Husqvarna '08 TE-610 Front Fork Thread Only

I have KTM 525EXC and I can tell you that here in Colorado the compression comes in handy given that most of what I like to ride is very rocky. I hope that Husky will step up to the plate and make my 610 as much fun to ride in the rocky terrain as my 525 is. This bike was bought with two or more days on the trail riding and camping cuz the 525 just isn’t a DS bike. I just hope they find a way to give us the bikes we though we were buying.

I should have 'THE LETTER' written & ready to post here on Thursday or Friday, if anyone wants to add to it, please feel free to do so... I plan on sending it to Ed @ Husky USA on Monday & ask they he forwards it to Husky Italy. If anyone has the information of the Italian contact, send it to me & I will copy both parties. The letter will not be as detailed as I once invisioned as I now can refer them to this thead, which has far more substance. However, I will include every buyer that has contacted me along with the complaint and the reference to this thread. If anyone has any ideas, please get a hold of me asap....

Husky has always been very responsive in the past, so I hope you guys make out well. Remember that there is always a little * with the note that says.... "manufacturer reserve the right to change specifictions at any time without notice"
Norman

I agree with Norman. Hopefully the letter is a request to provide what has been on the bikes before, rather than threats to their mothers.

Not sure why everyone is still talking about Cagiva, whether they can afford such a recall, etc. BMW is now (or will soon be) their parent and I know they take care of their customers. The last thing they want on such an important bike is this sort of problem.

Think about it, BMW buys them just as EFI is fitted...it's a perfect launch/segue, and the last thing they need is any sort of dissent screwing it up. Besides, BMW spent a LOT more buying Husky and integrating them than this recall would cost. Heck, they could even have their broader BMW and Husky dealer network address it so give them even greater exposure to potential customers.

Has BMW purchased Husqvarna yet? If they did or if the deal is about to close, then I should also forward a copy of the letter, etc. to BMW.

They closed the deal back in October. I'm still torn between how this whole issue occurred: did the "new" BMW marketing geniuses go on the cheap with a calculated decision to degrade the forks or did Marzocchi supply the wrong forks? It wouldn't hurt to copy to BMW.

This change in direction leaves me paused now in what my next purchase will be. A motorcycle company that decides to regress instead of progress has me puzzled. Husqvarna has now widened the gap between them and KTM as far as technology and helps to justify the higher price of the KTM.
Dumb move by Husky unfortunetly.

I agree the letter should be a "matter of fact" sort of thing that references the fact there are a growing numbers of disgruntled and unsatisfied customers, those who have chosen to buy another color machine over this, and the negative light that this whole situation could puts Husky in, pending their course of action.

At this point we still don't know what they are or are not going to do for us and they could very well have plans to make it 100% right. We should relay the growing unrest and the need for word from the factory and a timely resolution. Point to the threads here and on TT as evidence. Later, if their response to the situation sucks then we go after their mothers. j/k!

see post #4

How true.
Again, leaves me wondering whos at the helm here.

Even Suzuki's $5600 DRZ-400S has front adjustable compression... :huh

Holy cow fellas! Let’s give them a chance to respond before we slam them in this public forum. IMO everyone that has issue with the forks should call the manufacturer (Not BMW they certainly are not to the point in the process to be handling the “fork saga.” Seeing that I do not have a 610 I haven’t Googled up the info I would need to insure the right contact but if I did I believe I could. The first guy to get through and register a complaint could post the phone number for all to call. This method would work better IMO than a letter directing them to a post on a public forum that had a bunch of people drawing conclusions on how negligent they are, man that could back fire as they might write you off as a bunch of D*cks.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I Can say that this method of a high volume calling worked with Bombardier With one of Ski-Doos issues and I hear It works with congressman once and awhile! Good Luck. <o></o>

Owners and potential owners have been talking to the dealers, who have been escalating the issue to Cagiva. We have also been going to the Husky website and using their established email contact process. I'm pretty sure they are hearing plenty about it w/o calling as well.

Pointing them to the threads should make them aware of the discussions going on in public forums. If it were me this would be incentive to get word out to the public asap. It's natural that the more time that passes in silence the more people assume the worst.

Thanks for your valid input. The fact that they've suddenly changed the published specifications substantiates they know they have an issue. mrkartoom's point regarding the "silence" to date is the biggest disappointment to me.

Timberline,

Thanks for putting this together. I am overall very happy with my new bike, I have put about 650 miles on it using it almost every day to commute and on the weekends for trips and fun in the dirt.

I bought the TE610 in part for the adjustable nature of the bike as it is my only bike. I was most unhappy to learn about a week after purchasing the bike I could not adjust the front. I found out about 60 miles into my first long ride when I went to adjust the forks when we got to some rough road. I would very much like Husqvarna to come good on this issue, it did have some bearing as to why I bought this particular bike. The 2007 I tested did have the adjustable front forks and I assumed the 2008 would as the literature at the time said it did.

If someone from Husqvarna reads this please come good on this and provide us with the adjustable forks we thought we were buying...

As a very potential customer for a SM610 I am very interested in the outcome here. I have a new Husky dealer (located inside the BMW dealership) in town and I really like the people/ service/ owner there, BUT I am going to hold off until they get themselves sorted. Husky may have made a mistake - HELL, even Honda does that - but I'll wait to see how they rectify it before I bite on thier bike.


Signed,

I WANT A HUSKY!



Cheers,
DR

I just got off the phone with my dealer about my new 610. Looks like next week now before my exhaust is in and I can pick it up. To my point here, while talking with him I asked him if he had heard anything yet about the forks. To my surprise he had a pretty encouraging answer.

He was told that they do indeed want to do something to make this right, but they just haven't yet figured out what. The dealer agreed with me that it would be costly to fix the forks and maybe it will be some other compensation they throw our way. Assuming this is true it looks like they will do something for us. I'd prefer fixing the forks myself, but I'm anxious to hear what's going to happen.

The news sounds good, but as far as I am concerned.... I want the forks fixed before I even pick up my bike. I dont have any interest in Husky
$ Bucks $ if there is such a thing so that I can go buy a T-Shirt or some wax. What do you guys think?

P.S. I just spent the last three hours riding my XT500 in the deep, nasty mud up here in Maine. Absolute Paradise to be back on the bike and it is pressing 60 degrees up here. The trails were literally flowing rivers, snow, mud.... more mud, no dry dirt anywhere. @ one piont in the ride, I had water up above my knees. My brother went down on his brand new XR650, but the old girl kept on going. Must say, the XT500 is one of the best bikes ever made.... I would post a picture, but I may tie someone's panties in a knot as it is an old Yamie, not a HooseVarna.... Keep the dirty side UP !

Once we are through this fork issue, lets start talking about "Maine THUMPAH 08", the first of the annual Husky rides up here in Maine.

The more I think about it, the more PISSED I get. Husky is doing this all wrong. They know they have a fundamental problem with the front end by virtue of this web site, inquiries by their reps AND by virtue of the fact that they changed their website midstream by removing any mention of fork adjustability, essentially covering their butts with future sales for the near-term. This problem is a month old, the new riding season has started and it's prime-time to buy a motorcycle. Husky has given NO DIRECTION to their dealers or reps. They should send a technical bulletin to ALL DEALERS, ALL REPS AND ALL CURRENT OWNERS, addressing the issue; good, bad or indifferent. They sold a bill of goods that was patently FALSE. HUSQVARNA USA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING???