DRZ vs. [That which should not be mentioned]

[lkneric]

Guys,

I've been getting some hefty bonuses at work and am considering a little more power and speed. Don't really need it as my riding style is fairly non-aggressive, although I do like to rip it out in the dirt and on the street from time to time.

LOVE the DRZ, best toy I've ever owned, but the (here it comes....) Husky TE 610 is VERY intriguing. Especially at an OTD price of under 7,500.

Who has any experience with the TE610? I read that the maintenance schedule is quite reasonable, holds 2 quarts of oil, many reports of valves not moving much, and lots of reports of silky smooth power and grunt.

Thoughts? Not sure if I want to drop the dough on another new bike, but I've got the 2 year itch with my DRZ.

Oh, and my wife will shoot me if she reads this, so it will definitely cost me an extra grand on "wife accessories" if I upgrade. The DRZ cost me two new couches and an area rug. Not too bad i guess.

Husky TE610???

[oPAULo]

A freind of mine just picked up an Aprillia 550 super motard. Unbelievably engineered machine. Very nice to look at. 250lbs and 85hp....he claims.

Just throw in another $1500 on top of your $7500!! She won't mind...

[lkneric]

Nah, that's a little TOO exotic for me. Not sure of the dealer network for Aprilla around here, plus a little too pricey. Husky seems to combine just the right mix of power, sexyness, dealer support, and "relatively" low maintenance compared to pure race bikes. And it comes in under the cost of a heavily modified, performance DRZ. That's why I don't know if I can justify dropping a bunch of money on exhaust, FCR, cams, blah blah blah when the Husky TE610 would still out-power a heavily modded DRZ for less $$.

[UpstateSM]

Get the 610 & put the wife on the DRZ. SM together. ?

[Yokomo]

No S&M talk in here.

I'd dump your money into the DRZ. Buy all the parts and have Eddie work on the engine for less.

[Stephen_207]

Nah, that's a little TOO exotic for me. Not sure of the dealer network for Aprilla around here, plus a little too pricey. Husky seems to combine just the right mix of power, sexyness, dealer support, and "relatively" low maintenance compared to pure race bikes. And it comes in under the cost of a heavily modified, performance DRZ. That's why I don't know if I can justify dropping a bunch of money on exhaust, FCR, cams, blah blah blah when the Husky TE610 would still out-power a heavily modded DRZ for less $$.

I have to agree with you there. I'm in the midst of considering the same thing. I love that bike. The fully modified drz from eddie is a great thing but it will get you 55 to 60 hp. The husky has more than that and it's stock. I did some mods to my drz and I'm was just about to send my block out to Eddie but now I'm in your upgrade versus buy position. $1,700 more for engine work on top of the $7,000 I already spent or just get the 610 with gobbs of torque and stock hp. decisions decisions... I think I need...i mean want...well..maybe need but definitely want both ?

[lkneric]

Yeah, I know modding is fun and a great hobby, but I question why people start sinking $1500 to $2000 into a brand new bike when the total spent would be enough to get a 600+ cc bike with Fuel Injection and race inspired suspension, etc, etc, etc.... I can't justify it myself, and like I said, I don't really "NEED" all the extra power, but it sure is SEXY!!

[iowaBClivewire]

please buy the Husky TE 610 and report back after you get over 3,000 miles on it

buy that time you may find that the DRZ is a better bike than you make it out to be

or you may be able to convence me to trade in the DRZ for some thing better

[Old_Man_Time]

I checked on the 610 4 or 5 years ago. At that time the 610 was based on a very old motor Swedish motor. I can't remember all the research I did but I do remember a motor problem of some kind which was kinda serious and wasn't worth the chance in my opinion. Well Husqvarna has come a long way since then and maybe they actually put a new motor in that bike. I think if you go back into the archives including old old magazines you will find what I am talking about. I honestly no longer remember what the issue was back then.

I do remember one of the magazines did a long haul review over a period of miles and months. They wrote two articles on the same bike. A beginning review and an end review. It had major engine problems before the report was finished.

Like I said the 610 may be a totally remodeled bike by now and none of what I am bringing up may apply anymore.

[hpiguy]

The Aprilias are a sexy beast no doubt, and make an honest 71 to 72 hp derestricted. But like all exotics they need lots of TLC, like top ends (yes there's two it's a twin) at 3200 miles. The newer Husky 610's seem to be great bikes. There's a bunch of guys over on SMJ running 'em without any major issues. I know a few that log a lot of miles a year on them. THe 610 is Husky's street tard, just stay away from the 450 and 510 as they are race bikes with tag holders. I too was tempted to go this route before ever buying my DRZ. But lack of local dealer support, and the bombproof ride it and forget it DRZ won me over.....and for that I haven't been sorry yet. Good luck.

[bill1960]

I'd buy one because its red but no-one sells them in Cambodia and diy import costs a fortune.

As for hp, discussed this on TT a while back and I think the 610 hp at the backwheel is ~45hp compared to Huskies figures of 50hp+ at the crank.

Therefore the DRZ can easily match it for hp with ~$2500 of mods.

But then the husky has 6 gears and its red......

Seriously though, if I was in the US I would buy one as a step up from the DRZ

[lkneric]

Thanks guys. I love the DRZ for sure. The Husky would really just be unnecessary candy for me. But then again, when I get the itch, it's hard to hold myself back. I'm definitely going to wait till spring before I make any rash decisions, we'll see how the tax man treats me.

In the meantime, I'll do some more research on the 610 in terms of longevity and maintenance. Those would be the only factors which would be show-stoppers for me. Everything else about the bike is just crying out to me. And at price in the low $7K range, how can you beat it?

Eric

[swiss t]

I think the new Husky 610 is going to tempt many DRZ owners over who want more power out of a SM. I have been checking them out a lot recently and Husky seem like they managed to make a good bike which doesn’t require you to change the oil everytime you look at it, and the issue of getting hold of parts also seems to be getting better.

Like many people I can’t justify getting rid of the DRZ as ive got it just the way I want it, it’s never let me down even with daily use in all weather, plus its great fun.

When the time comes to say goodbye to the DRZ I know where I will be looking.

[fttam]

I haven't ridden my buddy's brand new 610TE yet, because I just "don't wanna know" ya know? "Knowing" can get suddenly expensive (selling the DRZ, buying a new bike, explaining why to the wife, etc etc etc)

[dpsmith]

Here is a link to a huge (7,179 replies!) TE610 thread over at ADVrider. It is mostly about the DS version though.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156429

[DRZDUal]

The TE 610 or the SMR or both great bikes,and the longevity of the motors are on par with the DRZ. You simply can't say otherwise. It an older design yes, and no where near the likes of the 510/450. Its a great bike and full of fuel weighs only 12 lbs more then the DRZ. With the FI being the newest feature. If I were you, id wait until the 09's show up, and make sure the dealer you go to is a real husky dealer and is fully equipped with all service aspects. FI can be finicky, and it will only be fixed with the right dealer with the correct Icat programs.

or be like me and turn my DRZ SM into a dirt bike and then lust over a sport tourer like the triumph tiger, Buell Ulysses, or the versys.......decisions decisions. lol

[madwrench]

My .02.

Buy the Husky - I predict you will not spend one millisecond second-guessing your decision.

A couple of years ago, after I put a ton of $$ into my DRZ, I bought a KTM 525 with dirt and SM setups. It doesn't do anything the DRZ can't do (dirt, street, dual-sport, SM and ice racing), but it does it all much better (STOCK!), and ups my fun factor quite a bit. It's too big (for me) to race enduros or hare scrambles on, but I've got a 2-stroke for that.

I kept the DRZ as a loaner bike since some off my offroad racing buddies don't have dual sport bikes but want to ride some of the big d/s events. A DRZ still is an excellent all-around bike, but I think really big $$ spent to mod one is better spent toward moving up.

[lkneric]

Guys! Stop! I'm at the point of a coin toss on whether or not I go down there and take home a TE610 (dual sport version, not the SM). I'm only leaving my coin in my pocket for 2 reasons. My wife and I have made some commitments to do a few home improvement projects including new floors this weekend ($3800) and a new deck in the spring ($5000). So my reluctance stems from the fact that most of either the Deck purchase or the Husky purchase would have to be done on credit at this point. I'd rather wait and pay cash, or at least mostly cash. So, do I sell the DRZ as a down payment? I'll miss her and I don't want to sell her. I'd prefer the Husky to sit beside the Z in the garage, and keep it as a mate bike for friends and family.

So, I'm not afraid of my wife, as I earn the bacon around here, but surely she'll throw the question "Why do you NEED two motorcycles". I'm preparing for that discussion now. It will be a very easy discussion with an extra grand of $$ in hand. She can be bought and the money is well worth buying my way out of some anticipated nagging.

So, the coin will remain in my pocket (for this week). But I sure hope I don't get really bored one rainy weekend, or you kind folks will be seeing some pics of the big TE. Seriously, I'll probably wait till spring, and the 2009 model.

Eric

[Metalhead201]

When it comes to dual sport I would rather tune and adjust my bike 2 times as much and have something a lot nicer, when it comes to agressive trail riding the DRZ has nothing but less maitaince going for it compared to more agressive bike. Making more power will not make you faster in the trails, it comes down the the rider and how far the bike lets the rider push. power has not too much to do with that. it's suspenssion and grip and weight/handleing, you know all the things the DRZ just doesnt have. SM wise I would rather a DRZ because it's something you ride on the road. Cant have too much wild fun riding or your going to jail, weight, tires, handling, suspension... unless your on a track these things mean about 10% as much as they do offroad. You need something that runs nice and starts everyday just fine and will go months with no tuning a drz is unbeatable. An indy car is like a great trail bike and nascar is a DRZ, on the road they do the same damn thing. you place an indy car in nascar land it gets smoked. you place a nascar in indy land then it gets smoked. Bringing a DRZ against a more agressive bike is bringing a nascar to an indy race. The nascar is great at what it does and it can be fast but it's not the best tool for the job. Get the huskey if you ride off road and ride it well.

[lkneric]

HAHA. Good post. I agree that if you put a NASCAR car in Indy land and it gets smoked. I'm not so sure that an Indy car would get smoked in a NASCAR event, though...

Here's my analogy:

DRZ = Army jeep: Tough, reliable, low maintenance, technologically simple, enough power to get the job done.

While the Husky = this