2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

Which is why I bought a used 640 Adventure. Then I have my 449 for when I don't need the Exxon Valdez fuel capacity of the 640.

This just isn't your bike.... I haven't drank husky koolaide, but I might decide to start wanting one....my GS is just too heavy for some stuff I like to do in Colorado and Utah, which is mostly about 800 miles away. I think I might be the target market here. And I'm not all that unique.

See below:

YOU are missing the point on this bike, it is a Euro KLR650/ DR650 plain and simple, nothing more, nothing less.
This bike is MORE THAN CAPABLE for the type of rider that would be interested in a bike like this.
The problem is, NOT ENOUGH riders wanted or needed the performance of the TE630, or they would still be making them.
I sold very little seats for the 630 until they fire saled them. People just were not buying them.
A 12 inch travel bike is overkill for ADV riding, when you load a bike down with camping gear and such, the speed over ground drops off considerably negating the advantages of long travel. For fire roading and such a shorter travel bike is much easier to ride, for the same reasons that flat trackers still use 4 inch travel frames on there bikes.
The whole point is to stop and smell the roses, enjoy the sights, etc.
If you want to haul ass, get a te511 or KTM530 or something like that.

Bundy

So true!
I cant wait to get my hands on one!

Agreed!!

I agree with this.

Love my 630, but for most it's just a big, heavy dirtbike. The 650 is a little more well-rounded with a more comfortable street bias.

I started following this thread back when we thought it might have a 6th gear. Two "IFS": If it did have a 6th gear and if did prove as reliable as its toned down brethern, personally I would have rated it as one of the top 650cc engines to build from. My speeds vary so much I need that 6th, but with more hp, 400 watts of electrical juice I think this still is a great engine for many out there if it proves it can be reliable with the extra juice.

I'm still hoping Dell is going to come along and revolutionize how motorcycles are sold. You know, order your base bike on line with a base price of $7,000 and tons of drop down menus. [Aluminum swingarm + $380], [Wilbur shock + $XX].

I don't think I have as much "disposible income" as many on this site and for that reason I'd love to pay more money for a well built bike. For instance, I'd be thrilled to pay $20,000 USD for aa $10,000 USD KTM EXC500 that weighed 5 kg more, had 5% less power BUT lasted 10X as long.
And building a bike like that is entirely possible IF the market realized it's value and was willing to pay for it!

But sorry... that's a pretty big digression from the Terra!

Other Husky thoughts ... I'm heading off to Thailand this afternoon to check out a 20 year old bike that has the technology Husky is talking about releasing next year in some street legal 2 strokes.

And back on the topic of the Terra I think it's prettier than the KLR though not as sexy as the Yamaha Tenere.

While were waiting for worthwhile info how do you rate the competition on the pretty scale 1-10? You know... if they were chicks? Me:


KLR650; Yamaha 660 - 2/10
XR650L - 2.5/10
My 690 w/milk crate & ready to rock - 3/10
DR650; BMW Sertao - 3/10
KTM690E - 4/10
Honda XR650R- 5/10
Husky Terra 650 - 5.5/10
BMWXchallenge - 6/10
BMWXcountry 6/10
KTM690R - 6.5/10
Husky TE630 - 7/10
Husky TE610 - 7.5/10
Husky "Moab" concept - 7.5/10
Yamaha tenere - 8.5/10
JMo's Tenere - 9.5/10

Fair enough. It would seem to be an option for you. Personally I fail to see how this would make a good choice for me and the riding I do.

I think that if you view either bike as a 'dirt bike' neither one are very good.

However, if I was to pick one for a cross country ride, or Alaska, or something comparable, I would choose the klr. The klr is proven, stone reliable, and easy and cheap to outfit for whatever you need.

YMMV.

Sorry Bundy, we just disagree on what makes a good dual sport bike, that's not surprise, it's been argued to death on advrider and I sure don't want to get into that. Like I said, I'm glad I got my TE630 and if you want a Terra 650 more power too ya! I just wont be buying one for my next dual sport bike. With the weight and suspension of this bike it is basically in the class of the tiger 800, f800gs and even the 990 ktm adventure. I would buy a KTM 990 adventure long before I would ever consider this bike, if I'm going to ride a 400+lb bike might as well be a good one. If all you're ever planning to do with this bike is ride down a smooth gravel road it will be fine, but I cant think of too many bikes I couldn't do that with. And I've used most the suspension on the TE630 just riding down a rocky road at 45-50mph and finding a few ledges, you don't have to be jumping to use good suspension travel, and that short stroke along with who knows what kind of damping could be a problem imo.
I love your seat products though, we can agree on that! so no hard feelings my friend.

Oh and I think the reason that not enough people bought the TE630 at it's original higher price is because the BMW suits knew they were going to kill it and replace it with their bike, this terra thing, as soon as they could pay for the tooling costs of the TE630 that was already in the works when they bought Husky.

As soon as they put the TE630 on sale for a price they should and could of sold for in the first place, if they were going to amortize the tooling costs out over multiple years instead of 1-1/2, they sold out so fast you had a hard time finding one!



.

Yeah, I don't want to get into a long winded debate either, so this will be my last response to this.
Let me give you some in-site into why I feel this is the right bike at the right time for Husky.
I consider my self an accomplished rider ( I am a previous state HS champ and competed at the AA level in my youth) and I race in the Expert +45 classes.
So at my age racing takes allot out of you (especially when you are 275lbs and out of shape), when I got into Dual Sporting I imagined blazing down epic single track trail after trail and only road riding to connect the single track.
However the reality is (at least in SoCal) is that most of the Dual sporting is fire roads and Jeep Trails with a little bit of single track thrown in. And that is the norm around here (especially at organized rides, I recently did the Pediatric brain tumor ride and it was 100% fire roads) so my 530 is just lame for that. I would have had much more fun on our shop bike (DR650).
The reason I bring this up is that MOST adventure riding is done just like the the you tube videos for this bike. Sedate fire road type riding.
I can speak from experience that most of my customers are NOT race types, but instead are in it for the shear pleasure of the RIDE itself. Just wanting to see whats around the next corner, whats on top of that hill and what my city looks like from up there is all that the majority of ADV riders want.
Also being 6'4" I have taken for granted the seat height on modern bike ( I run tall seats) and I have found most riders struggle with this. And that will be a major selling point for this bike.
Also the 7.5 inch's of travel is more than enough for the style of riding this bike is designed for. It is comparable to the DR650 and KLR650 in this respect and I am confident that it will have a superior suspension system than either of those 2. They are stuck using early 80's technology.
But before you get hung up on how many inch's of travel a bike has, go to a vintage mx race. The speed of which these bikes are capable of will be eye opening for you. A 7 inch travel bike can flat haul the mail.

But the bottom line is that if this bike doesn't do it for you, don't buy one. But I think this is the perfect bike for allot of riders.

Bundy

PS. Thanks for the props on my seats! I work hard at this and I hope it shows!

If your off road looks like this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsGduXCdYa4 it looks like the perfect Dual purpose bike.

No, you're missing the point...they rebadged a BMW that they couldn't sell even during the boom years. It's a BMW and that offends those that love Husqvarna.

The 630 was neutered and over priced when BMW took over, it was the bike that got heavy and had short suspenders...do your homework.

My speed over ground would drop off with a 10 inch travel bike, my speed over ground with a fully loaded bike stayed fast with a 12 inch travel bike.

I would return to a KLR before I bought this BMW, it just doesn't make any sense to take on BMW problems like canbus, fuel injection and fuel pumps when a bike like the KLR exists.

That looks like Ca to me ( even though I know its in Italy somewhere)

Wow ok, then don't buy one. Simple as that. I am not hung up on who makes what, BMW this or that, its still a good motorcycle, if you do not like it fine. Fact is BMW bought Husqvarna, lock, stock and barrel, nothing you or I can do about it and its silly to be but hurt about it.
BMW is still selling these bikes, never stopped, so you need to check your facts.
Then you are the exception, not the norm, most guys just don't ride that fast, especially with a loaded down bike and especially the rider that would be interested in this bike in the first place.
But I guarantee you a good rider can haul the mail on this very bike.

Bundy

I understand you point MXBundy, it really makes a difference where you live and what the terrain you have to ride on as to what your definition of "Dual Sport" is I thnk.

I live in the FlintHills of eastern Kansas, which literally has ten's of thousands of miles of gravel and dirt roads, most pretty smooth some not so much, and I venture to Arkansas and Colorado once or twice a year and hit varing terrain, almost we always stick to two track and find some big rocks and rough terrain sometimes. The TE630 is the perfect bike for it, with the engine, suspension, six speed tranny and the rest. The only thing i can see a Terra doing better than a 630 is maybe 70+ down a highway for hours on end loaded like a pack mule, which I can and do some of but try not to as a rule, we take gravel to get where we are going most of the time. It's easy in all these places to explore and find terrian that you didn't expect, and a really heavy bike is what you don't want. And I'm a veteran of 70's-80's mx myself but there is a reason that mx bikes now have more that 6 inches of travel and with the weight penalty of this 650 terra I just dont see it as a bike I want.

I tried so long to avoid this thread because I knew I would just get into this debate. Ok semi-rant over, just a different view of the world no hard feelings, you have a couple of my Trail Stands after all, how are they working out for you?

Cheers to all the riders who want a Terra 650, if we ever cross paths I'll buy ya a brew!

Thank God... now back to the regularly scheduled program!

Hard feelings? For what? I feel we just had a stimulating exchange of ideas! LOL!!
Same here on the brews!

Bundy

buy the way, I can only asume your stands work great! I carry it with me every where, BUT I havent had a flat since I got it. So hopefully I will never know just how good they are! LOL!!!

I'm laughing because I agree with almost everything you wrote. Minimum fuel tank for this bike should have been 4 gallons. It's really a street bike. So much could have been done to chop weight, aluminum parts for starters, and one exhaust, however, it IS a street bike, and they are trying to make it look fancier with dual outs. With the weight of this bike, even a mini fairing like my old DR650 had would have made more sense, even though it's about worthless considering you only have 5" of screen.

I can't even fathom them not tossing a plastic skid plate on, regardless of people buying a better aluminum one. I wouldn't mind a cheap plastic one just to keep rocks from chipping the paint off the cases, and IN CASE I got a little adventurous off road. One rock and the cases are done.

I think the luggage is a none issue. It's personal preference when it comes down to how much crap someone wants to bring.

I think they went a little to short on suspension, but I suppose this IS a street bike. I'd say 9" minimum for adventure riding and to keep the cases from dragging, if they are going to drag.