For those of you who "told me so".
So I FINALLY took the 2008 Husky TE450 for a ride yesterday. I did about 90 miles of backroad and found a 1/4 mile loop of off-road trail to play on. It was easy ATV-type trail. First impressions? I should have spent $3000 on a good used DRZ400 and put a little money into farkles, and been done. I would compare it to having a Lamborgini as your only car. Sure, it's high performance and high tech, but it's not exactly comfortable or easy to drive. As a daily driver, you'd get tired of all the shifting and the beat-you-up sport suspension.
Things about the bike that are generally bugging me include:
- Engineering
I'm not convinced the engineering is the best. The exhaust pipe runs down the left side of the bike. I did not think anything of that...UNTIL I burned the crap out of my nice riding pants. Having the pipe on the left side is a TERRIBLE idea. How many of you, like me, has been on a gnarly hill or rocky mess and had to get off the bike, lean into it, and walk it through an ostacle? Well, with my TE, you'll likely need a hospital visit to repair the melted flesh on your leg. Even things like simply wanting to pick up the back end and move the rear wheel over has become a tricky proposal. Usually, I just lean the bike against my right leg, reach over with my right hand to the rear subframe, and bump the rear wheel over. Well, if I do that now while the bike is hot, I burn the hell out of my leg.
- EFI
As for the EFI, I think it is running too lean. Maybe you gurus can help me troubleshoot. When I decelerate, it will make popping sounds, and if I don't give it a little throttle, it will die when I stop. It starts back up fine. When I take off, I usually don't have any trouble, but if I don't give enough throttle, it will pop, sputter, and die. Yes, the dealer can adjust the EFI using expensive software and an expensive cable. Glad I'm only 6 hours from my dealer!
- Vibraton
Remember, I came off a DR350--a "sewing machine" as safiri called it--referring to the smooth hum with very little vibration. My TE vibrates so hard that I think it may have destroyed my GPS. It vibrates so much, the batteries cannot maintain a connection. When I stand on the pegs, the vibration through my feet and into my shins is intense.
- Ergonomics
People seem to brag about the wonderful ergonomics of this bike, but I do not find the standing position comfortable. There is also the issue of the 3,000 degree pipe you have to avoid at all cost. Oh, and the "seat" is kind of a joke, but my ass is not laughing.
- General quality
There are many report of various bolts stripping and some of the embedded nuts "spinning". Flatland Racing built me a skid plate and radiator guards, and he reported having to replace a stripped bolt and finding the quality of the fasteners sub par in some cases. I'm also concerned about the number of delicate wiring connections with various snag points.
Other than those things, I find the bike "twitchy" to ride. What I mean is, I am going to have to learn some delicate throttle control. I've not owned a bike before where the slightest throttle movement can send the bike rocketing out from under you. I suspect I will be struggling in the tight stuff until I master this beast. I also notice that although the gears are very close together (too close?), I find myself wishing 1st gear was a bit lower. I will be feathering the clutch more on the TE than I did on the DR. The DR would just idle and tractor along when needed. The TE will die (with current EFI mapping), if I allow it to lug without some throttle applied.
I think in the end, I'm just not a top-performance kind of rider. I think I am willing to sacrifice some power for comfort and ease of riding and maintenance. I want some of you guys who are used to riding your fancy KTM's to ride this TE and give me your opinion. Maybe I'm off-base.