Any TE450 or TE510 owners here?

I think I have a new all in one dream bike, and was curious if any TE450 or TE510 owner care to share their insights/words of caution to the rest of us. I like the 6sp e-star w/kicker backup, and the 250ish lbs and all with a plate. That is just awesome, and the price ain't bad either. Not sure about the whole fuel injection part though. Let's here what you have got to say.

I've got an 06 TE510, regeared for more friendly pavement duty, a few protective parts & a 3.9 gal tank. I love it, for my needs its perfect. weighed on bath scale under skidplate with a full tank of gas it was 305 lbs. No idea on the new 08 injected ones though, but if you check the Husky forum on Thumpertalk, new 08 owners can chime in.

P.S. there was a TE510 & a TE450 that went cross country on the TAT last year. No issues to speak of cept that I was suppose to be part of that ride & couldn't

Thanks for chimin in Ruffus. Saw you in the Husqvarna TE 450 - Info needed thread.

Did these guys do any kind of a ride report with photos, you could give us a link too?

I wish, only report from them was adding a wee bit on to a RR from other guys who rode the TAT & they met on the way. I could be wrong & just missed it. But I did search for quite a while & came up empty. My minds a little fuzzy & lost all PM's while we were planning it, guys names were"LOUGE", "SHERPA", & Norm" can't recall his forum name

Puffy, thanks for the info. For the $200 difference, the 510 seems like a no brainer. Do you DS your bike much? My XR400 is plated, and aside from the knobbie vibes, is a real joy on the street. What are the vibes like in the butt, bars, and pegs (motor wise)? I find that the XR is not nearly as vibey as a lot claim it is, and have no issues doing all day in the saddle (cept the seat gets old after a few hours). I also have a 95 YZF, and it is a great bike too, but not nearly as fun as the XR. I could only imagine how much more fun I would have on a lighter bike with more power and a 6spd. I haven't outgrown the XR, but the Husky looks real nice on paper. I am curious what it's like in the SM version.

I have been using mine for commuting & only pavement commuting because of a lingering injury. Regeared to 15\48 from the factory 13\50. It rev's about 5800 @ 60 mph, redline is 10500 rpm. Most of my commute is @ 55 to 60 mph for 30 miles each way. No issues in 1800+ miles. My valves are still in spec, but I'll be shimming them to the outer limit of spec just for piece of mind.. & They're very easy to check & adjust.
The factory TE610 rack or even the PMB rack can be adapted to the 510. Factory headlight sux, I put on a Buell assembly thats a major improvement @ reasonable cost. The seat ain't comfy, but after a week of daily commute my butt adapted
Adding secondary rim locks front & rear smoothed out over 40 mph hop, it now rides as smooth as a DOT knobby can.

P.S. 06 & up TE 510 has a cush clutch assembly, I don't know about earlier models

Found a small link with some pic's of Louge's TAT trip
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5334522#post5334522
hope it works

P.S. hope you don't mind Louge

I admit to owning a TE 510!!!

My bike has been extensively modded for true dual sport use:



Photo at sea level crossing into Death Valley in April.

I bought the bike used, so not sure how many miles/km on it in total. I have put 5300 km on it now, about 50% off road and 50% on. It also takes me to work everyday in Vancouver, about 70 km round trip all on pavement.

Here are the troubles I have had to date:

Clutch slave cylinder failed, needed a replacement. May have been my fault, as I had been running drug store mineral oil in the hydraulic system. It was fun to be able to say my bike ran on laxatives....

Radiators had a couple holes and caused bike to overheat. My fault, or maybe the previous owner's. I don't know what caused the holes, they are fixed now.

Oil leaking from a breather hose on the right side of the engine. Finally fixed with a rubber spacer and some high temp silicone.

When loaded with gear, the bike likes to fall over on its side. Crappy kickstand design. Oh well, now I carry some cord to tie it up to trees, rocks, signs, other bikes etc.

Honestly I wish the transmission was wider ratio. Lower first gear, higher 6th.

I would get one again in a second.

Its not the most comfortable bike for long distances. Whatever. 1.5 months ago we completed a long off road tour, and ended up with 700 km of pavement at the end to get back to the truck. No problems highway cruising at 90 kph, but the seat was beginning to hurt! Finally put the bag I had been using to carry drinking water on top of the seat, sat on that, problem solved.

Should we have a TE 450/510 owner's sign-in thread, in imitation of the 610 thread???

Brian

Can't comment on the FI, as I have an '07. Have not heard anything bad about it tho', and have heard that it has been on one of the models in Europe for a year or two. I think the TE610, but can't say for sure.
I have an '07 TE450 Euro. My take on the bike is this: It is a racebike with a plate. I use it to connect trails and ride AMA Dual-Sport rides, but in my opinion it would not make a good DS/Adventure bike. The 6 Sp gearbox is good off-road, but limits the bikes top speed quite a bit on road. That is unless you don't mind revving the guts out of your bike riding down the road.
I had to make some 'adjustments' to the bike after buying it. I suppose all bikes are a bit like that and require the owner to 'personalize' them, but a few things should have been corrected at the factory in my opinion.
It's fast, it's responsive, and it gets traction like nothing I've ever ridden. The TE450 has a bit of a hit which makes it a blast to ride, but does not make it a handfull in tight stuff.
Mine came from the dealer as the most perfectly jetted bike I've ever ridden. It makes close to 50hp. Off-road the bike's a stud. On road, for speeds over 50 mph or so, the TE610 would probably be a better choice. But that would be a personal opinion, as it's all in what you like and need.
My TE is the best bike I've ever ridden, but it's not quite perfect.

Thats what I want for my next bike(te450).Have been looking at them for a while now.Hopefully now that BMW owns them,we will get a dealership around us.I guess I will try and sell the KTM to Tim,sounds like you already have your mind made up,so I guess you don't want to buy it.I have to admit,I will keep the KTM for 2 or 3 more seasons.

You just bought the damn thing. You barely have 6 rides on it, and last I heard you loved it. GET OFF MY TRAIN!

Here is Louge. He rode on my offroad route at the ADV Eastern Rendevous 2 weeks ago. His is the 510.





And here is Sherpa who was along for the ride also on his TE450.

I'm seriously hoping I can make it next year, I've missed out on a lot of great rides over the last 2 years. I take it all levels of experience are covered in this ride?

I've got a new 08 TE510 and am very impressed with the bike.

Stock gearing of 13/47 will put you over 90 mph and quickly.

For dual sporting you can easily swap in a 14 or 15 tooth counter.

Did 230 day ride last Saturday with the 14/47 gearing and could idle along on the pavement sections at 55 to 60 mph. Offroad dirt roads that were curve-less I cruised at 60 to 65 mph. Fuel economy was ~ 40 mpg for the entire ride which included pavement, dirt road, fire road and double track. I also exercised the throttle and approached mid 80's multiple times.

Yesterday I stuck the 15 tooth on and could easily cruise along at 65 mph on the interstate at RPMS not much above lugging speed.

The only negative I've experienced is the saddle for extended duration riding while seated on one spot and limited fuel supply with the stock FI tank. I've added a front Acerbis .8 gallon tank on the rear sub-frame to extend my range which is ~100 miles in dual sport mode as a substitute until a larger dessert tank hits the market.

The front light is the same problem found on the TE610/

For fast offroad throttle action .it is a dream come true..

BTW, this TE510 has the power up kit with Arrow exhaust, revised fuel mapping and throttle stop removed. Valve check was done at 600 miles and required NO adjustment what so ever.

some photos

I've got an 07 TE 450. 3900 miles. More street miles than I planned but its been nothing to maintain. Change oil, clean filter, change tires. This bike will surely pull taller gearing. Husky has changed that every year as far as I can tell. The 07's came stock 13-50. A 15 up front takes maybe 3 minutes with chain adjustment. I think this year they nailed it with the 47 rear. Get the 13 and 15 front and you are on the same chain with lots of flexibility.

Great Bikes.... I can't comment on the EFI because mines an 07. I have about 310 hours/8200 miles on mine without a single problem, all I've done is normal maintenance. If you have any specific questions ask away.

Hey Ruffus... No I didn't do a TAT ride report cause I'm not much with words, but all my pics are here. Louge has posted a few of them around, but there are about 200. https://sherpa.smugmug.com/gallery/3325818_DaCb5#185124053_x7Bei

Looks like an epic ride. Where did you start from? Someday......

Hi Robert, thanks for the link. I see I missed an epic ride
Hopefully I'll be able to make it in the next year or two. I know my Husky's ready willing & able

C+ skill level at least would be wise. Here are the pics from the ride with Loam Hill coming up first at only 20 miles in...you be the judge of your own skill level for this stuff. I'm the dude with the Confederate patch on the back of my vest.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=343017