Tough crowd - "user error"
How about, just used my bike? I don't mind that anything broke, that is part of "adventure" riding. The ride was challenging and tough on the bikes and gear.
I don't pretend to think that the jumping was the cause of the failure. It was caused by the user, using an off-road motorcycle in an off-road manner. If you don't break something then you aren't pushing the design forward. However, I want to be clear that I was disappointed with Husky trying to make a lighter bike by cheesing on the subframe materials. Steel or Chrome-moly would have been a better option given the cross section of the square tubing they selected. A single muffler would more than make up for the weight had a heavier subframe been constructed. Another note, the steel rivets that attach the mud flap tend to rattle on the cross pipe all day long when the mud builds up
That sound is way more annoying than a single loud pipe.
As I had the bike loaded, the GL was over the seat and anchored low - no weight behind the failure points. The GL was so far forward that the heat shields were never effective. In fact, the GL trapped heat and loaded the plastics to the point they melted the rubber bumpers and then melted themselves on the mufflers - now they are custom fit
The weight behind the failure was 6lbs of gas, 2.5lbs of tent, 0.5lbs of luggage rack, and the drybag and rotopax tank. 10 lbs (conservative) was the load that ultimately failed the subframe. Admittedly, 10 lbs flexing the subframe on multiple jumps, following a 2000 mile haul of 2 new tires are clearly too much for 3/4-inch square aluminum tubing. I would like to point out that the left side failure points transferred forward of the rear seat mount - so there are weak points in the design in the area where a rider or load would be expected to sit.
I don't think the riding, gear loading, or jumping was too much to ask of a big enduro. My R1150GS made similar jumps loaded with Jesse bags and a top case, and that subframe is known to be weak. The TE630 wasn't built for the track or buzzing around town, it was built for cross terrain treks and needs to handle whatever you throw at it. I think Husky knew this too and went a little cheap. I noted that the 2012 models have upgraded frames. I haven't seen one yet, but I expect that the TE511 and TE650 (when released) will be more prepared to handle the enduro crowd. If not, riders will get to rebuild it like I do. Either way, eventually my TE 630 will carry my gear and this rider over everything I point the front wheel toward, whether it be airborne or not.
My recommendation for anyone with a 2011 TE630 that plans to be off-road with any kind of load over 5lbs in the luggage area, gusset the subframe - there is plenty of room under the plastics, and gussets won't add any substantial weight. Also, loc-tite the crap out of the left subframe/foot peg mounting bolt mounting bolt. That one kept coming loose, even with blue loc-tite.
