1. 2 Stroke Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Italy - About 1989 to 2014
    WR = 2st Enduro & CR = 2st Cross

125-200cc 144 kit first impressions...

Discussion in '2 Stroke' started by Motosportz, Jun 12, 2010.

  1. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    In case you missed it my install post is here...

    http://www.cafehusky.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11555

    Now to the post install and first ride...

    My 125 has run very good since I replaced the faulty power valves with the factory replacements not long after i bought it. Then I replaced the carb with the PWK and have been very happy with the bike and it has fast become my favorite tight woods bike. Motor was basically stock other than a Doma pipe, PC muffler and the PWK. Great 125 motor, climbs hills well, rip on top, very good flexible little chain saw.

    So the 144 kits start to show up and I think I need one. :D Finally arrive and I am swamped and it takes me almost 2 weeks to get it installed. Install goes EZ, a few things to do and the pin missing for the PV rod. No big deal get it all installed and fire it up a few days ago. Leave my already rich jetting for a safe run in. Current settings at that point were...

    Year & Bike Model = 2009 WR125
    Carb = Keihin PWK 38
    Pipe & Silencer = 04 Doma pipe and PC SA
    40:1 Amsoil
    Temperature range (deg F) = 55-65f
    Elevation (feet) = 50-2500
    Main jet = 178
    Pilot jet = 45
    Needle = JD blue in the middle
    Clip position = #3
    Air screw setting = 1.5 - 2
    Slide = 7

    It starts second kick, interesting, has a bit of a different tone and bark to it. Ride it around the hood slowly to warm it up. Does not feel much more powerful than stock. then again I am just blipping around warming it up. Let it warm up good, give it a little throttle a few times. Feels OK, not impressed so far. Let it cool down, check all the bolts and stuff. Do 3 more heat cycles like this over the next 2 days. It's Friday afternoon, I see some end to my mountain of work and the rain has finally stopped. Here is my chance. Toss the bike and my case of jets / needles in the truck and head the 20 minutes to a local ride area.

    Get to the ride area get the bike warmed up and take off. Being EZ on the bike and feeling it out. Yep, it is a little more zippy and more roll on power for sure but not real impressive. About 3 miles in it really starts to run nice, for sure pulls nicer everywhere and feels good. Nice smooth increase and pulls great much EZer. Still not hammering it at this point but getting on it some. Feels good, was hoping for a little more gain. So I ride it a couple laps, say 10 miles, runs good, seems to start 1st kick real EZ, runs nice and has smooth power with what feels like a 1-2 HP increase across the board with a nice boost right off the bottom that makes it crawl up hills real nice. Nice but i want more.

    Knowing the bike was rich with the 125 stuff and will be even richer with the 144 kit I head back to the truck to install the JD red needle, middle clip (same as i was running the blue needle) which is the summer / lean needle. Head out for round two. instantly the bike is much more responsive and has a bark and rip it never had. OK, were getting somewhere now. For sure has more power and snap, especially in the mid range. This is the power gains i was looking for but seems to have lost the smooth very low end pull. I think it is lean now on the bottom. Adjust the air screw the this helps some. Ride another 5-7 miles and am really liking it. Go back to the truck and put the clip down one to the 4th position raising the needle and making the bottom end richer.

    This turns out to be the ticket. The bottom end is strong and pulls very good clawing up anything, the mid flat freaking RIPS, not just a nice increase but powerful hard acceleration. As I am not hammering the bike yet the top end feels good but is for sure rich. At this point I could care less if there was a top end at all!!! this bike has become a mid range monster. Pulls very nice off the bottom, goes into a mid range, very hard pulling rip and continues into a very strong top end. I am so happy I am literally laughing my ass off in my helmet. I freaking love this motor. The 144 kit took a nice and very good 125 and made it a forceful woods tool far better than I had hoped. I could not stop riding the bike and rode until dark. The power is intoxicating. Throttle response is WAY better than when it was a 125, snappy as all get out and jumps forward instead of moves forward like 125 style. This bike is seriously FAST now. Keep it on the boil and WOW those corners come up fast and effortlessly. Feels like you could stick it in 3rd and never shift again. Pulls nice and strong from the first rev, huge mid range hit that flows into a strong top end. Motor even seems to run better overall (jetting?) and starts 1st EZ kick, idles low and smooth and very quick throttle response. It has been raining here a lot and this is already a slick area. With the 144 you really have to watch out like on a 250 not to accidentally light up the rear tire and go sideways when riding. When you do find traction the acceleration is nearing brutal and actually needs minded now where before you were always coxing it now you are backing off. The throttle response is awesome and pulls instantly and with authority, especially in that amazing mid range. it is still running rich on top and I bet this motor is one 170-172 main jet away from being a ripper on top too.

    Let me say right now i could not be more happy with this setup. With my current jetting I got a good bit more than i hoped for. It was a mild day with nice dense air, a fresh motor and high expectations. I know it is the honey moon and i tend to go on and on about how much i love my little huskys but WOW this bike has transformed into a whole new level. Those WR150's are going to sell VERY well. All of a sudden a WR200 is not as important at is once was to me. I seriously do not know if I need more. The mid range on this bike will already get you in trouble and I was spending a lot more time metering the throttle than i was hammering it for more power. I simply LOVE this 144 kit. It is nearly perfect for the type of riding i do. I will say it took it from a mild mannered and sweet little trail bike to a ripping race bike. The way it is setup now barks and leaps when asked. It lost some of it nice civil mild mannered temperament and replaced it with rip a new hole / get out of my way power. Not KTM 200 like but not real far off. It really feels like a less powerful WR250 with the smooth clawing bottom end power on the slight soft side, followed buy a mid range hit and then a nice top rush. Obviously not WR250 power but 250 power like.

    yes I sell these kits, yes it is a bit self serving to go and tout how good this is but in all honesty it is a very noticeable increase and the throttle response / acceleration is much improved. The results are much more than I had hoped for and the motor is amazing. I do not know how much the Doma and PWK add to the package and the gains you might see with your configuration but if you install one and jet it right I bet large gains are the norm here. Fells like more difference than the TXC250 to 300 kit IMHO. A substantial difference in power from top to bottom. Also takes a semi problematic mid range soft spot and turns it into a mid range power surge making the overall powerband much more linier and consistent.

    Here is what my ass dyno tells me (blue stock red 144 obviously)...

    [IMG]

    Some random pix for the ride, did not take a lot as i was having far to much fun.

    [IMG]

    [IMG]

    [IMG]

    I'm guessing this will be the view most see :D but with a steady stream of trail flying off the tire....

    [IMG]
  2. crille74 Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Sweden
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    Husqvarna cr 125 2014
    Damn what a nice report, i`m getting my on monday:applause:
    so soon i gona make a order of a pwk att you:cheers:

    Christer.
  3. jmetteer Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Woodland, WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    TXC300 CR125 CR144
    Other Motorcycles:
    WR250F, TRANSALP
    You are full of it...

    The first pic is not from the ride, it is in your driveway... :busted:


    :lol:


    Later,
  4. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    Fine, you don't get to ride it tomorrow.
  5. 2whlrcr Husqvarna
    A Class

    Location:
    Dubuque, IA
    I think you are gaining all that extra horsepower, from the custom tuning you have done to your pipe.:D

    Ok, can you race these things 2+ hours without refueling? Anybody know yet? I can typically go about 2.5 hours at race pace with my 07 WR250. I don't want to stop for gas in a hare scramble.
  6. wallybean Mini-Sponsor

    Location:
    Montana
    Kelly,

    Your comparison to a slightly detuned WR250 is right on the money. :thumbsup: I have thought that a couple of times but didn't want to over sell how strong this motor runs in this form. If you were to mod the power valves like I did the very bottom and mid are even stronger than what you are feeling. I have got out my set of stock Power Valves and ground the face and the bottom to more mimick the stock 144 kit power valves. I ground them to a sealing surface width of 4mm which I think is pretty much identical to the kit pv's. I want to do this simply because I want to mellow out the bottom and mid slightly for when the trails get real dry and slick. I was riding behind an 09 KTM xcwf last weekend and I could pull him slightly corner to corner and I was giving up at least 75 lbs.

    Walt
  7. wallybean Mini-Sponsor

    Location:
    Montana
    I am getting a consistant 25-27 mpg. I am not racing but the bike is hauling some serious weight~235 lbs riding weight. If you get the 10' or 11' you get an extra .5 gal and should give you a range of about 60 miles at race pace.

    Walt
  8. 2whlrcr Husqvarna
    A Class

    Location:
    Dubuque, IA
    So the factory WR150's will have a larger tank? Hmmmm, this could get interesting.
  9. gasgas17 Husqvarna
    A Class

    Location:
    can
    Make no mistake about. In years to come this will be the displacement that everyone wants to ride. Way lighter than a 300 and all the sh!ts and giggles of a 125 on serious starroids. If your a manufacturer and your not making 150's in the future you won't be building dirt bikes for very long. I've done the same thing with my gasgas125. I no longer want to upgrade to the 250 I always wanted. I'm really happy where I'm at now. 144cc's
    :)
  10. Norman Foley Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Trumansburg, NY... The Beautiful, Finger Lakes
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 250WR 86 250WR 93 WXE350 03 TE610
    Other Motorcycles:
    '85 Fantic 300 '12 HUSABERG TE250
    My bike had serious more from the get go, but I had the red needle middle position, 175 main and a 42 pilot in it when I swapped. All the jetting issues I seemed to be chasing with the PWK on the 125 went away. It will 85F+ and humid when I ride Sunday, so that will be the test. Bike runs awesome.
  11. john01 Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Powhatan VA
    Awesome report Kelly. Your report has me second guessing my next bike choice (WR250). I just love my 08 CR125 but the mid range where I ride the most is missing just a little. Your butt graph fills this in exactly like I want. Now should I spend the money on my older frame 08 CR or just order a new 2011 WR150? Thanks for your detailed report.
  12. ScottyR Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Mitchell, ON
    Must resist, must resist.....
    tommytwostroke likes this.
  13. fitness2go Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Seattle WA
    To hell with the bike...how do I get one of those Motosportz stickers for my front fender?

    Seriously though, nice report as usual...I'm seriously interested! Can you ride this Tuesday or Wednesday?
  14. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    I'm not in any way saying it has near the power of the 250, that bike has a lot more but this mimics the powerband and has a good amount of go itself. Personally I feel for the type of riding I do the 144 is actually better and more manageable. I still have the WR250 around here i ride some so i know what they feel like.
  15. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    at full on race pace doubtful but maybe. The 144 with leaner jetting and not needing to hammer it so hard might do it. We will see.
  16. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    :cheers: I'm sure Fran and your 125 group have these dialed. I had a new 04 CR125 but I am late to this party compared to you guys. Must crack you up to read some of this stuff you have realized for years. ;)
    goatrail likes this.
  17. wallybean Mini-Sponsor

    Location:
    Montana
    Kelly,

    You are absolutely correct. It isn't in the same neighborhood power wise but the power band is very similar. Detune the WR 250 by about 15 - 20% and it is a fair comparison. As you said you can probably ride anywhere in 3rd gear. I just got done with a perfect 50 mile ride and I am reasonably fresh for a short fat guy. If I had been on my WR 250 I would be a basket case.

    Any update on the Clarke tank? July is fine but the sooner I can quit packing gas the better.

    Walt
  18. WoodsChick Administrator

    Location:
    Oakland, CA Miramonte, CA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    3 Terras, 2 `07 SM610s, `09 WB165,
    Other Motorcycles:
    KTM, GasGas, Suzuki, Honda
    I saw an IMS ad in Cycle News that said "Coming Soon IMS Husqvarna 2010 250cc 4-stroke tank, also fits 09 WR/CR125 2-strokes"

    I like the Clarke tanks better, as I've had several of each, but it's nice to know IMS is taking Husqvarna seriously now.



    WoodsChick
  19. Motosportz CH Sponsor

    Location:
    Vancouver WA
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2021 TE250i, 570 Berg, 500 KTM, 790R
    Other Motorcycles:
    many
    Spoke with Clarke the other day and need to take them my TXC. Seems were still a month or so out.
  20. Norman Foley Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Trumansburg, NY... The Beautiful, Finger Lakes
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 250WR 86 250WR 93 WXE350 03 TE610
    Other Motorcycles:
    '85 Fantic 300 '12 HUSABERG TE250
    Between Harvey from Bottones, Joe Chod, Ned and Brian Walters, Rich Little and a bunch of other diehard small bore guys, there is a bit of depth.:busted: We flirt with bigger bikes, but come back home to our 125's and its big bore variants!:cheers: