2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

[krussell]

Originally Posted by blaine.hale

Nice, still has that new bike smell!

[farp]

Originally Posted by BigDogAdventures.com

Sorry for the slow reply---------I've been gone riding for a few days.

I'm familiar with others stories of riding on the East side of Lake Harrison----but on my Alaska ride we intended to ride that but didn't---------so I haven't ridden it---------and don't know how any bike would do. Some friends of mine rode it on DRZ's (Mobius Riders) but got turned back by snow.

Seems like I've heard of guys riding big adventure bike thru there. They have a big tralie ride up there every year--and their route does ride it. I was checking that out the other day and saw that it went thru there.

BigDog

Thanks Mark, I saw that on your Alaska trip you rode the west side of the Fraser from Boston Bar to Lillooet. Am I correct in assuming the Terra would do that section fairly easily? Anybody planning on riding east Harrison to Boston Bar should be advised that Kookipi Pass is usually snowbound until the first week of July, and there are usually slides that take sections of that road out every winter so trying to make it through before it's been cleared in July is a very iffy venture.

John

[krussell]

Originally Posted by aviatorbdm

Krussell... I see you have a wr250r as well. Aside from horsepower the two would seem similar. What made you decide to buy a Husky? Are you selling the WR?

Very curious as the WR and TR are both on my short list.

I bought the Strada about six weeks ago, have about 1350 miles on it. I bought the WR Saturday, I've got all of 200 miles on it. I had a few goals when I started looking for a second bike. 1) Something well suited for exploring non paved roads within a day or so of home, 2) Something for running errands around town, 3) Keeping some miles off my K1600. Not necessarily in that order. Along with the Strada and the WR, I was considering the BMW Sertao too. I'm a reentry rider, rode a lot as a kid, quit at about 20, then started up about eight years ago. I'm a road rider, not an off road rider, but want to explore more off pavement stuff, and develop my off road skills. I ride alone most of the time, and want something very reliable.

Here's my quick comparo, for MY needs/wants, ymmv:

The Strada beats the WR250R in:
1) Raw Performance - the Huskyificated Rotax is very strong
2) Braking - ABS on the Strada
3) Speeds >60mph - No problems running 75 on the freeway with plenty of passing power
4) Range, about 175 miles for the Strada, 100 for the WR250R - 3.5gals vs. 2, easily fixed aftermarket for the WR250R

The WR250R beats the Strada in:
1) Transmission - shifts better than anything I've ever owned
2) Weight (Strada is 410, WR250R is 298) - It's very nimble, while at the same time surprising planted
3) Power delivery / Fuel Injection - No surprises, consistent, very usable and predictable on the WR, the Strada is a mess below 4000 RPM, needs a lot of warmup, stalls off idle without any load
4) Handling - Again, very nimble, suspension is great for my needs
5) Speeds <60 - No issues on secondary roads, would not want to ride freeway with 65mph limit for very long, but that's not why I bought this bike. (I'm 6'4" 280lbs, it carts my bulk surprisingly well)
6) Ergonomics - The WR250R fits me well out of the box. Strada was good, but I would need risers to do any standing.
7) Fuel Economy - I'm seeing high 40s on the Strada, high 50s on the WR250R, both require premium
8) Maintenance - oil changes at 3k, valves at 24k, strada needs valves checked every 6k, oil @ 6k. WR250R spits out FI faults on the display, Strada needs dealer computer for diagnostics
9) Cost of ownership - $800 less for the WR at MSRP, but lots of competition and supply widen the gap with actual purchase price. If you are up for checking the valves on the Husky every 6k, probably similar maintenance cost, but if the dealer is involved, that's going to be a several hundred dollar bill every 6k, vs 24k on the WR250R
10) Dealer network - There are Yamaha dealers all over the place, including about 2mi from my house. My Husky dealer is 50mi, there's only four in the entire state.

If I had to make do with one bike for all purposes, something like the Terra/Strada or one of the larger GSes would likely be my choice. Because I have a road bike, and I don't intend to ride for days to get to where I'll leave payment, I can optimize for the off pavement part with the WR. If I had a big enough garage, I'd keep them both, but I suspect I'd grab the WR much more than the Strada.

[Wallachian Spikes]

Originally Posted by infinitipearl

I tumped mine on my first real off-road experience on a motorbike - 50 miles in the mountains in the otay lakes area in san diego. it's the strada, so the metzeler tourance tires prolly aren't the best in the dirt n' gravel. tkc80's arrived yesterday. anyhow, it was a slow speed drop. bike survived with nothin' but some small scratches on the rear-view mirror. glad i got that first drop out of the way. now i can go hoon!

Thanks. It's good to know a minor tip over won't destroy $700 worth of plastic or bend the handle bars like a wet noodle or a KLR 650.

[Mtrain]

Is it correct as posted above that the valves have to be checked every 6000? Any more info on service intervals would be appreciated.

[big-t]

Had a chance 2 weeks ago to try out the Terra in a little rougher terrain over in W. Va..and I was really pleased with the way it handled the off camber rutted two track up the side of several mountains.In this terrain I think its a little easier to ride than my little WR.It feels more planted than the WR while still maintaining the light feel and the smooth power is awesome for pulling thru the rougher stuff.

Please bear in mind if they issued plates for riders,I would have to run the antique plate... and I was just putting along enjoying life,obviously if I was hammering it the WR would have been a better choice.

Just saying...I think this bike will be great most anywhere up to jumping stumps and single track,assuming your riding at a reasonable pace.



This was the only pic I took.I was by myself and not willing to stop in the rougher stuff for a pic.Nobody had been across this track in a long time

[Wizard]

Krussell - does that mean that the Strada is being replaced by the Wr250r??

Jim

[krussell]

Originally Posted by Mtrain

Is it correct as posted above that the valves have to be checked every 6000? Any more info on service intervals would be appreciated.

From the 9/2012 service manual (miles):

Clean/lube change every 600mi
Oil / Filter every 600 mi, then every 6k
Check valves, adjust if necessary every 6k
Replace plugs every 12k
Replace return pipe oil filter, every 12k
Air filter, every 12k, 6k if used in dusty conditions
Fork oil, every 12k
Brake fluid every year
Coolant every 2 yrs
Fuel hoses, every 4 yrs

Then there's the usual check/adjust/tighten stuff.
And finally at every service do "Control Unit Diagnosis" Check/Reset

[krussell]

Originally Posted by Wizard

Krussell - does that mean that the Strada is being replaced by the Wr250r??

Jim

Yes.

[Reposado1800]

It looks like the perfect match for the 660 Tenere.

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by krussell

I bought the Strada about six weeks ago, have about 1350 miles on it. I bought the WR Saturday,
Here's my quick comparo, for MY needs/wants, ymmv:

.

Interesting comparo. I bought my WRR to ride the CDR and other places out west a couple years ago. I was pleasantly suprised how nice the little bike toured the wilds. I have no problem at all riding those high speed interstates out west with it. I generally keep it around 65.

More recently I tackled some serious sand washes and rock gardens. I was amazed at what I could actually roll with that little thing. So I left the Yam out west and promptly sold my KTM 950 in Boston. I replaced it with a more powerful version of the Yamaha...a Ktm690R.

Had the Husky been out I would have probably bought the Terra instead. I could have saved a few thousand dollars and I don't really use all the KTM offers anyways.

[aviatorbdm]

Originally Posted by krussell

I bought the Strada about six weeks ago, have about 1350 miles on it. I bought the WR Saturday, I've got all of 200 miles on it. I had a few goals when I started looking for a second bike. 1) Something well suited for exploring non paved roads within a day or so of home, 2) Something for running errands around town, 3) Keeping some miles off my K1600. Not necessarily in that order. Along with the Strada and the WR, I was considering the BMW Sertao too. I'm a reentry rider, rode a lot as a kid, quit at about 20, then started up about eight years ago. I'm a road rider, not an off road rider, but want to explore more off pavement stuff, and develop my off road skills. I ride alone most of the time, and want something very reliable.

Here's my quick comparo, for MY needs/wants, ymmv:

The Strada beats the WR250R in:
1) Raw Performance - the Huskyificated Rotax is very strong
2) Braking - ABS on the Strada
3) Speeds >60mph - No problems running 75 on the freeway with plenty of passing power
4) Range, about 175 miles for the Strada, 100 for the WR250R - 3.5gals vs. 2, easily fixed aftermarket for the WR250R

The WR250R beats the Strada in:
1) Transmission - shifts better than anything I've ever owned
2) Weight (Strada is 410, WR250R is 298) - It's very nimble, while at the same time surprising planted
3) Power delivery / Fuel Injection - No surprises, consistent, very usable and predictable on the WR, the Strada is a mess below 4000 RPM, needs a lot of warmup, stalls off idle without any load
4) Handling - Again, very nimble, suspension is great for my needs
5) Speeds <60 - No issues on secondary roads, would not want to ride freeway with 65mph limit for very long, but that's not why I bought this bike. (I'm 6'4" 280lbs, it carts my bulk surprisingly well)
6) Ergonomics - The WR250R fits me well out of the box. Strada was good, but I would need risers to do any standing.
7) Fuel Economy - I'm seeing high 40s on the Strada, high 50s on the WR250R, both require premium
8) Maintenance - oil changes at 3k, valves at 24k, strada needs valves checked every 6k, oil @ 6k. WR250R spits out FI faults on the display, Strada needs dealer computer for diagnostics
9) Cost of ownership - $800 less for the WR at MSRP, but lots of competition and supply widen the gap with actual purchase price. If you are up for checking the valves on the Husky every 6k, probably similar maintenance cost, but if the dealer is involved, that's going to be a several hundred dollar bill every 6k, vs 24k on the WR250R
10) Dealer network - There are Yamaha dealers all over the place, including about 2mi from my house. My Husky dealer is 50mi, there's only four in the entire state.

If I had to make do with one bike for all purposes, something like the Terra/Strada or one of the larger GSes would likely be my choice. Because I have a road bike, and I don't intend to ride for days to get to where I'll leave payment, I can optimize for the off pavement part with the WR. If I had a big enough garage, I'd keep them both, but I suspect I'd grab the WR much more than the Strada.

That is good info. I appreciate the feedback. It is very helpful to hear from someone who owns both. Helps me narrow it down.

[krussell]

Originally Posted by aviatorbdm

That is good info. I appreciate the feedback. It is very helpful to hear from someone who owns both. Helps me narrow it down.

Hopefully BigDog will way in, he's got a lot more mileage on both bikes, especially the WR. Keep in mind my priorities are MINE, and others will be different. Depending on what you are looking for the TR650 may be a better option, they are fantastic bikes.

[William42]

Originally Posted by BigDogAdventures.com

I've got some more very interesting stuff coming up pretty quick.

OEM skidplate install-----------and

Fuel injection fix for lean running and stalling motors.BigDog

[ducnut]

I'd send that skidplate back. Pretty pathetic piece, especially, for Husky.

And, the Booster Plug has a loyal following amongst Tiger 1050 owners, too. It's a simple fix.