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Husqvarna TE450 – utter competence
By Dave Abrahams Husqvarna's TE450 comes with all the necessary equipment to make it completely street-legal but don't let that fool you.
The chassis is equally capable, its suspension firm but pliable with over 300mm of travel at both ends, the steering from the 114mm trail and 21" front wheel predictable and accurate even in soft sand. Inlet duties are entrusted to a 41mm Keihin FCR carburettor with throttle position sensor and the ignition mapping even recognises which gear you're in and and adjusts the timing to suit. All of which gives it a wide, very accessible spread of power throughout the rev range but does nothing for smoothness of delivery. Whatever the revs this engine works best if you give it big handfuls of throttle and go everywhere by the time-honoured "point and squirt" method. This enthusiastic motivation is channelled through a precise and predictable wet clutch with a rather narrow engagement point and typically Italian six-speed gearbox with a light but distinctly notchy action that occasionally becomes reluctant to change down at low revs and never gives up neutral without a fight. Yet there's never any lash in the final drive despite the length of the 520 chain and the power can be very accurately modulated once you learn to deal with its dramatic engine braking. The gearing is very short (the TE 450 goes into top gear at about 65km/h) but such is the spread of usable power that the bike will pull - roaring, rattling and weaving slightly on its soft knobbly tires - to nearly 160km/h although it did nothing to inspire confidence at that speed even on perfectly smooth tar and I didn't push the point to get an exact terminal velocity. Hassle-free starting Big four-stroke singles have a reputation for being difficult to start but this one is blessed with an electric starter and an easy nature. The Husqvarna has both a choke and a hot-start lever (as well as a kickstart for back-up), none of which was ever needed. I commuted on the TE450 for a week in the miserably wet depths of winter and it never failed to start at the first press of the button – hot, cold or in between. The bike is incredibly narrow and the ergonomics are well-nigh perfect, so the long, hard, flat seat isn't as uncomfortable as it looks and the low, wide handlebars allow for taut steering, as do the precisely positioned controls. With the exception of the knobbly tyres and over-sensitive throttle the Husqvarna is eminently rideable on tar but the engine's big vibes and robust power delivery give you the impression that it could bite if not treated with respect. Sophisticated running gear The frame and running gear are as sophisticated as the engine, with 45mm Marzocchi Shiver inverted forks, adjustable for compression and rebound damping. Their initial travel is gentle and smooth, if not as pliant as it feels. The forks firm up in the second half of their travel and you'd have to get this bike seriously out of shape to bottom them out. Even under hard braking on tar the TE450 didn't nosedive as much as I expected. The rear suspension is by Sachs, with a very neat progressive linkage boasting a roller bearing rather than a bushing at the lower end of the shock absorber (Remember to grease it often, Cyril – it will be vulnerable to things like power washers and high-pressure hoses). The remote reservoir monoshock is adjustable for preload, high and low-speed compression and rebound damping. Its action is a little firmer than that of the forks (with 42.5kW to tame it had better be) but always predictable and it does its job of keeping the rear tyre firmly in touch with the ground admirably. Robust brakes Braking is entrusted to Brembo, with both callipers chosen for simplicity and robustness rather than cutting-edge power and bite – after all, on dirt control is more important than outright power. The front brake has a twin-piston floating calliper on a 260mm disc while the rear has an utterly simple single-piston set-up on a 240mm platter. Both master cylinders have been carefully chosen for the best combination of controllable power and both brakes can be modulated right up to the point of breakaway – and beyond on the dirt – with total predictability. Given this combination of acurately modulated braking and instantly available power extravagant rear-end slides are not only easy, they're the best way to change direction on loose ground – and great fun. LCD instruments The controls are about as simple as Husqvarna could make them, with a stop-switch and starter button on the right, indicators, lights and hooter on the left. There's a small LCD pod hidden behind the little cowl around the headlight with a digital speedometer, odometer and trip meter. Which is all you need for riding on the road - or in enduro events, because that's what this bike is all about. It feels out of place on the freeway but take it off the tar and the TE450 is right in its element, whether it be on hard ground, mud or soft sand. It's astonishingly sure-footed, one of the few bikes I've ridden that feels stable in soft sand. As long as you have a little power dialled in it'll float through mud without bogging down or losing steering control. On hard ground, it only slides when you want to to and comes back into line without trying to spit you off. Then you point it across a patch of open country and give it a handful and 42.5kW of sheer nastiness gets you going at silly speeds in the blink of an eye. Only it's not silly because you have the brakes, the suspension and the balance to control it. The bike's narrow centre section is suddenly exactly right for standing on the pegs with your weight moving easily to set the bike up as necessary from one move to the next. Perfectly balanced Whether you're blasting along a gravel road or picking your way through a thickly-wooded forest the Husqvarna is always perfectly balanced. It's an an odd mix, this bike; a lot of very sophisticated engineering has gone into the engine but it's still a distinctly uncivilised prime mover - loud, vibratious and very jerky on the throttle. The running gear is equally classy but everything works very smoothly, with beautifully modulated controls, superb handling and predictable handling. Yet it all hangs together to make a superb enduro tool. Husqvarnas are now made in Italy at the home of parent company MV Agusta – and it shows, especially in the quality of the basic engineering, the surprising simplicity (and quirkiness) of the detail work. As a commuter it's a bit of a handful, as a race bike it's superb, as a weekend play toy it's incomparable. Enjoy it for what it is – an utterly competent dirt bike. I did. |
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