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

  • Hi everyone,

    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

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All 2st Considering going from a YZ450F to a WR300...need opinions

RiderX

Husqvarna
I'm currently on an 09 YZ450F that's well set up for woods, but miss my KTM 2 strokes. I've had a couple of KTM 250 2T's and a couple of KTM 300 2T's. I've never owned a Husky. I've got an opportunity to pick up an 09 WR300 that's in very good shape. Has a Revloc, and a few other goodies, and I'd be installing a Scotts stabilizer on it.

My major concern is the handling/suspension characteristics of the WR300. I've read mixed reviews and not sure what to think. My YZ450F eats up terrain with confidence, and turns great. It's a little heavy in the tight and nasty stuff. I had an 06 KTM 300XCW that handled just as well as my YZF, but felt much lighter in the slow technical stuff. I want something that eats up terrain and turns well. I'm 5'10 and about 210 naked. I don't race, but I do ride at a good pace. Probably a mid-pack intermediate level rider.

Is the 09 the bike I'm looking for? Will the Marzochi forks and Sach rear shock be up to par? I've also read that these bikes feel tall and can be a pain for average height riders.

Thanks for any opinions/info you can offer!!
 
I'm currently on an 09 YZ450F that's well set up for woods, but miss my KTM 2 strokes. I've had a couple of KTM 250 2T's and a couple of KTM 300 2T's. I've never owned a Husky. I've got an opportunity to pick up an 09 WR300 that's in very good shape. Has a Revloc, and a few other goodies, and I'd be installing a Scotts stabilizer on it.

My major concern is the handling/suspension characteristics of the WR300. I've read mixed reviews and not sure what to think. My YZ450F eats up terrain with confidence, and turns great. It's a little heavy in the tight and nasty stuff. I had an 06 KTM 300XCW that handled just as well as my YZF, but felt much lighter in the slow technical stuff. I want something that eats up terrain and turns well. I'm 5'10 and about 210 naked. I don't race, but I do ride at a good pace. Probably a mid-pack intermediate level rider.

Is the 09 the bike I'm looking for? Will the Marzochi forks and Sach rear shock be up to par? I've also read that these bikes feel tall and can be a pain for average height riders.

Thanks for any opinions/info you can offer!!
Here's the deal.I had an 06 yz 450 that tried to kill me(way to much power) so I switched to an 06 KTM XC300.Loved that bike other than it didnt turn for shit.Tore my ACL sold the KTM bought an 09 WR 250 and love it. I was so curious about the husky I just had to have 1.As far as layout goes it reminds me alot of my old YZ , feels very similar but it turns as good as an Rm in my opinion and feels just as strong as my old 300. I cant wait to make this bike a 300 or just do some head work and be done with it. Do your due dillegance and set the bike up properly and you will not be disapointed.
 
If you're into setting up a bike and adjusting things to suit yourself, you will like the WR. The 300 is as fast as a 450, but feels lighter. It can be a handful, just as a 450 can, but it's manageable. I converted mine to a 250 because it was just to much for me in race conditions. Trail riding it was a blast. It's so beefy that you can pretty much ride it like a 3 speed; 3rd, 4th and 5th. Hills? What hills? I think they can climb a mountain in 5th gear just off idle. In first it would just try to kill you.

If you know nothing about set up and just want to climb on and go, you may want to get another KTM. They're closer for the avaerage Joe out of the box than the WR.

And I agree, they remind me most of my old YZ250, but I like it better. Actually, I love my WR. I just liked my YZ.
 
I had a yzf also and am currently on an 09 wr 300. I love it so much I can't even tell you. I had the Marz forks done over by someone who KNOWS them****************************************! Revalved and resprung for my weight and riding style. Most amazing forks I have ever ridden. I am 5'11" and 205 and this bike handles me and all of my gear without even knowing I am there. I did spend the money on the keihin carb too, but I live in UT with big elevation and temp changes. Feel free to ask any other q's, but for off road riding I really think you are going to be extremely happy once you get itset up the way you like it
 
I always spend time setting my bike up. I usually give my suspension to a local tuner here and have it sprung and valved, but I'm told that the suspension is pretty good right out of the box on this bike, so just installing springs and setting the sag may be all I need (hopefully). The bike has a Revloc auto clutch, and I will immediately install a LHRB, and a Scotts stabilizer. The LHRB and auto clutch is a must for me since I've been riding all my bikes this way for the past few years.
 
I had a yzf also and am currently on an 09 wr 300. I love it so much I can't even tell you. I had the Marz forks done over by someone who KNOWS them! Revalved and resprung for my weight and riding style. Most amazing forks I have ever ridden. I am 5'11" and 205 and this bike handles me and all of my gear without even knowing I am there. I did spend the money on the keihin carb too, but I live in UT with big elevation and temp changes. Feel free to ask any other q's, but for off road riding I really think you are going to be extremely happy once you get itset up the way you like it

How did you like the suspension in stock form? Who did you use for the re-valve?

You guys are twisting my arm here. I may just pull the trigger on this deal.
 
Both ends stock for me were a bit off. I am really lucky and have a buddy who is a fork tech at Marzocchi USA and he dialed them in for me. And he did an amazing job. But LTR and ZipTy are both supposed to be excellent. Zip Ty still uses them in lieu of the kyb. As far as the rear goes...I am still fully stock. I set my sag and adjusted rebound. It is soft on high speed whoops and g-outs, but works well enough still that I have spent my money on other things. Interesting note on the Sachs...dirt bike just tested the txc310 and they commented that the new kyb shock felt no better than the Sachs and that they basically amitted to dissing the Sachs because they weren't familiar with it.
 
I can't say this enough. The WR300 has tons of usable power, is very stable and balanced in whoops and cuts through tight singletrack turns like a 125. I am in the process of tweaking the bike right now, since I have ridden it about a dozen times now. I still don't know if I will keep the stock carb. The suspension has been resprung for my weight, but is going in to Precision Concepts tomorrow for a revalve, so that the high speed float is softened up a tad for square edges and rocks. I had a KTM, but I like this bike better. It just fits me. :love:
 
Good choice. If you can do your own fork work on the Marzocchi's. Riders Edge up in Canada sells new valve kits/along with a shim stack/setup for about $200. He is really good on the Rear Sachs shock as well. The newer models have the KYB's and I think they are better out of the crate. My last bike was an 06 Zook, RMZ250 that had about everything in the engine and drank expensive race fuel. Just got tired of kicking it in the woods hot for 15mins. I switched back over to Husky two strokes. They are priced less, bullet proof and you don't have a fortune to dial them in to your needs power or handing wise.
 
I can't say this enough. The WR300 has tons of usable power, is very stable and balanced in whoops and cuts through tight singletrack turns like a 125. I am in the process of tweaking the bike right now, since I have ridden it about a dozen times now. I still don't know if I will keep the stock carb. The suspension has been resprung for my weight, but is going in to Precision Concepts tomorrow for a revalve, so that the high speed float is softened up a tad for square edges and rocks. I had a KTM, but I like this bike better. It just fits me. :love:


Ask Precision Concepts When was the last time you worked on a Husky? Want your bike to work then take it to Zip Ty Even tho they are not a husky Factory team any more they still work on and KNOW
HUSKY.
 
Looks like I'll be picking it up Saturday. First thing I'll probably do is send the suspension off to LTR.

I would ride it first and see if you can get it where you like it with the clickers. The stock suspension is pretty good in my opinion.
 
Ask Precision Concepts When was the last time you worked on a Husky? Want your bike to work then take it to Zip Ty Even tho they are not a husky Factory team any more they still work on and KNOW
HUSKY.
Maybe the last time Bob worked on a Husky was when he did the fine job of revalving my TE450. :thumbsup:

And I asked him then, how familiar he was with Husqvarna suspension. He is an honest guy with vast knowledge and talent when it comes to tuning boingers. He said that he had not worked on too many Husqvarnas, when I decided to take the TE suspension to him.

I will take the WR suspension to the shop this morning, and in about three hours, Diane will call me on my cell phone (while I'm window shopping at Bass Pro Shops) to let me know that the units are finished and ready to pick up. These people are very dedicated to a high standard in work and customer service. They really pay attention to what the customer wants out the suspension. They are my friends, too.
 
Maybe the last time Bob worked on a Husky was when he did the fine job of revalving my TE450. :thumbsup:

And I asked him then, how familiar he was with Husqvarna suspension. He is an honest guy with vast knowledge and talent when it comes to tuning boingers. He said that he had not worked on too many Husqvarnas, when I decided to take the TE suspension to him.

I will take the WR suspension to the shop this morning, and in about three hours, Diane will call me on my cell phone (while I'm window shopping at Bass Pro Shops) to let me know that the units are finished and ready to pick up. These people are very dedicated to a high standard in work and customer service. They really pay attention to what the customer wants out the suspension. They are my friends, too.


I have no problem with Bob I have known him for years bob did the suspention on my 640 and 990 KTM a while back.BUT when I asked if he wanted to work on the Husky which has suspention parts most if not all suspention compaines do not know much about Bob said to me I will be honest I have never worked on one but I will try. So back then i found FMF in pen who worked direct with Peadro from the Marzocci factory.Since then Peadro has come to So. Calif and worked with Zip Ty racing where I now get my suspention done .
I never said any thing bad about Bob I only asked you the question When was the last time he worked on a Husky Seems he now has knowage of the product and that works out for you
 
I would ride it first and see if you can get it where you like it with the clickers. The stock suspension is pretty good in my opinion.

I agree. Once sprung correctly it's not to bad. Sure it can be better, but it's pretty good for nasty trails the way it is.
 
It looks like the guy is backing out of the deal :mad:

If anyone knows of a WR300 for sale please let me know!!
 
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