2013 Husqvarna 650 Terra

[Mobiker]

Originally Posted by K1W1

here for anybody who wants more.

I still don't quite "get" the wings. Do they serve any purpose? i.e. covering electrical components, coolant overflow, etc. When I saw the bike in person, I thought they looked pretty vulnerable.

I know these are called redheads, but to pick nits, the head isn't red. The valve cover is.

I've been riding a BMW for so long, that a self retracting stand wouldn't bother me, even though I had my beemer fall on me in the Yukon one time when the stand retracted unbeknownst to me.

[Ed@Ford]

Originally Posted by Trail Boss

I probably wouldn't replace a fully farkled and modified KLR685 with a stock Terra.

What is your advice for those who don't currently own a full farkled & modified KLR and are trying to decide between purchasing a new KLR or a new Terra?

Well, if you had been following Big Dog's work on the Terra the obvious thing was the total lack of "farkels" for the Terra, unlike the KLR that has 20 or 30 years to develope accessories, luggage etc. My KLR is a 685 because even though it's an '09, it deveoped an oil consumption issue, and the big bore was a solution. A WONDERFUL improvement that comes with the KLR big bore that is unappreciated...till you get it done...is the lightweight piston, and reduced vibration. Supposedly the Terra has a lighter piston and is similarly smooth compared to the older 650 BMW's. My 650 Dakar was smoother than my 93 KLR, but about the same as the '09 before the big bore. So Terra is at a disadvantage if you want to "accessorize", but appears to be very smooth for a 650 single. And...of course....EFI is nice....generally has better fuel economy....but there are other folks who DON'T want EFI over a well rejetted carburetor. So..again..priority...choices...

[Ogre_fl]

Originally Posted by kawagumby

PS, the ECU stalling issue is a problem only on the first release bikes - mine was a second-shipment and runs perfectly, which is the same I'm hearing from everyone else. Not only that, but the first release bikes that do have a problem only need to have the ECU recalibrated at the dealer...Husky has already got the download upgrade dialed-in.

How sure of this are you?

[Mobiker]

One thing that suprised me about the MCN test was the fuel mileage. They got 54.9/32.4/46.1 high/low/avg.

I went back and looked up what they got on the Sertao they tested in the March 2012 issue: 71.6/49.6/63.7.

I know the Husky is hot rodded and different time of year/temps, but I was still suprised at the size of the difference.
46.1 mpg x 3.57 only gives a range of 164 miles.

[krussell]

Users manual is downloadable from http://www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com...%2011-2012.pdf

Not one of the better manuals I've seen, but may be of use to prospective buyers. It's more complete than the paper manual that came with my bike.

[bobnoxious67]

Originally Posted by Mobiker

I still don't quite "get" the wings. Do they serve any purpose? i.e. covering electrical components, coolant overflow, etc. When I saw the bike in person, I thought they looked pretty vulnerable.

I know these are called redheads, but to pick nits, the head isn't red. The valve cover is.

I've been riding a BMW for so long, that a self retracting stand wouldn't bother me, even though I had my beemer fall on me in the Yukon one time when the stand retracted unbeknownst to me.

Never seen a "redhead" woman with a red head either...just her hair/top of her head, but we're ok with that, right?

[krussell]

Originally Posted by Mobiker

One thing that suprised me about the MCN test was the fuel mileage. They got 54.9/32.4/46.1 high/low/avg.

I went back and looked up what they got on the Sertao they tested in the March 2012 issue: 71.6/49.6/63.7.

I know the Husky is hot rodded and different time of year/temps, but I was still suprised at the size of the difference.
46.1 mpg x 3.57 only gives a range of 164 miles.

BMW specs the Sertao at 74MPG @ 55MPH. Husky says over 55MPG on their website. In their product announcement blurb Husky said 73MPG @ 56mph, and 55MPG @ 75 mph.

My real world average over 1300 miles on my Strada, using pump readings and the stock uncorrected odometer has been 49.6 MPG. I'm 6'4 / 275, so I present a fair amount of both surface area and mass.

[Trail Boss]

Originally Posted by Ed@Ford

Well, if you had been following Big Dog's work on the Terra the obvious thing was the total lack of "farkels" for the Terra, unlike the KLR that has 20 or 30 years to develope accessories, luggage etc.

True - the Terra is a new model and, of course, the amount of aftermarket accessories available today don't even come close to matching what is available for the KLR. On the other hand, a number of the model specific accessories for the KLR (doohickey, 685 kit, larger brake rotors, etc) are designed to improve known deficiencies and weaknesses of the KLR and, presumably, won't be necessary for the Terra.

I guess if there were some aftermarket accessory that a rider absolutely had to have but the accessory had to be specifically designed for the Terra and wasn't currently available, then it would make sense for that rider not to buy a Terra. Is there some "must have" accessory that will be required by most riders that simply isn't available now, nor likely to become available, for the Terra?

[30Bones]

^^ The way I see it. Tank bag, soft side tail bags on any dual sport I ever owned or took on multi day trips. None were model specific.

Then you get into a better seat, exhaust, wind protection. All that is user preference be it a wal mart gel cover or a Renzaco.

For the $$ you can hardly look past the Terra if you are in the market for any of the 3 Jap offerings MSRP to MSRP

[kawagumby]

Originally Posted by Ogre_fl

How sure of this are you?

As sure as word-of-mouth can be, LOL. I haven't seen a study done on Husky ECU problems yet, but hopefully we can get one soon. Seriously, at my dealer the first shipment bike had the stall issue, mine was second shipment and did not. I've read several reports by owners with similar experience.

[krussell]

Originally Posted by kawagumby

As sure as word-of-mouth can be, LOL. I haven't seen a study done on Husky ECU problems yet, but hopefully we can get one soon. Seriously, at my dealer the first shipment bike had the stall issue, mine was second shipment and did not. I've read several reports by owners with similar experience.

There were first shipment bikes that reported no stalling. The other key bit of data, at least in my case, and my dealers demo case, is that first shipment bikes that have their ECU reset/updated etc. with the dealer computer are transformed into new bikes with no stall, no stumble etc.

[krussell]

Regarding wind protection, I prefer my Strada over my formerly owned 09 KLR by a long shot. I'm 6'4" so that likely influences my perspective. On the KLR, the stock shield just concentrated all the air into my upper chest and face. The Strada/Terra leaves the air lower, and doesn't concentrate it nearly as much. For me that amounts to a better experience. Windshields don't get rid of air, they just put it somewhere else. I'd take clean air at the helmet level over windshield concentrated / mutated air at the helmet any day.

[Süsser Tod]

I was about to buy the Terra to replace my XT660R, that was before the XT660R broke...

Stock the Terra is a much better bike, the weight distribution makes it usable off road (the XT660 is a top heavy bitch) and cartridge forks, no matter how crappy they might be, are bounds and leaps better than the damper rod forks on the XT660R. It makes more power and the engine is smoother than that of the XT660R. And it has some of the attributes I like about the XT, it's a thin bike, unlike bikes like the KLR.

Then the XT broke.

And I came to realize how wonderful the Yamaha ECU is. I was able to test EVERY sensor, the injector and coil without need for special tools, dealership computer or anything like that. In the end it was just a bad sparkplug, it only took me one afternoon to figure it out, and I also know all sensors are good. And that got me thinking, is the Terra THAT much better over the XT? The XT is a very easy bike to work on, DIY friendly and you can troubleshoot it easily.

So I got a XT660X to go with the XT660R.

I like EFI bikes, but I don't want a bike that requires a special dealership computer to pull codes... In the case of the XT, there wasn't even a fault code, that is why I had to check every sensor! How do yo do that on a BMW bike? You're screwed, dealership it is...

I really like the Terra, and it's the No. 1 to replace the XT if I decide to, but I'm not in a hurry to do so.

[krussell]

Comparing the MCN numbers for the Terra reported above to the Sertao and KLR from their performance index...

Terra Sertao KLR
Wet weight: 405 435.5 428
Avg MPG 46.1 63.7 48
Rear Wheel HP 47.89 42.15 36.1
Rear Wheel TQ 38.29 35.59 32.7
0-60 (secs) 4.57 5.58 5.88
1/4 mile 13.01/99.02 14.10/89.04 14.4/87.8 secs/mph

The Sertao will use about 70+ gallons a year less fuel for a 12k/yr rider! Over the life of the bike that may make up for the MSRP premium of the Sertao.

Looking forward to my copy of MCN.

[Trail Boss]

Originally Posted by 30Bones

Then you get into a better seat, exhaust, wind protection. All that is user preference be it a wal mart gel cover or a Renzaco.

For the $$ you can hardly look past the Terra if you are in the market for any of the 3 Jap offerings MSRP to MSRP

I would add that of the 3 Japanese bikes, only the KLR comes stock with a fairing/windscreen and large gas tank. Those two might be the only advantages that a new KLR has over a new Terra, DR, and XR-L.