So you’re back into the sport eh? Think you have the skills you used to when you were a teenager…..You don’t, I promise. You’ve been reading magazines in your time off the bike and have convinced yourself that you need either a 250 2 stroke or a 450 to haul your 2 bills plus frame around…..You don’t, I promise. Oh, and you’re getting (or have gotten) fat. Hey it happens. Lets hope you put that hottie from college on lock down, because your hairline ain’t getting any lower. If you are getting back in the sport and looking for a bike, consider the Husky…..or don’t, I don’t care that much.
Seems like a bit of background might help here….My first bike was a 1984 XR 80. I was 8 years old. If my mother knew 20 years later I’d still be riding “those damn” bikes there’s no way I’d have ever gotten it. I loved the engine and the sexy orange-red color scheme. Of course it didn’t have a replaceable powerband like my cousin’s YZ 80. Rode around the 40 acres of my grandparents farm for one entire summer. Ran that bike pretty much every weekday from June through August. I don’t think I even checked the oil. Still the best bike I’ve ever owned.
Next bike was an old KDX 200. Some magazine prettyboys described it as “handling like a hog on ice.” I didn’t know any better……don’t think they did either. Still think the bike had a great engine, not fast in the modern sense, but versatile. I also never bent the handlebars in any crash ever. I later found out that they were SOLID aluminum. At one point I held the exhaust pipe on with a bungee cord after my sano bailing wire fix broke.
I was a kid, back off.
Took some time off for school…..
At 27 I bought a 2000 KX 250. In hindsight, this was not a good purchase. Bike was faster by a mile than anything I’d ever ridden, had stiff suspension and a peaky powerband. The bike had some modifications to make an already fast bike even faster. I ended up putting on a heavy flywheel weight and some other “go slow” parts. It still never felt quite right in the tight stuff. This bike is a thoroughbred…..I ride tight trails….you get the idea.
Somewhere in Town Square:
420Psycodriver69 says: “Twist her wide open and hold on!”
Wonderspoon says: “please stop talking, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
420Psycodriver69 says: “What a *****!”
Wonderspoon says: “shouldn’t you be in school or something?”
….the conversation degrades from this point.
Note: This conversation was not real. Any likenesses are the complete works of the author, however, if your screen name really is 420Psychodriver69, or contains “psycho” “420” or “69”, you’re dangerously close to (in?) douchebag territory.
My buddy Brett, out of concern for my life had suggested since about the first ride he’d seen me on the KX that I go get a nice XR250 or 400. It was hard to argue with him, he’d spent all day waxing me on a KLX 125.
I get ready to move the KX along and buy an XR or DRZ when my fiancée (now wife) suggested I buy a new bike. Maybe she was just making sure I didn’t get cold feet. It worked. Men, if your wife supports your hobby, take a moment to do the dishes you lucky bastards! Not every guy has it as good as us.
So I end up with the keys to a practically new TE 310. I’ll cut to the chase…..buy one! First things first…..this is a sexy looking bike. Hot damn! The white frame with the black and red oozes desirability. It’s a good thing there’s a spark arrestor in the muffler or…..well you get the idea.
This thing is just about everything I could hope for in a bike. I’m a big boy at 210lbs and it pulls me around with gusto. I’m sure if you’re an expert rider or consider Hi-torq publishing to be your best bike guide you might think you need more power. I don’t, and frankly, you probably don’t either. Seriously, this little guy moves out! My KX was faster in a straight line, but not in the real world. The KX was always spinning, wheelieing, or otherwise making life difficult in the tight woods. This thing grabs traction and just….goes! And it goes pretty damn well too. Its almost like cheating. Seriously, the motor is that good. I never once felt like I needed any more power or torque.
Last weekend I spent some time riding the same area I grew up riding the XR and KDX. When you know something is right, you can tell. The TE is RIGHT for me. I love the chassis setup and the handling. I found myself riding in a better position and with much more confidence than I ever had on the KX. The ergos are great for a taller rider and it feels much lighter on the trail than on the stand. I even like the way the engine sounds, its reasonably quiet and I love its mellow thumper sound, it stirs the soul.
When I came home and took a nap with the wife I kept dreaming of riding. Apparently I crash in my dreams just as much as real life because I kept literally jumping back into consciousness. The wife was not as amused as I was. I can’t stop thinking about riding this thing…..its so much fun! For anyone who is a part time/pansyass rider like me I can’t recommend the Husky enough.
