2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

I had some hope that with the Marelli EFI speced that it might not be THAT much a BMW

Why don't you all just wait patiently and find out the truth instead of all the speculation and doom. The model release and full tests etc must be close all over the world in the next month or so.

Funny thing about all this talk of how bad this bike might be is that many on here have BMW 650's (including myself) that have never had a problem with the engine nor the fueling. My '01 Dakar has almost 50K miles on it and is well abused and it has never been into the dealer for a fueling or engine problem- actually has never been into the dealer period! I have never doubted the bike and will take it anywhere.

If this new Husky is anything like the the F650 singles, I predict very few problems with engines or fueling. Oh, 60-70 mpg is nice too... I am looking to get one of these to go with my TE450. I looked at the 630's, but the maintenance kinda scared me off for what I want out of a 600+ single in the way I use it. I have a dirt bike and want the bigger bike to handle the road as well as dirt but reliable to take it anywhere including somewhere with no dealer support.

My $.02 anyway

Wow, there for a minute I almost got sucked into all that doom and gloom. Thanks for the real world owners perspective on the EFI system mattomoto.

I like your thoughts and experience with the DR650-and actually, as my good friend who has one says, he is pleased they have yet to update it due to its simplicity and huge range of aftermarket options.

This bike should be more reliable than any Husky has been as of late due to the Terra's motor (in BMW flavor) has proven itself as a round the world, high mileage, stone reliable engine.

IMO the Husky dealer network has been weak since the eighties . One would think (or hope) that this Terra, which looks to share so many BMW parts- that a BMW dealer would be another source (or not?).

Now if the DR's frame was modernized...like maybe squeeze it into a modern RMZ frame with a big tank and more electrical power output-that would be sweet.

FWIW I believe there are 2 types of BMW ownership experiences.

One where the bikes have very few or no issues, the owners love them and rack a lot of miles up on them.

Another were the bikes are plagued with issues and the owners hate them.

I know owners in both categories, and my experience was unfortunately in the latter one.

I think that is true with any maker/model though it seems reading through threads on Beemer's, Huskys, KTM's etc... I think this also applies to cars, bicycles and just about any mechanical device.

I understand completely. I'll never own another KTM, Buell or Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I hate them. Ironically, I still own a KTM. Hopefully, not for long! I'd like to give Husqvarna a shot at me hating them too!

I guess they just wanted to build something that appealed to a larger base & actually sell some volume. I've been ridding since '74 & always check out a bike (no matter what it is) in the wild. I don't think I've seen ten 610s & 630s (combined) on the streets or in the woods, in my entire life. I've probably seen 40 KLRs this year.

I love the KLR but, am painfully aware of its flaws & am SUPER stoked about the 650 Terra. If there was a Husqvarna dealership somewhere in the next county (or the one after that) I'd probably get one but, an out of state pilgrimage to a dealership is too much for me.

I have no doubt the 610 & 630 are great bikes but, I'll be shocked if the 650 Terra doesn't break sales records for Husqvarna. Sad days indeed.....

I doubt you'll see many or any of these either. Especially because bmw dumped a lot of small dealers because they wouldn't buy huge quantities, that's what happened to the dealer in Kansas City that was a Husky dealer since the early '70's. What bmw should have done is put their money into marketing and racing and development AT Husqvarna, they had good to great bikes. Their problem was always the business management to and resources to get the products to a wider market. The seem to have bought Husky to rebadge the 450 enduro flop, the 650 X-flops and build a 800 streetbike. AndI know of 5 TE610/630's in my area and the nearest dealer is an 8 hour drive away. And again when the 630 was prices nearer where it could have been it sold out faster than you could find one.
If cheap is all it takes to make people want a bike I here there's a company named Kymco that makes some cheap ones, oh that's right they already make engines for bmw/husky...sad days indeed.


("every time I think i'm out the drag me back in")

I've seen a grand total of two Husqvarna motorcycles in my area (Mid-Atlantic). One TE610 at a local Honda dealer. It was on consignment and I tried seriously to buy it. They never returned my email and didn't accept my $1800 offer on the TE when I was in the shop. The bike was a 2000 model that the owner was asking well over book on it. The bike needed a lot of work.

The other Husky was a new TE630 that I also seriously looked at. Decided to wait and see where that model was headed. Glad I did.

No

Well said (except for the typos ).

Personally I had high hopes, but low expectations when BMW bought Husky. Unfortunately, it seems that BMW is going to kill the brand with their attention. Just like KTM is killing Husa.

Lets face it, purists will tell you Husky hasn't been a real Husky since they sold to Cagiva. Its not like BMW is closing some Swedish factory and moving Husky's engineering/production to the Great Germanic Empire. The bloodline was diluted back in the 80's and last I checked, that Italian factory in Varese has been keeping pretty busy as of late.

Back to the Terra - I kinda like the homage paid to the Husky 'H' in the pipes.

Has anyone had experience or know much about Marelli's EFI?

If anything, this new Husky platform sure has stirred the pot.

I'm continuing to think hard about getting one of these for my road bike. I love my TE630 and it does fine on the highway, but valve shims every 5 to 7K, and a cam chain and gear every 12K is something to think about. The clutch spring cups will need attention too, but hopefully only once. Vibration at speed is a bit much too. The TR looks very good to me for long adv rides and gravel roads, but things like that brake lever hanging below the peg and engine are just bad design. Someone needs to figue out how to raise the rear brake master cylinder and get the brake pivot point up in conjunction with a new over-the-peg lever. Even with the low suspension travel I know that sooner or later I would snag something on the stock lever, or wipe it out completely. Are we now trying to make this bike something it's not?

Lots of good pros and cons and thoughtful discussion here. I keep on thinking about lots of road miles, but there has to be the ability for a little adventure too. My TE already feels heavy for some things but it's something I can deal with. What, save the money and use it to maintain the TE engine? Seven thousand dollars would take care of a lot of cam chains and valve shims, and maybe one of Woody's Cush Hubs! Lastly, I go to sleep at night with a prayer that Yamaha will bring out a big bore WRR!

Undecided......Yet

I'm a big fan of the later and would love for others to see the sense in it so more people will vote accordingly at the dealerships. Putting more into it in this segment can easily mean getting twice the life over the difference you paid and of course over the life of that vehicle you are enjoying it more as well.

Exactly what I was looking for,, I spent a couple of hours on the TE630 thread yesterday, thought that maybe I needed to reconsider the bike.. same ammount of hate from Husky owners on the 630 vs the 610 for 15-20 pages.. then morphed into how to fix all the problems. The Rotax engine in the new 650 is smooth on the highway and known for going 50k miles or more with zero maint needed other than oil changes. As for the earlier complaint about BMW FI??? never heard that in any of hte BMW threads I follow.. bad suspension, yes, crappy final drive, yes.. but bad FI .. never. I still wish the bike was a better G650X though

Are you in W. Kansas? Dunno how many are aware Donnells in Independence is now a Husky dealer.FWIW.

Help me understand, I've been trying to find out where these Rotax engines are made. Is that what you mean by Kymko? I heard the 449 and 511 engines were made in Taiwan but thought the Rotax were of Euro origin.

I realize this bike is absolutely not anything like the 610 but its starting to look like it would fill a need for me. I've heard nothing so far to scare me off..........unless they're made in China. I will not ride a Chinese motorcycle.

I don't know this for 100%, but I'm not even sure they are Rotax. Definitely the same design, but now assembled in China. What I don't know is if Rotax ships the pieces and they are assembled there or if Rotax just sold the design and Kymco or Loncin manufactures and assembles the engines in China. (I'm also assuming they are coming from the same place as the BMW G engines).

The BMW X bikes had Rotax engines in 2007. Then from 2008 on (I think), to later include the G650GS, the bikes were assembled in China. I'm sure somebody has more particular details, but I am almost certain it isn't a European Rotax. That being said, there don't seem to be any new issues since the switch to China AFAIK.

Edit: Couldn't find anything definitive, but it appears the G bikes engines are assembled by Loncin in China using parts made by Rotax. I assume the Husky is the same way.

The bikes are not assembled in China. The engines are manufactured by either Kymco or Loncin. Not sure, if they assemble them or not. With Asian manufacturers you get what you pay for. Want quality? That will cost you more and they are easily able to build quality products. Kymco makes a very good product. They use German machines and standards. The Germans made sure of that.