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Husqvarna
A Class
For years I have enjoyed and benefitted from other riders reports to help me make better purchase decisions. Hopefully others will benefit from this report as much as I have from others. I will be 53 in January and other than a owning a few bikes as a teenager. My recreational riding passion started in 1998. I purchased the 449 midway through 2011 after reading that this platform was a really good medium range dual sport bike plus the prices started to drop.
I trusted Kelley's opinion since he rides the same terrain here in the Pacific Northwest. At that time it was still winter riding season and the bike I was riding was a 2010 CRF 250r with a Rekluse and LHRB. Our winter riding area is a place called Tahuya. The terrain at Tahuya is tight single track, with very little elevation change with lots of corners and tree roots. This enviornment favors the light snappy bike and never did I plan on the 449 replaceing the CRF in this environment. The plan for the 449 was for the summer season in the Cascades where the terrain is more open , has significant elevation changes and has many medium range dual sport opportunities.
Since 2004 all of my bikes have had the suspension tuned, Rekluse and LHRB. I hate foot brakes! There was several months before the summer riding season started so I decided that I was going to ride the 449 and learn to use the clutch and foot break before spending the $ on a EFM auto clutch and LHRB. The first thing I realized was how much benefit there was to have a standard clutch especially on this bike. The CST adds a significant amount of gyro force which is great for traction and straight line stability but if you don't pull the clutch in and break the gyro effect this bike is much more difficult to turn. Pull the clutch in and this bike feels and tracks almost as light as a much smaller and lighter bike. The more I rode the 449 the more I am getting to like it and can see that once I get it dialed in that it is going to be a great bike. The dilema now is that this bike really benefits from having clutch disengagement and I am missing the LHRB. The solution is the ability to have a clutch and LHRB. I posted on TT for what I was looking for and was turned on to the Clake.
The Clake is made in Australia. The first part of the pull elliminates about 75% of the engine breaking and allows the rear end to free wheel enough so the bike does not stall. The engagement can be fine tuned by a cam system.
The next part of the pull activates the rear brake. Basically pull the lever in to slow down and stop. Let it out to go. Next was the suspension. Of all the bikes I have owned. None of them has been as transformed from proper set up as the 449. I sent the forks and shock to LT Racing. Les shortened the shock shaft 4mm then sprung and valved for my ability and terrain. While Les was doing his magic. I decided to do my own version of the " air box mod". I drilled 8 evenly spaced holes about the size of a dime in the front of the air box.
How does the package work ?
Suspension. The bike sucks up all the trail trash you throw at it. It corners great and is stable in the whoops. The lack of chain torque due to the CST is pure magic! The lack of chain torque allows the rear end to go over trail trash smoother and tracks better than any other bike I have owned which translates into less energy being absorbed by my body.
Motor. This motor is electric and is a very easy motor to go slow or fast on. The air box mod made the motor quite a bit crisper and stronger through out the power band. The six speed tranny is the best six speed Husky I have ridden. First could be a bit lower and 5th and sixth could be a bit longer. So far the ratios work very good for the trails and I can still ride the road comfortably around 60mph.
The Clake. For those of you who are LHRB converts. I would be surprised if you don't love the Clake. In order to reduce engine breaking and rear wheel chatter with the traditional auto clutch and LHRB. I would turn up the idle and power brake in the corners. With the Clake the engine breaking and gyro effect goes away on the first part of the pull which eliminates rear wheel hop. You combine that effect with the lack of chain torque and the precise control of the rear brake and you have a bike that is unbelievalbly smooth regardless of how fast you hit the corners and how much trash is on the trail. This bike is easier and less tiring to ride in all environments than any bike I have ever owned. The CRF has been sold !
I will be attending the NW gathering this week along with Josh Ford. Josh was just converted from a GG 300 to a new 511. His bike will have the EFM auto clutch and the new Rekluse LHRB.
You are welcome to give my bike a spin and see what you think of the Clake.
Russ
I trusted Kelley's opinion since he rides the same terrain here in the Pacific Northwest. At that time it was still winter riding season and the bike I was riding was a 2010 CRF 250r with a Rekluse and LHRB. Our winter riding area is a place called Tahuya. The terrain at Tahuya is tight single track, with very little elevation change with lots of corners and tree roots. This enviornment favors the light snappy bike and never did I plan on the 449 replaceing the CRF in this environment. The plan for the 449 was for the summer season in the Cascades where the terrain is more open , has significant elevation changes and has many medium range dual sport opportunities.Since 2004 all of my bikes have had the suspension tuned, Rekluse and LHRB. I hate foot brakes! There was several months before the summer riding season started so I decided that I was going to ride the 449 and learn to use the clutch and foot break before spending the $ on a EFM auto clutch and LHRB. The first thing I realized was how much benefit there was to have a standard clutch especially on this bike. The CST adds a significant amount of gyro force which is great for traction and straight line stability but if you don't pull the clutch in and break the gyro effect this bike is much more difficult to turn. Pull the clutch in and this bike feels and tracks almost as light as a much smaller and lighter bike. The more I rode the 449 the more I am getting to like it and can see that once I get it dialed in that it is going to be a great bike. The dilema now is that this bike really benefits from having clutch disengagement and I am missing the LHRB. The solution is the ability to have a clutch and LHRB. I posted on TT for what I was looking for and was turned on to the Clake.
The Clake is made in Australia. The first part of the pull elliminates about 75% of the engine breaking and allows the rear end to free wheel enough so the bike does not stall. The engagement can be fine tuned by a cam system. The next part of the pull activates the rear brake. Basically pull the lever in to slow down and stop. Let it out to go. Next was the suspension. Of all the bikes I have owned. None of them has been as transformed from proper set up as the 449. I sent the forks and shock to LT Racing. Les shortened the shock shaft 4mm then sprung and valved for my ability and terrain. While Les was doing his magic. I decided to do my own version of the " air box mod". I drilled 8 evenly spaced holes about the size of a dime in the front of the air box.How does the package work ?
Suspension. The bike sucks up all the trail trash you throw at it. It corners great and is stable in the whoops. The lack of chain torque due to the CST is pure magic! The lack of chain torque allows the rear end to go over trail trash smoother and tracks better than any other bike I have owned which translates into less energy being absorbed by my body.
Motor. This motor is electric and is a very easy motor to go slow or fast on. The air box mod made the motor quite a bit crisper and stronger through out the power band. The six speed tranny is the best six speed Husky I have ridden. First could be a bit lower and 5th and sixth could be a bit longer. So far the ratios work very good for the trails and I can still ride the road comfortably around 60mph.
The Clake. For those of you who are LHRB converts. I would be surprised if you don't love the Clake. In order to reduce engine breaking and rear wheel chatter with the traditional auto clutch and LHRB. I would turn up the idle and power brake in the corners. With the Clake the engine breaking and gyro effect goes away on the first part of the pull which eliminates rear wheel hop. You combine that effect with the lack of chain torque and the precise control of the rear brake and you have a bike that is unbelievalbly smooth regardless of how fast you hit the corners and how much trash is on the trail. This bike is easier and less tiring to ride in all environments than any bike I have ever owned. The CRF has been sold !
I will be attending the NW gathering this week along with Josh Ford. Josh was just converted from a GG 300 to a new 511. His bike will have the EFM auto clutch and the new Rekluse LHRB.
You are welcome to give my bike a spin and see what you think of the Clake.
Russ
