Motorcycle Review 2013

Husqvarna SM610

Remember the opening scene of “On any Sunday I”? The one with the huge guy riding a tiny play bike? Well, after half an hour of riding the SM610 on the highway on my way home from the factory, I pictured myself as being that big man on his little Honda Monkey. This Husky just wasn’t made for me, oh no. Even worse, the ongoing suffering led me to think that maybe I am REALLY getting old and SM toys (supermoto, that is) are not for me anymore. Time to quit? The vibration through the handlebars at 75 mph was getting on my nerves, my very own bottom cushions felt as if they were being split apart by a razor blade of a seat, and my fingertips lost all feel. Maybe I ought to review dressers and cruisers from now on? Two days later, after a few runs up and down the crazy SS338 road leading to Zubiena, Italy, while taking a break to catch my breath, I couldn’t stop mumbling under my helmet: Holy cow! This is the best bike in the world! Confused? So was I, so read on….

Eight years ago I had the privilege of testing Husqvarna’s first big street-legal supermoto, the SM610. That bike, which had been launched back in 1998, wasn’t much more than an enduro TE model shod with 17” rims and sticky road tires . . . yet it performed pretty well. Quite a long time has passed since, and that first SM version got a serious design upgrade in 2005, including all new body pieces that gave it a really aggressive, sharp and up-to-date look. The sculpting of the plastic panels is smart and sophisticated, without getting into wild extremes like KTMs of late. The playful exhaust system design draws a zigzagging line along the left side of the SM, and according to one stylish Milanese neighbor, these matte-black Huskies are becoming the “IN” thing to be seen on in the city.

With all due respect to design issues, you might want to know what’s lurking underneath those plastic covers, too. The main mechanical news for the 2009 model year is the IE acronym added now, which stands for “Iniezione elettronica”, electronic fuel injection, that is. Like many other singles, the 610 motor (576 c.c. in reality, and don’t ask me why) needed a true EFI system to pass current emission controls, and the new system has been developed with Mikuni Japan. Husky’s big single is pretty advanced in it’s architecture, but considering the huge step that KTM took two years ago with it’s new 690 motor, it’s starting to show it’s age in terms of peak performance, a claimed 53 hp. The smaller 450-510 singles have recently been renewed from the ground up, so I guess the big thumpers are next in line.

The bottom line, technically speaking, is that the 2009 SM610 is not so vastly different from the one I tested eight years ago, and that was partly the reason for my initial shock. The 2001 bike I rode was surprisingly smooth (for a big single) at highway speeds, and yet this close cousin rattles me enough to make cruising downright irritating. Just a bad sample then? The SM610 also fails to leave an impression in terms of top speed. It does climb to 90 at a nice rate, but from then on it piles up the MPHs rather slowly . . . touching 100 eventually. Not bad, but I have seen better top speeds from softer tuned singles like BMW’s 650 and Yamaha’s 660. The short gearing might have something to do with it, but in any case, with nil wind protection, stepping down to 80-85 as a cruising speed makes much more sense.

After my first stint, I leave the SM610 in my underground parking space while feeling slightly disappointed. I have some plans for the weekend though: meet my photographer early on Saturday and then take the bike to real twisties some 120 kilometers from Milan. But with that 7” inch wide foam strip called a seat, there is no way I’ll be riding the SM all the way up there, I’m towing her on my trailer!

Early the next day, I start my usual passes for my cameraman, but he is not that happy and neither am I. The tall and lanky SM hasn’t yet inspired the confidence needed to throw it about the way I should. It’s easy enough to flick, but not to lean it down low. Time to move on. We load the bike on the trailer and I have an hour or two to think about it while driving. Is it me? For whatever reason, I don’t get on with the SM610 at this point. My head is full of thoughts while I unload the bike at the next stop. I put on my gear, start the engine and as soon as I hit the first bend on my way up to Zubiena there’s a massive change in the plot.

Vibration? Hard Seat? Limited top speed? Who cares? It’s as if my earlier miles on the 610 never happened! Within minutes the Husky and I are like two old friends with a common obsession: Devilishly bendy roads and the curvier the better. On this crazy strip of tarmac, with hardly any straight bits to speak of, with speeds ranging between 30-60 mph, the SM610 is bliss, pure gold. The puzzle bits that didn’t fit before become one now, and why not start with that peach of an engine. On plain, straight and open roads it didn’t impress, but here the amazing throttle response of the Mikuni EFI system and the perfect gear spacing work flawlessly with the flatish torque curve. Right, the SM610 will not leave you gasping for air with its acceleration, but there is always plenty of available drive that’s accompanied by a raucous bark from that booming silencer. Blipping the throttle while downshifting for turns produces another great soundtrack that puts me in just the right mood. This fuel-injected single is so much more lively than its carburated predecessor. Need to brake rather than accelerate? The Brembo setup at the front end is superb, which supplies stoppie-inducing power with plenty of feel and no fade whatsoever.

My next few passes along this heavenly 10-mile stretch are now accompanied by an interesting sound mix: Big Thumper beats outside my helmet, plenty of oohh!!! and aahh!!! shouts within. Time to play footloose too, sending your inner leg forward doesn’t just look cool, it also loads the front wheel with more weight for better feel. As time passes, I discover that I can flick the SM later and later into apexes, way after the point that I’d use on a 600 supersport mount. The Husky just digs those last second inputs. Yep, this SM thing just begs you to ride like a little hooligan at times. I pull into the local biker cafe at the end of the road and park the SM610 next to a bunch of last-generation 600’s, and next to the lanky Husky they simply look wide and overweight. Who would have thought? Let’s not even talk about the porky GS1200 that was parked a bit further away…..

The day after, I take the SM610 to the snaking little road that goes from Andrate to Oropa. It links nowhere to nowhere and is totally empty. In this environment, the SM turns into a sharp surgeon’s scalpel and lets me dissect the road into tiny bits: braking strips, on & off-camber turns, take-off bumps and rear wheel lock-up slides. Fun stuff all around. The asphalt is far from being in good condition after this year’s heavy snows, and with any other bike, this road would require caution and prudence. The SM Husky takes it all in stride, the suspension swallowing the potholes with ease. Perhaps the rear adjustable shock could use a slightly stiffer damping setting? It does make the whole ride more controlled, but now the smaller bumps make themselves felt through the seat. It’s valving or shim stack just doesn’t feel as sophisticated as an Ohlins. The front fork, on the other hand, is quite good, even if it dives a bit much on heavy breaking.

I was hoping that the latest version of Husqvarna’s SM610 would be a good daily ride, but it’s not and to most riders it would mean a love/hate relationship. But for those Sunday morning hardcore nutters that dig foot-down cornering, wheelies, stoppies and pegs hissing above the tarmac, the Husky really delivers. Strangely enough, it lost the softer touch that I remembered from the 2001 version, but the new barking throttle response would be hard to trade away. Even more addictive than the motor is the way it drills through twisted tarmac. The super quick steering of the SM made my 750 streefighter feel very heavy by comparison. Ten years after it’s inception, the last incarnation of Husqvarna’s SM610 still supplies a unique kind of raw riding experience.

Husqvarna WR 300, 2011, 293.1 cu. cm, 103 kg.

Contrary to popular belief, Husqvarna is not only a great chain saws, lawn mowers and other garden and farm implements. Under an international white-red flag for many years issued an ultimatum-road motorcycles.
Two-stroke enduro Husqvarna WR 250 existed in the production range of the company for quite some time. Old proven powerplant and intelligent design have brought this bike a well-deserved popularity. But for those who are not violent enough power stroke of the heart "endurika", the company offered to set the engine to increase to 300 cm3 (the so-called «kit»). Actually this fact and become a prerequisite for the birth of a single model Husqvarna WR 300. The bike turned out very successful, and today, despite the active use of the four models on it Seb Guillaume became world champion in enduro in the class E 4.
Appearance and ergonomics
The bike looks aggressive and defiant. How, indeed, should look like "fighting» hard enduro. High trim "Bird" motorcycle tailored to the canons of the style. "Husky" his whole appearance makes it clear that beginners on her to do nothing. The bike is made in the new corporate style Husqvarna. Of course, there are no frills calling TC449, but it definitely attracts WR views of others. Steel frame, painted white, side by side with white and red protective plastic in a new style. Sharply defined rear wing faces side by side with a smooth and soft surface of the front. But, oddly enough, it does not cause any visual dissonance. Appearance of WR 300 is quite harmonious.


General ergonomics, the controls are arranged traditionally do not cause any problems, unlike, say, a four-innovation relative Husqvarna TE / TC 449. All very comfortable and extremely functional. True, the elegant white frame suffers greatly from contact with the motor-boats. Coating is scratched and wiped off almost immediately. If you do not purchase a set of protective plastic lining, then I am afraid that in the long-term operation here may well appear foci of pitting. The rest of the bike is tailored for all the "canon" off-road style and not much different from their peers, "the shop".
Engine

Bah, so its an old friend. In the frame of modern Husqvarna is a fairly "old" power unit of Cagiva 80s. Cagiva, as Husqvarna, the company then owned by MV Agusta Motor, so that the appearance of the engine to "Husky" - pattern. "Wicked" and reliable power plant capacity of 293.1 cubic meters. cm, with minor changes, despite his rather advanced age, still has the watch on his "line of duty." The engine is simply amazing. His lack of power is always and everywhere. Steep ascents and descents career or motocross on a rocky "concrete" highway. Thrust into the turns and deep loose sand or mud-drenched forest back roads. A few muffled "below", at high speeds is absolutely WR wild. At such moments it becomes clear that the potential of this bike will be able to reveal only a professional or very well, "advanced" amateur.


As it should be orthodox dvuhtatktnikam, the engine shakes a strong vibration. She is so strong that it makes you feel not the most pleasant sensations. Perhaps such a strong vibration in the modern motocross bike, I met for the first time. But if you are a true follower push-pull of faith, that such trifles should not stop you.


Frankly did not like the lack of electric start. And let me laughed at tough enduro fans, but to explain such a thing in an age of universal electrification (even on a motocross bike 250-vat appear unknown mechanisms), I can not. Moreover Kick lever is too short and strongly shifted forward because of what the wind is very uncomfortable bike.

Transmission

CAT masterpiece work hard to call. It works somewhat vague, included the transfer of smeared and fuzzy. In addition, foot gear is so short that every time you switch I had to move the leg back strongly. It seems a trifle, but I kept pressing on the heel side footboard motorcycle that you will agree, is not quite correct. In contrast to its direct competitor KTM 300 EXC, the drive clutch for WR 300 rope. This solution is more reliable, but leads to a significant increase in effort on the lever. In the long mountain expeditions hand can get tired trite.

Charms

Traditionally, the motorcycle "enduro" from Husqvarna front suspension is from Kayaba. Inverted fork with 48 mm diameter stanchions and stroke of 300 mm was developed in close collaboration with the factory racing team. So, rest assured, its capacity should be sufficient for many. Behind the running of a fully adjustable Sachs monoamortizator with the course of 320 mm and a lever system that provides progressive characteristics of the suspension. The work suspension is adequate. No breakdown by jumping or spurious "bounces" to "beating". Sand the rear shock I was a little "running out" because of the strong excitation of the back of a motorcycle. But after setting it all fell into place. In general, the capacity of suspensions, I think thats enough for an athlete of any level.

Brakes

It is unlikely that the brakes with Brembo logo calipers on might run poorly. A WR 300, equipped with a "brake" on this eminent manufacturer, is the second off-road motorcycle on which the brakes are easy to reference. The first, by the way, was his cousin Husqvarna TC 449. Front disc "floating", and the rear a special "mud." Its nice that Husqvarna will not skimp on details and install high quality and expensive components.

My bike has left an ambiguous impression. Did not like the ergonomic flaws in the design (foot CAT, shape and location of the Kick, the shape of the rear wing, always black from the exhaust gases). Also, satisfactory quality assemblies: connectors protruding wires, "health" of paint does not secure the frame. But all these disadvantages, if desired can easily be addressed through the purchase of aftermarket parts. At the other end of the scale is excellent, balanced and superb engine, an interesting and attractive appearance. The presence of an official representative of our country and the related guarantee. And the price is comparable to the "price list" of competitors.

Lets hope that WR 300 will be as reliable and pleasant to use, as the legendary Swedish chainsaw, on the hulls of which proudly flaunts the same name Husqvarna.
Historical Background

Husqvarnas way of life reminiscent of the vicissitudes of the long Mexican television "soaps". At the beginning of the last century (still Scandinavian), the company has been a leader in the production of off-road motorcycles. Numerous victories in motocross tracks helped the white-red to become popular in Europe and the USA. But, for the reason for all the remaining puzzle in 1986 motonapravlenie company with all the assets belonging to it were sold concern MV Agusta Motor. All plants have moved back home a pizza and spaghetti. In northern Sweden there are only the very production of gasoline-powered tools. And to this day under the same name northerners produce chainsaws, lawn mowers and other garden and farm implements. And be no need for plant engineers were on the historic homeland of their own and organized a well-known company Husaberg, which has continued to release native Swedish off-road motorcycles.

Motorcycles, manufactured in the Apennines, changing residence, so could not achieve sporting success of their ancestors. And in 2007 the lack of prospects and financial problems forced Concern MV Agusta to get rid of greedy stepson. Mark buys polished and rich German company BMW. This makes it almost dead by this time a brand new life. In the development of Husqvarna today invested a lot of financial resources. The newest development, the purchase of promising athletes and an aggressive advertising policy. All these steps make Husqvarna another chance to regain a leading position among the manufacturers of off-road motorcycles.


Husqvarna WR 300 Options
Year 2011
Dry weight 103 kg
Curb weight ND
Length / width / height mm 2230/840/1310
The base 1465 mm
Seat height 975 mm
Ground clearance 345 mm
Fuel tank capacity 9.5 liters
Tilt angle / trail fork ND
Engine Single-cylinder, 293.1 cubic dvuhtatktny. cm, the valve V Force intake, adjustable damper on production-driven
Bore / stroke 72/72mm
The power supply system Carburetor MIKUNI TMX 38
Compression ratio 6.9: 1
Power ND
Torque ND
Transmission 5-speed gearbox, the clutch in oil bath multiple disc, power drive circuit
The steel frame of the frame tubes of different cross-section; rear sub-frame in light alloy
Front suspension The fully adjustable hydraulic fork KAYABA inverted ø 48 mm, stroke 300 mm
Rear suspension fully adjustable hydraulic shock absorber with adjustable SACHS preliminary compression springs and rods, providing a progressive characteristic stroke of 320 mm
The floating front brake disc brake BREMBO 260 mm diameter, brake cylinder, hydraulic
Floating rear brake brake disc 220 mm BREMBO, brake cylinder, hydraulic
Front wheel 1.60 "x 21" light alloy tire 90/90-21 "MICHELIN Enduro Competition 3
The rear wheel is 2.15 "x 19" light alloy tire
Maximum speed 140/80-18 "MICHELIN Enduro Competition 3