500 street miles on TE610?

[fhammond]

{I posted this over at advrider but thought Husky experts here might be able to give me an opinion.}

Hi all,

I'm looking for some bike advice (gee, how unusual here!). I've currently got a 1200 GS Adventure but I want something more dirt capable and, specially, smaller and lighter. I'm thinking of the '08 TE610. It's not a small dirt bike but it's a full 200 pounds lighter than my GS. I love the GS but thanks to a new job, I'm just not going to be doing the sort of really long distance trips I'd envisioned when I got it.

What I've got time to still do is shorter trips. For example, this weekend, I'm going down to Death Valley. I'm riding from the Bay area, so it's about 500 miles. I'm planning on leaving Thursday afternoon, camping about a third of the way down, then riding the rest on Friday. We'll ride Saturday and Sunday off-road, then ride home Monday.

I think that's the longest trip I'd want to do on the TE that involved a lot of road miles (albeit small highways - like 25 - and back roads). I'm not a fast rider and I've got a street bike (R1200R) for when the road is all paved.

I'm more often going to be doing shorter trips than DV. I've got to find more people around here (Oakland; say hi if you're a local!) to ride with but I think I'm mostly going to want to do day trips on the TE.

Any thoughts? I think the TE will be fine. I'd even like one of the lighter ones like the TE510 but I get the impression that that'd be a significant step backwards for trips like DV.

If I do get some time back, I'd really like to do the TAT and the TEs seem like they'd be great for that.

thanks,

Fergus

[firebolter]

I have the 06 SM610, same frame, motor etc. Only the brakes and rims/tires are different really........

Anyway, the motor is definitely up for it. Easy motor to ride on the road. I cruise along at 70-75 with no issues. The bike is well made, reliable and powerful. The only short coming is the seat. If you do more than a 100 miles a day on the stock seat, you'll certainly know it. Plan on getting a modified seat. I had Rnazco do mine and it made a world of difference. Still get sore but about 2 times the miles before I start to pain!

Maint is easy, old school screw/locknut valve adjusters. Engine holds almost 2 quarts of oil, so 3000 mile oil change interval after break in. New ones ar FI so no jetting to deal with.

TE510 WOULD NOT be a good bike for this. Not that it can't do it, but it is a more high strung race bike. Uses shim over bucket vales adjusters. Hold's a little less oil.

All in all, the TE610 is about the best "True" Dual Sport made IMO. Over on ADV BigDog has racked up over 12K miles on his 06. Has done the TAT with it and lots of other ADV touring on the TE610. I think you would like the bike very much. Even though it is bigger, weighs ~300 lbs it is quite friendly in the trail.

And oil changes are a snap on this bike. One filter in a great location. Huge magnetic plug and a view glass. Oil changes on the 610 is really easy compared to my KTM525EXC-----

[fitness2go]

Nice write-up firebolter! I think it's cool that you have a Husky avatar even though you have 2 KTM's in your sig!

[coffee]

...say hi if you're a local!...

Hi!

Skyline, Redwood Rd, Old fish Ranch, Mines, Tesla (Carnegie).... Lots of places to take that without ever getting on a bridge too ?

Nice bike, get the Recazzo if you get it (Santa Rosa?).

[Ruffus]

All in all, the TE610 is about the best "True" Dual Sport made IMO. Over on ADV BigDog has racked up over 17,000 miles on his 06. Has done the TAT with it and lots of other ADV touring on the TE610. I think you would like the bike very much. Even though it is bigger, weighs ~300 lbs it is quite friendly in the trail.

And oil changes are a snap on this bike. One filter in a great location. Huge magnetic plug and a view glass. Oil changes on the 610 is really easy compared to my KTM525EXC-----

I changed the mileage to reflect his latest trip back into Mexico, you can read it the rides section of AdvRider

[fhammond]

Thanks for the replies! Great feedback on the difference between the 510 and 610.

So a related question: if I got the 610 tomorrow morning how silly is it to take it to DV tomorrow afternoon? The guy at Munroe Motors said I'd want to keep it below 70-ish and change the RPM pretty regularly (which would be easy, since I'm avoiding highways) and he also said I'd want to change the oil when I got there. Seems to me like it'd be an ok way to break in a new bike but I'm not sure.

thanks,

Fergus

[buffallodan]

You can toss on a 16T CS to keep the revs down as well. I do that when I have a long road stretch on a ride. I also use a 14T CS if its tight trails b/c I like the 2nd gear speed better with the lower gearing. Hoder and I are working on a shim, one can use, so that the wheel set screw does not have to be adjusted...

Dan

p.s. I would prefer to break a bike in with shorter riding intervals to give it time to cool down the first few rides after only a short run time...

[Ekim-Yak]

So a related question: if I got the 610 tomorrow morning how silly is it to take it to DV tomorrow afternoon?

Fergus

I would do it. I would get some heated grips and a handlebar mounted windshield or at least extend the front plate taller. I would take 2 days to ride there, changing the oil and filter each day. Back roads. Not to fast. I would stop every hour or so and let it cool down for an hour and then go again on the first day.

Check spokes and bolts and look for leaks every time ya stop. If you are super diligent and really go slow and do it the right way it will be fine.

Just hop on and ride 8 hours to DV? Not a good idea IMO.

[Beaver Cleaver]

Thanks for the replies! Great feedback on the difference between the 510 and 610.

So a related question: if I got the 610 tomorrow morning how silly is it to take it to DV tomorrow afternoon? The guy at Munroe Motors said I'd want to keep it below 70-ish and change the RPM pretty regularly (which would be easy, since I'm avoiding highways) and he also said I'd want to change the oil when I got there. Seems to me like it'd be an ok way to break in a new bike but I'm not sure.

thanks,

Fergus

Well it might be a good way to get some miles on it but you're first oil change really should happen within the first 100 miles, there is always a lots of assembly stuff in the first couple of oil changes ( rtv, gaskets pieces, casting flash ect.). Doing a complete oil system service means pulling all the screens-one of which is behind the clutch cover- and changeing the filter, its not something that you want to do on the side of the road. Also IMO the engine should see several heat up and cool down cycle during the initial break in. There is one complaint that most people have and that is the seat. Really it is not that bad once you get used to it but just to jump on it without any conditioning and go 500 miles is going to give you a serious case of baboon butt ( it's like mokey butt, only worse) . So all in all it could be done but you would have to want to do it pretty bad.

[Beaver Cleaver]

I would do it. I would get some heated grips and a handlebar mounted windshield or at least extend the front plate taller. I would take 2 days to ride there, changing the oil and filter each day. Back roads. Not to fast. I would stop every hour or so and let it cool down for an hour and then go again on the first day.

Check spokes and bolts and look for leaks every time ya stop. If you are super diligent and really go slow and do it the right way it will be fine.

Just hop on and ride 8 hours to DV? Not a good idea IMO.

Yea. What Ekim said.

[newmanr19]

I would definitely recommend a seat upgrade.. Renazco makes some fine saddles. They made mine about 3.5 inches wider, flattened it out and the foam is much, much better then stock.

With the stock seat I was hurting inside of 10 miles, but with the 'Naz' I can go several hours without much pain.. and with a sheepskin cover, I can ride pretty much all day.

[fhammond]

I did it: picked up a new 610 an hour ago and now I'm home with it. Woohoo! I'm going to have to pack a lot lighter than I'd planned, which isn't a bad thing. The bike feels great and I can't wait to get it into the dirt. I'm going to ride a way tonight, camp, then do the rest (slowly!) tomorrow.

Any recommendations on oil to use for the first 100 mile change? Anything else I should look out for (I've read a bunch of the threads here already).

thanks for all the advice.

fh

[Ekim-Yak]

First 2-3 oil changes you should use a petrolium-synthetic blend or full pretrolium oil with a fair bit of detergents. It helps things wear in correctly. After that 100% synthetic. I like Golden Spectrum.

Just as important to clean out the oil screens and replace filter.

Heat cycles are important. Heat it up, ride it easy for a little while, then stop and let it cool all the way down.

Also--before riding it cold, make sure the bike has idled for awhile and warmed up fully. Very important. Touch the engine cases (oil cover) is it hot yet?

Take a camera for pics and congrats on the bike! I am off to Saline Hot Springs in DV in a few days myself. Nothin like naked hippies and a new Husky. Have fun.

[coffee]

I did it: picked up a new 610 an hour ago and now I'm home with it. Woohoo! I'm going to have to pack a lot lighter than I'd planned, which isn't a bad thing. The bike feels great and I can't wait to get it into the dirt. I'm going to ride a way tonight, camp, then do the rest (slowly!) tomorrow.

Any recommendations on oil to use for the first 100 mile change? Anything else I should look out for (I've read a bunch of the threads here already).

thanks for all the advice.

fh

Many people - myself included - use a gallon of dinosaur (non-synthetic) for the first few oil changes, the wider the weight range the better.

Call Munroe East in San Leandro and see if they have some Sidi Crossfires in your size if you don't have some good boots already. Bikes (in general) are heavy and tend to cause issues when they fall on legs.

Dan at Motoxotica in Vacaville has SG10s (I think?) for sale as well if you are interested.

.

[ken robert]

Vary your rpm for the first few hundred miles. find a nice twisty back road with some hills. Once you do the first oil change continue the break in riding until 1k or so. Then ride it the way you will normally ride it. Personally, the seat on my 07 SM broke in nicely at about 1k of milage. A good seat starts real firm then conforms. My longest day is 350 miles.

[fhammond]

Hi all,

Well, I made it to DV (and back!) on the new Husky. It was fantastic! I took everyone's advice about going slowly, taking two days and changing the oil regularly. (I did it three times over the course of the weekend.)

As I'm sure all you long-time Husky owners know, the bike was perfect for the trip. The best part was actually the first night, when we were riding across the desert towards Trona Pinnacles. It was getting dark - beautiful sunset; the air is so clear out there - and the track we were on was quite sandy and rutted. I was definitely one of the least experienced riders in the group but I had a pretty easy time of the sand. Some of the other guys - everyone else was on BMWs, mostly 1200 GS or GSAs - were not having a such a good time. Dropping a bike gets a bit old when the bike weights over 600 pounds. Oh, everyone had tons of gear too! I'd worried I was packing too much stuff but it turned out I had probably a quarter of the stuff anyone else had: just an Ortlieb dry bag with my tent, thermarest, sleeping bag and a few clothes (fresh gear is over-rated!).

Here are some pictures from the trip:

http://gallery.mac.com/fergus.hammond#100131

(Too many of me; the family back in Australia seems to like pictures of me more than bike pictures; weird.)

The only thing I really want to add to the bike right now is a rear rack. I've looked around a bit on the Web but haven't picked one. Any recommendations?

Again, thanks for all the advice. It definitely helped a lot.

fh

[mcinfantry]

i prefer the moto-sport rear rack, a small pelican for camera/laptop, lockable trunk waterproof use, and some dirt bagz. for $16 you can greatly increase lighting....

[OrangeTJ]

Nice lookin' bike. I'm not sure that rear tire is aggressive enough for any offroad work, though! ? Does that thing hum going down the freeway like a Jeep on super swampers? Very, very cool.

[mcinfantry]

i dont have a hum problem at all... i WILL buy one again

[Xfool]

For overnight trips to DV you should also get a set of dirt bags like in mcinfantry’s photo above. Those panniers carry the weight lower and will improve yours bike handling.