Husky's alive with five
By TMX Archives on 15th Sep 06
"IF they're not broke, don't fix 'em!" is the approach Husqvarna has taken with their 2007 TE and WR enduro line-up as the Italian marque have rolled out 'lightly modified' versions of their existing woods racers a line-up that once again includes two two-stroke and three four-stroke machines.
With new models expected to be used by the Husqvarna enduro race team next season before going into production in '08, the biggest, and most noticeable, change to the five-bike-strong '07 enduro range is their striking new red and black livery. With Husqvarna's MX models having reverted away from the yellow and blue colour scheme and back to the more traditional Husky colours for this season, the '07 enduro models now follow suit ensuring the entire Husqvarna off-road range now looks the same.
Sticking with their tried and tested 125cc and 250cc two- strokes, Husqvarna are squeezing one or two more seasons out of their existing 250cc, 450cc and 510cc four strokes.
With only minimal changes made to each of the '07 machines it is little surprise that they feel all but the same to ride as the '06 models they are replacing, which being honest, on the most part is a good thing. With the Husqvarna factory deeming that only one change was needed for the WR125 and WR250 - a new rear brake master cylinder, the bikes feature all but identical engines, chassis' and suspension.
All TE four-stroke models are fitted with a new automatic decompression system, which is designed to ensure both kick and electric starting is much easier. Each of the four-strokes also have revised suspension settings while all the '07 Husqvarna bikes stick with the tried and tested Marzocchi fork and Sachs shock combination.
Words and Pictures: JONTY EDMUNDS
THE bike that has brought Husqvarna the most success in recent seasons is the WR125. Having recently claimed a day win in the '06 WEC Enduro 1 class the '07 production version, despite only a handful of improvements over the previous model, is still an enjoyable and competent enduro bike and by far Husqvarna's most competitive E1 class offering from Husky.
Not as powerful as KTM's new-season eighth-litre bike, Husky's 125 nevertheless still mixes a well-mannered and stable chassis and forgiving, if a little soft, suspension combination with a smooth, free-revving motor, which combine to give a great user-friendly package that a rider of any level can get the most out of. Although the suspension could do with being a little firmer, especially for bigger riders, the bike is still a competent little performer.
Husqvarna's second E1 class machine - the TE250, is still night and day different to ride when compared to Husqvarna's 125. Where the 125 is alert and responsive the 250cc thumper is a more slow-revving, small bore thumper, which is great fun when out on the trails but lacking in get-up-and-go when used in a competitive E1 class environment.
With KTM having upped the anti with their new 250cc four-stroke, and with Yamaha's all-new WR250F out soon, Husqvarna's quarter litre thumper is much more of a work horse than a race horse.
Just as in the E1 class, Husqvarna's best Enduro 2 class machine is a two-stroke. With their twin-cam TE450 a bike that feels simply too powerful for a serious woods machine, the WR250cc two-stroke is both as dependable as always and a bike that, like the 125, can be enjoyed by riders of all abilities.
With the suspension supple and forgiving on the WR250 the motor allows its power to be put to the ground in a way that makes it extremely easy to drive out of flat turns - like a good 250cc two-stroke should, and with a controllable top-end can be ridden as hard as needed.
On the flip side the TE450's power hits hard shortly after the mid-range and seems too powerful for an enduro bike - especially when traction is limited. With its power usable until the mid-range, short-shifting to get away from the hit, rather than revving the bike out in every gear, proved to be the easiest way to ride the bike. While extremely powerful, the bike isn't as easy to use as some of its competitors, which when added to a front wheel that didn't feel as well planted as it should be when exiting tight turns made for a bike that isn't all that easy to get comfortable with.
Despite its motor being only 50cc bigger than the TE450, the TE510 is an all together different machine to ride. With a much smoother power delivery the way in which the bike behaves when ridden is also completely different. Despite also being extremely powerful the motor feels more progressive in its delivery and the complete bike is much easier, and enjoyable, to ride.
WHILE Husqvarna haven't introduced any new models for 2007 the Italian manufacturer do have new four-stroke models being developed at present while at the same time confirming that they won't be developing any new two-stroke engines due to ever-tightening EU emissions legislation.
With Malaysian car manufacturer Proton having opted not to continue their investment in the MV Agusta group, of which Husqvarna is a part, Italian investment company GEVI stepped in at the start of the year with financing and are keen to push the Husqvarna brand in particular.
"Proton are no longer involved in the MV Agusta group as they stopped their investment at the beginning of the year," explained Husqvarna's Racing Activities Coordinator Martino Bianchi. "There is now a financial group named GEVI, based in Genoa, which have invested in the company. It means that Mr Castiglioni is still the president of the MV Agusta group but there is a new CEO, Mr Antonio Di Pasquale.
"There is a lot of investment going on in all the brands but the GEVI Company thinks that Husqvarna can grow a lot. As a result 60 per cent of the money that they are putting into the MV Agusta group is going directly into Husqvarna, so things are looking good. Husqvarna is producing 15,000 units a year at the moment and the goal is to continue this while building year on year.
"We would like to produce 10 per cent more machines next year. At the moment 50 per cent of the bikes Husqvarna produce are Supermoto bikes with the other 50 per cent a mixture of Enduro and Motocross. Motocross is a very small niche for us today, probably about 10 per cent of the bikes we manufacture, so we will look to strengthen out position in the enduro market, while continuing to produce motocross machines."
"We have many new plans going on at Husqvarna," he explained. "One of which is our new 250cc four-stroke engine. We also have a project running to develop and build a new 450cc engine and bike for both enduro and motocross, which will be a twin cam engine. We also have a new dual sport engine coming soon, which will be over 600cc.
"This engine will be used for a large Supermoto and a "Touring" enduro bike. We are also working with our 125cc two-stroke and we want to enlarge the Husqvarna range. We want to come back with mini-bikes as we feel they are really important to introduce the kids to the Husqvarna brand at an early age.
"All our four-stroke bikes are now Euro 3 homologated. With the two-strokes we are Euro 3 this year but we are also working with an injection electric carburettor and other things. We are working in that direction because that is the future. We don't have any plans to develop new two-stroke engines but we have a
good 125, which we want to make faster. We are working on a new cylinder and maybe also for the US market we are looking at producing a 150cc two-stroke and a 200cc two-stroke. We will develop what we have now with the two-stroke bikes."
SPECIFICATIONS
2007 model Husqvarna WR125/ WR250
ENGINE
Type: Water-cooled, single-cylinder, two-stroke with crankcase reed-valve induction (125)/ cylinder reed-valve induction (250), both with mechanically controlled HTS exhaust-valve
Bore x Stroke: 54 x 54.5 mm/ 66.4 x 72 mm
Displacement: 124.82 cc/ 249.3 cc
Compression ratio: 8.8 : 1 (closed ports)/ 8.4 : 1 (closed ports)
Starting: Kick starter
Cooling: Liquid
Lubrication: Fuel-oil pre-mix at 33 : 1 (125)/ 50 : 1 ratio (250)
Ignition: CDI electronic, analog type, with variable advance
Carburettor: Mikuni TMX 38
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate type; mechanic control
Gears: 6-speed/ 5-speed
Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS
Type: Steel single tube cradle (round tubes); rear sub-frame in light alloy
SUSPENSION
Front : 45 mm Marzocchi Upside-Down telescopic hydraulic fork with advanced axle; compression and rebound stroke adjustment
Travel: 300 mm
Rear: Sachs progressive 'Soft Damp' type with single hydraulic shock absorber; spring pre-load adjustment, compression and rebound adjustment (compression stroke: double adjustment)
Travel: 320 mm
BRAKES
Front : Brembo 260 mm fixed disc type with hydraulic control and floating caliper
Rear: Brembo 240 mm floating disc type with hydraulic control and floating caliper
TYRES
Front: 90/90-21"
Rear : 120/90-18"/ 140/90-18"
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 1,465 mm
Overall length: 2,210 mm/ 2,230 mm
Overall width: 840 mm
Overall height: 1,315 mm/ 1,310 mm
Seat height: 980 mm/ 975 mm
Ground clearance: 360 mm/ 345 mm
Fuel Capacity: 9.5 litres
Kerb weight: 99.5 kg/ 108.3 kg
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2007 model Husqvarna TE250/ TE450/ TE510
ENGINE
Type: Water-cooled, single-cylinder, four-valve four-stroke with DOHC
Bore x Stroke: 76 x 55/ 97 x 60.76/ 97 x 67.8 mm
Displacement: 249.5 cc/ 449 cc/ 501 cc
Compression ratio: 12.9 : 1
Starting: Electric & kick start (with automatic decompressor)
Cooling: Liquid
Lubrication: Dry Sump
Ignition: Electronic CDI with variable advance (digital control)
Carburetor: Keihin FCR-MX 37 (250 & 450)/ Keihin FCR-MX 41 (510)
Clutch: Wet, multiplate type, hydraulic control
Gears: 6-speed
Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS
Type: Steel single tube cradle (round tubes), rear sub-frame in light alloy
SUSPENSION
Front : 45 mm (250)/ 50 mm (450m & 510) Marzocchi Upside-Down telescopic hydraulic fork with advanced axle; compression and rebound stroke adjustment
Travel: 300 mm
Rear: Sachs progressive 'Soft Damp' type with single hydraulic shock absorber; spring preload adjustment, compression and rebound adjustment (compression stroke: double adjustment)
Travel: 320 mm
BRAKES
Front : Brembo 260 mm fixed disc type with hydraulic control and floating caliper
Rear: Brembo 240 mm floating disc type with hydraulic control and floating caliper
TYRES
Front: 90/90-21"
Rear : 120/90-18" (250 & 450)/ 140/80-18" (510)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 1,470 mm/ 1,472 mm (450 & 510)
Overall length: 2,240 mm/ 2,212 mm (450 & 510)
Overall width: 840 mm
Overall height: 1,280 mm/ 1,290 mm (450 & 510)
Seat height: 970 mm/ 980 mm (450 & 510)
Ground clearance: 335 mm/ 340 mm (450 & 510)
Fuel Capacity: 9.2 litres
Kerb weight: 108 kg/ 113.3 kg/ 113.8 kg
Specification: