Husky TR650 - New Owners Stupid Questions Thread

Hey, what is with two of you guys owning Stelvio's and TR's?! What are the chances..maybe certain demographic.
So, my KLR is hardly a 'KLR' anymore but it does carry that reliability and simplicity. You know, if you change the suspension, piston, seat and bar position, brakes and modify the frame..is it still the same bike?
Plus, I am not coming off a paint shaker to TR, I did just sell a well spec'd 690. And I have to say this, regardless of what mapping I played with I really felt on that bike mapping was never really sorted out. People just got used to it and compromised. And my ECU's have made their visits to KTM in Ohio.

Also, I am looking at this because I think the bike is a total sleeper and has really good potential. Modern 650 single with good design and reputable engine? Sounds good to me.
The fact that though I have managed to destroy air cooled XR and a DRZ but had nothing but luck with Euro engines is encouraging as well!

In case I only find a good Strada, mag wheels to hold up reasonably well for light offroading?

I am waiting on Cummins to put in that bad boy.

Those guys with tractor mufflers are total kooks. $70 for a muffler? That is not in the spirit of true KLR ownership (unless they make those seventy bucks by collecting in those milk crates scrap wire off the side of the road).
Real KLR guy would fashion something there! Like when I had oil leak out of stripped oil pan, and advice I got is to put a wine cork in there, now there is a solution to the problem! I doubt TR would fit a good cork.
However, my ol' KLR has over 50k on it now and is still going...going nice and slow.

You know, I bolted the stocker back on mine cause I was sick and tired of all the noisy ones I had. My butt would honestly tell you that there is no real power difference, chirping is more pleasant.

What can I say, I bolt crates on everything-

i dunno, several inmates here have seem to have sorted out the terra woes pretty damn nicely. mr. highfive has even practically buried his in mud and it keeps going. the terra could turn out to be the KLR of the new generation!



KLR you say...this posted elsewhere and it made me laugh. fuckin' KTMs.

Ok, I was going off memory.

Edit - I found it, the overalls are the same, its the spring that's different

I'd say we share good common sense.....

It sounds like you've been down the KLR road well traveled......, putting the budget bike right, been there myself. It never quite got to the silk purse, more like patent leather Target special. I tried..... but you just can't change the basics.

That's what the TR has going for it, the basics are right where they need to be. It's the fine tuning that's missing, and primarily in one area.

I've never quite understood that bit with the KTMs. I think if you have suitable control over changing the mapping you can make it what you want. Now if you rely on others to reflash/map the unit and accept what they do then that could pose a problem if they don't get it right.

I have a few data points.

1. With my Vstrom 1k I used the Power Commander 3. I mucked about with the mapping myself starting with some maps I got from others in the Vstrom forums. It was a huge leap forward right there. Later I decided to pay for professional dyno tuning to see where that got me and to watch and learn the process. Yes, I was in the dyno room for the entire process and watched what the guy did on the computer screen and his process. I paid for a lesson in PC tuning. Later I massaged the mapping myself making small changes based on real world use. The end result was the bike ran fabulous but didn't get the mpg I had hoped for (~36 mpg avg and what most others got also), at least on crappy California gas. But the engine was a real joy to ride.

2. The Moto Guzzi I paid for a reflash which made a huge difference. A bit later I got turned onto the very nice software for accessing the ECU yourself and then using TunerPro to manually adjust the maps. I took the professional reflash map and massaged that and now the bike runs very very good. I still have a couple of areas I'd like to improve but mostly just ride it that way for now. Overall, massive improvement and it runs like butter down low then pulls like a monster on up to a good top end.

3. My Ducati came with a professionally reflashed ECU and it runs like magic. Whoever developed that map did a fantastic job and I have zero intention of messing with a good thing. It runs flawlessly.

4. For the Husky I chose to learn more about the Power Commander 5 and try the Autotune unit. I was very intrigued in learning to tune with A/F ratios after watching the work Charlie did with the LC2 unit. It was a different approach to the open loop "fixed" mapping I'd done before. I started with Dynojet's base map for a stock bike and a very basic AFR target map. Right off the bat all the idle, stumble, coughing, flameouts, etc were fixed, in the first ride. After that I have been spending time to dial in how the bike feels at different rpm/throttle/riding conditions massaging it to where I want it. But all along the way all of that BS running has been gone, done with. I have had to play about a little with the cold start but it's fine tuning.

After Charlie's work and review I think you could get very very close with the AF-XEID unit which is stone simple. If you want to go to the next step the LC2 seems to be working very well for him and is not very expensive.

The PC+AT approach is expensive and very flexible, so you do get more for your extra money. Is it right for everybody, I doubt it. Each person has to make the best choice for themselves, but there are several good choices, many of which I haven't even mentioned.

I do believe the Husky is a sleeper many (myself included) overlooked. I didn't consider it very closely when it first came out. A year later I revisited it after becoming fed up with my KLR and the deeper I dug the better the bike looked. A test ride convinced me the essentials of the bike were very very good and that all it needed was some fine tuning and accessorizing to meet my personal needs/goals.

Today I'm 90% to where I wanted to be with the bike and am extremely happy with it.

The final 2 things I need to "fix" are the seat and the front forks. Both should be pretty easy.

Don't know if there is an interest in this, but Wuka made me a special plug recently.

In really hot/humid conditions mine did not run well in either the hot or cold settings, but ran OK with it removed.
In warm-hot temp conditions it ran about the same in the hot setting as it did with the the Wuka removed.
I never really found a condition that the hot setting was an improvement.

I contacted the guy from Wuka and he made me a special plug with Stock and Cold settings.

I ran it briefly in the stock setting and it ran like it does with no plug installed.
A slight stumble now and then, a little less smooth in throttle response and a little dead on the bottom.
It does show the correct (stock) temp where the cold setting shows about a 38 deg drop.

New Stock/Cold plug (nice upgrade in materials from my first plug BTW)


Older Hot/Cold plug

As you point out, there are quite a few options out there to improve how the bike runs.

These type of running issues are not unique to the Husky, lots of other FI bikes exhibit the same EPA related lean running issues. The KTM guys go on and on about it with several models. Same with the Vstrom 1k guys. I think a bunch of the Ducatis were very similar etc.. the list is long as the EPA thinks engines should run without hardly any gasoline.

If you get a EJK, post up your experience with it so we can learn more.

There is a thread on CH for the EJK and it seems the response was quite positive.

I wish I could find a cooperative shop that was closer to me with a MOSS unit. The only local one is a BMW shop. I went there and discussed it with them and got a fairly non-cooperative attitude about it.

The next closest to me listed on the location chart on CH is close to 100 miles away. I kinda gave up on that "tool".

Found it, Charlie.

Supersprox Invoice

Kit Chain for a BMW F650GS (520 chain) [1999 - 2009]
Lifetime warranty when you buy it as a matched kit, though I'm not sure what that really means in the grand scheme of things. I've never yet made a warranty claim on any of their products, after many years of use.

Rear Sprocket: RSB1520-50 Black
Last two digits are #of teeth, and then color desired.

Front Sprocket: CST402-16 Grooved
Last two digits are #of teeth, grooved is the only option (I think)
They do not have a 15 tooth drive sprocket. I buy that from Touratech.

Chain: RK GB520GXW-120
Last three digits are #of links. Believe I cut it down to 114 Links....and that fits the 50/16-15 combo just fine within the adjustment range.

I also purchased a couple spare Rivit Masterlinks: GB520GXW-RL
"RL" stands for Rivet Link

Its pretty easy to remove a rivet link using a proper chain press tool, if you need to remove the chain for cleaning & inspection. I always carry extra Rivet Links with me, and a rivet press toolkit. I just put the tool parts in a small zipper bag, or even a plastic ziplock bag. Doesn't take up much space that way.

HF

Thank you Scott,

I have added these parts to the "Drive Train" section of the "OEM/Interchangeable Parts Index"

How much do the Supersprox cost for a set? Plus chain?

Time for the wheel bearing replacement tutorial.

Let's cover some basics to bring everyone up to speed, before digging into my Terra hubs. Bearing removal is a dumbfounded mystery until you discover the special tools which actually make it a breeze. But, ain't that the way it is with most everything?

So, get excited! You're about to have a great excuse to buy some nifty new tools.


Bearing removal set:




Bearing installation set:



And, its really helpful to have a heat gun plus a food freezer on hand for the task.

Shocking how many years past by until I learned these simple tricks. Sorry if it seems elementary to all you 150 watt light bulbers. Just hold on to your electrons, while the rest of us 40 watt somethings huddle & warm up our circuits.

You don't need to pay a shop to replace your wheel bearings. If you can remove a wheel, and don't mind sitting on the garage floor, then you can do this yourself real easy....on the cheap. Actually, its kind of fun!

Here's how you use the tools to remove wheel bearings. Of course, the bearings will be inside the wheel hub (which you'll see in a bit), but this is how the tools work.

Select a split end that is closest fit to the bearing ID and slide it in there:





Then stab the split end with the long chisel, while backing up the tool on the concrete, or a block of wood, etc.





The big long chisel gets whacked with a hammer to spread the bearing tool apart....thereby squeezing it. As soon as the chisel is seated in tight, flip your wheel up and just tap on the end of the chisel. The bearing will pop right out of your hub (assuming you have removed any retaining obstruction....like a snap ring).

Looks like this in action:





Tilt it down to the ground....line up the chisel with the slot.....whack it with a hammer to wedge the chisel tightly into the slotted piece....stand the tire back up, and check to make sure its firmly snugged in the bearing.



Now, tap on the end of the chisel to drive the bearing out.



Voila....piece of cake!

Think I bought this set of tools from Motion Pro, but I'm not certain. I've had this set for many years. Think it cost me less than $50. Buy a quality set, and it will last you a lifetime.

Now, let's jump over to bearing installation tools. Pretty sure I bought this stuff at an auto parts store about 35 years ago. Must have cost me a whopping $10 back then. But hey, gas was only 40 cents a gallon at the pump. Took me half a day to earn that ten bucks!





This is way better than trying to drive a bearing into a hub by using a socket or placing the old bearing on top of the new bearing. This tool makes it a breeze to tap in bearings evenly & precisely. You can flip the driver either way, depending upon whether or not you need the taper. That depends upon the hub design you are dealing with.





I actually prefer using it this way, whenever I can:



The key is to make sure the driver piece chosen covers the whole bearing. You want to be pressing on the outer metal ring of the bearing, not just the inner center ring and rubber seal. That way, you don't damage the bearing while driving it in.

Before installation, put the new bearings in the freezer for about one hour. The cold temperature will cause metal to contract slightly.



Then heat the hub (bearing race) with a heat gun until its fairly hot. The heat will cause this metal to expand slightly.



Then, be quick with your work installing the new (cold) bearings. Sometimes, they nearly drop into place when prepped this way. Make sure the bearing is quickly aligned and properly seated. When both parts return to ambient temperature, the fit should be very tight again.

Next up.....the nitty gritty of dissecting the Terra rear hub and sprocket carrier.

HF

Thank you. Your input on this forum is unquestionable very much appreciated.
Makes me really want to trade in my Terra for a KLR.

Thanks H5,

I've added your "How To" to the Linked Thread Index - Part C - Wheels, Tires and Bearings

I think its best to show how things go together properly. Then, you can just reverse it (in your mind) when taking it apart. Easier to explain this way, so that's what I'll do here. You'll just have to employ some imagination.

Now then, let's get the front wheel out of the way. No big deal with the correct tools & procedure. Fairly uneventful with one bearing on each side, and no retaining clips that I recall. Just pop out the old bearings, clean the hub, and drive in the new bearings.





Don't forget the Seal:



Unfortunately, only on one side has a seal. The rotor side is without. :huh I don't like that. Would much prefer to have both sides containing an extra seal.

Just don't forget to insert the wheel Spacer before installing the opposite bearing.



Looks like a universal fit to me, so I don't think it matters which side you do first, or which direction you turn the spacer. It appears to be a symmetrical spacer in the front hub.



Some people have trouble removing the old seal. I just insert a large flat screwdriver under the lip and give it a quick firm pop against the hub. They usually come flying off when I do that. Use the same bearing driver tool to install the new seal against the bearing.

I was pleased to find my original bearings were all SKF brand. That's one of my favorite type, and exactly what I ordered for replacements (from Motion Industries). Here are the part numbers.

Front Hub Specs
Bearings (2x): 6203 - 2RHS
Seal (1x): 25 x 40 x 7

Tip: Use the axle to align the spacer with the bearings before driving the final bearing all the way in (tight).




Moving to the back wheel, the rear hub also contains two bearings of the exact same size & type, as the front.



However, the rotor side has a snap-ring clip for a retainer.





Make certain, the snap-ring is fully seated into the groove.



Then, install the seal:







Flip the rear wheel over and insert the Spacer:





Then, install the 2nd bearing in the hub....using the axle to align the spacer before seating the bearing tight.



Rear Hub Specs
Bearing (2x): 6203-2RSH
Seal (1x): 30 x 40 x 7

Note....this is a larger seal size than used on the front hub. The inside of the rear hub does not require a seal, because it will be protected by the sprocket carrier.


The Rear Sprocket Carrier looks like this when disassembled:



It was a real challenge to figure out how to take it apart. But, maybe I'm just a slow learner. Probably looks real straight forward to you....gazing at all these pieces. We'll see about that in my next post.

HF

Awesome HF!

Thanks for the write-up HighFive. Excellent work, as usual. Good timing too, as I am looking to change mine out.

Alrighty, let's tackle the rear wheel sprocket carrier.

Everything was pretty routine up to this point. Then, I got confounded & perplexed by this part. But, its gonna be super easy for you.....I think.

Once again, let's put it back together so you can see the proper order of assembly. Then, I'll give a few pointers on taking it apart.

Here is the sequence of the parts relative to the sprocket carrier:



And, it stacks up like this:







The long spacer on the right runs thru the stack from the bottom, and gets capped by the short spacer on the end:



The final piece is the Seal which is on the outer side of the sprocket.

Yes, that's RUST on one of the bearings. I'll get back to that in a minute.


Now, go back to the first photo in this post. Notice this small spacer and seal are the only parts on the sprocket side. Everything else has to come and go thru the opposite side. Because there is lip on the hub right here:



So well disguised when everything is assembled, that I almost didn't figure it out. I said almost. Tapping Out was simply not an option.....but it was at least a 2 beer job. Ok, maybe 3. I was all by myself, so no one was really counting. Alright....4 then. Sheeeez! Why does this always turn in to a confessional?

BUT its all good, no worries. I endured the hard stuff, so you'll only need iced tea!

Flip it around and it looks like this on the inside:



Start the installation on the inside of the carrier....driving the first bearing all the way in until it stops.





Make sure its past this center groove:



Install the snap-ring clip in the center groove.



Again, be absolutely certain the clip is fully seated in the groove. Fail to get this right, and well, you'll be so screwed.....at the worst possible moment, no doubt.



Next, put this small spacer....what looks like a thick washer....onto the center of the bearing. AND, don't sneeze during next phase!





Now gently drive in the 2nd bearing.....stopping just before it seats tight.



Use the axle to align the center (small) spacer with the bearings; then finish driving the bearing against that spacer. Pray the spacer didn't move off center while you tightened up the stack.



Use your axle one more time to align everything. You might have to drive the axle thru there gently. Should work out fine in the end, just don't get hamfisted with it.

Now, insert the long spacer from the backside like so:



It should be a snug fit which requires some gently tapping to guide thru the stack. And, looks like this when seated:



And, here's the other side where you can see the spacer poking out:



Now, I have to do a little something out of order to show you how it finishes.

The small outer-most spacer caps over the long spacer like this:





But you need to install the Seal BEFORE you tap on that small spacer. So, let's backup and do it properly now.









Make sure you tap that small spacer on firmly until its seated against the bearing face.

All done!

HF


Edit: Here's the specs for the parts in the Sprocket Carrier.....the bearing is different size than what's in the wheel hub.

Sprocket Bearing (2x): 6204-2RSH/C3

Note: the "C3" is very important. Do not try to use an ordinary 6204 without the C3 designation. A C3 is slightly smaller OD, which helps it pass all the way thru the Carrier hub.

Sprocket Seal (1x): 30 x 40 x 7

So...how to take it apart?

Very first step to removal is tapping out the long spacer from the stack.

I don't have a photo, so use your mind's eye. Think I used a 13mm socket which fit just inside the small spacer.

So, you go from this view:



To this view:



to begin the disassembly process. Drive out the long spacer until you can lift off the small spacer. Finish removing the long spacer, pop out the seal, and you'll be ready to start removing the bearings in reverse order of install.

When you get down to the last bearing, AFTER removal of the snap-ring in the center groove, it should go like this:













But hopefully without the rust! :eek1

THAT rusted bearing was my problem. It was the bearing directly beneath the sprocket and was completely frozen. I knew something didn't feel right, and there was an occasional "knocking" which I could feel thru the frame while whirling along the roadway.

So, it wasn't my chain at all. I had a frozen bearing in the sprocket carrier.

Oh well, all fixed now. And, I got to tweak my gear ratios one more time going to the 50/16-15 combo.

Should be good for another 20,000 miles I hope. Maybe I'll just keep it on the pavement, and stay out of the mud and water....

HF

Too funny. I put a cork from a whisky bottle on the steering stem also. I thought I was too clever. Not so much now.

Thanks a bunch High Five for that excellent writeup on wheel/hub bearing R/R. Very well done.

I need to see about getting that style of bearing removal tool, I like it.

Here's the Motion Pro kit for $87.

Here's a very similar kit on Amazon for $45.

I'm sure there are a few others.

I know Harbor Freight as a bearing driver kit that's pretty decent for $18, I've got a couple of them. I've turned a few special size adapters on the lathe for rebuilding PWC jetpumps.