By way of introduction, I am a new Café Husky member living in Sydney. I traded up from my 2009 DRZ400E to a new TE630 three weeks ago. The DRZ was a terrific bike but struggled as a road/trail bike because of its narrow 5 speed gearbox. Gearing it for modest road riding meant it was too highly geared for the dirt & vice versa and there was simply no suitable compromise short of continually swapping sprockets, which becomes tiresome. The main attraction of the TE to me was therefore the wide ratio 6 speed transmission, which is awesome compared with the DRZ, particularly when combined with how smooth the bike is. It’s a whole new level of riding experience - I can now do the offroad work I want then cruise home in comfort. It ticks over at 110kmh at no more revs than my old Ducati 900SS used to. In fact, I will change the front sprocket to a 14 at the first service as I believe it is over geared for the dirt & it struggles in top at under 110-120kmph or so. It now has 900km on it and I love it. It looks fantastic, the build quality and finish is very good, no loose nuts & bolts, the lights are good enough to get you home at night, the seat is much more comfortable than the DRZ and the suspension for off road use is far better and firmer than the softly sprung DRZ, particularly when you hit unexpected large ruts when power sliding out of a corner in 3rd… I must say, however, that I am not overwhelmed with the power, and expected more. It’s not bad by any means, and probably sufficient, but it is a little docile. It feels choked up, no doubt much to do with the standard pipes. I therefore have the Twin Arrows pipes & ECU waiting at the dealers to fit at the first service in a week’s time, so that should liven it up, particularly with slightly reduced gearing. The accessories I got fitted were bash plate (B&B), longer shift lever (Hammerhead), grip warmers (getting soft in old age), Biketique handguards, bar risers (I’m 6’4”), rear rack (Husky genuine). I also wanted radiator guards but the dealer couldn’t source any, so will need to be patient. I purchased the bike from Trooper Lus Garage. There are dealers closer to where I live, but I wanted to support Justin, the owner, as he is a young bloke with a young family who lives, loves & races bikes. He only established his dealership a couple of years ago and is also a supporter of this site. Dealing with him & his offsiders was fuss free & I think we both got a fair deal. He was also helpful in suggesting what mods should & should not be done. Thank you to the various contributors to this forum. I have found it interesting, informative and entertaining. .
Not to worry about the lack of power. `Tis to be expected in the `out of the crate´ spec. Just wait until you´ve got the p/u kit, the Arrows and new EFI installed. And the old zorst weighs a ton as well. Sure you´ll like it MUCH better.
I'm also a new member and just took delivery of my TE630 purchased from Heinen's Motorsports on Friday, July 8th. I researched a lot of comments from the CafeHusky site which helped in making the decision on the TE630, as there was a wealth of great information and shared experiences. I'm waiting on the PU parts to come in this coming week and looking forward to participating in this forum.
Quite interesting to read this Russ, as i currently have a 07 DRZ400 that i was looking to replace with either a TE630 or a KTM690. Most of the posts i have read in this forum also talk about the lack of power with the standard 630. Would be intertested in seeing pictures of your rear rack and bash plate, also what sort of money did arrows pipes and ECU set you back. Husky here in NZ have a deal on at the moment with the SM version where they also supply the arrows PU kit for free so also looking at that possibility and then buying some 18 & 21 inch wheels. TE630 is 4k cheaper here the KTM 690 but if i have to spend close to that to get TE to perform then i may as well buy the KTM.
I believe the most important thing to do first is to honestly appraise the type of riding you do. I do mostly road, dirt road, fire trails & relatively easy off road, usually 4-6 hour rides. For that the TE is perfect, mostly because if it's wide ratio transmission, where 6th is basically an overdrive and a blessing compared with the DRZ when the trails are finished and I need to commute home. It is also incredibly smooth compared with the DRZ. This is certainly not meant to imply that the TE can't handle the tougher stuff, because it can. However, it is top heavy (no doubt in part because of the conventional placement of the tank) and if you get off balance in an awkward spot it's hard to catch it and stop it from toppling over, and I'm quite tall at 6' 4". For pure off road work it goes without saying that there are better alternatives, but that is outside the design brief of the TE. If you do harder off road work the KTM would be worth a test ride. I suspect with its undseat tank it would feel more manageble off road, particularly the 690 Enduro. The reason I didn't consider it seriously was it's narrower gearbox, as that was my main gripe with the DRZ. Reliability and cost were secondary issues. Re the TEs power in standard form, it is somewhat disappointing. It's more than the DRZ, but not remarkably so and feels nothing like the 57hp or so quoted. I find it really frustrating that manufacturers can't seem to produce a bike that works in standard form in today's day and age. I know the emissions laws are always cited as the reason, but to me this is a bit of a cop out. Its now forced me to get after market pipes that will be louder than I want and the bike now won't be compliant for road registration purposes & possibly insurance, not to mention the rip off cost in Oz of approx $1,800... At least Organ Donor has given me hope that when I fit the Twin Arrows & ECU it will liven the big girl up. I am on holidays at the moment so can't send you any close up pics of the bash plate & rear rack until I return. The rack is a standard Husky one, light & well made. To fit it the standard pillion grab handles are removed, but the rack incorporates replacements. The rack is fairly small, which is OK for my needs as it suits my Wolfman tail bag perfectly. If you do longer trips you may need to search for a larger one. Re the B&B bash plate, it is quality gear, as is all their stuff I have owned in the past. I do have a little issue in that I sometimes catch the toe of my left boot on the top of the bash plate when I am downshifting, as it is quite close to the extended Hamerhead lever, but this is no big deal & I just need to get used to it. Overall, I love the TE and highly recommend you take one for a test ride. Its perfect for the type of riding I do and its a whole level above the mighty DRZ in terms of riding enjoyment and refinement, as my riding to & from the trails is now part of the fun rather than a chore. I am just looking forward to waking her up with the new pipes and lowering the gearing a tad, which will hopefully turn her into a bit of a beast...
Guys, there's absolutely no good reason to throw that kind of money in order to get the full potential of those bikes....unless of course you have it and you've got better things to do with your time then some simple DIY projects to unleash the almightiness of your bike... if you read these two threads you'll see that you can achieve "power up" and a "free flowing" pipe (pipes for you 630 guys) with only like $40+/- outta'pocket expenses... de catting a std 09 610 diy power up The 610 and 630 pipes are the same (as far as I can see so...)
I agree with Muddy Waters, I will eventually get a new exhaust or take to mine with a hacksaw and welder, but as it stands I have spent about $5 on the DIY pickup (a bag of 50 resistors) I know I should take the O2 sensor out, but unfortunately where I am living it s a little hard to get anything. If you add the resistor and remove the air box restrictor and replace the O2 sensor with a cap, which all cost next to nothing then you will have a new bike(the bike you were expecting) I am sure if you get the proper P/U kit and new exhaust it will be a bit neater and you might get a little bit better fuel mixture, but for me it is night and day just with the basic DIY stuff. Just my 2c Doug
Thanks for the feedback gents, much appreciated. Unfortunately I am time poor & a mechanical ignoramus (it's good to recognize one's weaknesses...), so will go with the Twin Arrows, as I just want it running as it should. I'm sure they are a great product that will do the trick and save a few pound in the process. I just think the price is over the top. I will get them fitted next week & let you know how they go.
I also agree with Muddy Waters. It can be done without the cost just as well. There´s no good reason to throw all that money at the bike. But I did it anyway. The Arrows are road legal (and you get the upgraded EFI) AND they´re much lighter. Apart from all that, I´m not clever enough to even make the p/u plug on my own.
Hey mate, I am looking for a longer shift lever (Hammerhead) for my TE630, No one in Aust reckons there is one that fits. you have one, what model number and or where did you get it mate? Are you happy with your bike, I think the TE630 Joe
A longer lever will hit the case cover. Husky666 member here has a peg re-locator plate that moves the peg back a half inch, much closer to the normal distance you find on most other bikes. PM him here for info. It's a common issue.
Hi Joe, When I bought the bike I asked the dealer (Trooper Lus Garage) to fit a longer lever because I thought I would have trouble shifting with my size 12 offroad boots, as I had had this trouble with my DRZ and ride reports of the TE also indicated this may be a problem. I thought the dealer put a full Hammerhead lever on, but at the first service he told me they just put a Hammerhead tip on the standard lever - not sure how they managed this. I also removed the rubber inserts on the footpegs, which was an improvement. Between these two changes it's now OK, but still not great and I might look at the relocator option that Chris mentions above at a later date, together with some meatier pegs. I also bought a pair of lighter offroad Gaerne Adventure boots a couple of weeks ago that I wear for lighter off road riding, and there are no shifting issues when wearing these. One issue I could see with a longer lever is catching the lip of your bash plate with the toe of your left boot. This sometimes happens to me with my B&B plate, but no big deal - just a matter of getting used to it. As to whether I am happy with the bike, the answer is that I love it. I've never enjoyed riding a bike more in 30 years of riding and its a huge increase in enjoyment and sophistication over my old DRZ400E. It's perfect for the type of riding I currently do (mix of tar road, dirt mountain roads, fire trails & some tougher single track). Please note that these comments are after I lowered the gearing from a 15 tooth CS to a 14 and fitted the after market Arrow pipes & ECU. Before that it was overgeared and the bike was choked up (no power up mod was done before delivery). Below are some photos of the lever, tip & bash plate lip:
Hi Joe, Please see thread titled "SM630: Longer Shift Lever or Relocate Footpegs?". I have posted the part no. and website there, but also below: The part number and description on the sales invoice for the Hammerhead tip is: HD100112 Hammerhead Gear Tip 20+ That part no. can be found at: http://mainmoto.com.au/hhcat/cat/ HAMMERHEAD DESIGNS BILLET & RUBBER BOOT SHIFT TIPS Original Knurled Tips +20mm Wide Tip 100112 Regards, Russ
Hey I'm in Sydney with a 630 too. Re radiator guards i just fitted 610 BPD Bullet Proof Designs) radiator guards. They fit up ok just had to shorten the supplied mounting bolts. BPD importer is in Sydney $220.00
Thanks for the tip re the radiator guards. I'll look into it a bit more & contact B&B as well, as I still want a set. Not many TEs in Sydney as far as I can tell - I've never seen another on the road, or in the bush for that matter. Where do you usually ride and what type of riding do you do?
I haven't been out on it much, spending alot of time getting it sorted so I'm comfortable to do some big runs on it. I spend more time on my Yammie 450 out around Lithgow. So far I'v added higher bars, heated grips , 12V outlet, Scotts sub mount steering damper, radiator guards,14T front sprocket, Barrett twin exhaust, Power up kit, HD tubes, Rack and bag, B&B bash plate, Biketique hand guards a couple of things I'm planning peg relocaters and new pegs. I saw one last week on the M4 in the evening I think around Cumberland Hwy thats the only other one I have ever seen out and about.
