My adventures with the 2006 Husqvarna TE-510

After doing all sorts of research, I bought a 2006 Husqvarna TE-510 this last April. I have never owned a Husky, and that thought alone was intriguing. I called every Husqvarna dealer in three states, and in 600 miles, only one shop, way out in the middle of the Oregon desert, still had one. "I'll take it!", I told them, and I loaded the F-250 up with kids and wife, and set off for parts unknown. The fine, professional folks at Bend Euro Moto, a largly street oriented Ducati shop, set the bike up in record time, and had it waiting for me the moment they opened for business. I almost screwed the proverbial pooch, by not bringing "The Check" I was supposed to have gotten from the Credit Union, but Kathy Jo down there cut me far too much slack, and sent me on my way with a new bike. I have nothing but good things to say about those guys. 

After taking the bike for a short test drive, we loaded it up and had the most agonizing 5 hour drive ever. There is nothing worse than having a new bike and not being able to ride it. Especially one with all the unknown variables that this one featured. It was a DUAL-SPORT...could it possibly really replace the CR500? It was a DUAL-SPORT...would I be as happy on the road as with the Road Star Warrior? It was a DUAL-SPORT...

I got it home and soon realized, it was NOT a dual-sport, but a street-legal, "Competition Enduro". Right, I've heard that before. I still didn't know what to think of this gamble. However, I had ALMOST been happy with my 2003 Suzuki DRZ-400ES. Almost, and this was 40 pounds lighter, and had the 6-speed gearbox I had always wished the DRZ had had. I needed to get up in the hills and see for myself what I had just spent $8000 on. 

I had to wait several days before an opportunity presented itself to get out to the Capital Forest and stretch the Husky's legs correctly. This was OK, as I was being really anal about doing a very conservative break-in (I think I changed the oil four times the first three days, and another three times the week after that!). By the time I made it into the trails up above the Waddell Creek area, I was pretty sure the bike was largely broken in, and, while I took it easy, I also opened it up a bit here and there, especially on a few hill climbs that presented themselves. 

The bike took a little getting used to, I don't know if that's because it's a Husqvarna, or because it is a 4-stroke, and I am still very much in love with the CR500R. Regardless, I very quickly became quite impressed with the machine, and, as soon as I assaulted a hundred yard long line of whoops in 5th gear, I caught myself with an ear-to-ear grin. I was hooked. The bike is indeed heavier than I'd really like, Husqvarna claims a dry weight of 238.7 pounds, 16 pounds heavier than the none-too-lean CR500, but it's not "piggish" by any means. It carves berms nicely, and picks lines well. I found that out several times. There are some interesting technical areas I found in the Capital forest, usually involving up hills with exposed rock and run-off ruts. The TE has proven very capable in such terrain. Far more so than the '03 DRZ400. Night and day. The DRZ was a good play bike. This thing is a racer with blinkers! It recently garnered Cycleworld magazine's "Bike of the Year" award.

After the break-in ride in Capital Forest, I took the bike over to the Lost Lake area near Shelton, where a co-worker pal of mine has a lake cabin. He has an '05 CR250R, and was absolutely disgusted that I would cash in my 2-stroke 500 motocrosser for the a 4-stroke "street-bike".  These trails abut to and are contiguous with the trails used for the annual Shelton Valley Enduro race, which has gone on here for over 25 years. It had, in fact, just ran the weekend before I took my TE out there, and we hit the same trails pretty hard, following all their arrows and markers. I unscrewed the mirrors, stashed them in the truck, and eagerly took off. 

I was particularly interested in one very tight, wooded section that is very demanding. I always hit it hard on the CR, and wanted to see how it felt on the TE. I couldn't believe it when I stopped to allow my comrade to catch up. Not only had the TE handled flawlessly, I was convinced I had squeezed 5 seconds or more off my lap time. The bike was clearly faster than the CR in that section. As soon as my chum caught up, I did the section again, backwards, and was again astounded by the speed. I could see now why they called this thing a "Competition Enduro". It had proved it's pedigree. 

All day long I led the way on the marked and heavily rutted Enduro course, and time and again flummoxed my riding buddy. I think he was getting pissed at how often I would make comments about how this bike was clearly designed for this terrain, while he was huffing and puffing to keep up. Admittedly, I have a bit more riding experience than him, and am generally faster, but in all the time we've ridden together, he's always been able to keep up, or nearly so, while I was on the CR. I found myself waiting at trail bends and intersections far longer than usual. Was this bike that much faster? Or was it just that the terrain was brutal and more punishing than normal? Regardless the TE was eating it up, and I was taking a perverse pleasure of hitting the turn-signal button every chance I could to piss him off. 

I still wish I could have keeped my CR500 too, but the TE has defiantly shown it is quite capable. The CR is just a little more "fun" in the dirt, as it is a big-bore two-stroke, and there is just no way the four-strokes are as..."fun", to roost with. Ba-WAAAAAAP! I love the hit of the CR. 4-strokes are far too linear to be fun "that way". I feel like the TE is an excellent surgical tool for the task it is designed for, but it still seems to lack the "soul", that makes the 2-strokes "fun". It is almost passionless in comparison. I am hoping more saddle time will displace this feeling. 

Regardless, it will be a sad day when the last two-stroke MXer expires. At least bikes like the TE will be there to be worthy successors, in body if not in soul...

So far, the only things I either don't like, or have changed on the Husky are:

1) The stock seat was too hard and uncomfortable for long street jaunts. This is by design, as this thing, while street legal, really isn't meant to be a dual-sport. You can read all about the trials and tribulations I went through getting it "just right" HERE. 

2) The bike is geared too low for my morning commute with the stock counter-shaft sprocket. I bought a 15 tooth unit from Tasky's Metric Cycle in Everett, and that really makes the difference. I have taken to changing back to the 14 toother when I plan on spending a day in the dirt, even though the 15 toother is very capable. I am thinking about getting a 16 tooth unit for those days during the week when I commute and have no intention of getting dirty. I am also thinking about mounting a tool bag with all three CS sprockets so I can change at the trail heads. (Note: since I initially wrote this, I have almost exclusively been using the 15 tooth sprocket, which is fine for all but the tightest woods).

3) The stock fuel tank is too small. Stock tank only holds about 2 gallons with about another half in reserve. This goes FAST. It's not too fuel efficient. I replaced it with an IMS 4.3 gallon tank and am much happier. I was worried that that much gas on a tall bike would be negatively noticeable, but this isn't the case. I was also worried the IMS tank might cause overheating due to restricted airflow at the radiator. Haven't had any such problem here in Washington. I have heard others in more temperate climes have added auxiliary electric fans, but I haven't had this need. 

4) Parts availability. I knew this would suck when I bought it. There are two Husky dealers in Washington, and the closest is about 70 miles away on the wrong side of Seattle. Fortunately, they are very reputable, and have already helped me a couple times, even though I didn't buy the bike from them (I tried, but they were out until the 2007's show up in October. Couldn't wait that long, sorry Tasky's). Even the Oil Filter is ridiculously proprietary and unavailable. There is no way the oil filter is that high tech that it shouldn't be able to cross to a Fram or such. Outwardly, it looks just like the unit from my old DRZ. I got so sick of having to order these damned filters that I bought a Scott's stainless-steel filter, and have been happy ever since. $70 well spent. 

That's it. Pretty nit-picky. And three of the four are directly related to the fact that I AM dual-sporting the bike, and not just using it as a "Competition Enduro". If that were the case, I wouldn't be changing any of the three...well, maybe the fuel tank...but I doubt it. I never did on the CR500. 

It's a fun bike, and I have been having many adventures on it. Lately I have been jetting up into the Capital Forest on my lunch hour and exploring vast new tracts of previously unexplored hinterland, and I just got back from successfully deer hunting with it up near Republic! Couldn't do THAT on the CR500!!! 

PHASE II

Well, I've had the bike 15 months now, and have put about 2800 miles on it. In that time I have changed the oil about 20 times. I am about to put a third rear tire on it. I have checked the valves twice, but only adjusted them once. I have fiddled with the suspension, only to return to the stock setting. I have ran a 15 tooth and a 13 tooth countershaft sprocket, and am currently back to the stock 14 toother. I melted the oil overflow vent tube that runs out of the head, and replaced it (routing it in a much smarter way than how the shop originally set it up). I stripped out the bolt hole that holds on the countershaft sprocket cover (no doubt with all those sprocket changes), and have lost three bolts due to vibration (side cover bolt, chain guard bolt, and fork protector bolt...all minor). During this time I have taken this machine over the most grueling and gnarly terrain I have ever ridden. It ate it all and asked for seconds. I wish I could show you some of the places we have been together. There was that jagged rock strewn trail up the crest of the ridge that brings you to the Microwave relay towers in the Capital forest...The one to the NE of the towers. Wow. That was intense. Then there was the mysterious hill climb that rose up from near where the gas pipeline intersects McLain creek. Wow. That one was pretty cool too. Not to mention the insane mile long down hill that emptied me out in somebody's backyard over   alongside Perry Creek on Highway 8. How the hell did I get there? Those were the solo rides, and maybe that's why they stand out in my mind. It's one thing to ride an unknown and extreme trail with some bodies...it's another to run it alone, all the while wondering how you'll make it out of this hole with a broken leg, or impaled on some limb. Not to mention a simple broken bike.
There have been hours of excellent trail rides and backwoods roost-fests with pals too. The TE has always been up to everything I've tried. How many breathtaking views from the top of some high ridgeline? How many uncelebrated battles through forested track or along a rock strewn brook? How much exploration...Armed with my Lowrance Expedition C GPS, the TE510, and my trusty .45 I have learned the greater South Sound area as never before. While I've never needed it, the ever-present specter of criminal meth lab or hungry cougar makes me feel a little better to have a trusty scoot, and an even trustier hogleg. Call me paranoid, I don't care. Better to have it and not need it...I have jumped two cougars while on the TE. Fortunately they were a lot more interested in skidattling than battling.  I can't even count the deer I've seen while on this thing.

It's been quite a year, and the Husqvarna has fully lived up to it's reputation of excellence. However, about two weeks ago, my pal Curt Carter came around with a 2000 Honda XR650R that he had picked up. I had always fancied the "Big Red Pig", and threw a leg over for a quick jaunt. Wow! Did it have some bottom! After I pretty much idled it into a wheelie up my driveway and chugged up the hill in my back yard, idling with the throttle closed, I began to wonder if I might be missing something with a high-reving 510 versus the more traditional grunt of an old school thumper. In no time, I convinced myself I needed to sell the TE and buy either a plated XR650R, a Husaberg FE650E, or a new Husky TE610. I did lots of research, and made lots of phone calls, and courted very friendly and eager to make a sale salespeople at several establishments, only to wake up one morning and wonder "what the hell?"

Why? Why  was I forsaking the TE510? After analyzing all three of these other bikes, I realized none of them offered the complete package of the 510. It is balanced. Reliability/Performance/Weight/Cost/Performance/Reliability. Each of those other bikes excelled in one area or another, but they all had faults I could identify that my 510 didn't suffer from.

In the end, I decided to give my bike a make-over, and save the money for a replacement in '09.

I bought some new plastic from www.motoplasticsus.com to spruce up the forest-combat dulled and scratched up beauty of my bike, and began plans for some performance upgrades. New exhaust...porting...fancy clutches...bar risers...steering stabilizers... there is a lot of things I can do to the TE510, but the fact is, I don't need to do any of them.

It's now July of 2008 and I've got just under 4000 miles on the Husky. It remains as excellent and capable as it was new. To date, other than tires, the only items that I have had issue with were a cracked kick-stand bracket (welded), a cracked horn mounting bracket (replaced with home fabricated unit), a stripped bolt on the countershaft sprocket cover (my fault), the melted oil overflow hose (routed incorrectly at shop), two broken mirrors, and one broken blinker (stupid trees).

Mechanically, the bike has been among the most reliable I've ever owned. I have changed the oil every 300 miles, cleaned the air-filter regularly, lubed the chain, and washed it after every off-road ride. I have checked the valves three times, and had to adjust them only once. That is the extent of the maintenance this bike has required, and it is still race ready and fresh. Which totally amazes me. I did eventually buy another CR500R, and in all honesty, it is my preferred choice for serious off-road combat, but the Husqvarna is every bit as capable and has been a wonderful bike to own and ride. I'd buy another one tomorrow.

The adventure continues...