New bike for Troy? DR350SE for sale?

[Stu]

Comments....

1) Engineering. This seems to be an exhaust guard problem. We used to have to adapt some DS shield or other all the time on our Maicos and such. I would look around and hose clamp a guard on it myself.

2) EFI. I see this as a "new model" issue. You are the first one on the block with a changed race bike. You get to take the arrows for us so we will know how to address these problems. Since KTM is coming out with EFI on their new bikes next year you may well have a source close to home that can help with jetting. They already have to address this with the 690s. Until the software is available to riders I will avoid the new KTMs and keep my 525. I cannot count the number of times I have been in the same position. The worst was a Maico that would not run on the bottom at all. The new Bing didn't have an idle circuit in it. From the factory. (!!!) Had to buy a new carb.... I think you will see software on the market for this problem and perhaps some freeware as well.

3) Vibration. Welcome to the world of compromise race bikes. Vibration dampers add weight so they are normally minimized. My 2 stroke doesn't have any at all and it is really buzzy on hard pavement. Fixes include: EE super soft saddles (or have your local auto upholsterer re-foam your current seat), rubber inserts in the pegs, bar snakes and cushioned bar mounts (available for KTM so they might work on the Husky.) On the seat issue don't forget this is a narrow seat made for guys that need to move around a lot and that makes it less capable as a DS seat but far, far better off-road.

4) Ergonomics. I sit a lot. I'll bet I would like your 450's ergonomics a lot (after adding a heat shield).

5) General Quality. You can replace fasteners with quality items from Fastenall. Any bike will have some fasteners sourced elsewhere. Any manufacturer can get bad product from their supplier. KTM had a bad batch of bolts for the cam covers on the 450/525s. They broke spewing oil all over hell. I just went to Fastenall and got the hardest they had (that were not so hard that they were brittle). However, in looking at web site reports and talking to Husky owning friends, NO ONE AT ALL has complained about the things that REALLY MATTER: i.e., engine/tranny/running gear failures. This is a solid product. (So far none of the "embedded" nuts on my KTM have failed but I don't press my luck with them, I just check them for tightness.)

6) Throttle control. Your throttle action sounds like what I have had to spend BIG BUCKS to get on my 2 stroke -- flaming craziness when I twist it open from a stop or an idle. Geez. And you got it for free! I had to jet like crazy, get the HT Racing vane and get a Akrapovic exhaust system (now that was also BIG BUCKS, Troy) to get the same response on my 525 EXC. Geez. My 525 still doesn't idle "like a tractor" and it had better not decide that it wants to do that either. Geez. As for the dying on the bottom, that is jetting and that does need to be corrected. When that is straightened out I would bet that your 450 will run much smoother on the bottom as well.

7) Maintenance. It is a race bike. It takes more maintenance. Just get the routines down and it won't take that much time. Besides, the Husky 450 is an easy bike to work on. The rewards of a sweet running race bike that is light weight are, to my mind, well worth the requirements for owning one.

In the end you can become a better rider and enjoy what the Husky can bring to that which is a heck of a lot, Troy. Give it some time. You've got a different beastie there and need to learn how to finesse it.

I'd be pleased to ride your 450 and let you ride my not very user friendly 525 (my doing, I might add) sometime. I'll bet I'd think it was pretty sweet!

Stu

[MoRidin]

Troy...man I feel for you brother.

No reason going into why you bought the Husky...so we can deal with the present.

First, is the sag set for you "ready to race"? If not, that may be 90% of your problem. Too little/too much and the bike will be twitchy or stinkbug and will feel out of control all the time. As little as 5mm out of whack on the sag can make a HUGE difference!

As for the EFI issue, that is totally unsat. Popping on deaccel is always a lean idle circuit...if you look, your headpipes are probably bluing badly. You COULD make a side trip to Lebanon, MO on the way down and get your EFI fixed. I bet an advanced call will allow you to pop in and pop out. I could also drag it back to STL for you and drop it at the dealer here and you can pick it up once fixed...another option.

My new 450 is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden...seriously. We can switch for a bit and see if it feels better or similar to your TE. You may just take a few days on the seat to get comfortable to a race bike. Trust me, once you get used to a race bike, there is no going back. Mike's new 400 is also set up well and is a A+ bike...see if it feels better or worse to you.

I personally thing other than the pipe/EFI, the rest will fall in place as long as the suspenion is set up. You are coming off a really antiquated and tame machine and have moved from a grocery getter to a full on sports car...there will be an adjustment. I think the physical bike setup should be fine for you as they generally fit guys 5'8"-5'11" quite well. Get outside the range and you have to make some bike adjustments.

See you AR brother!

[Hayden]

Dont be so quick to judge Troy. Its just teething problems. Remember me and my (new To me) XRR the first year in AR. Mike does for sure after pull starting me like 4 times. I was so fed up I was ready to go home. This last Sept we didnt have any problems did we??? What a difference a couple of 1000 miles did. I got to know the bike, changed a couple of things to fit me and I was good. Tell you the truth I havent ever thrown a leg over one of my bikes in the begining and liked it much. Its all about getting to know the thing and setting it up to your liking.

PIPE. Im sure that sucker is hot and thats because its all choked up with the Emissions crap just to have it street legal. Im sure a pipe and a remap will do wonders. Worst case, just get ya some heat wrap and wrap that thing. I have a bike with it and I can touch the pipe with a leather glove while running and its not bad at all. It sure wont melt anything. Even the plastic air box its touching.

Seat. Renzco!!!!

Vibration. I bet once a pipe and remap goes on, you will loose some of the vibration. Break in will help also. Heck my Adv doesnt vibrate as much now with 5K on it.

Give it some time dude it will come around.

Hayden

[Stu]

Troy,

James Renazco's seats are very good and custom made for your specs, not a cookie cutter seat that all of the other folks offer.

http://renazco.com/

You could probably specify that you wanted your seat to be made with more DS riding in mind (wider, say) and he could do it. That is not something that EE is set up to do, for example. I have the EE super soft seat on my 525. It is somewhat better than the stock '07 seat (the KTM seats returned to a stiffer foam for '08 so far as I can tell). This might be just what you need. Pricing reflects the fact that materials are sourced here and labor is here, not China as is the case with every other seat. And the seat is custom for you the way you want it. Were I to go long distances on my 525 (over 300 miles a day, say) I would have one of Jame's seats.

Stu

[Hank Moody]

Hi Troy,

I agree with all the posts here, it's a new model with a new frame, EFI and owner (BMW). Hang in there and all will be okay, remember positive mental attitude (PMA)

Stu, I second the Renazco seat! I was one of the first mods I did and I'm glad I did it, not cheap but well worth it. If you notice I had James make it a little wider at the rear for my big old butt.

[Stu]

Hank,

That seat RAWKS!!

That settles it. I'm going to have to give yours the "squeeze" test and probably order one when I get the bux. (That is another story....)

Stu

[MoRidin]

You guys may be surprised that you can get a very custom seat for about $50-70. I had one build for my KLR (yes, I used to have a KLR) for about $50. I called a few auto upholstery places and asked if they had any experience with seat/foam. These guys had foam in about 100 different styles and density. They measured the density of the stock foam, then built it up and shaped it the way I wanted and recovered it in a gripper cover. My total was $30 labor and $20 for the gripper material from Rocky Mountain. The seat was incredible.

[Stu]

The price of foam & some seat material have increased since your seat was made. I checked with my local auto upholstery guys recently. The price was quite a bit higher than that. I went with the EE seat instead. It wasn't the best choice for longer rides but certainly works well off road. I would contact them again after I try Hank's seat, and get some dimensions off of it. Hank's seat looked too good to be true for a dirt bike DS seat.

Stu

[MoRidin]

Hank Moody, does that velor recliner of yours come in a chenille or perhaps a woven jacquard ?

[Hank Moody]

Hank Moody, does that velor recliner of yours come in a chenille or perhaps a woven jacquard ?

No, velor just helps me hold on to the beast when I hit the gas!

[rxcrider]

I just got my new seat from Chris at Renazco PNW so you'll have another one to look at / sit on as well in a couple days.

popping on decel is cool - not sure why every bike rider hates it so much - I loved backing out of the throttle in my GTI or 320i and hearing pop popop popopopop pop. Tune it to idle right, and accelerate smoothly (no lag ,no surge, no flat spots) not to avoid popping. I'll see how the 400 does after a little rejetting before AR

stalling - if it hasn't cured itself yet, maybe turn the idle up a bit.

Get the suspension set right - ask Jeb how many things KTM can screw up on a new bike - and ride faster your new suspension will soak up hits that would have had the little DR clanking the stops

farkle away - the pipe is just an excuse for some CF

vibes? get used to the power - the perceived buzziness of my 300 reduced greatly as soon as I relaxed my death grip.

[troy]

All you guys were right. I have come almost 100% around with my affection for the TE450.

First thing that helped is that I removed the O2 (lamda) sensor from the pipe. There is a special cap the closes the circuit off and signals the EFI to go into "race mapping". It runs SO MUCH better! In fact, it seems to run perfect. The vibration is less without the catalytic converter and with the race mapping.

I rode tight woods all day today and did not burn a hole in my pants on the pipe--so that is good. I think with a mid-pipe guard and perhaps some header wrap on the front section of the pipe, that potential problem will be eliminated.

On top of all that, you guys were right...as she breaks in she just keeps running better. By the end of the day, I was lugging her low in first and second and third gear without killing the engine.

The bike is easy to kick-start, too.

The bike is still taller than I prefer, but it's so light and powerful that you can still flick it around and picking it up off the ground is relatively easy--yeah I took a dirt nap twice today. As some of you have suggested, I can probably dial in the suspension to fit me better.

Thanks, safiri, for noticing the bolt I was about to lose. I definitely need to learn to check bolts often with this monster! The vibration did not bother me at all today, and I stood up enough on the trails that the 2x4 seat did not bother me.

I also rode Stu's 250 KTM 2-stroke. Wow what a great machine! I was very surprised as it did not seem to have that 2-stroke power-band kick. Instead, it was just instant monster power all the way through. Ask Stu what he thought of my TE450! I think his words were "want to trade for a 525?"

[Stu]

You know, Troy, after all of those unwarranted barbs tossed at that Husky I think you should let it go. I would find a caring home for it in my garage. It has an absolutely magic 3rd gear pull, but I know that is not enough for you to keep it so, well, bring it over. I have a warm spot for it. I'm a kind soul. I never pick nasty lines hoping you'd follow me....

Stu

[troy]

I never pick nasty lines hoping you'd follow me....

Ha! At the beginning of the day, Stu led us around nice and easy--gave us a grand tour of the trails. After a long break, Stu picked up the pace, found some gnarlier trails and started taking the nastiest lines--just to see if I'd follow! I quickly learned to take whatever line Stu did NOT take!

I told you guys, the TE450 is for sale--$9,000.

[Stu]

I think Troy is in looooove. Give yer TE450 a smooch fer me, Troy!

Stu

[katbeanz]

What kind of doofus would buy a Husky anyway? I mean really.

[Kware]

Troy, Glad to here you had a good ride yesterday. I know it would get better.

Katbeanz, was that you I seen on Bridge street today? I was on my way to the car wash. I rode around town after washing my bike, hoping to catch you. I was going to help you out with running the first 2 tanks of gas through it.

Kevin

[katbeanz]

Troy, Glad to here you had a good ride yesterday. I know it would get better.

Katbeanz, was that you I seen on Bridge street today? I was on my way to the car wash. I rode around town after washing my bike, hoping to catch you. I was going to help you out with running the first 2 tanks of gas through it.
Kevin

Yes, I didn't recognize you, thought about turning around and telling you about rideforum and ADV. I heard you go by the house a little later, was using the facilities.
I got out a little after noon and rode 100 miles, I reversed Troy's Plattsburg route. I ran across the dam to get right at 100 miles before I went to Conoco and it took 2.1 gallons. I've read they have issues with a corner of the airbox melting, maybe that wasn't trash or leaves I was smelling today.
It runs great, been trying to keep it under 5500. Were it not for wanting to look the airbox over I'd let you come by and get it, it's full of gas.
I need some bar risers and I don't like the grips, a taller seat would be nice too, 14 tooth sprocket, got a skidplate on the way. I worked over the auto retract kickstand.
When I left Arkansas yesterday the weather map looked like rain rain rain. I got out to 71 and it looked like it could clear off. I was wanting to get home and play with the new bike anyway. How was yesterday down there?

[Kware]

Thunderstorms started about 4:30am. Temp was in the high 40's. We waited for it to stop, but the group I ride with bowed out. I left about 11:00.
I figured that was you today and yeah I came by the house. Troy has already dealt with the air box issue by covering the corner with heat tape. Check with him for more details. I am just kidding about helping you run the gas through it...........

[troy]

Katbeanz, the airbox melting is an 08 issue. Your bike looks like an 07 to me.