TE450 or TE510

Hi everyone, I am new here and I currently do not own a Husky but have always thought they were good bikes. I am getting ready to take the plunge. You only live once and I am tired of riding my old clunker. I want a shiny new bike.

Currently I have two bikes, I have an XR400 with a license plate and a DRZ400 in supermoto trim.

The XR400 is my trail bike and I do like it but I feel like its out dated. I've never ridden a modern 4 stroke because no one i know has one but I have got to assume that its night and day comparing it to the dated technology on my honda.

I do love the low maintenance i have with my XR400.. i basically change the oil and clean the air filter every now and then. Heck my DRZ is about the same.

I'm not afraid to deal with the higher maintenance of the new 4 strokes but I would like it to be reliable.

I do not race at all, I just trail ride and if I am lucky i will do 1 or 2 dual sport events a year.

I am in ohio so I can easily convert any bike to get it a license plate (very easy in ohio). So buying a 450 jap bike has crossed my mind.

Right now I am torn between the TE450 and the TE510
Is the TE510 just basically a stroked TE450 with some more bottom end grunt....??

Are the two bikes two complete different monsters?
I wouldn't mind hearing some opinions.

Hi. I can't claim to be an expert on this as I'm on my first Husky, a powered up TE450 with about 700 miles on it so far. I'm sure others will have much more experience of Huskies and indeed of dirt bikes in general.

I did have a brief test ride of both the TE450 and TE510 before buying, even if sadly all of it was on road apart from a quick run around a grassy field. In terms of handling, the two are very similar as you might expect given the same running gear. The 510 was maybe a little harder to turn, probably due to more rotating engine mass and a little extra weight, but not a huge difference. Neither would be as nimble as the 310 or 250 if you're looking to do lots of tight woods riding, but for the relatively open trails we mostly ride the 450 works really well and the 510 would probably be ok too. We do ride some fairly tight trails at times, and I haven't found them too difficult - in fact a friend's Gas Gas 200 smoker actually felt really flickable but dangerously unstable on one when we swapped bikes, whereas mine just felt absolutely planted. All depends what you're used to I guess.

The 510 has noticeably more grunt at low revs, which might or might not be an advantage depending on where and how you ride. In slippery conditions the 450 could be enough of a handful, though the G2 throttle cam I fitted makes a big difference and gives you really good control. I also have the mapping button so I can select the softer map if things are really bad but I haven't had to do that yet.

I had a WR250R before this, and the Husky sure needs more maintenance than that but exactly how much depends on how you ride it. If it's just trail riding you can be a little bit more relaxed (but not too much). If you were racing it or riding hard in tough conditions, you might want to stick to the full servicing schedule.

Fingers crossed, so far I haven't had any reliability problems but it's still early. The digital dash has started flashing on and off a couple of times when it got wet (even once when the ignition key was out!), but the bike still ran ok.

I don't know what the XR is like on the road if you use it there at all, but don't expect to do big mileages at high speed on the TEs. Not recommended in the handbook as it will damage the engine, and not too comfortable anyway. The WR250R would cruise happily 20-30mph faster than I'd run the TE450 on road and has a much more comfortable seat and MUCH less vibration, but of course the TE runs rings around it once you get off road and feels more like the proper enduro bike it is. My TE is geared up 1 tooth at the front and feels ok at 50-60mph on the road (though it will certainly go much faster in short bursts).

I thought the Yam handled pretty well for a DS bike, but the TE is so much more confidence-inspiring (even on the road, but especially on the dirt) and though I've not ridden an XR I'd expect you'd notice a real difference. The TE works really well for me as a trail bike, and isn't as tiring as I thought it might be with all the extra power over the Yam and possibly being harder to turn due to the bigger engine, but it is actually a bunch lighter than the Yam in terms of dry weight (despite being a 450 compared to a 250) and really feels lighter when you're pushing it around so that no doubt helps. You can ride it in quite a relaxed way if you want to, as it will pull quite happily from low revs so you don't need to dance on the gear change unless you really want to fly along. When you do wind it up though... WOW! Also the standing position was pretty much perfect for me as standard which is something I never managed to get on the Yam despite changing bars etc.

The best thing would be if you could get to test ride both the 450 and 510 back to back like I did, especially if you can include some off-road sections. It's always going to be a matter of personal preference to some extent, so only you will know for sure which you prefer. I got the bikes from Husky Sport here in England, but I'm guessing that's not going to be your nearest dealer from Ohio.

BTW, in case you couldn't tell I love my Husky.

I'll give you my opinion. I had the XR400 with a lic plate here in CA. and although I loved that like and the low maintenance I wanted a little more bike for charging the dirt. I chose the TE450 because I felt it was a little more tame than the 510. I am very happy with it and don't look at it as if I needed the 510 at all. I am a smaller person on the heavy side but it is just a fabulous bike. After having it for almost a year I decided to add its big sister to the stable in SM trim. I now have the TE450 and the SM610. They are great bikes. Either one you decide to choose will make you happy. A little more maintenance but allot of fun.

I've had XR's as well. When you get right down to it, I don't think you're going to find the maintenance to be any different on a 450/510 than on your XR. All need the oil changed, air filters cleaned, and a valves adjusted from time to time. Think you'll find if anything, the valves are easier to do on a Husky than anything else on the planet! Crazy easy. Yeah, there's a couple drain plugs vs. one on the XR, but in my opinion, the maintenance is as easy if not easier on the Huskies. Adds maybe 2 minutes to your normal routine! My suggestion would be to take that variable out of the equation and focus on what you want in terms of ride-ability. Well said by Petem

Just got an 09 TE450. Didn't get to test ride them, but decided the 450 would be enough and I've ridden enough other big bores to notice things like extra crank throw and how it affects handling. Not knocking the 510 at all, but I chose to go with the shorter crank for the "potential" handling differences. So far, I'm not wishing for more power. And again, just so the 510-lovers don't get worked up... I didn't ride one. Maybe Husky magically "hid" that extra stroke and you can't feel it.

Now you are going to get in trouble for that.LOL

i have a 450, my mate has a 510, we swap from time to time and i can spot the difference, easily, that said i don't think one is better than the other they're just different. i love tinkering so i'm not scared of the maintenance, and i will admit that i knew nothing about any dirt bikes until i decided i wanted one and researched what to buy. the MAIN reason i bought a husky was the ease of the maintenance, i'm also a bit of a snob (i ride ducati road bikes) and like having something a bit different. since i bought it i have ridden almost all the popular stuff cause everyone wants a go on my TE and i don't regret my choice one bit. I am average on the dirt and i've had my share of spills but aside from leaky fork seals (seal savers are your friend) mine has given me no trouble. There's not much else i can add except that you're destined to have one, you would have a hard time getting negative feedback on a husky site after all, oh, and that the TE will be MUCH faster than the XR

Paul.

I chose the 510 because for me it was easier to get the power to the ground. A lot of my riding is in sand and I found the 450 revved so quickly that I could not get it to hook up as well as I could with the 510. I am sure a better rider than me could do so easily (or more experience with it). Someday I would like to try a 310 in the difficult technical stuff, but for now I am happy that the 510 makes me look like a better rider than I am. Ken

There's been some good discussion on this over at advrider: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274917

I love my 450, but I bought it without having so much as sat on either the 450 or 510. I had a KLR, knew I wanted something smaller and more dirt-oriented, and like loony888 I'm an Italian bike snob. For me the debate was more 310 versus 450, and I'm thankful I went with the 450. I have yet to want to do anything in the dirt on that bike that would require another 60cc. Occasionally I get to thinking about running another set of wheels with supermoto tires; for that I'd want bigger--PALMER84ONE has it right with the SM610 for that task. For the dirt, the 450 is a dream. My only gripe is fuel injection--when I went down in a rather large mud pit it took a whole lot of kicking, pushing, and cussing to get her started again. A carbed system would have been nice, but boy was I thankful for the kickstarter. I suppose the solution would be to not go down in mud pits...

i like the 510 i will say my old girl is an 05 model but i have had it for 2 yrs and havent got sick of the power yet. the more torque it has its easier for a lazy rider like myself , i dont have to work it hard just shortshift it does run an akropovic fullsystem and the head has been flowed and ported but im a weekend warrior anda bit on the shortside but come to a hill dont worry what gear your in just twist the throttle and it also gives you a bit more legs if you do ocasionally want to use it as a dual sport but the bush is where it should be , i love it ,and when it finally falls to bits i will buy a new one again . GO THE HUSKYS !

Hello everyone.

I am also considering buying a new TE 510.

Is there someone here with a 510 that would mind talking to me on the phone? I have lots and lots of questions

Thank you all and many blessings

Doug Wade
Lavergne Tn

My 2 Cents

I have an '09 TE 510. It is a great bike so far (about 400 mi). You must do the PU kit if you want it to run well. It is a bit loud for my taste so I got the DB Killer and now it is acceptable. The bike is not designed for much road use and you would not want to spend too much time there. It needs a bigger tank if you want to do any "adventure" type riding.

The only thing I question about Husky right now is: Dealer Service/Support and OEM and aftermarket parts availability which is not near as good as the most other brands.

I love my 07 510. She is STOCK,stock pipe,stock jetting,removed slide spacer and accel pump spacer. Installed a 3.7 Clarke tank,good up to 160 miles and 88db taken from mr nazi stanislas forest tree cop with a pony tail. How does one take law enforcement seriously with a pony tail.

I had some old XR's in the day and my Husky is the modern XR. Just ride the girl and put her away dirty until the next day. We at work call her the Farm Impliment. Saws woden logs well and trenches like a Deere

Thank you all.

I guess next Saturday I will make the trip to Atlanta and get a first hand look of what they offer?

At 5ft7 and not owned any modern bikes? Just concerns I guess? My Huskys are all 75/76 and 77 models. Lot of change to the new.

I will let you all know what I decide.

Thank you

Doug Wade
Lavergne Tn

I totally agree with that! I've had A LOT of XR's....heck still do and the my TE510 is a modern day XR. And that is a big compliment in my book.