9 Hours on 2013 TXC310, Very Disapointed in this bike

[henson802]

Setups are strange , maybe it's how each bike is put together at the shop/factory--

My TE250 is pretty stiff, more so then any bike I have tried. Yet others say it's too soft. I'm not a heavy guy by any means, but have adjusted to the lightest settings and the 2 year old bike won't sag if it just by itself on stand - And if I sit, it sags very little in comparison to other bikes, not sure the extent of sag but 1/2 an inch maybe. I know it's possible to take it to a shop and yada yada yada, but my time and $$$ is limited so I'll deal with it. Riding it feels fine to me, a little harsh on the buttox and a little tough to get a foot down when slowing down..

I have never ridden a KTM but have always thought based on spec sheets they have some of the taller seats in the dirt bike world- Maybe Mike is right and the sag on those bikes are more lenient. My yamaha sags like 2 inches it seems, maybe too much but I love it. Flat foot relatively easy on Yami and barely tippy toe the TE.

I wonder how bikes are put together and the checks and balances on them afterwards, how that varies.

 

[Kawagumby]

Setups are strange , maybe it's how each bike is put together at the shop/factory--

My TE250 is pretty stiff, more so then any bike I have tried. Yet others say it's too soft. I'm not a heavy guy by any means, ... And if I sit, it sags very little in comparison to other bikes, not sure the extent of sag but 1/2 an inch maybe. .

Have you set the rear preload (sag) for your weight? I would think each bike would have the same rate springs as spec'd by the manufacturer for that particular model. The amount of spring compression for the proper rider sag will tell you if the spring rate is right for you or you need stiffer or softer springs. I.e, too much spring compression means a too soft spring and too little means a too stiff spring - I've always used 3/4" as the upper limit and 1-1/2" as the lower limit to determine whether or not the spring is right for me, and found that to work very well for my spring rate needs.

I just bought an 09 TE310 from a guy who had no clue about setup. He crashed the heck out of it because of a Kouba (1.5 inch lowering) link, very little rear preload (the Kouba makes the spring rate even softer) and the forks were only raised about 1/2 inch in the triples. A recipe for disaster. IMO, you can't judge a bike by riding someone else's which is not suspension setup for your weight or ability, nor can you properly judge your own bike if it's not setup properly.

My TE doesn't feel top-heavy, it feels heavy all over, LOL, because I'm used to riding light 2 smokes. It handles very well for its weight IMO, doesn't do anything funny, does not require a lot of upper body rider input to get it to turn. It does feel a little nose-heavy compared to most bikes I've ridden (off of jumps), but then I'm still into tweaking the forks, so that might yet change.

 

[henson802]

I'll admit I'm not too keen on suspension setup and such. I was adjusting that little Sachs Can thingy and a friend of mine told me to turn the clickers one way for lightest setting which I did. Didn't notice too much of a change. Still stiff as heck, handles fine, actually handles awesome - i just feel a bit more of the bumps.. I don't know, I ride for fun and far from a pro racer..so I really don't know how a well tuned suspension feels. All I can tell ya is that when I sit on it, there's a very slight sag , hardly noticeable at all compared to the Hondas and Yamaha's I have ridden.

Anyways - don't want to derail the topic any more. It is what it is

 

[Boogie]

IMO, you can't judge a bike by riding someone else's which is not suspension setup for your weight or ability, nor can you properly judge your own bike if it's not setup properly.

so very true

 

[MikeB]

Henson - I don't want to hijack this either but you will have even more fun if you get your bike set-up better. (when you take the bike off the stand the rear should settle 1 to 1.5 inches under just the bikes weight - and another 3 inches or so with you on board) Vermont is a little far from Az or I'd help. Just find someone knowledgeable who's willing to spend 30 minutes or an hour showing you how to adjust things. I think Vinduro has set up tips on this site which might help - he likes his setup buttery soft - the mx guys like things stiffer - but there's useful info there from a guy who's "been there and done that".

found it - http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/vinduros-suspension-setup-recommendations.17836/

 

[Mike-AK]

Setups are strange , maybe it's how each bike is put together at the shop/factory--

My TE250 is pretty stiff, more so then any bike I have tried. Yet others say it's too soft. I'm not a heavy guy by any means, but have adjusted to the lightest settings and the 2 year old bike won't sag if it just by itself on stand - And if I sit, it sags very little in comparison to other bikes, not sure the extent of sag but 1/2 an inch maybe. I know it's possible to take it to a shop and yada yada yada, but my time and $$$ is limited so I'll deal with it. Riding it feels fine to me, a little harsh on the buttox and a little tough to get a foot down when slowing down..

I have never ridden a KTM but have always thought based on spec sheets they have some of the taller seats in the dirt bike world- Maybe Mike is right and the sag on those bikes are more lenient. My yamaha sags like 2 inches it seems, maybe too much but I love it. Flat foot relatively easy on Yami and barely tippy toe the TE.

I wonder how bikes are put together and the checks and balances on them afterwards, how that varies.

My bike doesn't sag on the kickstand either, but if I grab the end of the bar and stand it up straight, it will sag in about 1.25". Does your bike sag at all when you stand it up straight? If so, have a friend hold it in place and measure from the rear axle bolt to the underside of the fender, then sit on it and have your buddy measure it again and see how far it sags. If it goes another 3-4" you are probably ok. If not, tighten the adjusting collar on the shock a bit and try again. As long as the bike free sags about 1 - 1.5' without you on it, the spring is still ok for your weight. If you have to tighten it down so much to get the loaded sag right that there is not enough free sag, then you need a heavier spring. If free sag is ok, but you are not getting enough loaded sag, then you need a lighter spring.

 

[Tinken]

Set it to 40mm static sag and 105mm race sag for the 310's.

 

[robertaccio]

FYI all and Tinken, I like mine 35mm 100mm. (right in the same range as vinduros setting recommendation with 6.4 spring, the mentioned 40/ 100 falls into vinduros spec range as well)
I tend to end up sitting more on the mid to rear of my seat from my over size and it causes the chopper effect with low in the rear sag and front understeer (losing the front).
Also my fork is projected to the first ring. (my fork preset is spot on with vinduros fork setting % spec with my .48 springs)

 

[Mike-AK]

FYI all and Tinken, I like mine 35mm 100mm. (right in the same range as vinduros setting recommendation with 6.4 spring, the mentioned 40/ 100 falls into vinduros spec range as well)
I tend to end up sitting more on the mid to rear of my seat from my over size and it causes the chopper effect with low in the rear sag and front understeer (losing the front).
Also my fork is projected to the first ring. (my fork preset is spot on with vinduros fork setting % spec with my .48 springs)

I'm running 6.4 and .48 on mine as well with the same sag numbers. Works well for me.

 

[mnb]

The seat height does not appear to be radically different between the brands to me, but the KTMs with the PDS seem to sag in a bit more. Perhaps that is the difference.

The TE310 has a noticably lower seat than any other brand on the market (although the Te449/511 is very close in later model years), which is a major reason a very short inseam guy like me chose the Husky (but not the only).

 

[dartyppyt]

FYI all and Tinken, I like mine 35mm 100mm. (right in the same range as vinduros setting recommendation with 6.4 spring, the mentioned 40/ 100 falls into vinduros spec range as well)
I tend to end up sitting more on the mid to rear of my seat from my over size and it causes the chopper effect with low in the rear sag and front understeer (losing the front).
Also my fork is projected to the first ring. (my fork preset is spot on with vinduros fork setting % spec with my .48 springs)

100mm rear helps front end stick better. 105mm seems to make front skip more.

 

[MikeB]

As long as we're going off line a bit - this old guy also runs his rear wheel a touch farther back for the same reasons - this transfers a bit more weight to the front so I don't have to slide as far forward on the seat. Along with a touch less sag I get better steering without having to work as hard. It may not be the fastest set-up for a young pro rider but it works for me.

 

[Kawagumby]

100mm rear helps front end stick better. 105mm seems to make front skip more.

The hard and fast settings people often quote are pretty good for a start place, but over the years I've found that a little tweaking is necessary for optimizing the suspension for different terrain, riding style (which changes some as we age) and so on. For example, with my 09 TE310 which I use in narrow technical (rough) and slow trails, I've found that backing off the usual rear preload a bit nets much less tire spin and much more comfort/endurance. You can compensate a lot for front traction with body movement on the bike -especially if you're up on the pegs a lot to begin with.

 

[K5PL5]

The hard and fast settings people often quote are pretty good for a start place, but over the years I've found that a little tweaking is necessary for optimizing the suspension for different terrain, riding style (which changes some as we age) and so on. For example, with my 09 TE310 which I use in narrow technical (rough) and slow trails, I've found that backing off the usual rear preload a bit nets much less tire spin and much more comfort/endurance. You can compensate a lot for front traction with body movement on the bike -especially if you're up on the pegs a lot to begin with.

I agree on that point. Now that I ride more often standing up I can ride with a little bit softer setting on the back.

 

[msev1111]

I was hoping to have the parts taken care of by Husky like my dealer said, I usally do all my own work

I spoke to Eric at Town and Country in New Jersey, He has the parts in stock and will submit to Husky to see if they will take care of it. I can drop the bike off any day,
Anyone have a bad experiance with Town and Country, I have heard good things

ED

Eric will take care of you. I have purchased multiple bikes from T+C, including a 2012 TXC310. Nothing but good to say. Good luck bud.

 

[Ed Ventura]

Eric will take care of you. I have purchased multiple bikes from T+C, including a 2012 TXC310. Nothing but good to say. Good luck bud.

Thanks For the update, He has the bike

ED

 

[NYCMX]

Eric at Town & Country was a great help setting up my 2 TE 310 R's. They run flawless. Great bike for a 4 stroke.

 

[loony888]

I can assure you that my post was not to bitch, It was to inform people what I have gone through with 9 hours on a bike, I have spent way to many hours reading all the x-lite threads on this forum trying to figure it out. The fact is it is a POS. Just look at the replies from this post. I can not get the parts I need,

And to top it off I cant put any weight on my right ankle this morning, It kicked backed like I have never seen in 30 years on a dirtbike, WTF

My guess with out even looking at it is maybe I have a sheared flywhhel key and it is out of time

certainly sounds like a bitch session, just to add some balance i'd like to add that my '07 TE 450 has run flawlessly it's whole life and never left me stranded or given me any grief whatsoever. oh, hang on, the front brake switch got gummed up and wouldn't work till i sprayed it with CRC, what a pile of junk eh?

hope your ankle is ok, it does suck to get hurt, as for the bike problems, how can we help?

 

[huskyfrk]

people tend to forget that this motor is a good deal smaller physically and with that comes more maintence. cam bearings are a bit on the small side. and setting up a bike, few people tend to want to put bar risers or change bars to customize it, make it truly their own. few things fit right off the showroom floor. I have always found it best to go to the pro's with my suspenders, never had a commplaint when i let the experts at kit... my .02