Vet seeking opinions on new Huskys

[Gasserman]

I have an 09 TXC450, they say it's 240 lb's dry. that is 13 lb's heavier than my 250f, and with the proper setup it really doesn't ride much different than my 250, except alot more power, but flickability is similar( it really carries it's weight well).
One of my riding buddies has an 07 wr450f, that tips the scales at 275 lb's, and you can tell tell it's heavy when you ride it, it just feels heavy, doesn't handle as well as the TXC does, and doesn't turn as well, He even thinks so, I dont know what the TXC really weighs, i haven't weighed it yet full of gas, like he has, but i do know at the end of the day i dont feel like i'm beat up any worse than when i ride my 250.
For 2010 the TXC received a shorter swingarm, and this is supposed to make it turn even better.
Love mine, i just dont know how they could get much better!!

 

[switchback]

If the dealer will not stock the new 250's until the old ones are gone, I'd find another dealer.

No other husky dealer for hundreds of miles so either I buy from this BMW dealer, mail order or find another brand.

... I'm still going with a TXC450 for you or a TXC250 ... not totally sure about the year though but most will say get the 2010

The new TXC250 may be the ticket but I am done with the 450s as I already have the WR.

That said, I had a TE450 and I liked it but I'm much faster on my WR250. It's good for single track. I say good and not great because it has stock suspension and if I'm not racing hard and up on the bars it will deflect every once in a while. Not terribly bad, but it could be better. Obviously if it was so bad I would have revalved it by now. But the motor on the wr250 is the crown jewel of all off road 250's. That thing is nearly impossible to stall and because of the low end torque it is a hill climb monster. And it pulls hard all the way to the top. The power of the wr250 is fantastic all through the range.

Thanks for the WR250 input. I believe that this is where I may end up. Frankly I miss the narrower powerband of a 2T. I provided my information for a demo day. Hopefully I can ride a few.

Despite the awesome deals out there I have the luxury of not needing a bike and can sort all of this out.

 

[LRPct]

I rode an 09. It was the dealer's son's bike and had the emissions and stop removed. I was expecting something more lively, felt really flat until the upper mid.

I am now hesitant on the 310 because everyone is saying that it is just like the 250 but with a little more. I know Ibeat and PCV can improve things but I was so underwhelmed I am thinking a 2 stroke may be the only way to get the power with a weight advantage.



I think a 300 may be a bit much. How about some info on the WR250. How luggable? Decent hit without being overwhelming? How long do the bottom ends last with good standard maintenance?

Also, I read Motorsportz review of his mid 90s 250 and sounds like the bike is still competative. What major changes happened from say 95-2010? I know the WR transmission went away in the early 2000s. Reason I am asking is I am 5' 10" and today's bikes are getting tall.



Thanks for the help

Re the 310 Please keep in mind that FI mapping is HUGE on Husky's. Just think how they have to be tuned to be DOT and emissions compliant in ALL 50 states. Also Husky's seem to be very "tight" motors when new compared to most other brands and take longer to loosen up. I know my 610 took a good 3,000 miles till fully loosened up and has now been the same from the 3,000 miles to the 7,000 it has now.

If your thinking of the 310 I'd highly suggest riding a properly mapped and broken in one any way you can before deciding. Maybe I'm just partial cause the TE 310 is my planned next bike someday.

Happy hunting

 

[wallybean]

Switchback,

Are you going to Tasky's Demo days? If so I think there might be a car pool oportunity for the last 500 miles or so. Let me know.

Walt

 

[switchback]

Walt, Thanks for the info but not planning on it. My local dealer does occasional demos out in the desert. Hopefully I can get on board and ride a few.

For now I will hang out for a while and look in on the discussions. I think I am resolved in delaying my purchase for a season so I can see how the new 250 holds up and perhaps get a ride in on a Husky or two.

 

[ray_ray]

I'm interested in that new engine myself ...In fact, I'm more interested in my 08 engine ... I keep reading about the short life span of the japenase 4-strokes engines and the enormous price for fixing them ... One guy thought they had throwaway cylinders that were not boreable If any of this is even close to being true, this 4t era might will end up with a ton of blown 4t bikes sittin in garages too expensive to fix...

I'm retired now sort of and don't plan on buying another bike for say ~10 years and expect my TXC to last with MIN problems ESP engine rebuilds

 

[switchback]

I'm interested in that new engine myself...

I keep reading about the short life span of the japenase 4-strokes engines and the enormous price for fixing them ... One guy thought they had throwaway cylinders that were not boreable If any of this is even close to being true, this 4t era might will end up with a ton of blown 4t bikes sittin in garages too expensive to fix...

Ray,

I can't vouch for all Japanese 4T bikes but this is not my experience with Yamaha. My 2003 WR450 has only required 1 valve adjustment (checking them this weekend) and only normal maintenance. It starts easily, has tons of power and doesn't smoke after 7 years. I would call that very durable and the 250s have a similar track record. I am sure if I were racing I would have rebuilt the bike a couple of times now but for trail riding it is solid.

The one thing that concerns me on the new Husky 250 is that there is less than a quart of oil in the bike. Not sure how that will relate to longevity but it sure does limit any dual sport potential and pretty much dictates a stringent maintenance schedule.

Cheers,

David

 

[ray_ray]

Ray,

The one thing that concerns me on the new Husky 250 is that there is less than a quart of oil in the bike. Not sure how that will relate to longevity but it sure does limit any dual sport potential and pretty much dictates a stringent maintenance schedule.

Cheers,

David

Yes, thanks for the comments and I can see Ur point on the oil ...A qtr does not sound like much ...even if it can be distributed to all engine parts correctly, it seems like heat build up could be possible on this small amount ... oil is also a coolant for the engine ... the 08 TXC models hold almost 2Ls when drained out totally...

 

[ioneater]

One thing I was surprised to see at 1st oil change with 5hrs on the 250 was how clean the oil and single screen was. Nothing in the paper filter either. I was expecting some slivers and chunks of sealant like the 510 had on its first few oil changes. The drain plug isn't magnetic either, it looks like there's a magnet installed but doesn't attract ferrous material at all. The motor's overall size it quite small now that the clutch is on the crankshaft. There's no room for a bigger case with this small frame, I guess. Operating temps liked to stay 160-165F while I was playing around in the sand. On a wet trail it stayed in the 120's! That's only coolant temp, obviously.

 

[ray_ray]

Sounds great ... I don't think Husky would toss together an engine and release it without testing it throughly

Clutch on the crank!!! I never heard this change was made from anyone and I've only read about this type of clutch once from a reputable place but it was used years ago in the 70s by some EU bikes but I'm not sure which one and actually has many benefits over what has been used for years on bikes ...

Does anyone have any good info on how this type of clutch works?

 

[ioneater]

Oops, I am wrong about the clutch/crank being co-located. Don't know what I was thinking of. After looking at the engine again, it's looking like a conventional setup. Sorry 'bout that ray_ray.

 

[switchback]

One thing I was surprised to see at 1st oil change with 5hrs on the 250 was how clean the oil and single screen was. Nothing in the paper filter either. I was expecting some slivers and chunks of sealant like the 510 had on its first few oil changes. The drain plug isn't magnetic either, it looks like there's a magnet installed but doesn't attract ferrous material at all. The motor's overall size it quite small now that the clutch is on the crankshaft. There's no room for a bigger case with this small frame, I guess. Operating temps liked to stay 160-165F while I was playing around in the sand. On a wet trail it stayed in the 120's! That's only coolant temp, obviously.

Thanks for the reply! I look forward to hearing how the bike performs for you this season.

Cheers,

David

 

[ioneater]

Motosportz (Kelly) has Way more time on his new 250 than I and hasn't mentioned any major issues outside of motor mounts loosening, EFI adjustments, and better rideability as break-in progresses.

 

[ghte]

The WR 300 lacks the electric leg which is a big minus IMHO. I think for an all round 2 banger riding the KTM 300 is the better machine.
That said I really feel that the 4 strokes are an overall better package for the weekend warrior. A bit heavier yes, a bit more maintenace, yes but, and the big but is that they are much more tractable and luggable machines. They require less effort to climb snotty hills, ie less wrist action on the throttle and much less clutch fanning. Decents are easire with the 4 strokes superior engine braking too. I know opinons are wide on this based on individual prefferences etc. The upshot is you must buy and ride what suits you. To get at least an inkilng it is advisable to test ride as many bikes as you can.

 

[john01]

In a recent test the Husky WR300 came out on top including tractable power over the KTM 4-stroke. I know it's opinions and mag tester timed results but that's what they reported.