boisedave;13096 said:
Hey mxracernumber1 -- How was the handling on your TE compared to the KLX and CRF? Which back is more race ready in your opinion?
Sorry it took so long to get back to you on this. Also, we haven't been doing much riding together as of late. We just can't seem to get on the same schedule. They like to go on Saturdays, which is my family day. The SUndays I do get to go seems like they are all doing something else.
I have ridden both the KLX and CRF extensively since I posted this thread however. I can tell you that even when ridden hard, I don't see much of an advantage over the TE with either of the other two frame-wise (unless having to remove the seat and tank to change the plug counts). Also, right out of the box, the TE is NOTICABLY stronger. My dealer did some set up for me, but that was to get rid of the on-road crap. As for the rest, it is stock.
The KLX is MUCH slower than the TE. In a drag, the TE wins in 1/8 mile and top speed. The CRF and KLX won't see 86mph without some extreme mod.'s. The TE will do it stock. I would have run faster, but we seriously need a steering stabilizer. Head shake is one area the CRF and KLX perimeter frames shined. They are pretty smooth at their top speeds, though they are considerably less than that of the TE.
The KLX delivers smooth power, but as both the KLX and CRF have a Cali-friendly exhuast, they are extremely choked up. This makes them dasdardly difficult to crank when it's cold out, or the engine is really hot-which is a big problem for the KLX. It gets hotter than Micheal Jackson at a...well you get the picture.
As far as ergonomics go, I have never been quite at home in the corners on my TE. I've ridden it on a local MX track quite a bit and can say that I just don't seem to weld with the bike like I did my old YZ-125's. However, this is the first modern 4-stroke racer I have owned. I got out of racing well before anyone thought about putting a serious 4-stroke engine in an MX bike. Back in the 90's, real men rode 250's and if you were a real cowboy, you rode a 500. If anyone had told me in 1992 that MX would go all 4-stroke in 10 years (except minis) I would have laughed them out of the parking lot. XR-250's just seamed rediculous on the MX track. I had no idea what was in store. I don't think anyone did. However, I did once draw up a rendition of a 4-stroke mx'er that I thought would be a 250 with the horsepower of a 250 2-stroke, but I had the chicken-pox, was 17 years old and was just doing some crazy thinking. I had no idea someone was actually working on it. It also had a sliding-linkage rear shock-I'm proud to say, I still haven't seen that yet. Anyway, the 2-stroke was bred into me from the beginning. Getting used to a 4-stroke was quite a feat for me personally. When I rode the KLX, I will say that it reminded me the most of my old YZ's of any four-stroke enduro I've ridden to date, ergonomically speaking, but then were these bikes really designed to be ridden like an MX'er??? Engine wise, it reminded me of my old DR 250.
The CRF is good. I know lots of people like them, but DAMNIT! Cranking is a prerequisit to riding. Honda just doesn't seem to understand this. It looks like they could figure out how to make a bike that will crank when it's hot without flooding. I guess, they weren't smart enough to do so, so they just decided to give up and go to EFI. By the way, that Cali-friendly exhaust sounds like an EZ-Go. When it does crank, I can't tell if it's running or not when I'm wearing my helmet. I mean I understand the noise issue, but I bet this bike would crank if it could breath. It's not the worst cranker ever-not by a long shot, but the TE makes this bike look like something's wrong with it-oh wait there is, it's not a Husky.
Next, I'm going to bash their graphics and plastics. Once again, graphics onthe Honda are 10 mil, stick and peel-off variety. 30 minutes on this bike and it's hard to distinguish it from a red Kawasaki. The KLX graphics were slightly better. They're using a more durable material that has different feel, but just as with the CRF, they consist of a few black pinstripes, some white and a "450" logo that you need glasses to read. Overall craftsmanship of these bikes just isn't up to par with any Euro bike as far as I'm concerned. I thought the KLX was cool and wanted one until I saw a modern Husky. Side-by-side, the Husky make the Japanese bikes look like they were made in Korea at a Daewoo forklift plant-oh wait....
Anyway, I know the mags love the Japanese brands because they spend lots of big bucks with them. I know that one of the more popular ones just labeled the TE "ghost of XR". However, this only after hopping off of their Japanese test bikes with $2,000 worth of mods and onto a stock TE which was setup by someone who knows absolutely nothing about setting one up. I'm just not seeing the same results they saw. My only beef about the Husqvarna brand at this point as opposed to the Japanese brands is that I can't seem to find a Husqvarna motorcycle dealer who can seem to find parts for a Husqvarna motorcycle with the exception of Hall's.
In closing, buy a race-ready bike that doesn't need parts. Don't buy an $8,000 bike that needs $2,000 worth of after-market parts. The Japanese bikes are exactly trail bikes when you get them. The Husky is ready to Rock 'n' Roll. Just like I told the dealer I wanted it. I know someone who really needs to come ride with me. I'm not calling any names but it rhymes with Slimmy Glueis. I'll give him one of the stock Japanese bikes, but he's going to have to reimburse my buddy for all the rock damage the TE is going to do to the front of it.
that is heavy,, funny, it looks heavier than a TE, but is actually probably lighter- but definately no plates on those- I've seen it done though- in some states you can plate anything if you do the work- Michigan, in Some it doesn't matter what you do-Wisconsin. But if you have a Harley in WI- its OK.... anything goes- lights horns signals mufflers. 
