92 WR360 thoughts and comparison to a 07 WR250...

[Motosportz]

"no clutch" .....

bout says it all. that was awesome kel.

plus- at them throttle settings you'll get about a 1000 miles per tank. cant count the times i was behind one of them and all day long just heard ''brrp-ding-ding-dading-brrrp-ding-ding-dadingdingding" while i was motoring on the 250 trying to keep up. when it opened up i backed off or it was broken visors, front # plates and goggle lenses.

the 360 is an open class killer. putt's and rips w/o loading up or squeaking. gotta standing bet with my dez racer buddy the 2000 360 im sniffing around will put his all-in kx500 on the trailer in a drag race. he's in serious denial. won't be if i get it, then, take his 100$ at el mirage dry lake bed.

I also have a KX500 and although i have not ridden it in a while I think it will be a real close match. The 360 has monster mid and revs quicker as well as 100 mph gearing. The KX500 is deceptively fast as it is all big bottom but signs off way before the 360 does. I'm guessing they make similar HP figures near or at 50 hp (guess). I would have a hard time placing a bet on that one. Drag racing has a lot to do with the rider and terrain as well.

 

[pvduke]

he says his bike is faster. he's got 5 gears. 360 has 6. we can go stock to stock or gear to the moon. powerwise the 500 trumps. but it just aint got the legs the wr gearbox has. it'll be on a lake bed. speed contest. hell be in 5th pinned, then the hoosk grabs another gear. bye-bye.

 

[boisedave]

I get you on the trail riding thing Kelly. One thing I have noticed myself is that for the high mountain stuff I do here in Idaho -- I rarely get out above third and rarely hit the top end. What seems to be more of a premium on the technical stuff for me is clean running bottom and mid, brakes and plush suspension [to keep the wheels tracking]. I'm not sure you need state of the art to do that while riding with your buddies.

I agree -- racing is a different animal altogether. For me the higher speed stuff in the desert [or even more "wide open" trail riding like China Hat, Naches/Taneum and Idaho City] require more updated bikes. In these areas it seems the chasis is what really makes the difference as the speed comes up. I think the extra dollars spent on newer bikes make sense in these types of areas.

 

[pvduke]

think kel made a good point. newer def aint better re: dirt bikes in most cases. ya look at some of the 'older' designs and such post-cartridge fork, like 200 and 300 cc enduros, big bores off roaders like the 550 D-XC and modded mx'ers like the kx500, with some fine tuning (that we do to new bikes anyways) they are still at least competetive as the new stuff for a fraction of the cost. its actually cool seeing older stuff going head to head with brand new stuff. "better" is a broad term and i'd apply it to reliabilty only regardless of media hype and magazines cuz you can only reinvent the wheel so much.

 

[Motosportz]

Some of these older bikes have great features they now leave out. In some ways this is going backwards but it's what we asked for when we shop by weight and demand light bikes. For example the 92 and 94 have lots of cool features the new bikes do not...

- slim and low 3.4 gallon tank STOCK****************************************
- zerks on the swingarm and linkage
- wide ratio 6 speed
- strong steel kick stand
- Frame loops to protect the motor and parts
- my 94 has externally adjustable fork preload
- Factory spark arrestor
- twin wall nearly indestructible pipe

I wish they would make a RACE version and a TRAIL version of the WR250/300 and bring back the 360 with all these "old" features. My 99 WR250 was the last of this breed and is still one of my favorite versions of the WR. First new husky I ever bought and it was a fantastic bike.

 

[pvduke]

yepper. my '93 RMX was the same way. mx based, hard-enrudo ready, EPA legal, w/ lights, un-resricted engine. lots of a/m support. had it 7 years in various stages of tune/set-up.

 

[Motosportz]

yepper. my '93 RMX was the same way. mx based, hard-enrudo ready, EPA legal, w/ lights, un-resricted engine. lots of a/m support. had it 7 years in various stages of tune/set-up.

ha ha I had a 95 RMX as well. Great bike but the motor needed help stock. The RM head and a pipe made it come alive. Was really down on power stock.

 

[fran...k.]

If you look at first gear as 1.00 how high does high have to be before it can be called wide ratio. Does that number remain the same for a 125 vs an open bike. Do you really think this husky really has another gear over a KX500 or a CR 500 honda. What about a ktm 380 or 440 or 550. I computed a ratio of 2.68 for a wr 360 in sixth and 2.21 in fifth as for the kx 500 2.52. I think the new ktm six speed larger wider ratio two stroke is in the 2.95 range. What husky has in the wide ratio over in the vintage or older single cam four stroke is close to 3.5 if I recall.

Fran

 

[Motosportz]

If you look at first gear as 1.00 how high does high have to be before it can be called wide ratio. Does that number remain the same for a 125 vs an open bike. Do you really think this husky really has another gear over a KX500 or a CR 500 honda. What about a ktm 380 or 440 or 550. I computed a ratio of 2.68 for a wr 360 in sixth and 2.21 in fifth as for the kx 500 2.52. I think the new ktm six speed larger wider ratio two stroke is in the 2.95 range. What husky has in the wide ratio over in the vintage or older single cam four stroke is close to 3.5 if I recall.

Fran

I believe the WR360 will rev a lot higher than the KX500 though.

BTW my wr360 is geared WAY down, as it you could get off and walk beside the bike in first without clutching it. Works great for tight woods and you almost never need to use the clutch. But the top end speed is probably only about 60 or so geared this way.

 

[pvduke]

ha ha I had a 95 RMX as well. Great bike but the motor needed help stock. The RM head and a pipe made it come alive. Was really down on power stock.

i used the RM h/g and an fmf pipe and a modified power core sliencer. power came up fine for me. great flywheel effect still.

sorry guys- didnt mean to start nothin'. i actually like a lot of the new better than the older stuff.

and i really liked the "no clutch!" part of the video. good vid and congrats on the score kel. enjoy yer new old bike, and, try not to smash this one huh?

 

[aya16]

braaaaaaap braaaaaaaaap braaaaaaaaap ring ding ding ding ding
Ill keep mine in 4th gear just to be fair, heck I never use 5th anyway

Really though if you dont buy the bike and its available sure would like a husky 360
Mike

 

[aya16]

Some of these older bikes have great features they now leave out. In some ways this is going backwards but it's what we asked for when we shop by weight and demand light bikes. For example the 92 and 94 have lots of cool features the new bikes do not...

- slim and low 3.4 gallon tank STOCK****************************************
- zerks on the swingarm and linkage
- wide ratio 6 speed
- strong steel kick stand
- Frame loops to protect the motor and parts
- my 94 has externally adjustable fork preload
- Factory spark arrestor
- twin wall nearly indestructible pipe

I wish they would make a RACE version and a TRAIL version of the WR250/300 and bring back the 360 with all these "old" features. My 99 WR250 was the last of this breed and is still one of my favorite versions of the WR. First new husky I ever bought and it was a fantastic bike.

That is so insanely nice....
Mike

 

[aya16]

I also have a KX500 and although i have not ridden it in a while I think it will be a real close match. The 360 has monster mid and revs quicker as well as 100 mph gearing. The KX500 is deceptively fast as it is all big bottom but signs off way before the 360 does. I'm guessing they make similar HP figures near or at 50 hp (guess). I would have a hard time placing a bet on that one. Drag racing has a lot to do with the rider and terrain as well.

What I was able to look up on the net the kx500 hp is between 55-62hp
but the bike only weighs like 226 pounds, Its still a big bike it feels big.
I think if the kx500 had an electric start, they would probaly use a 360 husky motor for the job
Mike

 

[pvduke]

braaaaaaap braaaaaaaaap braaaaaaaaap ring ding ding ding ding
Ill keep mine in 4th gear just to be fair, heck I never use 5th anyway

Really though if you dont buy the bike and its available sure would like a husky 360
Mike

i pinged my bro and am waiting for more info.

 

[Motosportz]

What I was able to look up on the net the kx500 hp is between 55-62hp but the bike only weighs like 226 pounds

I have trouble believing those figures. 55hp and 245 pounds maybe.

 

[LawnDartMike]

Kawi lists a 99 KX500 as 220 lbs dry. Add a full tank of gas and oil in the tranny and you are looking at 238 lbs. Then adjust for gravity in Japan vs the increased gravity in the US and you would add another 15 or so pounds.....

 

[ray_ray]

Dabbling in these older bikes make me realize once they came up with the 2 stroke, disk brake, water cooled single shock formula not a ton has changed. Obviously the new bikes are better but marginally not leaps and bounds. When i ride these older bikes it does not seem like a limiting factor to much and the group pecking order remains the same if i am on the new scoots or older ones. Keep in mind this is for trail riding, sometime hard core trail riding but still trail riding. If racing you want the new stuff as it is those small percentages the new bike is better that will add up.

Just to be open about this I am not suggesting the old bikes are as good but I am surprised how close they stack up to the new stuff. The fun part is you get to tell your flashy 8K riding buddies they can't keep up with a 29 yo bike

Right ... welcome to reality ;0) The suspension on newer bikes will be better but again only slightly n some way ... Whats a new suspension on a MX bike today? Its very stiff to handle the giant jumps... What is so great there? That 1992 bike was class A quality in its day ... How does the suspension feel on the trails?


If you have disk brakes, you are as ~modern as it gets ...

U pinning that 360? I think not and if you are, please have health insurance ... 360 trumps 250 trumps 125 ...

 

[aya16]

Kawi lists a 99 KX500 as 220 lbs dry. Add a full tank of gas and oil in the tranny and you are looking at 238 lbs. Then adjust for gravity in Japan vs the increased gravity in the US and you would add another 15 or so pounds.....

yeah something like that, except cancel the weight of gas cause it doesnt last long in the bike.....as far as the gravity thing, thats only for half a day, so delete 15 pounds or so 12 hours a day.

ohh I use helium in the tires so there you have it 226 pounds or so.
mike

 

[gem]

ahh it was on the addiction thread......nice carbon fibre tank and shrouds on that bike.....

you guys and those side hills man that spooks me. be careful out there!!

You mean like this.

 

[gem]

I think it was Australian Dirtbike who on a test of a WR360 claimed a top speed of 95 mph with stock gearing. They claimed the rear tire was still spinning.

I currently have a 2002 WR360 engine in a 2007 WR chassis and I really think it is a one bike does it all set up.