Are you going to get the new 449cc 2011

[wallybean]

If I was in the market for a 450, I would buy one in a second. I would probably change out the front fender pretty quick and carrying an extra turn tech battery is a lot less than packing a gallon of gas for my mini-tanked WR144. Having to pack gas on my back and on the front number plate/headlight adds ~7lbs and the battery is less than a pound. I personally am waiting for a DI 2 stroke, I just hope it isn't a berg that I buy.

Walt

 

[ghte]

I think all of us want the new bike to be a great success. Some of us have reservations that will need to be assuaged. Hopefully the new bike will meet our expectations from the get go. That said being in the reserved camp and having just sold my 06 450 (have my little 07 WR250 F back up bike for fun) I am not really jumping up and down to replace it with the new Husky. For some reason the bike has not grabbed me yet. The early shots did not shout "BUY ME" . I am in a quandry, I might go TE 310 or more likely Hussabeg, TM or Beta 450's. All great bikes that have their own identity. I did ride the 09 BMW 450 and really thought it was awful. Never been so scared going down steep hills and on that machine. The balance and forks were just scary. The engine was OK but not the lovely across the board Husky 450 motor. I know the current Husky models are dated and heavy and need change. Its a real pity Husky could not follow up with a new 450 motor along the 250 concept. I am like Ray Ray, I find BMW product over engineerd over weight, overpriced and not that exciting, just reliable. They are the Volvo of bikes imho.
Husky has been a bit ham fisted with its pre marketing. The void of info from when we saw early pre-production photos untill now for both the 450 and 630 has been amatuerish. A pro active organisation would have capitalised on the situation and kept the pipeline primed and full of juicy tid bits to create a pent up demand. What we have is a nervous flat spot of will it be any good or not. So long story short I was very upset to see a BMW sourced, asian built motor (ugly to look at) being thrown at Husky. Remember it was not a success for BMW.

 

[gestion01]

I will be looking for a 450 next season. And no this bike is not on my list.

Green, yellow or blue. Maybe even Orange if they make me a deal.

 

[petem]

Also, every once in a while my own TE 250 will not turn over when hot due to the piston being just before TDC(it happens about once every 100 starts or so). It's done that since new. I have an autoclutch, so I can't bump it past TDC, or back up the engine, or Bump start it. A half stab on the kicker cures the problem.

My TE450 does that once in a while. A quick stab at the decompressor lever lets the estart get past that point, then off she goes as normal! Rather have the decomp for that scenario than a kickstart. And as I don't have an autoclutch I'd probably manage even without the decomp. Horses for courses I guess.

 

[Aussie Husky]

I will be looking at one.

 

[petem]

I am like Ray Ray, I find BMW product over engineerd over weight, overpriced and not that exciting, just reliable. They are the Volvo of bikes imho.

Not so much in recent times, when their quality control seems to have been overwhelmed by the increase in production. I had an F800GS and it was the least reliable bike I've owned in over 30 years of riding. A decent bike to ride, but left me stranded several times in less than a year (and almost killed me once).

Yet strangely I'm still prepared to try the new 450 with a BMW motor. Come to think of it I've had my share of problems with my current Husky, but I love the way it rides so much I can live with them (so far at least). Hopefully the new bike will be reliable enough for that to still be true.

 

[Poopy]

I need two bikes.

 

[Daniel508s]

If all works out. I plan to get another new Husky and maybe a vintage one in the next couple years. I cant wait to see this new model.

 

[ghte]

On the kick starter I have only used mine once in 4 years. That was 18 months ago when the original battery let died. You guessed it I was at the bottom of a very long bit of ST. It would be impossible to roll start or tow out. Thank goodness the old right leg was able to get her going. I shudder to think what would have been like pushing/pulling her up the 2 kms of trail back to the fire trail. For those that don't like them it is possible to demount them and leave the internals for when you onsell.

 

[petem]

On the kick starter I have only used mine once in 4 years. That was 18 months ago when the original battery let died.

Was that bike fuel-injected? Just curious, as I haven't tried it but mine is EFI and I wouldn't fancy the chances of kick-starting it with a totally dead battery. The workshop manual says that running with the battery disconnected seriously damages the injection system (probably from over-voltage I'd guess) so if it was dead because it had gone open circuit the bike might not run for long even if I got it started. If it was short circuit or extremely flat I don't know whether there'd be enough voltage generated while kicking it to overcome that and operate the EFI properly and get the engine running. I guess at least it gives you the chance to try but I don't know that it would always work. Probably a much better chance with a carbed bike.

Thinking about it, I'm using a lightweight battery which is about half the size and a quarter the weight of the stock one, so I could stick another one of those on the bike and have a spare at all times, still with only half the original weight! Jumper cables are probably a better solution though.

BTW, for me it isn't a question of not liking kick starts. I have no objection to there being one on the bike if other people want it. Just saying that personally it doesn't bother me if there isn't one.

 

[Coffee]

Thinking about it, I'm using a lightweight battery which is about half the size and a quarter the weight of the stock one, so I could stick another one of those on the bike and have a spare at all times...

If something is important, have a back up.

[offtopic]
2 batteries are quite common in many applications e.g. main battery and a separate but always charged starting battery in sail boats... At 2am after the mast has fallen over while approaching a lee shore - it is good to have a charged battery to start the diesel engine. It is easy to leave too many things running and discharge the main battery.
[/offtopic]

 

[ray_ray]

Most batteries have some charge left ... Why wouldn't the charge from the alternator run the bike correctly after it was started in most cases? Even if the efi blocked the gas 100%, U could remove the plug, add some gas, and get the bike to run for ~3 seconds and this would start the charging system on the bike ...

 

[dmx153]

I won't be getting one. I'm very happy with my '08 TC450. The 2011 looks cobby to me. I appreciate their efforts but I don't like it. I can see this bike having a pretty high price tag on it too. No thanks.

 

[jsleeper]

I think Husky and all the other manufacturers really need to look at what happened with KTM's 450sx this year. It was a steel framed, carb'd, linkless, traditional DOHC moter'd bike that beat out all the other fancy motocross bikes in the opinions of mostly everyone. Couple that with how many people seem to be going back to 2 strokes, even for motocross, and pattern is emerging.

Like me, most people are skeptical about all the tech. One of the reasons BMW is sometimes ridiculed is because of all the tech and pragmatism. When people want a bike, they want raw and simple. Not high tech and uber fancy. Most people want to ride and wrench on their bike. They want a bike that is stripped to only necessities.

I think FI, and new suspension designs (like the prototype seen on the new KX 450) will be a hit someday. But right now old tech is just better.

I guess somebody has to lead the way and work out all the kinks, so another company can release a perfected design.

JS

 

[ioneater]

If/when these things hit the mainstream I'll be at the front of the line to try them out. Why not? Then I'll decide. 450 is not my preferred size any more though. Price would be a smaller factor.

 

[XLEnduroMan]

I think FI,....... will be a hit someday.

JS

That someday is now, and has been for awhile.

 

[vntgmx]

Look at the endless jetting/bog threads for the WR125s & the ones for the WR250/300s and you'll see that carbs are hardly flawless or immune to head scratching issues. The FI on the BMW G450X is flawless and is a 100% improvement of the hassles of temp and altitude changes to a carbed bike. Husky's current efforts on FI have not been the best but that's all about to change with this new effort and with it the worries and opinions of folks who are intimidated or skeptical of FI imo.
If I was in the market for a 450 I would certainly look long and hard at the new Husky as the new 450 engine based on my experience is worth building a bike around.

 

[jsleeper]

That someday is now, and has been for awhile.

Look at the endless jetting/bog threads for the WR125s & the ones for the WR250/300s and you'll see that carbs are hardly flawless or immune to head scratching issues. The FI on the BMW G450X is flawless and is a 100% improvement of the hassles of temp and altitude changes to a carbed bike. Husky's current efforts on FI have not been the best but that's all about to change with this new effort and with it the worries and opinions of folks who are intimidated or skeptical of FI imo.
If I was in the market for a 450 I would certainly look long and hard at the new Husky as the new 450 engine based on my experience is worth building a bike around.

You guys have a point. FI over carbs as a performance improvement speak for themselves as evidenced in all of our cars, street bikes, and even boats/PWC.

The one thing that worries me about FI on a bike is the cost associated with adjusting it vs. a carb. In general, we probably all have cars where the FI is not working perfectly. Few of us buy tuners for our cars. On dirtbikes, maybe we notice the issues with FI more, because of the low speeds, or more precise throttle input needed.

When a guy/girl has to spend $8-9k on a dirtbike, then spend upwards of $1k on an exhuast, then spend $500 dollars on a tuner, etc. etc. People begin to get priced out of the sport. People like me, start looking at the bikes and say: "do I want to pay for all this tech?"

The fact is, most of us should take any old bike and practice our technique vs. spending money on a minor performance upgrade. Nonetheless, what is with everyone saying the 350cc displacement bike will be perfect, because it will have the weight of a 250 and less "arm ripping power." Then in the next breath everyone is spending countless amounts of money on performance upgrades on their 450s?

In any case, hopefully Husky has a good package. I would like to ride the bike and am glad Husky is spending money on a creative new design. I hope it is more for show than go...and not priced like a BMW. The advantage Husky has going for it right now, in my opinion, is they make good bikes that are affordable (do not ruin that).

Whoever gets one of these bikes will have to post an extensive ride report convincing all of us skeptics.

JS

 

[JasonfromMN]

I wont get one.

I wont be in the market for a new bike for a while. I think the new 450 is neat looking in a "spaceship" sorta way, not what I want in my garage for now anyways. By the time I am in the market for a new one, they'll probably all look "spaceship" like. Then this husky will probably be my choice. I am curious to see what it'll look like in TE trim though.

I haven't been into Huskys for long, but this one doesn't "feel" Husky to me.(motor and styling) Then again Yamaha fans probably didn't think the new YZ felt very Yamaha-ish. The way of the world I guess. Build-market-sell-make money-build-market-sell-make money.

 

[ray_ray]

I won't be getting one. I'm very happy with my '08 TC450. The 2011 looks cobby to me. I appreciate their efforts but I don't like it. I can see this bike having a pretty high price tag on it too. No thanks.

UR bike might just be a sweet year \ spot for Husky racers .... It seems to have fallen through the cracks here in the usa ... This is my favorite article for the 08 TC 450 ...

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/135/1854/Motorcycle-Article/2008-Husqvarna-TC-450-Bike-Test.aspx

All in all, Husqvarna has upped the ante in the new modern 4-stroke world. The fit and finish is good, and all the main components that come stock on the bike are top notch, not to mention the motor is championship material. This bike, like the TM 450, is a factory bike for privateers. The same bike, under the supervision of SIMA Husqvarna in France, won several MX3 events, including the season opener and finale, and challenged to the end for the MX3 world title. It just goes to show that with some proper attention, the TC 450 is winning material.