2011 Husqvarna Te630
2011 HusqvarnaTE630
CW FIRST RIDE
Big-bore and Single, seeks date with dirt
BLAKE CONNER
ONCE AGAIN WE FIND OUR-
selves swimming the murky waters of dual-sporting, a genre more diverse and inconsistent than any other segment in all of motorcycledom. The available choices include models as small as 200cc four-stroke Singles to others as large as 1200cc Boxer Twins and everything in between. No one formula is wrong and a lot of them most definitely are right. Among the significant players in this game is I lusqvarna with five TE models, all of which are street-legal in all 50 states and lean heavily toward the hardcore side of dual-purpose.
Although I lusky’s storied origins have become blurred across three different borders born in Sweden, built in Italy and now' owned by Germany’s BMW— the company’s identity has remained as true to itself as ever. The famous marque continues to build beautiful off-road, motocross and supermoto machines, but now with better resources, improved quality control and in a brand-new assembly plant in Varese, Italy.
Big news from 1 lusky for 2011 (available by the time you read this) is a pair of 600cc Singles: the enduro TE630 and supermoto SMS630, which replace the 576cc TE610 and SM610R. Key to the redesign wits a desire to broaden the appeal for a larger range of uses. The idea was to make the bikes more versatile and comfortable for riders who are just as likely to commute
on their bikes as they are to spend all day riding off-road or blasting apexes.
During a late-March press launch of the 630s in Varese, I had a chance to tour the new facility and came away very impressed. The influence of German upper management was obvious compared to what I’ve witnessed in other Italian factories. The German plant manager stressed that the company’s biggest goal was to improve quality.
All bikes go through a series of stringent quality-control checks, including multiple dyno runs (bench and chassis). Bikes are then randomly pulled off the production line and inspected partby-part for flaw's. All these are efforts that—I w'ould bet my house on—didn’t happen prior to Bavarian ownership...
A small group of us—including multi-time off-road champion (National Enduro, WORCS, Hare and Hound, 1990 125cc West Coast Supercross champ and four-time Baja 1000 winner) Ty Davis—headed out on an afternoon test ride aboard the new-fromthe-ground-up TE630. Full disclosure: Europe does not have an abundance of legal off-road riding. But we w'ere able to ride a very loose, rocky, wet, leafstrewn two-track that provided a good indication of the TE’s dirt disposition, after which we rode some awesome twisty asphalt roads. We also spent enough time on the SMS630 for me to tell you that the TE630 is the far more versatile of the two.
Simple and effective describes the TE630's tubular-steel backbone frame, which is mated to an aluminum subframe and swingarm. The TE carries its claimed 318 pounds well and never felt like a handful, even when making tight pivot U-turns for photo passes in the dirt. Wheelbase measures 59.3 inches, while front-end geometry allows solid stability without sacrificing trail agility. The 45mm Marzocchi fork (rebound adjustable) and ftilly adjustable Sachs shock were a bit on the soft side, but I'm not one to complain about plush. Handling was very good; really, the only thing holding the TE back off-road are the dual-sport Metzeler Karoo tires. But then again, they are a good compromise between asphalt and dirt. If your plans involve more offthan on-road riding, the wheels come in standard 21-inch front and 18-inch rear sizes, allowing a wide range of rubber choices. In the 630's significantly updated engine, bore was increased from 98 to 100mm (stroke remains at 76.4mm), but more important is the redesign of the cylinder head, which now has double overhead cams in place of the previous engine's single cam. The Mikuni fuelinjection system was upgraded with a 45mm throttle body rather than the 6 10's 42mm unit. Those changes are good for a claimed 20 percent increase in horsepower. Twin aluminum exhausts feature a closed-loop lambda 02 sensor and redesigned catalyzer to meet Euro 3 emissions requirements. For increased durability, a third bearing has been added to the crankshaft and the cooling system was completely revised.
Power from this redesigned engine is abundant, even though the fuel-injection mapping has a slightly rough transition just off idle; it’s bothersome at times but not a deal breaker. Shift action from the six-speed box is crisp, and the gearing is an excellent compromise for the TE’s intended dual personalities. First gear was low enough to keep me from torturing the hydraulic clutch in tight dirt situations, while sixth provided a comfortable cruise speed on the road.
After I spent a couple of hours in the saddle, it was quite obvious that the TE’s seat is far more comfortable than those of most competitors in the hardcore dual-sport category. With a line of accessories, including exhausts, engine guards and even a tail rack and bag, the TE630 can easily be transformed into a lightweight adventure bike or a practical everyday commuter.
Anywhere, anytime—that’s where and when this bike can go. If you are looking for a dual-sport with lots of power, good road manners and very competent off-highway capability, the $8999 TE
is a great choice. And hopefully, it will help clear up the murky confusion many riders experience when shopping for a multi-purpose motorcycle. □
