TE610 vs XR650

[skywalker951]

I currently have a 08 TE510 and love the 6-speed and fi. This is for my rougher rides. I also own a tricked out lowered xr650 that is my casual trail and lite adventure tourer. My only grips with the honda is it is a 5 speed. I have added electric start and a host of other cool stuff to the honda and it is a great bike. It needs a taller 4/5 gear to cuise. I have all kinds of sprockets and when geared for trips first is to high, I am not aware of any other enternal gearing options. How does the te/sm 610 set up for lite touring and camping? My trips are 200-300 miles and I prefer backroads, 2 tracks and gravel roads when I travel. I also carry about 100 punds of gear and realize that the husky will need options. Is vibration an issue? What is a good cuising speed for a 610? When I am touring I like my bike to just cuise 50-55 and be able to make up time if needed. Any rumors of a bigger husky? Thanks for any input.

 

[tlking6]

I currently have a 08 TE510 and love the 6-speed and fi. This is for my rougher rides. I also own a tricked out lowered xr650 that is my casual trail and lite adventure tourer. My only grips with the honda is it is a 5 speed. I have added electric start and a host of other cool stuff to the honda and it is a great bike. It needs a taller 4/5 gear to cuise. I have all kinds of sprockets and when geared for trips first is to high, I am not aware of any other enternal gearing options. How does the te/sm 610 set up for lite touring and camping? My trips are 200-300 miles and I prefer backroads, 2 tracks and gravel roads when I travel. I also carry about 100 punds of gear and realize that the husky will need options. Is vibration an issue? What is a good cuising speed for a 610? When I am touring I like my bike to just cuise 50-55 and be able to make up time if needed. Any rumors of a bigger husky? Thanks for any input.

I havent loaded up that much gear on mine but as far as the subframe goes I am sure it can take it. I can tell you that at 70 mph it is very smooth. At 50-55 it just purrs. Vibration is not an issue at all. My riding buddy has an XR that is setup nice and its a pretty nice cruiser too, and we switch off alot but when we hit the dirt I want my Husky back. I am unsure what the XR 650 weighs in at but when switching back and forth my Husky, at 300lbs, feels like a 250 mx bike after getting off of his.

 

[rajobigguy]

I currently have a 08 TE510 and love the 6-speed and fi. This is for my rougher rides. I also own a tricked out lowered xr650 that is my casual trail and lite adventure tourer. My only grips with the honda is it is a 5 speed. I have added electric start and a host of other cool stuff to the honda and it is a great bike. It needs a taller 4/5 gear to cuise. I have all kinds of sprockets and when geared for trips first is to high, I am not aware of any other enternal gearing options. How does the te/sm 610 set up for lite touring and camping? My trips are 200-300 miles and I prefer backroads, 2 tracks and gravel roads when I travel. I also carry about 100 punds of gear and realize that the husky will need options. Is vibration an issue? What is a good cuising speed for a 610? When I am touring I like my bike to just cuise 50-55 and be able to make up time if needed. Any rumors of a bigger husky? Thanks for any input.

Sounds like you have the Honda set up pretty well for what you are doing. There would be two advantages to the Husky though. The first is obviously the 6 speed wr ratio tranny which should be able to satisfy you're desire to have a low first gear and still be able to maintain good hwy. speeds. The other is vibration, the Husky is one of the smoothest big-bore singles that I have ever ridden. With stock gearing it is buttery smooth @ 60 mph and still has plenty of leg left to blast to 90+. If it weren't for the knobby tires, and a seat that is designed more for competition than comfort it would make a decent hwy. cruiser.

 

[Mike Kay]

I have both. My 650r is for sale. $3k with a Cali plate.

I mostly ride baja, dual sport. The 610 rocks. It needs a suspension upgrade, soft luggage , heated grips and IMO a fairing/light upgrade
Then its the ultimate single cylinder dual sport/adv bike.

The 610's tranny/final drive ratio is just awesome. 1st is perfect. 6th is like an overdrive for the freeway. Just awesome.

Lots of advantages over the 650r.

 

[Fast1]

Your TE510 would work perfect with 15/47 gearing but you would need to cut that 100 lbs of luggage down to 25-35 lbs.

Are your trips only 200-300 miles total or is that your daily ride distance?

 

[skywalker951]

Both, a 200 mile day is just a ride around northern michigan and I usually don't have a clue were I going(sweet). However I make a trip of 600/1000 miles into the U.P or Wis/Minn over a few days. I have to make many changes to by honda (tank, gearing, windshield, etc). This is why I need a bigger engine that can just lop along. I have put a 15 tooth on the 510 and feel the bike works better everywhere. I have V-Strom 650 (for sale next spring) that I have toured on but its just not the same. I prefer to take a more indirect route. I am willing and look forward to building "my" adventure bike. So basiclly my next bike is a foundation for fun and exploration.

 

[Mike Kay]

You will LOVE the 610 for that kind of multi-day exploring.
Expect 50mpg with the EFi.

Doesnt need all the mods like a 650r needs, so in the end its cheaper, and better.

 

[mrkartoom]

I'm not sure what other bike is out there that would be a better foundation for what you are looking to do. As mentioned, the tranny is great. 6th is like an overdrive for the highway and I didn't even bother hitting it with stock gearing until 65mph, yet 1st - 3rd is just right for offroad nasty bits. It has the perfect gearing setup. The engine is also counter-balanced very well and lacks any annoying vibration. It handles well, the fuel metering is good, and it feels much lighter than its weight.

I agree it needs some suspension tweaking and a new seat. There are several shops that know how to fix the Marzocchi's and Renazco makes a nice seat that will help you endure those 200-300 miles rides. The rear end (I can speak to the '08) comes sprung for a lot of weight for a passenger. I'm not sure the subframe/rear rack could handle that weight though, especially in rough terrain. Me thinks it would take some beefing up.

Bottom line the 610 rips up the pavement and is better in the tight nasty stuff than any other dual sport out there. Not a bad place to start.

 

[Coffee]

...I'm not sure the subframe/rear rack could handle that weight though, especially in rough terrain. Me thinks it would take some beefing up.

I think the only broken subframe on a Husqvarna I've heard about is a 2006 TE250 that had been treated 'extra special' by someone from Nevada.

 

[mcinfantry]

i may not go on rough terrain,, but i bet ive pack-muled mine more than most.... cameras, guns, chainsaws etc....

 

[mrkartoom]

I think the only broken subframe on a Husqvarna I've heard about is a 2006 TE250 that had been treated 'extra special' by someone from Nevada.

Perhaps I should have clarified I'm talking about that flimsy subframe extension bracket for the rack/rear light and not the subrame itself. When I was researching the bike I saw reports of a couple that had cracked under weight. He mentioned packing up 100lbs and that's pretty darn heavy. I wouldn't trust that bracket would hold up. On tar maybe, but knarly off-road I have my doubts.

Until you mentioned this one I haven't heard of a subframe broken.

 

[NothingClever]

I can't imagine putting 100lbs of stuff on a TE610....that's a person mixed up about their priorities, IMO.

 

[terrorkorps]

Any rumors of a bigger husky? Thanks for any input.

of course.

It's FIVE years that we wait for another big bore...

Finally, the BMW management have done it:

we can see it at eicma 2009 (Milan, november).

601cc (I don't know how many cubic inches are, sorry)

DOHC

Twin exhaust and more....

Obviously, I have tell you nothing.

cheers from Italy

 

[xymotic]

I have both. My 650r is for sale. $3k with a Cali plate.

I mostly ride baja, dual sport. The 610 rocks. It needs a suspension upgrade, soft luggage , heated grips and IMO a fairing/light upgrade
Then its the ultimate single cylinder dual sport/adv bike.

The 610's tranny/final drive ratio is just awesome. 1st is perfect. 6th is like an overdrive for the freeway. Just awesome.

Lots of advantages over the 650r.

what suspension mods do you recommend for the 610?

I wiped out with under 700 miles on it, might be needing new forks

 

[Mike Kay]

Call Les at LTR for your suspension upgrades.
The balance between the front and rear springs is off. Depending on the year model, various other changes need to be made (valving, compression clickers, etc.) Just do what Les says. Dont waste time and money trying non-zokes suspension shops. Been there.

You can find used forks from time to time on ebay. Most (all?) 45mm forks off a late model Husky 250-450-510-610 will work. Much cheaper than buying new. I think there are some on there right now.

IMO both the XR650r and the TE610 desperately need the stock suspension worked on. But both can be made to work very well.

 

[knary]

Comparing these bikes is like comparing -pardon the cliche'- women. A friend has an XR and I have the TE. We haven't done that much together but it's clear that the bikes fill a similar niche. His XR, brutish and raw, fits him. The somewhat smaller and slightly more high strung TE fits me. I came close to getting the XR, but wanted the magic button, wanted a bike with known mileage/use, and wanted a bike for which there were no concerns over getting it plated now or in the future. And, of course, the TE is damn sexy for a dual sport.

 

[WoodsChick]

Perhaps I should have clarified I'm talking about that flimsy subframe extension bracket for the rack/rear light and not the subrame itself. When I was researching the bike I saw reports of a couple that had cracked under weight. He mentioned packing up 100lbs and that's pretty darn heavy. I wouldn't trust that bracket would hold up. On tar maybe, but knarly off-road I have my doubts.

Until you mentioned this one I haven't heard of a subframe broken.

I broke that flimsy bracket on my 610, although I have no clue how I did it. I just had it welded up, no problem, but I'll probably beef it up at some point.

I do a lot of dirt/dualsport/adventure touring on my SM610 and I have to echo the sentiments of all the previous posters here re: the buttery smooth motor and the 6-speed gear box. First is low enough for nasty rock crawling, and 6th scoots me down the highway much faster than I should be going. I have a ProMotoBillet rack on the rear and I carry a dry bag with camping stuff, shoes and 2 camping chairs, in addition to my doggy panniers over the back of the seat. It works well, but I wouldn't want to put anything more back there...especially when I'm in rocks or bumpy stuff. 100# might be doable if distributed amongst a tank bag, saddle bags (like DirtBagz) and maybe stuff on a rack/back of seat. Still...100# sounds like a lot of stuff.

The Husky seat gets a pretty bad rap, and I thought it was going to be pretty brutal, but it has softened up enough since I bought the bike that a new seat is no longer at the top of my list of must-do's. I can do a 200-mile day no problem, then do it again the next day.

I've only ridden an XR650 once, but that was enough for me. It felt like a monstrous behemoth.




WoodsChick

 

[jerbear610]

" It felt like a monstrous behemoth."
Is that like a cross between Mothra and a Woolly Mammoth ?

A friend of mine has an XR650L, I've never ridden it but I've often
wondered.....is that like the last air-cooled bike being manufactured
today? Aside from the DR650, of course. Seems a little out-dated
especially being it's a Honda.

 

[Dirtdame]

Never had the opportunity to ride either a 610 Husky or a Honda 650. I have ridden a Suzuki 650, and while I wouldn't want to ride tight technical singletrack with it, I found it to be passable for most trail riding and really comfy on fire roads. (Well, actually I'm a bit old and lazy for much technical singletrack on any bike, these days.)

 

[djchan]

I added dirtbagz to my TE610 and have little fear for the subframe. The dirtbagz racks bolt straight onto the subframe and add maybe 1/8 to 3/16" steel to the equation. Looks and feels pretty beefy now.

Also, regarding suspension - I just backed the compression damping down to just 3 clicks and found the front end to be MUCHO better. Now to play with the rebound.