2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

[DirtyOldMan]

Originally Posted by K1W1

Another question for owners.

Headlight output.

I read one owner report (this thread?) that said the headlight was as good as a V-Strom and I read another online ride review that said it was pathetic. Seeing as it's dark in the northern hemisphere these days how do owners rate the light output?

That was me, I just sold my v strom after 7 years and it had the brightest headlight of any bike I've ever ridden.
I'd say the Terra's light is every bit of 90% as bright as the strom, conservatively speaking.

[K1W1]

Originally Posted by DirtyOldMan

That was me, I just sold my v strom after 7 years and it had the brightest headlight of any bike I've ever ridden.
I'd say the Terra's light is every bit of 90% as bright as the strom, conservatively speaking.

Thanks. I have a K7 Strom and I think that they have one of the best OEM headlight set ups around and if the Terra is near that I will be happy. I was some what disinclined to believe too much of the online review as it seemed to have been written by somebody who things all bike should be equipped with slicks and go everywhere at 100 mph.

[Ol'NumNuts]

:wagonpilot +1

Thanks for that review. In all I've read so far on the Terra I actually hadn't gleaned whether it would do the rough stuff or just dig its heels in, so to speak.

I really appreciated your comments in that regard.

Not that I expect to go single tracking... Just I have a habit of picking the track that got washed out or whatever... Perhaps I should say that if the going gets unexpectedly rough for a bit, with care you can pick your way through rather than turn- round with tail between the legs...

Lol. I give up, that still sounds lame...

Congrats and please keep posting as you develop your bike...

[wagonpilot]

of course the day after I bought it, we had a low of 9 degrees and a few inches of snow covering tracks. I will get some miles on it when it aint quite as cold. Maybe by the weekend it will get a little more mild.

Skid plate, Skid plate, Skid plate.... Mandatory if you plan to venture off the beaten path.

Did I mention a skid plate??

[treborbig]

Our terras arrive in Aus, W.A. next year and that skid plate wont be going on my terra .Have access to marine alu ,welder and press ,so orders taken Not really convinced yet tho .Had a well setup DR 650 which when done, cost bout same as terra and weighed less.Then i still have to buy booster plug, tweak suspension..{.emulators} and put decent tyres on . .OH and radiator protection .Also out bush we have a really low octane fuel called opal, does it need a diff fuel map for that ?Bout 90 91 octane .Stiil cant wait for demo ride cant beat good hoon on the demo.

[Butters]

Have you guys considered contacting Hyde racing? I plan to put a Hyde skid plate on my X-Challenge. It will be more than sufficient for my use and they are quieter than aluminum plates. It looks like they cover a lot of Husky models but I don't see the Terra listed yet.

[30Bones]

For those that are just worried about flying rocks maybe someone will come out with a composite unit that will deflect rocks, stay really light and still take the occasional log crossing. Plus it should be far cheaper.

[Aprilia]

Originally Posted by Butters

Have you guys considered contacting Hyde racing? I plan to put a Hyde skid plate on my X-Challenge. It will be more than sufficient for my use and they are quieter than aluminum plates. It looks like they cover a lot of Husky models but I don't see the Terra listed yet.

I don't know what the heck type of plastic Hyde makes their skid plates from but every one that I've owned (four) are tough tough tough. I'll take a Hyde product over any aluminum product I've owned.

[30Bones]

Originally Posted by 30Bones

For those that are just worried about flying rocks maybe someone will come out with a composite unit that will deflect rocks, stay really light and still take the occasional log crossing. Plus it should be far cheaper.

That's how behind the times I am, was not even aware Hyde's were a composite (plastic)

[RidingDonkeys]

Having just seen the TR650 for the first time this past weekend, I noticed the oil lines immediately. I have a tendency to fly my Bonnie down dirt/gravel roads, and have paid the cost on several oil coolers. I'm about to replace another.

The whole point of me buying a Terra is to go even faster down those roads, and with a lot less regard for the bike itself. Those exposed oil lines are in a very dangerous place.

[mario33]

Originally Posted by eakins

I was curiuos about this plate some more and see if it evolved into providing decent protection. I ended back at Cafe Husky and this is what Motosportz had to say.


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mario33 said: ↑

Looks promising, sturdy and well thought-out. One complain though - would it be possible to weld-in 'side-wings' to cover those exposed lines on both sides ? I presume mounting might be difficult then but with holes well-planned it might work...
--------------------------------------------------------
We could have done that but it would have added to the cost and given the mission for a 400 pound bike it seemed overkill. It would be real EZ to have sheet metal add on wings to roost protection added to the front. Once you see the plate on the bike in person you will see it has a lot more coverage than it looks like in the pix. Our main goal was substantial strength to protect the engine case and oil line.

Motosportz, Saturday at 8:16 A

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maybe you guys can convince him to offer up a few more expensive deluxe model that has front coverage. then he'll find what the market wants to buy...i'm betting the deluxe one.

You may find that we got further conversation on this:

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/tr6...s.29232/page-2

My voice:

I dont want to be poking my nose where I shouldnt, but maybe its worth to take alternative route ? You're making fantastic things for dirt/trail bikes but for dual-sporters you need to listen to users needs more I'm not an expert by any means, but I've been using true DS bikes for quite some time (some as heavy as 500 lbs dry).

First of all, I think that DS skid plate might by less sturdy/thick (as bottoming down on rocks or trees is less probable). On the other hand, protection against flying debris needs to be extensive. That involves side/front protection against stones being thrown up. Ie. the plate might be cheaper but still offer better extensive coverage.

Look at what Touratech usually does - in this case G650GS:



Your plate is MUCH better quality I suppose BUT I would still choose their plate. I will not be doing much heavy off-roading on this bike, but still I want it covered where it needs to be covered. And those exposed lines frighten me a lot... I believe 90% of DS users would say the same...

And, if its heavier by even 5 pounds, its nothing against bikes overall weight. It really makes no difference when the bike weighs 405 lbs instead of 400...

In general, I'm trying to convince him on alternative solution - lighter but with more coverage or just bolted-on side-wings. I think quality-wise his product is top-notch, the only thing is he needs some guidance on DS bikes (he was mostly focused on dirt bikes previously). He's worried about the costs and that nobody would buy it. Everybody's free to voice their opinion - go there and support me :)

[farp]

A few yrs ago I had a DR650 with a skid plate that had about the same coverage as the one Motorsportz is offering.We were 30 miles from nowhere on a gnarly, boulder strewn 2 track when my oil filter cap struck a rock and cracked, causing it to leak oil. Luckily one of the guys I was riding with had some JB Weld with him and we were able to use it to stop the leak. We drained enough oil from the other two bikes to get me out of there and it all worked out OK. But it would have been a disaster without the JB Weld. My assumption is that the Terra would be about the same as the DR650 off road so it's quite likely that the same thing that happened to my DR650 could happen to the Terra. I'll gladly pay the extra money for adequate protection but I'm not interested in paying one thin dime for a skid plate that doesn't give me the protection I need. I intend to buy a Terra in the next month or so and I'm definitely going to be looking for a good skid plate for it. Motosportz, I really like the look of your product and would buy one in a heartbeat if it gave full protection, but as it stands right now it doesn't and I'm not interested in spending money on something that won't do the job. When you consider how much money you're going to be investing in this bike trying to save a few bucks by buying a skid plate that doesn't completely do the job is just nuts as far as I'm concerned.

C'mon Motorsportz, do it right!

John

[Cruz]

Originally Posted by eakins

there is also AXP (French company) making plastic skid plates (high-density polyethylene). Moose is the importer in the US.
contact Moose and they'll see what AXP has planned. I've heard very good things about these plates. They are bomber for rock protection, lighter than alum. and do not reflect any noise upwards like alum. plates.

http://en.axp-racing.com/p/Gp-skidplate-778.html
http://rickramsey.net/CRF250Lmods.htm#skidplate
http://www.mooseracing.com/products/...oductId=114453

Acerbis is also real big on plastic skid plates.
http://www.acerbis.com/skid-plates.p...id_categoria=9

I have an AXP on my Berg and it is an excellent product and the owner of the company Pierre Dugardin in France is excellent to deal with. I previously had a Hyde on my XChallenge and it was good, but no where near the quality of the AXP.

Can most definitely recommend any alloy plate that Stephan will make for this bike. http://www.bashplates.de/BMW-G-650-X...untry:::1.html

[K1W1]

Originally Posted by treborbig

Our terras arrive in Aus, W.A. next year

They arrive in NSW and Vic next week I can't see why PFG won't be sending a few over to WA as well. You should have them before Christmas.

[K1W1]

Originally Posted by Butters

Have you guys considered contacting Hyde racing?

I would be interested. I have a Hyde plate on the Strom and it's great for the use I put the Strom to.

Hyde already has plates for several Huskies. I'm going to send them an email this morning.