simply the most fun bike to ride no matter where I am. I love it:)

    Eric put my Pirelli Diablos back on and we went hooliganizing last night.
    We had lots of fun in a big empty parking lot with lots of speed bumps:busted:


    WoodsChick
    WoodsChick, Dec 9, 2008
    #14

  15. WoodsChick Administrator

    Location:
    Oakland, CA Miramonte, CA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    3 Terras, 2 `07 SM610s, `09 WB165,
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM, GasGas, Suzuki, Honda

    The DL650 has the very same motor as my naked SV650, but it's about a gazillion pounds heavier and the seat is twice as wide. I thought I might have wanted the DL til I sat on one in a showroom. No thanks!

    I wonder if the DL is geared differently? My SV is geared higher than it needs to be.

    I, too, own a GSXR750 and you can bet I am a lot more aggressive on the 610 than I am on the 750 :lol:



    WoodsChick
    WoodsChick, Dec 9, 2008
    #15

  16. WoodsChick Administrator

    Location:
    Oakland, CA Miramonte, CA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    3 Terras, 2 `07 SM610s, `09 WB165,
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM, GasGas, Suzuki, Honda
    Nice photo!

    If you want to get dirty tires for the 600 without having to go with full-on rains, get a set of Pirelli MT60's. They've much cheaper and feel damn close when riding `em in the wet. I know what you mean about not wanting to mess up the pretty paint, though. This is exactly why I went with the lowly dime-a-dozen naked SV650 instead of the lovely red S2R with Marchesini's. No way I'd have loaded the S2R up on a trailer 2 days after buying it and hauled it to Idaho for 700 miles of dirt:D



    WoodsChick
    WoodsChick, Dec 9, 2008
    #16

  17. WoodsChick Administrator

    Location:
    Oakland, CA Miramonte, CA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    3 Terras, 2 `07 SM610s, `09 WB165,
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM, GasGas, Suzuki, Honda
    You're right about the DL650 being a gravel road bike. If you wanted to do any serious off-road work, you should have gone for the DL1000
    instead :lol:

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    Your 650 sounds pretty well set-up. I don't know if the 610 would make you forget about it right away, but it's worth trying to scope out a ride on one.



    WoodsChick
    WoodsChick, Dec 9, 2008
    #17

  18. pvduke Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    ... on the gas...
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    tripple-hondo hoosk...
    Other Motorcycles:
    dozens of them, kicked to the curb
    That's a big trail bike!
    pvduke, Dec 10, 2008
    #18

  19. fitness2go Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Seattle WA
    That's some crazy riding on that bike...nice pics!
    fitness2go, Dec 10, 2008
    #19

  20. HuskyDude Moderator

    Location:
    BC, Canada
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    13/TR650
    Other Motorcycles:
    10/EC300, 76/TY175
    I wonder what it would look like with a full set of Knobbys on it??:lol:
    HuskyDude, Dec 10, 2008
    #20
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