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SMR510 vs SM610

By husky666,
in Husqvarna 4 Stroke

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madav8tr

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I love my 610 and also don't mind the added maintenance.............of the 510 :ride: . Seriously, around town and local canyon dancing, the SM610 is the way to go. The 510 is a great bike and it would be my choice for a track/race bike but for the street, go with the street model.......SM610 ?

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firebolter

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The 610 is definitely more street friendly, not that the 510 isn't good on the street. The 610 is more friendly with less maint required and isn't quite as hyper. I cruise along at 70-75 mph and the bike doesn't get much past about 5.5K rpm's, so even getting decent gas mileage, not that I care. Makes for a good commuter actually. I have been riding mine to work 32 miles each way with a mix of interstate for 9 miles and the rest state highways and some back roads. The only downer is the stock seat, on either the 510 or the 610. You really need a better seat if you plan on riding more than an hour.

I dropped the 400 bucks to have a Renazco seat done. Waiting for it now, but everyone who I have talked to that has had theirs done, swears by it.

Overall, the 610 is not as snappy as the 510 due to the additional weight, longer stroke and the SOHC design vs. the DOHC design, but it is plenty fast enough and enough torque to easily get you in trouble with the po po. Added bonus, if you will use it for a true dual sport kinda ride, and log up some miles/hours routinely, the old style lock nut and screw valve adjusters make doing valve adjustments a breeze as you will need no shims.

reliability wise, the only "reliability" issue I have read about on the 610 is the lock nut on the crank. Some people have suffered the sheared "key" from the lock nut being loose/not torqued to spec. I have not had an issue to date with mine. Change the oil often, do a visual check and keep up on the torque on the nuts and bolts and you should have no issues. No more than with any other big thumper. Early on there were some bikes that were leaking some coolant form the head gasket, but I haven't read about that lately. I haven't leaked any. My bike has been reliable as hell, but I only have about a 1000 miles on mine too. I have ridden it hard and in 100 degree heat for hours with no problems. The biggest issue was getting the jetting sorted out, but that is something with all carb'd bikes in the beginning.

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Oat Willy

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I have a rare 2000 sm610s and have put about 17;000 miles on it and had almost no problems except the exaust baffles in the stock muffler vibrated apart and a rocker box screw head broke off and created a massive oil leak. That was many miles ago and it's been as reliable as any single I've owned. Living in So Cal I have 4 other bikes and no car and the Hushy is just about all I ride anymore. I had a custom seat made by Bill Mayer Saddles to replace the stock monkey butt unit that came on it and I've ridden from Ojai to Monterey and carried camping gear too in comfort. Even with all the gear loaded I could keep with the sport bikes in the twisties of Big Sur. I love this bike!

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fredzeppelin

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i have an 06 510. this bike should not even be legal... i mean nothing else this fun is. ? . i come from a moto/off road back ground, and it feels good to me. it feels pretty nimble, though not like my crf 450 (30 pounds lighter). i have about 500 miles on so far. this bike is great fun around town and handles and corners great. i jump off curbs and wheelie every chance i get. hehehe. it gives me serious cases of the grins every ride. its one drawback is its not that comfy on longer, multiple hour rides, but i've been kind of dual sporting it, so i just stand up a little and feel better. i guess a renazco seat would help me out... i'm 6'2 and 215, but that is still a little ways off. i hear guts racing will make a seat for it too, but i haven't yet looked into that. if you're in cali, definitely do the jetting set up listed in the top of this forum...they'll run like a moped until you do.

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ashes

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I've got a 04 smr 450 with 25000km's and I love it! I rode a 610 with a leovince and jetting all done and well, lets just say a 510 will be gracing my garage soon. Regular maintainance and all.

I have got used to the seat but it has become fairly soft now anyway.

I am loooking to put a cush drive hub and an oil cooler on a 510 at the moment to assist in logevity. It's your call the 610 was nice but the 450 is mad!! (so 510 should be better again)

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dukepilot

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I've got a 06 SM610 and a 04 SM450R. The 610 is better for longer rides but is a blunt instrument compared to the scalpel like 450. Both are fun but if you ride every day, the 610 will be more durable. Getting both is the ultimate solution ?

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Eric Landstrom

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I've got a 04 smr 450 with 25000km's and I love it! I rode a 610 with a leovince and jetting all done and well, lets just say a 510 will be gracing my garage soon. Regular maintainance and all.

I have got used to the seat but it has become fairly soft now anyway.

I am loooking to put a cush drive hub and an oil cooler on a 510 at the moment to assist in logevity. It's your call the 610 was nice but the 450 is mad!! (so 510 should be better again)

If you find out about the oil cooler, clue us all in. For a cush drive either track down an older 610 rear wheel or get an '06 TC450/510 clutch hub.

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  • 2 years later...

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