• 4 Stroke Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Italy - About 1989 to 2014
    TE = 4st Enduro & TC = 4st 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.

    When he passed, I worked with his kids to gather the necessary credentials to keep this site running. Since then (and for however long they worked with Coffee), Woodschick and Dirtdame have been maintaining the site and covering the costs. Without their hard work and financial support, CafeHusky would have been lost.

    Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working to migrate the site to a free cloud compute instance so that Woodschick and Dirtdame no longer have to fund it. At the same time, I’ve updated the site to a current version of XenForo (the discussion software it runs on). The previous version was outdated and no longer supported.

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which 250F?

I've just come from an '04 CRF250x that I've had for 2 years, on to a '14 TE310R
The CRF has been utterly reliable, although sometimes a little recalcitrant to start without the "knack"
So I adjust the valves twice a year - no hardship

So far, even without taking the cam cover off the 310, I can see that it is MORE difficult to work on than the CRF, as there is more to come off/dismantle to get to the bits you want to.

The question is, which one do I prefer??
Swings and roundabouts. The 310 is easier to ride when not on a small throttle opening. CRF feels quicker and gives more smiles with having a powerband like a 2-stroke - they really sing when on the cam! Higher cruising speed on the road with the 310. CRF has better fuel consumption and bigger fuel tank. CRF bits are more plentiful and cheaper. CRF needs a radiator fan when on the slow stuff.

New CRF's are more expensive than 310's, and stay away from the (cheaper) CRF250L which has neither the looks nor the performance of the real deal.

That's my 2p (or 2c depending where you live!)

Mike
 
I had a crf250x. It was tank compared to the husky. The valves were definitely an issue. Mine dropped a valve and destroyed the engine. Cases,crank,piston and head were junk. Good trail bike but not a race bike.
 
I had a crf250x. It was tank compared to the husky. The valves were definitely an issue. Mine dropped a valve and destroyed the engine. Cases,crank,piston and head were junk. Good trail bike but not a race bike.

My sons 250x did the same thing.(think it was his riding style-always pegging the rev limiter) Put him on a honda 450x and he learned real quick not to scream it everywhere:D. The 450 has been very reliable for several years now. Definitely a BIG, HEAVY bike though.....
 
I know guys that have CRF250's that trail ride them and not revers and they seem to last fine but do need more valve attention than most (like the yamaha needs zero). And i know guys that MX them and they seems to blow them up a lot. Seems these motors don't handle lots of revs well. Dual cams seem more reliable. All this is a generalization of course.
 
I too am partial to Yamaha WR250F or modded YZF250, but if I were going to buy a a 250F for me it would be the 250XC-F Kato with the linkage (if they make that model) that thing is world class and world beating at this moment.
 
Blackfoot has three 2014 KTM 250XCFW, a hair over $10-k out the door.
At that price I would lean to the Husaberg, even though extinct next year.
 
Wow those prices are high up there! I was just quoted $6,600.00 OTD on a KTM 250SXF and it has a link where I don't think the XC, XCW, or Bergs do.
 
My mate has an 08 crf250x, I take it for a spin every now and then. It's a total tank on the front end. It goes like a weapon though. It's got one of them mega bomb exhausts on it. It has way more torque low end than my te250. My bike feels like a mountain bike in comparison though and I don't mind taking the hit on power because mine has way better handling.
 
I too am partial to Yamaha WR250F or modded YZF250, but if I were going to buy a a 250F for me it would be the 250XC-F Kato with the linkage (if they make that model) that thing is world class and world beating at this moment.

Husq-FC-250-2014.jpg
 
My mate has an 08 crf250x, I take it for a spin every now and then. It's a total tank on the front end. It goes like a weapon though. It's got one of them mega bomb exhausts on it. It has way more torque low end than my te250. My bike feels like a mountain bike in comparison though and I don't mind taking the hit on power because mine has way better handling.
try a txc310 then... i have seen both run in the sand..a crf250 to txc310...zero contest...husky much faster and climbs higher on the big dunes.
 
I had an 08 250X and it was great bike, I modded mine heavily Athena 290 kit, cams, exhaust, everything but the kitchen sink. It was a tank compared to my TE310, no comparison in my mind. Great bike but it ran hot, used oil from day one, and the valves needed attention at 50hrs. I have had a kx250F (2007), and sold it and bought a 13 RMZ250F last year, and it is hands down the best handling bike I have ever ridden. I would say if you were buying a new 250F today its basically pick your color, I have ridden the new KX, the new Honda, and I have the Suzuki and they are all really close. I have never ridden a 14 KTM, but I hear it is an absolute rocket.
 
I had an 08 250X and it was great bike, I modded mine heavily Athena 290 kit, cams, exhaust, everything but the kitchen sink. It was a tank compared to my TE310, no comparison in my mind. Great bike but it ran hot, used oil from day one, and the valves needed attention at 50hrs. I have had a kx250F (2007), and sold it and bought a 13 RMZ250F last year, and it is hands down the best handling bike I have ever ridden. I would say if you were buying a new 250F today its basically pick your color, I have ridden the new KX, the new Honda, and I have the Suzuki and they are all really close. I have never ridden a 14 KTM, but I hear it is an absolute rocket.
I have spent some time on the KX250f and it ran strong...really strong. 2013 model
 
13 RMZ250F last year, and it is hands down the best handling bike I have ever ridden.

They don't tend to be the most long lasting bike on the market but they do handle like crazy. I really like the RMZ. Buddy had one of the first generation steel framed ones and I loved riding that in the woods.
 
Well considering you only gave us the option of a husqvarna FE250 (which means you are looking for a brand new bike), husaberg FE250 (this will be a "newer" bike) or a crf250x (this bike has been made forever so it could be used or new, both pretty much the same not many updates have happened with this bike). If money is not an option that I'd buy the brand new 2014 husqvarna TE250. Probably going to be the best bike of the bunch.
 
Probably will end up with new, not used.
You guys have talked me out of the Honda, thanks.
The blue and yellow Husky colour scheme is starting to grow on me.

Interested in opinions; several have suggested what I would consider MX bikes.
They don't come with the lights required to be legal here but don't they also have too stiff suspension and too light a flywheel to be any good on rocky rooted trails?
 
Probably will end up with new, not used.
You guys have talked me out of the Honda, thanks.
The blue and yellow Husky colour scheme is starting to grow on me.

Interested in opinions; several have suggested what I would consider MX bikes.
They don't come with the lights required to be legal here but don't they also have too stiff suspension and too light a flywheel to be any good on rocky rooted trails?
Any reason you wouldnt consider a wr250f? If you are looking new I would go more towards the enduro side of things....or like I said earlier headlight and taillight a txc310. I have had both a MX bike and enduro syle style bikes and I tend to like the enduro set ups better for the woods...
 
Don't forget the difference in transmission ratios too. If the trails you ride include both wide open and slow technical trails, the WR250F is better in that regard. Another thing about the WR250f, to hop it up like a YZ you only need to change out the cam and put an aftermarket pipe on it. The things are bullet-proof.
 
Yup, the WR250F is well known to be bulletproof.
Weighs as much as the 511 though.
Yamaha & Honda need to put their bikes on a diet.
KTM, Husky & Bergs are a good 20 # lighter.
And a good 20% more money.
 
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