New bikes come and go. Parts are up to date, designs change and colours come out and in of vogue, however bikes that basically change issues are few and much between. The 2024 Husqvarna TE300 will change issues. This bike is new for 2024, and it arrives with Austrian siblings that collectively usher in a brand new period in two-strokes. Ironically, the really devoted two-stroke fan is kind of a bystander on this revolution. The TE300 wasn’t essentially made with him in thoughts.

TECHNOLOGY MOVES ON
The Husky TE300 is about as high-tech as a two-stroke may be. It has extra gigabytes of processing energy than a supercomputer from the early 2000s. That’s why hard-core two-stroke followers view it with trepidation. They have lengthy waved the flag of simplicity and custom. The TE300 nonetheless has all the identical transferring elements that two-strokes are alleged to have, however the underlying theme isn’t about simplicity and custom. The days when you may tune the bike with a handful of jets are gone. The new TE motor makes use of the identical know-how that was launched on the TC250 and TX300 competitors bikes final yr. A central processing unit orchestrates a fancy dance involving the ignition, gasoline injection and the digital energy valve. Sensors for crankcase strain, air density, throttle place and rpm all play a task within the last consequence. In this case, the bike additionally has oil injection, which is one other job handed over to the CPU. Last yr’s switch port injection might need appeared extra unorthodox than the throttle-body injection now used, nevertheless it was really a a lot easier system. The most vital piece of the puzzle is the brand new digital energy valve, which is not an open-or-shut variable. It now has intermediate positions that supply new worlds of engine tuning.

At this level, there nonetheless isn’t a lot that the top consumer can do to change any of the interior workings of the motor. There’s a map change on the left aspect of the handlebar that enables a inexperienced map and a grey map; aggressive or gentle. Obviously there are worlds of extra complicated potentialities, however Husqvarna isn’t comfy with simply anybody moving into there and doing digital surgical procedure. The aftermarket is, in fact, on the case. There are piggyback EFI tuners from JD Jetting and Dobeck, and GET/Athena is already on the case.

THE TRAIL MISSION
Husqvarna views the TE as a path bike. This yr the mechanical variations between it and the TX300 cross-country racer are extra important than ever. It has a totally completely different high finish along with the programming variations. If you’re accustomed to the TX300, why. That bike is a mauler. It has a ton of energy, a lot that it’s arduous to search out an off-road setting the place you may even use the hard-hitting energy of the inexperienced map. The grey map is the place most riders go away it till it’s time to go racing.

The TE has a really completely different persona. The two maps are completely different, however even the aggressive one is clean down low. When it approaches peak energy, it’s extra of a surge than a success. On high it dies off just a little early, however you see the top coming properly prematurely. It doesn’t simply hit a rev limiter and instantly shut off the tap. It’s actually not sluggish, however the energy is so clean and electrical, you is perhaps fooled into pondering it’s.

In some methods, the TE is a really conventional 300 two-stroke. At low rpm it’s unstoppable. No matter how low you let the revs drop, it should get well as quickly as you open the throttle. It completely received’t give up until you intentionally attempt to stall out. In this concern we additionally take a look at the Rieju 300MR, which is about as conventional as a 300 two-stroke will get. The two bikes are comparable of their low-rpm capabilities however have a wildly completely different really feel. The Rieju is a pulsing, pounding dwelling factor. The Husky is so clean, it feels extra prefer it has an electrical motor. In outright acceleration, the 2 bikes as soon as once more provide comparable efficiency, however the Husky has much less snarl and rumble. There’s little or no vibration or noise. The solely time that there’s a touch of rudeness is whenever you’re actually misbehaving. If you over-rev the bike, chop the throttle, open the throttle and fan the clutch, in some unspecified time in the future the motor will sort of burp. This is only a transient hesitation, and it recovers shortly, nevertheless it appears oddly out of character in a motor that in any other case has such neat desk manners. There aren’t any different surprises. The hydraulic clutch has a lightweight pull and by no means fades, the electrical starter is completely dependable, and the gearbox is crisp and straightforward.

CUSH VS. MUSH
This bike has the brand new Xact coil spring fork, nevertheless it’s nonetheless very delicate. You get spoiled at low pace as a result of the fork is soft with none of the telltale traits of being overly delicate. It doesn’t dive whenever you seize a handful of entrance brake and stays pretty degree. At a quicker tempo, nonetheless, it does dive and create a rear-high really feel. It significantly doesn’t like G-outs. You can bump up compression, and all it appears to do is lose a few of that low-speed cushiness. The excellent news is that the fork has been round lengthy sufficient that options are on the market

The rear suspension is way more versatile. It does properly in these slow-speed conditions and handles rocks and roots, too, however then stays secure even at larger speeds and in rougher conditions. Overall, the bike could be very compliant. In the four-stroke world, this body has been criticized for its harshness. It’s merely not a problem right here. It additionally appears as if it’s just a little lighter than the four-stroke model. Most of the motocross and cross-country bikes gained about 6 kilos with the brand new chassis.

The new TE300 weighs 236 kilos with out gasoline on our scale. That’s 1 pound heavier than final yr’s TPI bike. Hardcore traditionalists will doubtlessly level out that the 2018 model with the carburetor was 231 kilos, and that the general pattern is within the unsuitable path. Maybe so, however the brand new TE300 remains to be light-feeling and straightforward to handle. It’s slim, and even the seat top is barely decrease than most 300s.

THE TWO-STROKE FACTOR
In this case, we are able to’t see any draw back to the rise in sophistication. We like the truth that you don’t have to combine oil and fuel. We like the truth that it doesn’t leak fuel whenever you lay it over, and we like the truth that we don’t should mess with jetting. Of course, we haven’t had the bike lengthy sufficient to expertise the darkish aspect of know-how. With the TPI bikes, we have been at a loss when the EFI mild began flashing mysterious codes. We ultimately realized the weaknesses, we realized the way it acted when issues like crankcase sensors failed, and we realized what to do. That know-how has handed into historical past now, and a brand new studying curve is forward of us. For some, that alone is sufficient to condemn all know-how. We’re not saying the purists are unsuitable, we’re simply saying we love this bike.