2007 KTM 525XC  OR  2007 Husqvarna TE510?

I have narrowed my search down to one of these bikes next and wanted to find out which one of THESE bikes is probably going to be better and more desired and basically which one to buy in a couple of months. Since both of these bikes are considered "OFF-ROAD BIKES", I decided to post this in here as I really wanted a non-biased opinion.  (you know what i mean? KTM forum would harbor KTM grandeur, likewise for Husker forum).

  I know nobody has been able to really ride these yet, and as such, alot of this influence will be based on their predecessors, but I have been able to find alot of info/specs on the internet already about them.
   I have gathered some tech info and personal opinions why I would like to buy either as far as power, weight, aesthetics, reliability and overall riding enjoyment but would very much appreciate everyone else's opinion before I close the deal soon.

(Also, I live in CA. and am able to go to multiple riding areas/conditions (desert hard pack or sand,woods,hills,etc..)

so, help Cagiva help the Swedes("Viva Italia"!) and "Save the Husky"!!!  or jump on the ever-growing KTM Governator wagon (Where is Sarah Connah?)
                              Thx

I bet you'd enjoy the hell out of either one of those.  But, the Husky is street legal.  You're in Cali like I am.   You can ride many, many more places.

That would seem hard to resist.

The reviews on the Husky's are very good.

the 2007 KTM 450's and 525's will be street legal also but ONLY in the EXC line!! i know you mentioned the XC but if street capability was important to you i thought i'd point that out as an option as well. I've ridden 2 different KTM 525's and couldn't stop smilin' each time i rode 'em     
they are amazing desert bikes! the faster you push 'em the smoother they get!! however, i do have an '07 TE 510 Husky on the way and i can't wait! i think each brand has their quirks, but to me the thought of hopping on the street to connect fireroad to fireroad in BIG BEAR is awesome!!

I don't think you can go wrong with either one.  The 1 thing is that the KTM has better support as to aftermarket parts and online OEM parts from what I've seen.  If your Husky dealer is close by and halway decent with parts, then that's really not an issue.

Actually, whenever I go to get parts for my wr450, I always have to order it.   I usually go to delamomotorsports.  That is a huge dealership with a huge parts and accessories dept.  But for an 05, wr450, they have to order everything unless its an oil filter, air filter, battery or a fork seal.  

It takes a day or two, which requires me to promptly order my parts on monday after my sunday crash.   Now... if I need a new pair of $150 fox riding pants, or some $400 tech 10 boots, they have plenty of that stuff.

I would bet that you could special order Husky parts and wait a day or two just like I wait for my yamaha stuff.  

If the drive train is solid, which they both seem to be, then either one is a good choice.

You do get biased info in each respective forum, but it is still useful.  You should be able to read about these bikes and piece together your own view on their respective strenghts and weaknesses.  

Most info on the KTMs will be focused on the EXCs.  I find it odd that relatively few people post about the XC line, even though these bikes seem to be very hard to find.  

The TE is like an EXC with a dose of testosterone.  Both are awesome bikes, but they are quite different.  My guess is that the KTM XC is more similar to the Husky TE.  Closer gear ratios, snappier motor, etc.....but I can't say from first hand experience.  

Good luck in choosing.
R

i rode the ktm and i think it is amazing i have never rode the husky but you cant go wrong with that 525

I've owned the 525 and it is amazing. It gets boring after a year as there are no challenges for it. Any hill you have the nads to climb it will destroy. Right now the 07 KTM's are rumored to be Calif street legal. No KTM dealer will confirm that. But stand in line and pay a huge premium.
I bought an 06 TE Husky because it has the Calif street plates. I love the bike. Only drawback is parts ordering. Not much is stocked and it takes 10-15 days to order through Husky.
I would rather have the KTM if it came Calif street legal.
The future of the sport in Calif is going to be dual sporting because all the land that the greens fight to close to off roaders they fight to keep open to street legal vehicles for their own access. Its one way to beat them at their own game.
GP

Like the others, I think you can't go wrong with either bike.

I was faced with that decision earlier this year. I chose the Husky because I was concerned about the linkageless suspension on the KTM. It has obviously proven to work just fine. But I can't understand why KTM chooses to go that route when everyone else uses linkage. Is it just the weight savings? I wish someone could explain that to me clearly. IMO, that is the only major difference between the two bikes.

I've ordered one part for my Husky, a starter solenoid. Ordered it on Friday, got it on Monday. Tuesday I realized that wasn't the problem! So, now I have an extra starter solenoid. Anyway, I got my part in one day. I think the Husky and Husky parts may be slightly cheaper too.

You have excellent taste - either bike!

Slightly confused though, With such a variety of riding you do why the closer transmission?  Could you have meant the ktm that comes with a plate with wider tranny?  Or are you a really good rider that can keep up the speed in the really tight stuff?

No problem getting parts for my Husky.  Lots of bikes in the garage and "mauricedorris" comment earlier is spot on  regarding getting parts for our red/blue/green bikes.  Refreshing to order parts that knows what is going on too.


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I bought a TE450 Husqvarna last February and it has been a great bike. That was my first Husky and since then I have purchased two others for the stable. I  shopped around the brands and found Husqvarnas to be priced lower and have more modern technology than the KTM's. The link suspension works smooth and the motor is a more modern design.
As for parts I have never really waited longer than any other brand for replacement parts. I just got a new speedo sender from two different dealers in two days after smashing mine on a rock. Husky are great bikes for a great deal IMHO. My TE's have plates too. KTM's look nice but I am glad I invested in Husqvarna.

I'm in the same boat as you sort of. Looking for a smaller, lighter bike, and I'm looking for either a KTM exc or a Husky te - and I've considered the wr, or a yz to put an enduro kit on...or a wr with some yz mods, et cetera....

It's crazy! Honestly, though, I'm looking hard at Husky if I can't find a KTM for a reasonable price.

No problems with geting parts on a Husky.  Most likely better than any make out there as far as parts availability.

I have heard that the 525 is like a tractor.  Really slow revving and pulls like a tractor with wider ratio gears.  I own a 510 and it is definately a racier engine.  Revs faster, closer ratios.  The 510 has serious grunt also.  The 525 must be more XR like.  I really believe the Husky is more technlcally advanced then the 525.  I know the 510 makes more HP, the 525 might have more torque.  All the dino reports  I have heard of on the TE510s is anywhere fron 51 to 56 HP.  The difference is how well the bikes are jetted.

I'm biased though.  I have always hated the color orange and the KTM's are more $.  I bought my first Husky in 1972.

Ha-ha! My DRZ feels like a tractor pulling up crazy hills....it's aweomse like that! But it also feels like a tractor when I'm trying to keep up with the guys on the KTMs and Huskies

I am at the same decision point as you. I have narrowed my choices down to the KTM 525EXC or Husky TE510. My plan to dual sport the bike. I will commute a couple times to work each week (about 30 miles round trip) and use it for longer trail/adventure rides in Northern Michigan. The 450's were tempting since they have better manners in the tight woods, but for commuting the 500's will be ideal.

I noticed some of you have experience with both brands. How do the valve adjustments compare for each bike? From what I've read, the KTM uses a screw and jam nut adjustment whereas Husky uses shim adjustment. Which is the better method (as far as maintaining adjustment)? Which is easier to adjust?

MattR said:

Husky's are far easier to work on.  The KTM would be better for a dual purpose bike due mainly to it's wider ratio tranny.   The 510 has closer ratios is better suited for offroad, enduro,Hare scrambles, MX etc.  The 525 most likely better for situations where you want to put around trials riding and then go 80 MPH.  You can certainly trials ride the 510 but you will top out at 70 instead of 80.

The 510 will feel like more like a MX bike, easier turning, better handling across the board and a racier feel.  

I have never riden the 525 but have talked to many who have and they all say pretty much the same thing as I am here.  Ride them both.  If I was to spend the big bucks again for a new one I would.

The TE450 actually is faster than the 510 untill you hit 5th and 6th gears under a big load.  Then the 510 will take over.  The 450's rev much faster and this is the reason for them being faster.  Less HP and torque but they screan.  The 510 feels more tractor like as compared to the 450.  I have owned both the TE 450 and TE510.  I bought the 450 first, then the 510 and then sold the 450.  Both bikes are  and were 2004's.  

Now if you want to SM motor the bike the 510 will definatly work better.  IF you want to cruise an interstate or  commute at 65 MPH (boring) then buy the 525.

Thanks Flame!

I only plan to ride more backroads to work. Max speed is 45 to 55 MPH on most my route. I don't plan on any interstate high speed runs at 65 MPH or higher. The Husky TE510 sounds like a better match for me by your description. I plan to keep my GasGas XC250 for most trail riding and I think the Husky will be an easier transition when switching between bikes.

My friend has a KTM 525EXC and I rode it a couple times. It's a nice bike, but he has had overheating issues on slower, technical trails. Does the Husky have any overheating issues? I would think the close ratio would allow you to pick a better gear and make the bike work less at slow speed... thereby reducing temperature.

MattR said:

The only overheating I have heard of and the only time I had mine overheat were the same type of riding instances.  You can overheat any bike but the Husky's don't seem to have overhaeting problems.  The newer TE's have a coolant overflow bottle which is good.  If it overheats the bottle will collect coolant, and as long as the hot coolant doesn't melt thru the plastic bottle the bike will re-ingest the coolant once it colls down.

Mine over heated once when we made a mistake and took a wrong turn on a ride in new country.  We were moving along at a good clip, tool the wrong turn and in 100 yds all of a sudden we dropped off this really steep rocky tough ass hill.  It was steep adn was getting steeper.  Way steep like 100% grade.   The whole hillside was strean with rocks, hugh sage brush and other fun obsticals.  So bad that it was damn near impossibe to ge the bikes turned around let alone get back up the hill.  It took both of us working together, pushing the bike while slipping the clutch, lifting it, sliipping going one more step up then slipping/wheel spin/lift etc.  It was two guys like 40 attempts to finally get my bike over the top again.  It was hard on it.  It blew steam.  It was a bitch and totally exhausting.  Then we went down and got his bike out.

I tried to ride it down and negotiate a turn up hill and ride out of there.  I got half way turned around to going back up the hill again and I  fell the long way down the hill with the bike falling on top of me.  It hurt slamming the ground after falling in that 180 degree arc down hill and then have the bike slam on top of me after making the same arc.  I was only going 3 MPH.  I was OK, just pissed off, but it still hurt.

Anyway, the 510 is great.  Leave the stock gearing.  Most guys tend to immediatly gear it down to make it easier to negotiate stuff like I just wrote about.  But in doing so you really hurt the overall performance of the bike.  If you gear it down so it is a trials bike then you have lost the spacing in between the gears.  With a big torque bike like the 510 you short shift a lot.  You can shift twice and it still works fine.  You can be two gears to high and still roll on the throttle and torque out of it.  Gear it too low and you need to to definately skip gears.

All the 510 is is a stoked 450.  That is why the 510 rev's bit slower.  More stroke  = more torque.  The 450 and the 510's are identical expcept for about 1/4" more stroke.

The Problem - Most offroad dirt bikes come factory-equipped with a coolant overflow
bottle. KTM, unlike their competition, does not provide this feature on any of their modern
offroad dirt bikes. From the KTM factory, you get a hose connected to the radiator
overflow that vents to the ground. This option would be fine on a motocross track. On the
contrary, riding a slow technical trail on a hot day 30 miles from civilization, the last thing
you want is to vent your radiator fluid to the ground.

The Solution - Catch your radiator fluid by using a coolant recovery tank. This tank is
attached by a hose to the overflow vent. Now when you are 30 miles out and boil over, the
hot coolant will vent to the recovery tank instead of the ground. As the bike cools down,
the spent coolant will be sucked back into the radiator to be used at a later time.  

You can also add a Rad- fan.

Ktm 525