• 4 Stroke Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Italy - About 1989 to 2014
     TE = 4st Enduro & TC = 4st Cross

  • 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.

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Should I buy a new leftover TE310R?

A

acruhl

Husqvarna
I hate to be the guy who starts these kinds of threads, but I need to.

I found a leftover new 2013 TE310R for a decent deal.

This would be my first modern dirt bike. I have a '99 DR350 that I put a lot of miles on and it doesn't require much work. Love it as long as I'm using it within it's limits.

I like to ride to the trails which aren't very far away, this is why I like the street legal bikes. I've ridden a few 450 bikes and they just seem like too much, I don't need all of that power.

Is this bike ultimately going to be reliable? I don't mind working on it, but I don't like breaking down on the trail somewhere far from home. The DR won't do that. And if it does I can probably fix it. I see all these issues with the starter, the bike not starting, transmission ratios aren't good, etc. Should I save my money for something else?

My background is roadracing, and I have a few Ducatis and an MV Agusta. I do all the work on them. I've rebuilt Ducati motors. I don't mind working on bikes, but I hate working on bikes that are just continually unreliable. My Ducatis and MV Agusta are reliable. My DR is beyond reliable.
 
I sold my 1991 DR350S which was very reliable. Sold it to a friend that I ride with. I now ride a 2012 TE310. It has been very reliable. No issues yet with 800 offroad miles on it. I did the power up and tuned the CO settings with I beat. The 2 bikes are very different, but the TE suspension and lightness are what are superior to the DR. The electric start is the best as the DR was a HARD starting bike.

The DR has very linear power but the TE is faster, and has kind of a 2 stroke power band feel to it. The TE is more maintenance but I like the suspension, the E start and the lightness, and steering. The DR has a better tranny since it is more open. The TE is a plated racebike, but on road use is OK, but not smooth like the DR. I love the TE in the rough stuff, tight trails, and whoops. This is where the bike shines

I say go for it if you primarily use it for offroad. If you do a lot of road work you may not like it.
 
The 310 is definitely an off-road bike that's plated. If your street miles are short then this would be a good bike. Once I got mine sorted out with the starter issues it's been a good bike. Should be much peppier then your dr and a stiffer ride too-but that's good for the dirt
 
Not having experiences with a 310 I can only have a limited input

the DR 350 experience I have is its a one of the hardest bike to start I had in my life.

besides that the bike is bulit proof, (and it truly is), if you compare it with a newer generation bike its heavy and very basic in versatility of setting the bike up to make it work perfectly.

the last 14 years saw some improvement in the engine department (fuel injection and now these days the diseases are known and treated for on this point) but there where huge improvements in the frame and suspension available on the bikes for the masses

And that is where you probably will enjoy any newer bike the most.

Robert-Jan
 
Yes
Sod the review ive never owned one but if it was me i had the money yes i would go for the 310 kawasaki did one awesome platform.. Spend the money an keep posting!
 
Power up, get Zip Ty's tank spacers, check your hose clearance under the tank or better yet get silicone hoses and ditch the t-stat., stainless oil filter and 0-W40 Mobil One often, 47 to 50 gear in the back, and enjoy! There is just no comparison to the DR as long as you don't plan on long miles on the pavement.
 
Thanks.

Does "power up" require money? I'm not sure exactly what it is. I know you remove the charcoal canister, catalytic converter, etc. I'll have to research it.

I have experience with under tank clearance issues on my other bikes (plastic fuel fittings break threatening to burn the bike down), interesting that similar things still continue.

I don't plan on long miles on pavement, but I might have to ride 40-50 miles once in a while. This is the biggest drawback I can see. My normal rides are about 15 miles away which is why I like a road legal bike. Saves a lot of time.

My DR350 is a '99 so electric start. Works great :)

Time to do some thinking.
 
Not to put anyone off of the 310, but knowing that I would be running a lot of pavement to and from the local trails, I had Zip Ty do the crank mod on it when new to alleviate any worries about sustained road speeds. Since I got a great discounted deal on the bike new, I was still at or below the retail price once all the mods (crank, spacers, drain back kit, clutch buttons, valves and head, softened the forks) were complete. Now I just change oil regularly, Mobil 1 0-W40, run a stainless filter, and motivate down the road as fast as I want to and don't worry. At 60 mph the bike sounds and feels buzzy, since it is so light, but in fact is turning fewer rpms than my Yamaha WR250R at the same speed. This with a 47 tooth rear sprocket which seems to work well for dual sporting.
 
The PU costs only as much as someone who will flash the ECU and cost of the open air filter cage. If your planning on 40-50 miles and regular 15/30 mile pavement rides to and from trails, I might say don't get the 310. Yes you can gear it and yes it will do the miles but it's a tiny sump with 1 QT of oil and the buzz from even stock gearing 40, or even 45 teeth at 45+ is not comfortable and the most vibration in the rpm range through the bars and footpegs. I have done the above like once a year and a half ago with a 45 rear sprocket from Trout Lake to White Salmon, WA. A 55 mph 2 lane road for about 20 miles. Have never done that again on the 310. Even with the 45, I lowered revs to cruise at 45mph and varied speed out of sympathy for the motor and signaled all cars to pass me. In that case I would buy a bike with a larger sump or more suitable (I rode and road raced small displacements and back then my bikes carried 4 qts. in the sump and were air cooled). I think the 310 is best suited for a few miles on pavement at best up to 5-10 miles but not at 55mph+. 45 mph mountain roads with slower corners (so to vary speeds) would be OK but sustained faster speeds is living on the edge IMO. I have 3000 miles on mine currently and no signs of any problems but I just abstain from excessive road miles and haul it in the van if the road is extended 55mph highway riding. Short burst OK, otherwise not.
 
Ugh. To be totally honest, the reason I'm justifying the 310 is because I can get it for less than a WR250R and it seems like more bike. I want to get a "real" dirt bike (which is street legal) at some point but I'm not ready to shell out for the Husqvarna/KTM 350 or 500/501. Would love to get the 690 but it's just too much motor/money. There's the DR-Z400 as well but it's a tank in comparison to the 310 or even my 350. The other option is XR400 with street kit... Always wanted a Husqvarna but the XR is only slightly behind.

Thanks guys. Even more thinking to do.
 
Kenneth Webb said:
Not to put anyone off of the 310, but knowing that I would be running a lot of pavement to and from the local trails, I had Zip Ty do the crank mod on it when new to alleviate any worries about sustained road speeds. Since I got a great discounted deal on the bike new, I was still at or below the retail price once all the mods (crank, spacers, drain back kit, clutch buttons, valves and head, softened the forks) were complete. Now I just change oil regularly, Mobil 1 0-W40, run a stainless filter, and motivate down the road as fast as I want to and don't worry. At 60 mph the bike sounds and feels buzzy, since it is so light, but in fact is turning fewer rpms than my Yamaha WR250R at the same speed. This with a 47 tooth rear sprocket which seems to work well for dual sporting.
Click to expand...

What? Crank, spacers, valves and head? Explain? This is exactly the kind of thing that would put me off. You have to fix the crank on a new bike?
 
An XR 400 is not really an improvement getting from the DR350

the only improvement I see that the bike is newer

Robert-Jan
 
I absolutely hated riding my 310 on the street. Zero fun with the buzzy twitchy feeling, just waiting for the engine to blow. It's not a dual sport, at least by my standards. I was running 13/48 gearing which I needed for the tight woods and lack of low end power.
 
I rode around today on my son's TC250 and it the fifteen minutes I spent driving around the local roads, I was done with that. I'll put it in the back of my truck next time I want to go anywhere with it.
 
acruhl said:
What? Crank, spacers, valves and head? Explain? This is exactly the kind of thing that would put me off. You have to fix the crank on a new bike?
Click to expand...

Ken had ZipTy Racing "bulletproof" his bike and they gave him the full race treatment….that's all there is to that. Not all of us need that, just like any other bike. It was just his choice. Ken always goes all out on his bikes….its just what he does….and we like it.

Maybe you should just hold out for a good used KTM 350 EXC or hold out even longer for a new one. It has a wide ratio transmission and is in your cc range. Or, maybe just rebuild the old reliable DR350 that you love so much.
 
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