Gutless 08 TE510

[jaybz]

Hello.I'm new here.Great website.

Hope yers can give me a few tips on a problem.

I recently purchased a 600km TE510 and i have been for a few rides on it and i really like it apart from it seems gutless.

After reading all the shootouts and the magazines raving about how grunty the motors were meant to be i am a bit disapointed.

The power is really flat and doesnt pick up anything like my friends 08 EXC530, especially in the mid and top. The KTM EATS it. I took another mates 06 TE510 for a spin the other day back to back and the same thing. The midrange and topend are WAY stronger.

My bike has had the power up kit fitted but the prev owner crashed the bike badly before he sold it and mashed the Arrow pipe. The stock one with the cat converter was put on in place with the rest of the PU left on.

Could this be the reason and if it is i wouldnt have thought the muffler could make that much difference in power.

Cheers

 

[glangston]

Maybe, but I'd pull the cat converter out and see what you think. Wait, wrong, thought it was 09.

Throttle stop out?

Arrow pipe is a lot less restrictive than stocker and about 4 pounds lighter.

 

[jaybz]

Throttle stop is out > its not THAT gutless.

Just not what i expected

I knew i shoulda got a katoom :smirk:

I ordered another PU kit from Dan so will see soon if it helps

 

[rancher1]

the cat muffler is very restrictive and causes the engine to run hotter, ditch it and you should be happy.

 

[Coffee]

...The stock one with the cat converter was put on in place with the rest of the PU left on.

Could this be the reason and if it is i wouldnt have thought the muffler could make that much difference in power.

Cheers

Yes that would be the reason. Maybe someone with a 2008 te510 could confirm if they happened to have used the stock exhaust with the rest of the power up kit installed.

 

[XLEnduroMan]

With the stock exhaust on I would put the O2 sensor back in. That is what I would do.

 

[Hwy]

Husky and KTM are two horses of a different breed.
Husky is a Quarter horse (dependable, trustworthy and strong)
KTM is an Arabian (Beautiful and fast)

I maintain a stable of both. Husqvarna four stroke 410's and 510's have always seemed under powered to me with the exception of the mid and late 1980's 510's. To me they have a "electric" feel and very linear. Nothing to exciting but reliable as a rock.

Whilst KTM's are abrupt, fast and have more of a traditional thumper style and taste.

If I could only have one: Husky.

 

[Mike Kay]

Huskys are faster than KTM's IMHO.

Just about any horsepower chart from any shoot out shows it.

They are a bit slower than Honda on the bottom, but after that the Husky is over and over and over the drag race king.

Fastest 4stroke dirt bike ive ever ridden was a '07 TC510.

Fix that exhaust and then hold on.

 

[Hwy]

True. But how that power is delivered is another thing altogether.

For a pure unadulterated grin factor - it's hard to beat the big bore four stroke from KTM. I own and ride both brands.

 

[Bobby]

True. But how that power is delivered is another thing altogether.

For a pure unadulterated grin factor - it's hard to beat the big bore four stroke from KTM. I own and ride both brands.

I've had many a KTM 525 (EXC, SX) and even made a KTM 540 EXC with custom high compression piston and oversized valves and light head work. Best running KTM RFS I and many have ever ridden.

My HSQ 510TXC in stock trim smokes the 540 everywhere but low low speed lugging (the HSQ will flame out faster) But the HSQ doesn't overheat at the first sign of a long pull or slow speeds like ALL of my KTM's have/do regardless of how I jet them.


To the OP, something's is amiss, get that pipe replaced and hang on as a TE should keep pace with an EXC anyday. If the pipe doesn't get you up to par, have your dealer check the trim/TPS settings and fuel adjustments, preferably with a gas analyzer hooked up.

 

[RLW]

Last weekend, my '05 TE510 got beat by a '07 525EXC..................in top speed.
My bike runs stock pipe, stock 14/50 gearing (due to internal primary gears, similar to a newer model with 13/50)
My riding partners 525EXC is stock except for JD jetting kit and lower 13/50 gearing, from stock 14/46?.

We have swapped bikes during rides several times.
Not doubt the TE510 has more HP and pulls harder/quicker than the higher torque 525EXC, but the close ratio tranny does not allow the top end the KTM has even when geared down as much as his.

Coming back on our 80 loop, we were on a stretch of freshly rained on, dust free dirt road, just slowed/passed some cattle on the road and came up on a roughly mile long straight where we hit it WOT
Stopped for lunch a few miles later and compared notes:
Per corrected Trail Tech, tucked down tight behind bars, I max'd out at 88.4mph.
The EXC said 97 on it's factory speedometer, but his GPS claimed 'only' 93mph while catching up to me. (our odometers were off same percentage) I think the EXC might have pulled a few more mph if it, had we had a longer straight.

 

[columbia510]

Per corrected Trail Tech, tucked down tight behind bars, I max'd out at 88.4mph.
The EXC said 97 on it's factory speedometer, but his GPS claimed 'only' 93mph while catching up to me. (our odometers were off same percentage) I think the EXC might have pulled a few more mph if it, had we had a longer straight.

I had a very similar experiance with my 07 510 and an 08 530 exc. All stock except for my gearing, I run a 14/48. I let off at 88mph, in 6th at 9000rpm the the 530 with stock gearing(?) ran 96 at 9600.

I love my Husky, I will buy another if this ever pops. Still runnin strong after 368hrs.

 

[RLW]

The Husky's are sweet bikes, even if they are a little........slow(?)

 

[Fast1]

With a 15 on the front of my 08 TE510 I hit 96 mph per Zumo GPS last weekend while racing a few others including a KTM which was not even a contest in acceleration nor top end. A stock TE510 with the 15 tooth also pulled away from the jetted/piped KTM. The stock TE510 hit 91 mph GPS. If I had the 13 tooth stocker on front it would have been worse. The 510 is quicker and faster on top end with a 13 tooth from my testing. Had the same experience a month or so ago with a KTM 690 but that bike was much closer and my TE510 was wearing a 14 tooth on the front.

 

[jcarlson9]

slow ?

I bought an 08 te450 cause i thought that would have plenty of power.after one year of fiddling with it the bottom end is weak,top end not bad,and i have done all power up stuff, and broken it in well.I still have yet to find a dealer who can adjust the stock fi,when i do i hope it wakes up the power band,right now it is weak on the bottom,but does have ok torque.suspension ? thats a different story

 

[Bobby]

plugging in the O2 eliminator kit and a Arrow pipe is not the extent of the Power Up Kit, thats for sure. We've done power up kits on well over 40 08's and everyone of them has needed some fiddling, a couple were pretty good with plug and play, however the majority NEEDED adjustment to be anywhere near optimal and even at that there are slight holes in the power band that the PCIII can adress that the P-up kit will not.