Launch report: 2011 Husqvarna range

If someone has a direct line to the weather Gods, can they please pass on their details to the Gold Coast-based Paul Feeney Group (PFG), Australia’s Husqvarna distributor?

Quite unbelievably, for the second year running a scheduled Husqvarna national media launch has been effected by excessive rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. To say it’s caused a few anxious moments is a massive understatement.

Last year PFG improvised by moving the launch’s location a few hours up the road, but that was small fry compared to this year’s gut-busting reload: the event was shifted from the rain-lashed Kyogle (NSW) to Braidwood, about a 45-minute drive from Canberra! And all locked in over a 24-hour period.

It was a gargantuan effort, but when we turned up at the launch site in Braidwood it was for all intents and purposes business as usual: a number of enduro loops freshly cordoned off, and the full suite of two and four-stroke enduro bikes gleaming under the Husqvarna annex.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The bikes represented at the launch were the two-stroke WR250 and WR300, as well as the three TE four-strokes: the 250, all-new 310 and 630.

And the supermoto SM630, which shares the same engine as the TE630, was also thrown in for good measure, and I was able to take that for a short but intense blast on some superbly sinuous blacktop late in the day. Keep an eye out for SM630 and TE630 quick spins over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the new breed of 450s -- the TC449 and TE449 -- and the TE511 weren't at the Braidwood launch, but we expect to ride those by the end of the year.

The TE250, which shares the same 22kg ‘X light’ engine as the TC250 motocrosser, has received a number of tweaks for 2011, including a new silencer, CDI with dual selectable maps, airbox, suspension settings and handguards. The tank is now 8.5 litres, up from 6.2.

And because the TE/TC250 is such a compelling unit, the TE310 also now has the same engine, but with a bigger bore and stroke of 82.0mm x 57.3mm to lift capacity to 302.44cc. The 2010 TE310 was 297.66cc with its 83mm x 55mm dimensions.

The throttle body on the 310 is the same as that on the TC250 -- a 45mm Mikuni, compared to a 42mm unit on the TE250.

The exhaust system is specially designed for the 310 and, as in the other models, has a new heat protection on the silencer. The bike is 6kg lighter than the previous version, and now tips the scales at 106kg.

Otherwise the ‘Middle Earth’ TE310 has the same features as the TE250, with the new reinforced chassis, new Grimeca hubs, a Kayaba 48mm fork (replacing Marzocchi), and Sachs shock absorber. Fuel capacity is also 8.5 litres and there’s the dual mapping, too.

The changes on the WR250 and WR300 are relatively minor compared to their TE brethren, but the two-bangers do have revised suspension settings and the new Ducati Energia ignition is claimed to increase power and torque, as well as stamping out the old ‘hole’ between 3500 and 4500rpm.

Pricing on the 2011 models is as follows:

WR250 -- $9995
WR300 -- $10,495
TE250 -- $10,795
TE310 -- $11,495
TE630 -- $11,995
SM630 -- $12,495

The TE250 and TE310 will go on sale next month, and the remainder are all available now. Contact your local Husqvarna dealer for a test ride.

ON THE TRACK
The WRs are thrill-a-minute tearaways: pure and simple. I initially found it a bit of a horror show to harness all those fast-twitch fibres, but I eventually got used to it and started to ride ‘properly’.

There’s no doubt that seriously capable off-road riders will get the best out of the WRs, as the heady mix of performance and nimble handling presents an extremely compelling argument and a level of exhilaration that’s hard to match.

That said, I’m no off-road firebrand and, even allowing for the fact that I probably only effectively harness about 40 percent of available power, the WRs still offer a level of engagement that gets the competitive juices flowing – well at least it feels like that. That’s the obvious sign of an attractive package.

The harmonious marriage between the chassis, engine and suspension is what does the trick for the WRs, and – yep I’ll say it again -- the trump card is the fizz from the two-stroke engine. Sometimes it’s just so damn difficult to resist the temptation to open up the taps, as if nothing else it tops up the ‘manly’ juices.

As bold and daring as the WRs are, the TE310 is the pick of the bunch for me, because it’s still light enough to throw around in the tight stuff, feels slender, handles beautifully, and has the performance to carry off everything from on-the-limit antics to lazy trail riding. Fast, nimble, balanced and fun are four words that immediately spring to mind.

And the enhanced engine braking means that corner set-up doesn’t have to be such an exacting affair as it does on the WRs, which doesn’t place so many stresses on technique. And for those who only enjoy the occasionally trailride, that’s a good thing. Just get back on and ride, with minimal ‘distractions’.

As soon as I jumped on the 310, my off-line excursions were immediately cut to a minimum without doing anything ostensibly different.

The Kayaba/Sachs suspension blend works well, as so often in these hybrid situations changes to one end leave riders with niggles at the other.

But not in this case, and there’s no signs of unsteadiness to report – at least at my workmanlike trailriding pace.

One gripe I do have is that I reckon the footpegs are a little too small, and quite a few times my size 10 boots lost traction.

But the ergonomics on both TEs are sweet. There’s plenty of room in the cockpit, with nice and wide pad-less bars to complete the agreeable accommodation.

I spent a lot of the day toggling between the two riding maps on the TE310, which is as simple as holding down the ‘mode’ button on the left-hand side of the handlebar for about 3-4 seconds. That can even be done on the fly.

The first map, which also doubles as the default mode, is the full power setting, while the second produces the same bottom end but is a tamer in the mid-range and top end.

In really tight terrain, the difference between the two modes is negligible, but that disparity becomes more pronounced as the trail opens up.

The power dynamics are very similar for the TE250, although I reckon the tamer bottom end on the quarter-litre machine makes it feel a bit too ‘doughy’ when it’s in the mode two. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as there’s still the full-power tributary to fall back on, which is a nice position to be in.

Like KTM’s 350SX-F in motocross, the TE310 offers an attractive middle ground for enduro riders, and PFG obviously believes it’s onto a winner too as we’re likely to see the bike compete in the 2011  Australian Off-Road Championship in the hotly contested E2 class. And there will also be a presence in the E1 (TE250) and E3 (WR300) classes, too, with an announcement on its riding roster expected in the next few weeks.

I for one will be watching on with keen interest, as the TE310 has certainly given Husqvarna a real shot in the arm. To see it in full combat mode will be something else again, but for the less adept it’s still a magnificent enduro bike.

GEAR WORN ON TEST

Click on the following link for more information on the Shift apparel.

Photos: Paul Feeney Group

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel single tube cradle
Front suspension: 48mm Kayaba fork with compression and rebound adjustment adjustment, 300mm travel
Rear suspension: Sachs shock absorber with rebound, compression and preload adjustment, 260mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 260mm wave discs with twin-piston caliper
Rear brakes: 240mm disc with single-piston caliper
Wheels: Light alloy -- front 1.60 x 21, rear 2.15 x 18
Tyres: Pirelli, front 90/90-21, rear 120/90-18

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Trail: 106mm
Claimed wet weight: 106kg (without fuel)
Seat height: 950mm
Wheelbase: 1470mm
Ground clearance: 290mm
Fuel capacity: 8.5 litres

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 38hp at 9500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 29.6Nm at 8200rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $11,495
Colour: Red/white/black
Bike supplied by: Paul Feeney Group (www.husqvarnamotorcycles.com.au)