America loves horsepower. That goes for all the pieces from top-fuel dragsters to SpaceX rockets. The infatuation has been a staple of U.S. tradition from the beginning, however it has resulted in casualties alongside the way in which. The small-displacement path bike involves thoughts. Over the years our Penton and Hodaka 100s have given approach to 450s and 500s. The Husqvarna TE150 is a critical try at bringing again a complete class of off-road bikes that we by no means ought to have left behind.
GENESIS OF A LIGHTWEIGHT
The Husqvarna TE150 is all new this yr. It has a brand new chassis, a brand new motor, a brand new digital energy valve and a brand new throttle-body fuel-injection system. If you look again on the historical past of this bike, it’s clear that Husqvarna has been adjusting its goal considerably. The first Husky 150 in 2017 was a carbureted two-stroke with a kickstarter and an electrical starter that arrived proper on the finish of the 200cc two-stroke period within the U.S. The Kawasaki KDX200 had been gone for a very long time, and the KTM 200XC-W had solely just lately been discontinued. The 150 wasn’t essentially a superb substitute for a 200; it was quicker, however didn’t have the low finish or the graceful energy supply. It had a reasonably good motor for racing. With slightly suspension work, it was even at dwelling on a motocross course. The subsequent model had switch port injection in 2020. That was tamed down slightly on prime, however it nonetheless didn’t have the low-end energy that these previous 200 followers have been in search of. Now, with the brand new TBI motor, it’s a extra professional providing for these guys.
This motor is predicated loosely on the Husky TC125 motocross bike that arrived final yr. It is perhaps essentially the most computerized dust bike available on the market. By that, we imply that the ability valve, the spark advance and the gas supply are all tied to rpm and throttle opening in a fancy matrix of programming. When you add in enter from sensors for temperature, gear positions and air density, it most likely has extra megabytes of programming than something on Apollo 11. The cylinder, head and displacement are completely different from the TC125 to provide it an off-road powerband, and the 6-speed gearbox has completely different gear ratios.
The chassis is new, too, and the massive information is the brand new WP Xact coil-spring fork, changing the open-cartridge Xplor fork on final yr’s TE150. Obviously, the brand new fork is structurally completely different from the Xact air fork, not solely as a result of it has a spring, however due to its off-road valving; nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a closed-cartridge design. In the rear, the bike has linkage related to an Xplor shock, which is barely much less refined than the one on the TC125. The spring charges are the identical on each bikes. For brakes and hydraulics, the TX makes use of Braktec elements. Of course, the TE additionally has a bigger gas tank, a headlight, a kickstand and an 18-inch rear wheel. All that makes it a bit heavier than the everyday 125 two-stroke. It’s 220 kilos with out gas.
TRAIL GOAT
On the path, it’s obvious that this bike is not any 125. It has wonderful pulling energy down low. You can drag it all the way down to idle and open the throttle with none hesitation in anyway. Even on rocky uphill trails you be taught to belief it. You don’t must cowl the clutch and It gained’t stall. In that respect it really is a miniature 300 two-stroke. It doesn’t have the sheer pulling energy of an even bigger bike, however the mannerisms are just about the identical. The meat of the ability hits pretty onerous, roughly like a 125, however when it’s performed, it’s performed. The new TBI 150 may rev slightly larger than the transfer-port injection model, however it’s nonetheless no screamer. That’s a bummer if you happen to suppose you’re going to take the bike on a motocross course just like the previous carbureted model. It doesn’t have the height energy or the revs to make {that a} good match. The Husky does have a map change like the opposite new-generation Husky two-strokes, however it serves a distinct goal. On the TX300 and the TC250, the inexperienced map has a a lot tougher hit and extra energy. The inexperienced map on this bike simply makes the motor barely richer, which is helpful in sand and any circumstances the place the motor is below an enormous load.
So, is it the modern-day 200? Let’s not get too misty eyed concerning the 200s of the previous days. They have been nice of their day, however they wouldn’t be a lot of successful measured towards fashionable requirements. The Kawasaki KDX200 of the ’90s was heavier and far, a lot slower. So was the KTM 200 that got here later. In each metric, the TE150 outperforms these bikes. It has a way more troublesome time coping with fashionable 200s—sure, there are just a few. The Beta 200RR is the one we have now within the store proper now, and it’s a really completely different motorbike. That bike has virtually the identical weight (223 kilos) and related peak horsepower. But, the Beta makes all of its energy down low; it’s even much less of a screamer than the TE150. The Beta is actually a path bike, whereas the Husky is sort of a race/path hybrid.
TRAIL TRICKS
One space the place the Husky excels is within the suspension division. The fork is an enormous improve over the earlier model, and we would even prefer it higher than the Xact air fork. The new TE150 isn’t almost as mushy because the previous model, and it’s additionally effectively balanced for aggressive off-road driving with an intermediate or knowledgeable rider who weighs over 150 kilos. If you’re a youthful rider simply transitioning to an even bigger bike, it is perhaps slightly stiff. That brings up the query: who is that this bike for? The backside line is that it’s an excellent, general-purpose off-road bike for everybody. Older riders are likely to go for giant bikes, whereas this might be a significantly better alternative for 90 % of the paths they experience. It’s agile and simple to experience, and also you at all times really feel prefer it’s serving to you develop into a greater rider. The locations it doesn’t like are wide-open areas and steep hills. The 300s and 450s are onerous to beat in these conditions.
In phrases of path expertise, the TE is vastly superior to these light-weight two-strokes of previous. First of all, it has oil injection. We know that expertise is as previous as two-strokes themselves, however for some purpose, we preferred mixing oil in gasoline again then. The Husky additionally has a way more highly effective LED headlight, wonderful handguards, a ProTaper handlebar and gas vary of effectively over 50 miles with only a capability of two.25 gallons. Carbureted two-strokes have been rather more grasping with gas.
The one key issue that Husqvarna missed in its try at recapturing the light-weight path bike legacy is worth. The TE150 has a recommended retail value of $10,199. Something went severely askew in Husqvarna’s head workplace; the TC125 motocross bike has the identical expertise and a lot of the elements, however sells for $8,199. If you need to get actually depressed, the Kawasaki KDX200 offered for $2,000 in 1990. Even right now’s inflation can’t account for that.
Still, it’s not our job to handle your cash. All we will say is that the TE150 is a wonderful bike with expertise that exhibits the trail to the long run. It isn’t a modern-day 200, however it’s its personal entity that in the future may create a legacy of its personal.
