• Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

    When he passed, I worked with his kids to gather the necessary credentials to keep this site running. Since then (and for however long they worked with Coffee), Woodschick and Dirtdame have been maintaining the site and covering the costs. Without their hard work and financial support, CafeHusky would have been lost.

    Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working to migrate the site to a free cloud compute instance so that Woodschick and Dirtdame no longer have to fund it. At the same time, I’ve updated the site to a current version of XenForo (the discussion software it runs on). The previous version was outdated and no longer supported.

    Unfortunately, the new software version doesn’t support importing the old site’s styles, so for now, you’ll see the XenForo default style. This may change over time.

    Coffee didn’t document the work he did on the site, so I’ve been digging through the old setup to understand how everything was running. There may still be things I’ve missed. One known issue is that email functionality is not yet working on the new site, but I hope to resolve this over time.

    Thanks for your patience and support!

Is Jimmy Lewis (Dirt Rider) really that uninformed?

Husky would do well to sell as many TE250s as Honda sells CRF230s. I see 230s everywhere and it seems like it's most teenagers first bike... I've yet to see a TE250 except in a dealership showroom. As for the "top" dirt magazines, I wouldn't give 5 cents for one, they read like an infomercial for the Jap 4 strokes and KTM. If you want a real mag, here it is http://www.tandenews.com/ The January 2012 issue has two write ups about Husky, one on the ABS being developed by BMW/Husky and one on the TXC310. Trials&Enduro News reminds me of the dirt magazines I couldn't wait to get when I was a kid.
 
Husky was tested in Dirt Rider for 125cc as you all know and low and behold Yamaha is the winner, TM makes the baddest 125cc bike period; but Jimmy's objection was the cost and the fact you actually had to give it a set up. So okay, buy any rocket from Japan and Chris Dennison will be more than happy to tell you the owner where to piss off a couple of thousand bucks for their advertisers. You see that isn't real money, not like the price of a works bike which is really silly. Husky scored well in the tests but before you open the cover you know the results. The monthly's are good to read but policy's are profit driven so there you go. Are these testers really tuned into the nuances of different engineering ideas on two-wheels? No more tests just buy the scooter and start adding parts it's bound to work, that's the only way to succeed. What ever happened to just going out riding with your buddy's?
If in the future i would buy another 4-stroke it would be a TE250 it would be cool, i rode another riders for a couple of hrs. and they are great handlers with good power to spare, the only thing i would do is have the suspension done and Zip-Zow you have a perfect enduro bike, i would take the turn sigs and crap off. Anyway, Jimmy's got his deal to do and we are lucky enough to understand that dirt bikes are Husqvarna. :popcorn:
 
One more thing, i would agree that any press is good. It would be nice if Husky sold the TE250 in the numbers that the Honda 250's sell in, lot's of young riders ride the Honda that might be riding the TE if given the exposure. The best bounce for the buck is still the WR250 though and i'm like the Dirt Rider testers i'm always right. Sorta....
 
I did see the 125 test and if you take out their preconceived biases and read between the lines, you might think The Husqvarna was the best bike. You could tell the testers went in already thinking either the yamaha or ktm were the best. Then they would say, dang! the Husky was a real surprise. Biggest gripe they could come up with was seat was to soft and air filter was hard to get in. REALLY?? I think same mag has documented Husky may have the best seat since Honda of a few years ago. Airfilter, half turn fastener removes the seat, remove wing nut screw and yes you have to squeeze filter about a 1/2" to change. Oh what a job....
This view of course is based on my own preconceived biases!
 
BloodyShirt said:
Not sure why everyones upset about the te250 being called a good bike for a beginner.. its seat height inspires confidence which is the most important thing for a beginner.. It's also the lowest seat height of all the husky's so if you were to look at the line up and pick one out for a beginner.. it'd be the te250.. I'm confused about it not being easily upgraded though.. i guess you can't make a small bike taller very easily
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Actually, you could change the spacers in the 250 low to make it a regular 250.

I think the TE250 low is a good beginner bike. Perhaps not as tame as a TTR125, but if the person in question has street bike experience, the 250 power will be manageable.

I'm hoping that as Husky gains traction in the market (in small part to the CTS on the 449/511... heh) that we'll see a more complete lineup come to the US.
 
water racer said:
I did see the 125 test and if you take out their preconceived biases and read between the lines, you might think The Husqvarna was the best bike. You could tell the testers went in already thinking either the yamaha or ktm were the best. Then they would say, dang! the Husky was a real surprise. Biggest gripe they could come up with was seat was to soft and air filter was hard to get in. REALLY?? I think same mag has documented Husky may have the best seat since Honda of a few years ago. Airfilter, half turn fastener removes the seat, remove wing nut screw and yes you have to squeeze filter about a 1/2" to change. Oh what a job....
This view of course is based on my own preconceived biases!
Click to expand...

Yep, really went out of their way to find something to knock the husky for. Its goofy.

I went to prime Media once, spoke to a bunch of people and left there shaking my head at how biased they were and how little they knew. Sad.
 
Cast your vote by never buying or reading the POS mag and subscribing to the one that is accurate, they can't make money if they have no readers. Brand bias aside they are so anti 2 stroke it's crazy, never mind that most of the top NEPG have switched to 2 strokes yet they constantly make statements to lead their readers to believe that a 2t is at a disadvantage.
 
IMHO lots of fuss about nothing ... the mags are giving Husky good exposure and promoting 2 strokes as far as I can read. Are the mags perfect? ... of course not ... they don't always agree with me :cool:
 
I don't buy the dirt rags anymore, it' the same as the street rags testing the latest 600 Kawasukihondayama and saying it's the best handling bike EVER, and then the same tester would get the next years new bike and proclaim it was about time they finally fixed the terrible front end feeling, haha
 
It's true that I quit buying Dirt Rider because it got to the point that it seemed like it was KTMrider. When I was looking to buy a street legal enduro, I could barely find any print on the TE450 anywhere, and I would not have even considered the WR300 for a two stroke mount because I never saw a test write up done on one. It was lucky that I got ride all three sizes of the WRs. I knew right away that the 300 was for me!

Besides, I think those magazines are geared towards the younger racing crowd.
 
I do like the magazines, gives me something to read during lunch, and I do prefer paper in my hands to a computer screen. I don't expect them to write everything I want to hear, that wold not be fun either. I have learned in life that I don't think like the majority and that is just fine by me, I take pride in being able to form my own opinions. I am going to let my dirt rider subscription expire, not because of there opinions, but since the great recession there content has dwindled and writing has become minimal. I now take dirt bike and enjoy racer x because there is so much reading.
 
Most people think husky just makes chainsaws lol. I really wasn't considering a husky until I read about one in dirt rider. Did it win? No. The cost difference between it an a KTM allows me to afford upgrades. It also helps that husky was one of the few making supermotos. Basically, I'm proof that any press is good press.
 
I think BMW needs to take some of that money its sitting on and start some marketing campaigns in the NA region.. Only reason I stumbled onto a husky was due to my friend shopping for a beginner bike and searching for motorcycle dealerships near me.. I walked in to meet her and walked out with a wr250.. KTM has a very limited street legal selection of dirtbikes at least in my state.. Yamaha's offering is a very restricted, heavy 4 stroke 250.. and the other big jap bike offerings are about the same for street legal dirtbikes... Husky's the only one out there with a full line of bikes ready to go.. Had i known about them years ago I would have never looked elsewhere.
 
LandofMotards said:
Most people think husky just makes chainsaws lol. I really wasn't considering a husky until I read about one in dirt rider. Did it win? No. The cost difference between it an a KTM allows me to afford upgrades. It also helps that husky was one of the few making supermotos. Basically, I'm proof that any press is good press.
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This is one of the things that concerns me about this article. If I read the article without any knowledge of Husqvarna, I would think these bikes are all in the same class. Then I would see that the Husky retails for TWICE what the CRF and TT-R retail for. Why on earth would I pay twice as much for a bike in the same class, especially considering a new rider probably hasn't even heard of Husqvarna, but you can be sure they've heard of Honda and Yamaha.
 
I let my dirt rider expire a year or so ago. Couldn't take the KTMRider part of it. Been getting Dirt bike, but it is all KTM too. Went to WV a month or so ago and on the way a buddy had brought two DR mags and I was drawn back in. got the first one again last week. I am disapointed with myself. I am so sick of Jimmy and his pre-paid for words band of brothers.
 
Oh yeah - and 1 more thing - if Jimmy Lewis hates Huskies and 2 strokes so much ..................... why was he racing a Husky 125 at Hangtown?
 
OK guys I hear your pain. Jimmy Lewis is the best friend for all of us who ride dirt bikes. His work to keep our riding areas open is huge. He has the power of the pen and he uses it to support all Off-Road riders and racers. All of the "Dirt rags" have given a thumbs up to Husky in 2012 and they (DB, DR even Motocross Action) understand that the BMW/Husky's are a work in progress. As to Jimmy's remarks, Husky (USA) built some TE 250's that were lowered so dealers could offer the "new" off-road rider a bit more comfort and security, but they can be brought back to "normal" if needed by the owner. Why is KTM the number one off-road bike in the world, because of the number and styles of bikes they offer. Husky has seen the light as well, with smokers and strokers and I think the future is bright for Husqvarna. Remember the 2013 bikes are just a few months away. I bet we will all be surprised with the new bikes, even Jimmy Lewis . :cheers:
 
Do not believe all you read************************************************************************************************************************!! He who has the most money wins!!! Yea it sucks, but why do you think Robert Blake and OJ did not get convicted????????????? Brands that spend alot of money on advertising etc..... Always get better write ups. Etc... This has been going on for years..... All the if the Husky would lose 10 pounds and get a little more power etc.... I remember a shootout way back in 96 that said my 96 WXC or E can't remember 250 two stroke (WITH A 6-speed!) was down on power and top speed compared to the other offerings. Yea right!!! Ask my buddy who had and all new 97 CR 250 honda Yep aluminum frame and all. Jetted leaner then me!!! Lose constantly when doing 2nd gear roll ons in a controlled setting************************************************************************************************************************ That bike rocked!!! Forget what you read. Why do you think so many posers ride ORANGE?? They spend lots of money to get good write ups. The bike is inferior to a Husky, but then this all goes way back to poor marketing etc....... My advice is to ride different bikes. Forget what the magizine says and buy what you like!!! The Husky is a awesome looking and performing bike that sets a high standard in both function and quality control. High end parts galore and I can attest the 2-strokes are pretty much bullet proof! Unless of course you put straight gas in them:confused: My biggest complaint about the new Husky's is of course the seat height as I'm a short guy (5'7") If I had 3 wishes from a Gennie, I promise the first one would be that All KTMS on the planet dissapear and were never known to exist (hence killing of the brand) ouch....:cheers:
 
OJ won because of a piss poor forensics department lol. I still enjoy reading the magazines just because I love every bike..
The biggest draw to husky for me is that it's different. The last shoot out I read with a beta, husky, and ktm in Dirt Bike the Husky did really well coming in second. It was all the street legal 3 series bikes. The only reason the KTM came in first was because it was just good all the way around but didn't stand out anywhere like the husky did. One rider said the ktm was very Honda like where some would say it lacked character. Good news, the husky TC 250 is used in FMF's add this month
 
AndrewS said:
This is one of the things that concerns me about this article. If I read the article without any knowledge of Husqvarna, I would think these bikes are all in the same class. Then I would see that the Husky retails for TWICE what the CRF and TT-R retail for. Why on earth would I pay twice as much for a bike in the same class, especially considering a new rider probably hasn't even heard of Husqvarna, but you can be sure they've heard of Honda and Yamaha.
Click to expand...

True and add in the totally bogus words on the suspension and it becomes crystal clear that these guys are trying to influence future buyers ...

Its a known fact that writing a big bogus tale like this can influence many ... ESP the ones without knowledge on a a given topic, such as Husqvarnas ... But it still is advertisement on some level for Huskies...

The interesting part to me, is how those words got in the article ... Did Jimmy actually write them? Was he told to write them? Was the article edited and those words added to what Jimmy had already written? Did Jimmy write any of it?

MikeB said:
Oh yeah - and 1 more thing - if Jimmy Lewis hates Huskies and 2 strokes so much ..................... why was he racing a Husky 125 at Hangtown?
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A 125? What year model and who is he racing it for?
 
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