Truer words were never spoken! Since getting my CR 125, when I get on my TE250 it feels like I'm riding an elephant. I'm seriously thinking about selling the TE250 in order to get a WR300 or 250, or maybe even another CR125 (to convert to a 144). Don't get me wrong, I love (loved) my TE250 to death. It's a great 4 stroke. But after riding the lighter and infinitely more nimble CR, I'm scratching my head and re-thinking this whole 4 stroke thing.
That's kinda my train of thought. I'm not getting any younger. The few times I took my Trials Gaser 280 for day rides. I was impressed with the lightness and agility of the bike in the tight S/T Bush scenarios. Only 2 real draw backs were its range only 3 Lt of fuel and ever once in a while it would be nice to seat down. Being under 150 lbs made up for everything. I didn't purchase this bike for that I got it to compete in Trials events That's what it's made for and that's what it does well at. Coming off a 06 DR400 (plated) I just wanted more. I went with the TE 510.(plated) Man what a beast. Talk about throttle control. That bike rocks in the bush a whole new ball game. But talk about getting beat up in the tight S/T stuff. That's a lot of bike to throw around in the bush...still doable...:ride: We'll see how the little WR-125 does it should be lots of fun. Plus for the few times the wife wants to come out and play I now have a second bike for her,
Enter the Scorpa T-Rdie http://www.scorpausa.com/?trigger=bikes&bikeid=tride250F Trials bike like, (but 4strk) w/7L fuel and low seat. I love watching the original "Scorpa T-Ride" video in the video section at the bottom I heard rumors KTM was looking at something like it. Maybe if there's enough of a market, Husky should??
After I picked up my TXT a friend bought the same year Pampera. He didn't want a full fledged Trials bike but still like the idea of how nimble and agile the bike was. Plus he was 5ft. nothing and he could actually touch the ground while sitting on it... Once we got to higher elevations he had nothing but problems with jetting and timing. I mean this thing did not like anything over 3000 ft. He took it back to the dealer many times. Always a bit better but never ran good IMHO. At least not for a Gaser....
Hey! Quit laughing, dammit...I'm only 5'1" I had trouble getting jets for the funky DelOrto carb. Rising Sun kept sending me jets that were 6mm off in size. I took the jets out of my carb, put them on the photocopier glass next to a ruler, made copies and faxed it to them and told them "This is exactly what I need." They told me those jets wouldn't fit in a DelOrto carb... I ended up going with a Keihin PWK28 and have had no problems since. It runs great at sea level and with a few jet changes runs great at over 10k. It's much easier to jet than a 250 4t, that's for sure. The Pamp (EP280) is a parts bin bike for sure, and I've modified, upgraded, beefed-up, broken and replaced damn near everything (except the motor and tranny...bulletproof!) on it since I've had it, but it sure is tons o' fun in the nasty stuff like 5 Miles of Hell (https://www.prodigitalphotos.com/cory/vids/5MOH.wmv) and the Dusy Ershim. It's also the King of Switchbacks...or Queen, as it were Super-fun little bike that eats gnarly for breakfast as if it was tea and crumpets. WoodsChick
Yeah, well...so? Hey there, Little Miss Size 30" Pants, you ain't no giant either, so there! You look waaay tinier than me in your riding photos! The only thing "small" about me is my height; Other than that I'm pretty big WoodsChick
What is it with the optical illusion where short people look tall on a Husqvarna? Every picture of me looks like I fit the bike perfectly, yet I am always falling over because I can't reach the ground
Truer words were never spoken! Since getting my CR 125, when I get on my TE250 it feels like I'm riding an elephant. I'm seriously thinking about selling the TE250 I'm getting a kick out of reading this thread. My first reply "Real men ride 610's" was kind of tongue and cheek but I guess subliminely I was making a statement. When I was in highschool I rode a yz125 and I could plant my foot and flick around like a bmx bike. It's a 125. of course it's light and flickable. Fast foward 20 yrs and I'm on a big ol' Husky 610. It's big, it's heavy, it's very tall but having ridden a KLX650 for ten years prior to getting my Husky I'm used to big and heavy and I still ride all the single track trail's up at Foresthill, Elkin's, GT, and the like and I see pics and vids of Motosportz going through creeks and riding tight trails up in Wash and I see petite little Woodschick on her monster of a 610 and see and read the r.r. from Baja and I wonder if maybe my first reply was accurate."Real men ride 610's". No offence to Woodschick and Dirtdame, mad respect to both of you. I know to each his own, any Husky is a good one.
Congratulations on being a "real man"! I'd put my son (on a CR 125) up against any old man (or woman) on a 610... on any "tight trail". In fact, I think ajaxauto (an old man himself) could probably slice and dice most, if not all, 610 riders in the woods. I've ridden a 610. It's a great "chest thumper" machine. Great for boosting the egos of old farts (myself included) who can't hang with the young crowd any more.
If you ride too light or quick of a bike, then you have no excuses for not performing well on a ride. I like my 450, so I can claim that it's too tall or too heavy for me. This sounds better than "I'm too lazy and out of shape."
That statement speaks volumes! I understand! At my age, I feel fortunate to finish any ride without a trip to the emergency room. I could care less what displacement makes you feel like a real man or woman...
I'd put my son (on a CR 125) up against any old man (or woman) on a 610... on any "tight trail". And he'd probably make us look silly. Point taken. But the interpetation that I get from this and other web sites is that you can't ride the tight single track trails on a big heavy 610 and that is just not true. A lot of it depends on the rider and I've ridden trails on my KLX and Husky that I had no business being on (ex. had my picture posted on the Placer County Nat'l Forest website because I went off the side of the mountain on my KLX a few years ago and had to get assistance of park rangers to get my bike off the cliff) and then they wrote me a ticket for riding on horse trail. My bad. Not sure where I'm going with this. Out !!
I have a friend who does the single tracks with us on a 950 KTM. He loves it and wouldn't have it any other way. Some times he has a little trouble on the really gnarly stuff. I know I couldn't ride something like that in the places he does. I wouldn't even want to try!
Speaking of "real man's" bikes and all that - yesterday finally got to my local husky dealer to check these bikes out in person. They didn't have any TE's set up, but they did have two SMRs - 510 and a 450. After explaining to the sales guy that I've been trying to decide between TE 250/310/450, he suggested taking out the SMR510 for a demo. The 450 wasn't set up for it - he said it was same frame set up, and a bit more power. Man am I glad I did that. Having never ridden a husky of any type before, nor anything as brutal as a race tuned 510 single, this was eye opening. My overall impression of these bikes now is: High Strung. My last "dirt" bike was an 07 KLR650 - bought and used primarily for commuting, with the odd DS ride (Sheetiron 300, Death Valley 350 - good, solid rides, those). The KLR does it, but it ain't pretty sometimes. With the end of the job in the city came end of commuting, got rid of KLR, had a taste for the dirt, and figured - let's get dirtier - less weight, easier handling, who cares about power, as long as it'll do 50 on a fireroad I'm happy. Enter Husky. What I didn't realize was just how high strung these beasts are. And the seat. That was a seat? I have literally eaten lunch on a hike sitting on a rock for an hour and been more comfortable than I was sitting on this seat for more than two minutes. Hanging off well before the corners was the only cheek relief to be had. Yikes. Certainly no shortage of power here - the dealer asked what kind of riding I'm used to, after he mentioned he was into doing track days, so I told him I'm a roadracer (AFM). So he leads another guy and me up Valenica toward Twin Peaks, blasting his Duc Monster off from each stop light. And I'm spending a good deal of time trying to see straight ahead because the lofted front wheel is blocking my view. Certainly will save money on the tire bill - front tire will end up with only about half the miles of the back at that rate, I reckon. Unreal - and I don't even really like wheelies... Then there is the fuel injection - 2008. Standing on the pegs in a parking lot at the Twin Peaks overlook I was playing around like I might be doing some slow stuff in the dirt. And there it was - that twitchy, gotta slip the clutch cuz it won't go slow, EFI, high strung Pekingnese motor yapping away. And I'm thinking to myself, "are we having fun yet??" And we're not even on dirt. Hats off to anyone who can ride one of these beasts quickly and competently through the gnarly stuff, or wfo through the open stuff. Waaaay over my head. And I'm thinking that smaller isn't really going to make that much difference - these are thoroughbreds, and I'm looking for saddle pony. KLX250, WR250X, DRZ400 - maybe that's going to be the ride. I don't know....
I have a little KLX300 dualsport conversion. I like it for really slow tight going, because it has a lower saddle height and very low ratios in the 1st and 2nd gear. And yes it has a softer seat, too. But it weighs close to what my 450 weighs and most of the Japanese DOT legal bikes weigh a lot more than the Husky's. I am no racer and I'm old too (and short), but I still enjoy my TE. I am going to get a softer seat foam for it. It really kicks it in the desert, where there are whoop de dos and deep sand, but the bike still has enough chops for tighter stuff. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
You remind me of when I was 16. 5' 4" and 140 pounds. I borrowed by Dad's 1986 TT350. The bike was big, heavy and I could barely pick it up. I couldn't care less about any of that. I just remember having a really cool bike to go riding with. I try to remember what it is all about, fun. Big bikes are big fun. If I am more tired at the end of the day, big deal I can just pop more ibuprofen. Now to decide on a new 450 or 310. NC
Dirty, Thanks for a good write up on your experience and impression. I read it with great interest as I am considering similar options. As much as I want a plate-able bike, I am beginning to realize that I keep thinking a 2 stroke is better suited to my nature and experience. It would, of course, mean transporting the bike to any riding areas and all that that entails, but I keep thinking about how nice my old Suzuki RMX250 was. Smooth, mellow, but powerful when it needed to be. It was nearly impossible to stall in slow going, and was light and nimble when hauling a$$. WR 125 might be just the ticket (or even a nice used RMX).
glad you got to ride the bikes to see what you thought . in my experience the 250 is a good bike for everything except long higher speed fire roads, it'll do it but it doesnt sound good for it. the 450 is better for that more open going, and as it gets more dual sport then the 510 and 610. but if you are going to hustle a bike along in tight trails get the 250, the 450 is too hard to ride fast for long. it really takes a world class rider to get the best out of a 450. if you look at any enduro big capacity bikes generally arent the fastest or if they are someone like david knight is on it that said if you are a more relaxed rider the 450 might suit you just to torque it over stuff without too much drama or the flurry of revs the 250 will need. anyhow good luck with your choice imo the 310 might be the exact bike you are describing
