Thanks everyone for helping me decide which TE

[Matt400]

I came here wanting a 510 then soon realized the 450 might be a better choice then still the 250.

Big Bob said in another thread-

The TE-450 is a dirt bike that is barely street legal, not a dual sport.

And it sparked me to post what I decided..

Seems in life there is always a compromise, so I decided to not ride any dual sports which have been in the past too much dirt & paved road with too little trail making a TE610 better suited than my old XR400.

I was looking for a bike that would do enduro's, play rides and dual sports like I did with my XR but it's place was play rides which made the other two kinds of ridding not as pleasurable.

I thought I might try to make the 450 serve those 3 but realize its not a good idea. Giving up dual sports gives way to focus on enduro and play ridding and thus my decision on the 250.

It was great bouncing ideas off of everyone and want to thank you all.

I also do realize than any of the TE's would be a pleasure to own.

[Husky_Forever]

Congrats Matt! Hope you can come down and join us in April for the Husky ride in Baja. Your bike will work well. Steny

[Matt400]

Cool, thanks Steny for the invite.

That ride sounds like a allot of fun for sure!

Just can't bring myself to take that much time off, maybe another year.

I have my sites set on getting in some enduro time before water ski season.

[Husky_Forever]

That will work. I hope to make this annual ride happen 2 times a year. Once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Plus 6 other weekend rides of 4 days each. Keep on the lookout. Between rides, working a race team of Huskys and working for my parent team, The Baja Pits USA as a racer rep at the start line, this year will be fun! Happy New Year guys and gals! If anyone is going to Laughlin, NV., Scores first race of the year (www.score-international.com), I will be in Contingicy, Friday with Baja Pits at our booth. Stop by and say hello. Steny

[whitcher]

So why did you decide on the 250? I hve found that the 250's are a little anemic on hills, just can't quite tractor up steep stuff without stalling. They are no lighter htan a 450. True, the 450 is too powerful, so don't twist the grip so far. I think the KTM 400 is about right, but the TE is street legal. If they don't all sell out I want a TE 450 this year. Anyone want a DRZ 400S and a XR650L cheap? These didn't make the grade. Keeping the XR 400 and the KDX though.

[Matt400]

So why did you decide on the 250?

Believe me it was hard and I thought about it everyday for 2 weeks before making up my mind.

What finally helped me was to disassociate myself from the power difference and

focus only on the riding conditions I mostly see and how I like to ride those areas vs the bikes raw performance.

I ride tight woods mostly, much more than open terrain. The most open terrain I see is Stonyford maybe once per year. My hopes is that the 250 will dice through the woods with less effort than the 450 making my ride less tiring and actually allow me to keep a faster pace for a longer time.

The wet weight "ready to ride" with no fuel on the 250 is 11.7 lbs less than the 450 then there is the engine inertia of the 450 that adds not more weight but more of a heavy "feel" to the bike adding to that additional static weight.

Now when I was younger, in better shape and rode more aggressive + I was riding some desert and Stonyford twice per year it would have been the 450.

I am 47 now and ride A Senior strictly for fun factor, competition is still in my mind while riding but falls in second place over the fun factor.

I think I would have been happy with any of the TE's and believe for the kind of riding I do the 250 is just more logical.

Dan, owner of MotoXotica is a B Senior rider and is switching to this bike, makes you wonder with all the different size off road bikes available to him being a shop owner.

Below are a few quotes from TT members that helped too, and was surprised to hear from fella's over 200 lbs using TE250's, I am only 160 lbs.-

EuroFreak wrote:

I have ridden the 250 in the B class in the roughest stuff NY, PA and NH has to offer for enduros. I rode the 410 and the 250- back to back in NH on a two day 200 mile trail ride. The Husky was great when it opened up a little but in the tight rocky hills and the whooped out trails the 250 was awesome.

My dealer is an A rider and has the same bike. He's had a bunch of Husabergs, KTM's and Husky's. This is his favorite bike so far.

I'm 46, 220lbs and when climbing rock strewn steep hills (but they're only 2000' or so) this bike carries my weight well. With you at 160 lbs it should freakin 'rip

coconut_laden_spode wrote:

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how often the throttle is pinned. If it happens often then it's time for more power. If not, then just work on twisting the throttle more.

I find riding a smaller bore bike to be easier to ride and therefore much more fun

ZEKEDAWG wrote:

The newer 250 four stroke trail bikes will be on par with the xr 400 you list. If you like that power but want to lose weight get the 250

Knobbydude wrote:

There's an old saying: 'horsepower is the enemy of handling'. In short, a lot of the tight woods handling traits associated with bigger bikes aren't necessarily weight related, but more power and reciprocating weight effects For me, for instance, I can ride a CR250 and a CR500 back to back in tight woods, and to me the 500 doesn't want to turn, in no small part because of that big crank rotating rapidly and acting like a gyroscope

Trevor_S wrote:

I have a 450 and wish I went to the 250. I use the TE nearly exclusively on tighter riding, mostly rocky stuff and tighter single track through forests, the 450 is to much bike for me in those situations.

WillR wrote:

This is exactly why I went with the 250. 6'-0", 235 lbs, B senior

http://808x.com/attachment/58/bade7...364ec50a9b2.jpg

All my other bikes were over 600cc 4 strokes or 300cc 2 strokes Love my 250

Now if I would have decided on a bigger TE I would have posted all the great things all those fella's had to say

[Barrobuild]

You hit the nail right on the head,I test rode an 04 TE250 for 10min and then the 450,30sec on the 450 and I know what I wanted,I like tight single track and the 250

is effortless,if honking around on firetrails at speed was my thing then the 450 would be

more suitable. I am 49 and weight 220 and am far from fit.With the carb dialed,JD kit and a 0.5mm drill through the leak jet its spot on for me.

[bigbob 901]

the Te-250 is a chick bike

just kiddin

[bagman 1]

Matt, you got a good one! You'll find out late in the ride when those 510 guy's have their tongues hanging out!

[Matt400]

the Te-250 is a chick bike

just kiddin

Well that figures cuz I always liked (never owned one) the Harley Sporsters and never knew they were called "Shirleydavidson's"