2008 Husqvarna TE510

Freight Train

If the saying 'big is beautiful' has any truth to it then the Husqvarna TE510 is one spunky babe of the big bore bike world. Over the years the 510 has gathered quite a following and certainly sits up with KTM's 530 EXC as one of the most popular models in the 'man's bike' market.

2008 of course saw the TE510 hit the ground running with a new corporate owner in BMW, a fuel injected engine, 50 Marzocchi forks and an Arrow pipe. The revamp at least gave the impression that the Husky was now a step ahead of the KTM, which received more attention in some parts for its perplexing name change (from 525 to 530, although it's still only 510cc), than it did for any upgrades. At a stroke the Husky range grew in stature in 2008 and this has only served to confirm once again that the TE510 is one the best big bore buys on the market still.

The TE510 looks like its 450 and 250F cousins, if they had gone on a dose of growth hormones. It also feels bigger than the KTM 530 and this at first can be disconcerting. The Kato is fairly small between your legs and the Gas Gas 515 even more so. The TE however feels like a big bike and its weight is hard to ignore when you first mount up. There is a way to kick the bad vibes though and that's to fire it up and drop the clutch, because the TE was made to move and God help anything in its way.

The 510's engine has always been good and in 2008 it's gotten a lot more linear in its delivery. The bike still vibrates like its running on hexagonal wheels, but the power, which is delivered in large doses, comes on with plenty of feel and predictability. It doesn't just explode like its seeking martyrdom anymore. You get the feeling you'll only get into as much trouble on the TE as you allow. Have respect though, because if you ask the bike to bolt, it'll run like freight train and you'll find yourself hanging off the caboose.

The big bore market in Australia is pretty healthy. We like big pies, big beers, big sports and you guessed it; big bikes. The Husky 510 has been one of the most consistently well built bikes the formerly Italian company has ever made and it's certainly been a success for them on the race track as well as the trails.

There are however limits to what you can do on a bike that's breached the 500cc barrier and those limits are easily found wherever trees congregate in close fashion. Tight tracks aren't impossible nor are they something to be avoided completely, but if you let the Husky take you to where it wants to go, you'll find yourself on a long, open, twisty and undulating track that allows you to reach speeds that'll make the weak weep. The Husky will eat these types of tracks a metre at a time in quick succession. It corners well, it handles average trail mess nicely and is capable of going way too fast, but keeping it all in check in a fashion the Aprilia 550 can only marvel at. The TE has always been good and now it's even better.

Its downfall? The weight. Without bringing up the numbers, I can tell you it isn't the net weight of the bike that gets you; it's where it carries it. Much like the TE450, it's more top heavy than the competition and outside of its comfort zones its noticeable. Commit yourself and it'll stick a tight corner sweetly, but if you're too timid you won't get the best out of the 510.

The suspension was too harsh for where we were testing and the first 20 minutes was a ride through 'Armpumpsville.' The track we rode on had some tight sections, short steep hills and filthy rock shelves with the average speed being too low to have the boingers dialled so hard. We stopped and adjusted the clickers to allow for the conditions which made a positive difference and after only one more quick adjustment we were in a very happy place.

The 50mm Marzocchis are good and so is the Sachs shock. They should provide a happy medium for those looking to do a bit of trail pottering and those looking to win races. Our only concern would be with the seals in the Marzocchis, which have had a habit of self destructing in our long term TE450.

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SNED'S TAKE
Paul Sneddon likes the look of the TE510 - literally. He reckons it goes good too.

"My thoughts are that the Husky is a genuinely great trail bike for the 100+ kilo guy who can physically wrangle it, and likes to go fast in the open stuff. It's not the most agile or easy to manage bike on the market, but it's not meant to be. If you are a tough man who likes tough bikes, check out the Husky! And I still maintain that the Husky's are the best looking bikes on the planet - but tough men wouldn't care about that kind of stuff would they?"
- Paul Sneddon.