BMW and Husky's Massive Miscalculation?

[racer726]

I'm just hoping for an updated design for the 125 motor. That's been basically the same since 99 or so. I know that they updated the cylinder back around 08. I'm tired of getting pulled by KTM's...

 

[utopia]

In my opinion, they just need to figure out how to shave off about 13 lbs from the WR250 (and the electric start that so many want is not going to help this!, nor is FI). The engine is more powerful than my ktm 250, the ergos and handling are better than my ktm. I don't want DI, I don't need 6 speed, and I don't want electric start. Keep it simple and make it light.

 

[lankydoug]

In my opinion, they just need to figure out how to shave off about 13 lbs from the WR250 (and the electric start that so many want is not going to help this!, nor is FI). The engine is more powerful than my ktm 250, the ergos and handling are better than my ktm. I don't want DI, I don't need 6 speed, and I don't want electric start. Keep it simple and make it light.

Simple, light and a lower price as it is is hard to beat. Unless somebody makes a bike that is light years ahead of my 09 WR250 I'm keeping mine. It's just not worth it to me to pay $3,500 more dollars to get trick of the week and 10 less pounds no matter who makes it.

 

[mnb]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't 4 strokes outsell 2 strokes by a large margin? In California, 2 strokes are red sticker bikes, which means in many places you can only ride them half the year.

If 2 strokes can get clean and become street legal/green stickered, then the game changes. Direct Injection brings the promise of that. We'll see if it can deliver eventually.

I don't think Husky is in danger of extinction because it has failed to focus on the niche 2 stroke market. In fact, Husky is doing better than ever and their 4 strokes are winning championships this year.

Also, Husky is not the oldest motorcycle manufacturer still in production. It's Royal Enfield, which first produced a bike in 1901. Harley and Husky started in 1903.

 

[krieg]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't 4 strokes outsell 2 strokes by a large margin? In California, 2 strokes are red sticker bikes, which means in many places you can only ride them half the year.

If 2 strokes can get clean and become street legal/green stickered, then the game changes. Direct Injection brings the promise of that. We'll see if it can deliver eventually.

I don't think Husky is in danger of extinction because it has failed to focus on the niche 2 stroke market. In fact, Husky is doing better than ever and their 4 strokes are winning championships this year.

Also, Husky is not the oldest motorcycle manufacturer still in production. It's Royal Enfield, which first produced a bike in 1901. Harley and Husky started in 1903.

I actually entertained the idea of buying a 2011 Royal Enfield C5 Bullet Classic (http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/models/classic-c5.html) as a street bike... until I saw it leaking oil all over the showroom floor... and then reading about them on the net. "Handmade in India". Nope.

 

[lankydoug]

I actually entertained the idea of buying a 2011 Royal Enfield C5 Bullet Classic (http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/models/classic-c5.html) as a street bike... until I saw it leaking oil all over the showroom floor... and then reading about them on the net. "Handmade in India". Nope.

Their slogan should be "Leaking oil since 1901". They need to make the big engine again those were cool bikes (that leaked oil all the time).

 

[Motosportz]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't 4 strokes outsell 2 strokes by a large margin?

Yes! and exactly why I think they made the right decision to further the 4strokes and work on the 2014 requirements for the new 2 stroke. At local tracks you see nearly NO 2 strokes and off road races seem a good blend but majority 4 strokes. Husky has never sold many WR's for some reason.

 

[krieg]

Their slogan should be "Leaking oil since 1901". They need to make the big engine again those were cool bikes (that leaked oil all the time).

You can't deny their "retro appeal". They are definitely the coolest looking "retro" bike out there IMHO. The owner of the shop kept telling me how reliable they were and how he never sees them back in his shop. Yet the only bike in his shop at the time of my first visit was an Enfield... that is still there since my visit last weekend... over 5 months. Hmmmmm.

 

[lankydoug]

You can't deny their "retro appeal". They are definitely the coolest looking "retro" bike out there IMHO. The owner of the shop kept telling me how reliable they were and how he never sees them back in his shop. Yet the only bike in his shop at the time of my first visit was an Enfield... that is still there since my visit last weekend... over 5 months. Hmmmmm.

I went to an AMA national hill climb in the late 70s and the open A class was full of Triumph and Norton twins with long swingarms with paddle tires and hopped up engines. I thought it would be cool to have one of those for the street someday. I've heard they still make the big engine but don't import it to the USA.

 

[krieg]

I went to an AMA national hill climb in the late 70s and the open A class was full of Triumph and Norton twins with long swingarms with paddle tires and hopped up engines. I thought it would be cool to have one of those for the street someday. I've heard they still make the big engine but don't import it to the USA.

Looked at a 2010 Triumph Scrambler this past Saturday. The retro Triumphs are waay cool. Even have fake carbs to hide the EFI injectors. Thinking about a Scrambler or Bonneville T100.

 

[Norman Foley]

Yes! and exactly why I think they made the right decision to further the 4strokes and work on the 2014 requirements for the new 2 stroke. At local tracks you see nearly NO 2 strokes and off road races seem a good blend but majority 4 strokes. Husky has never sold many WR's for some reason.

It's definitely different where I live..... MX is definitely a 4 stroke domain, but off road racing and recreational riding the pendulum is swinging back 2 stroke. This was a huge Team Green area, A Kawi 250 2 stroke was the standard HS bike. Riders went 4 stroke at the demise of Japanese 2 strokes and it only lasted about 2 seasons. KTM reaped their return to 2 strokes, not Yami. That said.. there a lot of YZ250's in our local enduro and HS Series. Since there is no public access trail riding in our area, riding is very off road competition oriented. Even our fun riding is on private HS loop, enduro sections or trials loops, that we can get permission to ride. We ride stuff that's pretty hard on bikes and the consenus is forming... that 2 strokes take the abuse better and are cheaper to rebuild.

 

[lankydoug]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't 4 strokes outsell 2 strokes by a large margin? In California, 2 strokes are red sticker bikes, which means in many places you can only ride them half the year.

If 2 strokes can get clean and become street legal/green stickered, then the game changes. Direct Injection brings the promise of that. We'll see if it can deliver eventually.

I don't think Husky is in danger of extinction because it has failed to focus on the niche 2 stroke market. In fact, Husky is doing better than ever and their 4 strokes are winning championships this year.

Also, Husky is not the oldest motorcycle manufacturer still in production. It's Royal Enfield, which first produced a bike in 1901. Harley and Husky started in 1903.

Even though I will probably never ride in California and often use California as an example of how not to run a government, I do think it would be great to have a clean streetable 2t and I would shell out the cash if someone made one. If you gave me a 4t dirt bike I would list it for sale immediately and besides AMA MX riders that have to ride them if they want to be competitive within the confines of the rules, I'm still puzzled as to why anyone else would buy one. To each his own I say.

 

[WoodsChick]

I prefer the taller Husky but I'm 6'6" and 38" inseam, however it is not a good business plan to build bikes to fit me. I do wish my WR250 had a 6th gear. I grew up on a YZ125 and my GasGas EC200 is a 6 speed, I still try to shift my Husky one more time out of habit.

I'm old. It's more work for me to shift 6 times. It's over-rated in a woods bike IMO. I can count on one hand the number of times I REALLY needed a 6th gear in the woods.

A 6-speed isn't about top speed at all. In fact, I think a 6-speed is more important on the smaller motors. A 6-speed is much more than just a 5-speed with an extra gear tacked on for top speed. A 6-speed is more useable in the woods. It is easier to stay exactly where I want to be in the powerband. I don't have to work the clutch as much to stay where I want to stay, and I don't find myself in between gears as often.

That being said, I wouldn't buy a "new" WR250/300 if all they did was give it a 6-speed, but I would buy one if all they did was put it in the new frame. The difference in handling between my `09 WR125 and Eric's `09 WR250 is like night and day.

 

[racer726]

Yes! and exactly why I think they made the right decision to further the 4strokes and work on the 2014 requirements for the new 2 stroke. At local tracks you see nearly NO 2 strokes and off road races seem a good blend but majority 4 strokes. Husky has never sold many WR's for some reason.

It's not like that at my local tracks. 4 strokes still out number 2 strokes, but there are plenty of 2 strokers at the mx races. 250 2 strokes are legal in the 250 class. Quite a few yamis and ktms in the 250 class. we also have a 125 2 stroke class that gets good numbers.

 

[john01]

It's way more 2-strokes around here too. But our state doesn't put colored stickers on bikes; we leave it up to the owners lol.

 

[WoodsChick]

Everywhere we ride here in CA we see more and more 2-strokes. It's been this way for the last few years.

 

[montgob1]

It's not like that at my local tracks. 4 strokes still out number 2 strokes, but there are plenty of 2 strokers at the mx races. 250 2 strokes are legal in the 250 class. Quite a few yamis and ktms in the 250 class. we also have a 125 2 stroke class that gets good numbers.

I wish we had a 125 class in the NW series's. One indoor track does a 125 class but its open skill/ open age and it usually has about 2-3 bikes.