Husky TR650 - New Owners Stupid Questions Thread

First off I admit I have a motorcycle problem. Too many "Princess" says but she has many different tools in the drawer for kitchen work, bikes are no different I tell her. But I did manage to get her to agree on a Terra purchase as it will replace two other bikes, one Cagiva Gran Canyon (I still kept the other one) and my 2000 Husky TE 610E. The 610 has been reduced to mostly road work as my 2008 610 is a better machine off road so why keep it around when a new machine is calling? My first mistake was letting Jay Hall talk me into taking a Terra for a test ride. Like others have said, read the specs all you wish but a ride will sway you. Husky has done a great job keeping the weight low and centered plus I am still amazed at how smooth and effortless 70 mph is. This will be basically a street adventure machine for me but it will see some dirt roads and the occasional ATV path. I grew up on a Husqvarna so I have learned over the years that not all is perfect and I just assume that modification is just part of owning one. It has got better over the years but the Terra's price point means compromise in some areas. The first issue was to address the skid plate thing. I acquired a Husky skid plate as part of my keen negotiating skills upon purchase of the machine so in my head I paid $7000 for it but they threw in a new Terra with that deal. This is the stupid thread right? Here is what I came up with. Have I mentioned that I am but a simple farmer?


If you are thinking "Hey that looks like a piece of diamond plate" you would be correct. A 13 inch by 17 inch size to be exact but you will want an 18 incher if you decide to replicate. It will be obvious further on. Why diamond plate you ask? One, this is the stupid thread. Two, I had it laying around and three I have come to the conclusion that I spend too much money on motorcycles. I look around the shop at all the bikes, gear, luggage and related items and think how much shelter that investment could provide for the homeless or starving mouths it could feed. Closer to home my "Princess" deserves a new washing machine but I digress. I really need to rein in my spending and the Terra price point is a motivational theme for that. As I add more modifications keep this in mind. The clamps and plastic spacer blocks are items from the "Miscellaneous hardware" tote and steel stock from the welding bench.



The steel stock at the rear is why I say 18 inches is ideal as ultimately my plate was too short for the back frame mount bolt. Measure twice, cut once is a rule I always get dyslectic with. I bolted for now but when I feel comfortable with the final design I will most likely buy the local welder a six pack of Spotted Cow and turn him loose.



I added this wing to protect the plastic water pump housing from flying debris. If I tip it over on a rock or log this will not save the housing I know but my intent is to never get in that position.



You can see the clearance here for the oil line and drain plug. Much better than the stock setup and believe it or not it is rather stout. No, it's not Kelly's work but for me it will serve the purpose until the day that the perfect skid plate is produced that I can part money on. I will most likely not drill for the drain access. If I pull the front bolt out the plate will rotate low enough that I can drain without a mess.







The added width is going to help protect the brake related items on the right side. As I mentioned I grew up riding a Hooskavarna and this brake pedal is a shining example of cost savings compared to the usual Husky component quality. Good news I think it will bend way before it breaks. As you might have noticed from the pictures I was not happy with the lean angle and footprint the sidestand provides so it's Mr. Czechoslovakian hockey puck to the rescue.



I bought a dozen of these years ago for something like $7 and numerous of my bikes have or have had them attached. I drilled and tapped a hole in the bottom of the sidestand for puck security. I countersunk the bolt for a smooth footprint. On other installations I have never had a whoop induced sidestand deployment due to the added weight.



I have one of the second shipment machines so the sidestand did not auto retract but the need to be absolutely sure it was fully extended made me nervous. Since I knew I did not need much pin movement to be happy I simply cut off the top pin shouldered area that the spring resides in and welded a bolt on the front side of what was left of the pin. Now the stand snaps forward with authority and stays there. Me much happy. Next up is windshield fitment, heated grip and handguards installation and modifying some Dirt Bagz brackets for side bags. Stay tuned for some real stupidity.

Yes! In fact, there seem to be a few common parts between the F800GS and the Husky Terra.

Having both of them in my garage is both a blessing and a curse. I'm slowly robbing primo farkles from my F800 and migrating them to the Terra. :eek1

First, it was the side stand foot support. My Wunderlich wide foot pad was a perfect fit, as the two bikes share the identical kickstand. Today, I confirmed the two bikes share the exact same stock foot pegs…..which got me thinking (a dangerous thing lately). I wonder if my Touratech Adjustable Footpegs will work on the Terra?

That could be a perfect solution, if they did, as the TT pegs move down and forward which is exactly the improvement I need on the Terra riding position. So, let's find out.

Here is the TT peg on my Beemer



BTW…notice the rear brake pedal on my F800. It looks to be a very close fit for the Terra…..for an over-the-peg operation. Add that to My List for later investigation.

Stock peg on the Terra.



A bit wimpy and narrow, though not bad as some new bikes I've had in my life. Here's a side by side comparison:



The TT peg is about the same width (front to back) but is a fair amount longer (away from bike). Besides being adjustable downward/forward in four separate positions, this longer length would allow for a wider stance….more comfort & stability.

The stock peg is non-adjustable.



Notice carefully the height to the stock peg surface in relation to the rear brake pedal. Its higher than the brake. This creates a problem when trying to gain a positive advantage on the braking action with the foot. You have to reach too far downward to feel a solid engagement of the brake. Everyone has been blaming the rear brake pedal design (under the foot peg) with its long pivot action. I'm certainly no fan of this old-style design, but I've personally felt the bigger problem is the foot peg position versus rear brake pedal location. They are backwards from what they should be. The rear pedal should be even with, or slightly higher than the peg for proper engagement. Look at any bike you have where the rear brake action feels solid, and you will note this type of relationship.

The TT peg is perfect fit and you can see it mounted here in the lowest, most forward adjustment position (same as I had it on my F800).



See how the peg height is now equal to the rear brake pedal height. The difference may appear small to your eyes, but it is substantial to your foot…..when feeling for the brake.

There is only one modification that is needed to put these TT pegs into service on the Terra (well….I guess its optional, but I'm strongly recommending it): Cut the top part of the return spring off flush with some snips. This photo depicts the issue. It was the same thing on the F800.



That's all which really needs to be down to make them work well without poking you in the boot. You will need to use a new cotter pin on the back side of the peg's retaining pivot.






Now, let's look at the other side. Here's the Beemer install for reference (again).



That's my Wunderlich Adjustable Shift Lever…its been my favorite one EVER! Moving the peg forward in the mount shortens the gap between peg and shifter; thus, the need for an Adjustable Lever (to move it forward also). Unfortunately, this part is not a match to the Terra. The motor design of the left side case is different and this Wunderlich part will not work. I will definitely be on the hunt for one. The Touratech model for the Sertao is the only option I've seen to date.

Stock Terra peg, left side:





TT Adjustable Peg - farthest downward/forward position:









This longer peg also helped solve the "boot rubbing on the kickstand spring retainer" problem. It allows the foot to move comfortably away from the bike frame.

I took the bike outside for a test ride and shot a couple more pics in better natural lighting. Momma said you could never have too many photos.





I definitely like the riding position better. Its more comfortable on my knees when sitting down…..allowing the stance to be a little more open. My legs are not as curled up as they were with the stock peg position. This is a perfect example where a "little bit goes a long ways". It really feels good. I also like standing up on the wider platform, spreading my stance a bit over previous. It feels very natural for me, more like my normal stance on the ground.

BUT the biggest surprise was the rear brake. It suddenly feels just fine. I have plenty of pressure with very little movement of my foot….whether standing or seated. Problem solved! I even reconsider the need to change the pedal design from under to over the peg…..other than for "protection" reasons. Maybe I'll get that Motosportz skid plate after all.

AND, I really didn't have a problem shifting gears. There was still enough room to easily engage the lever with my size 9 boot. Though, I would still prefer an adjustable shift lever to move it a bit more forward.

These TT pegs are pricey, but they have served me well over the past 2 1/2 years on my F800GS. At least they didn't cost me anything new today (I'm keeping with the theme). Plenty of life left in them yet. Besides, what price do you put on comfort and problem solving. Its certainly worth consideration.

HF

Oh my......that's fantasticly stupid, 4-s-hsky! I love it. Especially the Hockey Puck fix.....spectacular.

Thanks for posting. Sorry to have posted right on top of you. I've had to go it along for a bit. So glad to have someone else join the mod-party. Bring it!

HF

Hey HF,

Great just as I suspected the pegs fit right over and as we already determined the side stand foot too.

That covers one part of ours so who's gonna make a skid plate and top rack???

Dave

If I buy a tr650 this is where I plan on buying it. I hear nothing but good things from bills

Superb engineering on the skidplate 4-s-husky.
Great job.
I kind of accomplished the same thing with both the motosportz and OEM plate---------I'm really happy with it.
You can't see it in this picture ------but the plate is well below the brake lever.




And HF-------------good stuff on the pegs. I had to snicker--------I've been robbing parts off my KLR.

BigDog

Well done, Mr High-Five :) I sold my F800Gs but thats what I suspected - gs parts mostly fit. Be careful with this brake lever - cant simply switch with F800GS...

If anyone do some change to their skidplates to cover those horribly naked lines with added side 'wings' - I for one would be more than interested to see that.

PS: getting my Terra come spring...

High Beam indicator idea....
I had a CB radio that had the brightest BLUE leds in it.
It was horrible.
I toned it down but a couple layers of window tint put in the frequency counter till I toned it down to where I wanted it.

PS I'd love to find one of theseengines to put in my LC4E frame.

I need a windshield. I am an old guy with circulation issues and fear of bug splats. Both my 610's have handlebar mounted screens so swapping one out was a natural choice for me. If there is one upside to the low cost bars on the Terra it is that they are old school 7/8 diameter all the way through making this install painless for me.





Bar mounted screens are not for everyone and yes the cockpit gets a little busy but in keeping with my theme of "I had it lying around" this works. The top of the screen is 13 inches from the top of the numberplate providing me lots of protection. I like versatility in my modifications and what I like best about this setup is that with the twist of two bolts the screen is off. This comes in handy when say you ride the Alpine Loop in mid July, then book it over to Moab when the temperature is 99 degrees on the White Rim Trail. Son, today these screens are staying at the hostel. Also you can see my Acerbis plastic handguards which are take offs from the Gran Canyon. When soybeans get back to $17 a bushel Cycra's will go on but these were "lying around". I have had many versions of grip heaters over the years and each one has had their high and low points. I felt I just had to try these Oxford units for testing purposes. I went with the better controller option which added even more $$$ to an already pricey system but I truly dislike cold digits and use grip heaters frequently here in northwest Illinois. I have only taken one 60 mile ride as the weather turned unpleasant but so far they work very well and heat up much faster than my wrap arounds or cartridge style on other bikes. A quick note on my bench supplies. Every hardware item I remove gets re-assembled with some product on it. If it could fall off and possibly kill me and is larger than a 6 mm then it gets one drop of blue Loctite. Anything else gets a little dab of Never Seize. Since I began this practice in 1983 I have yet to lose plastic or any attached item, never been injured by loose debris, never stripped or broke a bolt and have lost one radiator shroud bolt. Just my stupid philosophy. My electrical work required some deep thought. I have tapped into a circuit to add a relay on other bikes and lots of farm equipment but at some point during its life I regretted doing it. Corrosion, vibration, just my inept wiring skills perhaps would occasionally rear its ugly head and usually when a tester was not around. My grip controller has a LED indicator and I always remove my GPS at night so I chose to run fused power from the battery and do away with a relay circuit. Now if something goes wrong I have but two wires to look at and the risk of affecting a circuit on the bike is eliminated. Plus Husky did not make it easy to access a wire on this bike. I connected my power lead to the SAE connector from the battery tender lead so with a quick seat removal and unplug I can "Joker" proof a battery drain that some of the clowns I ride with find amusing. I should warn the un-initiated, you are going to need thick skin to ride a Husky. Enough deep thoughts, lets address that seat that us long legged riders deal with.




This is a seat pad I found in the bargain section of Wally World years ago and it has seen extensive use on many bikes. It has a waffle pattern in there and adds about 3/4 inch of seat height but more importantly for me it smoothes the transition on the stepped seat shape. I like to stretch out sometimes.



As you can see it is well worn and I use only the finest tarp grabbers that Farm and Fleet handles. I only use it on really long trips, say 200 miles or more.



This is how it looks attached. The rubber bands are from my daughters "Moon Walking Boots" she got for Christmas when she was 5 years old. Imagine an 8 inch piece of 10 inch PVC pipe with about 40 of these rubber bands strung across it. You strapped then on and you could bounce wherever you walked. There were 3 different strengths so as the child got heavier you could adapt. When she outgrew the devices Dad snatched up all those rubber bands and I use them repeatedly. She is 25 now but whenever I use one of these rubber bands I can still picture her bouncing through the living room saying "Look Dad, I'm on the moon!" But again I digress. Next up, stupid luggage options.

I was able to get out for a few miles yesterday despite icy spots. Could have used heated grips. Overall I'm lovin it. I was thinking the same idea about lower pegs. I want to change the bars. Needs a skid plate.......have to see what I got, may have to "cobble" something together........good ideas, keep em coming

Lots of naysayers over on that other thread. Like HF said "This ain't no KLR"..

We all need to carry things and the options are seemingly endless these days. I would love to have a set of Expedition Dry Saddle Bags but even when the brackets are produced I figure by the time the Big Brown Truck gets his share the setup is going to set me back almost $500. Don’t get me wrong, I love Eric’s products and he deserves every penny but I have a set of Dirt Bagz for the 610 and since I can’t ride two bikes at once there must be a way me thinks. An inmate had a set of Dirt Bagz brackets from a 630 Husky in the flea market I picked up. Since the 630 had dual silencers I figured these would be a good donor for my project as I knew their shape should allow me some wiggle room. That and much like High Five has his GS 800 nearby; I had my bracket-ized 610 to use as a reference. Some engineering was in order. I wanted to utilize the rear rack mounts somehow but seeing that the rack is recessed into the fender, creating a bracket there was to be difficult. That leaves the muffler mount point which became my focus. Needless to say (then why am I saying it?) there is not much room to work with but I did manage to create this bracket from 3/16 inch thick by 1 ¼ mild steel stock. This is a shot of one as it left the oven cured, hermetically sealed primer booth.



I wish I could fire off more dimensions but it was pretty much cut, weld a nut inside, bend, re-cut and re-bend until I was happy. In all reality, one could probably get by with 1/8 stock as it would be easier to bend, allow more clearance and I doubt strength would be an issue. The stock bolt was long enough, just turned it around. The passenger peg bracket is the front mounting point. On average both brackets were the perfect length but the right side was a bit short and the left side too long. This is how I chose to address the right side and the next photo shows my cut and re-weld job on the left. I cut a short length of ½ bolt to put inside any tube cuts. It really helps to strengthen the area and keeps the tubes centered. Both top tubes had to have a 2 inch section cut out to bring the brackets closer to the bike.



Here are the final installed brackets. If you look closely you may notice my farmer hardware clearance secret weapon. Where there is little room for a bolt head I use a grain elevator bucket bolt. Large flat head and they are stainless. I think they serve the purpose and about the only downside is if a passenger ever comes along these brackets are going to rub the inside of your foot a bit. You have been warned. If I need to remove them, four bolts out, two nuts on and they are off, easy peezy.










Here are bags mounted ready for a test run should the weather ever straighten out. Seems to have ample clearance from the exhaust but I will most likely mount my Giant Loop Hot Springs heat shields from my TE 450 Rollie bags when I have the Dirt Bagz on as extra protection near the front. They are not doing me any good sitting on a shelf I figure.










I have a Moto Fizz medium for multi day rides, a much worn Wolfman “Wolftail” bag for overnights and day to day use. The Marsee tank bag came off my Gran Canyon and could it speak it would tell many stories. Yep, lotta history in that ole bag and keeping with the thread theme now I am sounding stupid. This is a shot of the plate I use when the Moto Fizz goes on.



As you can see it gets used on a multitude of bikes and yes, is constructed of a material that is strangely similar to a rural road sign. Don’t ask okay? As my posts may indicate its pretty slow work wise here on the farm but I love to tinker with a new bike and this has been fun. If I ever get to ride more I am sure some deficiencies will arise. Like others in this thread I am looking forward to addressing them with my farmer ways. Oh and I really don’t have an oven cured, hermetically sealed paint booth, just a can of spray paint.

Man you have that thing ready for some serious traveling.
Your farmers workshed is 50 times bigger than mine---you can throw a big cat thru any wall of mine.

I think me and you are the only ones that have accomplished this that I know of.

That HF has some catching up to go-------he's probably got something up his sleeve.

I actually think I'm totally done with what I was going to do with mine. Now just need some good weather or go South-----and West.

I just thought of another thing I did to mine.
That rear fender holding the license plate really flops around in rough terrain.
HF has been jumping his-------I'm surprised it hasn't broken off.
I just removed that metal bracket that the license plate was bolted to completely----------it's really heavy and is at the very bottom.





Then drilled some holes in the plastic part of the fender up a little higher.
I never even used bolts-------wire ties will hold forever and a day.
Or-----"Till The Cows Come Home"--------which is much longer.

Thank very kindly Mr. S. Does my heart good to hear an encouraging word from such a respected individual as you. Love the license plate mod and all your other goodies.

Golly....:eek1.....what's not to LOVE about this guy?

I even own one of those Motofizz bags just like you do. Maybe I'll finally start using it.....if I can only find an unnecessary road sign in some Stupid place.

Rest assured BigDog, I'm a thinking things thru. Started polishing my Samsonite already...



RED ALERT: I found something I didn't like.





That there hose clamp to the left of the oil drain bolt (for the frame reservoir) has a sharp edge rubbing against the plastic radiator overflow container.


Not good….not good at all. I simply took the clamp apart and flipped it around as you can see here.





Potential issue resolved. You might better go check yours to see if it is rubbing the catch-tank like mine was.


AND something else. This here crank-locking bolt (beneath the oil filter housing) was a little bit loose on my engine. It was leaking a little oil around it. I was able to tighten the bolt firmly and stop the mess. You might better go check yours to see if it is weeping like mine was.



By the way, this is a very cool thing I like about BMW motors…..a crank lock. Great thing to have when you are checking valves and making clearance adjustments. Sure help keep your engine locked on the timing mark. You just need to find you one of them "official" all-thread lock-bolts specifically designed for the purpose. Well, if you do your own maintenance work that is.

HF

Wed when we open back up.. I enjoyed my days with the Terra, really great exhaust note too.. I am checking to see what the low seat runs and some other mods husky has and will post here.. I noticed at hi way speeds, it is probably the cleanest air naked bike I have ridden.. wonder if the tank scoops and line work that way? Everyone who has test ridden it loves it.. best analogy at the meet up "THAT thing is like a mountain bike with a engine"...

great write ups and pics, thanks guys!!

Steve Capitol bmw

This Husky sure looks the goods but I have a stupid question. At the moment I do a few organised weekend trail rides on a DRZ400, some single track motocross stuff but also a lot of farm trails , double track stuff ,rocks , grass fields etc
How much rough stuff would this bike handle compared to my DRZ

Try the other thread Chris - this is the owners stupid q thread.

Agree.....the other general topic Terra Thread is a better place to gain input on your question, chrispan. There is a multitude of endless bike comparisons over there....largely dominated by people who have not ridden a Terra yet. That's somewhat understandable, since the Terra is so new to the market. I simply encourage you to get a ride on one....soon.

We'll try to keep this Thread focused on specific questions and issues related to actual Terra owners. Maybe I should issue diplomas for people that graduate to this level.

I will share my advice regarding your question: It's the Rider, not the Bike!

I know people that can ride a 500lb F800GS thru places that others can't make it on a KTM 200exc. Rider skill, confidence, & experience are 75% of the equation, if not more. So, if I tell you that I can ride my Terra anywhere a DRZ can go, it doesn't necessarily mean you can....or that it's the best bike for you. I don't have a skid plate yet, so I haven't fully tested its offload capability. But, I can say the stability, handling, and motor characteristics all seem very favorable for having a good go of it "out there". Time will tell...

HF

Good timing, I have been pondering all of my mods for this new bike. I have a set of Dirtbags that I was thinking about using also. I also have a Giant Loop Great Basin bag that fits but I would like to go to saddlebags on this bike. So I appreciate your writeup. Not sure yet what I am going to do for mounts but this gives a good perspective of how they will look. Yes that upper mount is a tight fit.

I like your shop, a few loads of dirt and you could have an indoor track!