It
~uite
.
easily, and if you prefer, you can
li·tin the saddle and take a jab at it with
10;t1r left leg. While slated to come with
lO)·a·luminum kick starter lever, our
Jarly production modd had the usual
Iteel unit. Later models will have the
~gnter lever.
;lIlhe exhaust pipe snakes around the
db ,radiator, and the (allest portion
~tJhe pipe is wrapped with insulation
Hid covered with another layer of sheet
netal, with hose clamps holding the
~I\lter skin in place. The silencer is
:q.l1ipped with a new spark arrestor
astened by a hose clamp, a design borpwed (rom the Husky Products acces,
0-
Z
gen lamp, a rarity on dirt bikes. Little
bits of technology just keep finding
their way into the woods.
Our test unit needed a few minor
changes before it was ready for some
serious riding. We trimmed an inch off
each end of the bars so we could more
easily slither between the trees, and fitted an in-line fuel filter. Our first riding session proved the carburetor jetting to be spot on - the bike ran very
clean and crisp, after a few minutes of
warm-up time. Water-cooled bikes
do require more warm-up than their
air-cooled counterparts, but once
warm we couldn't fault the performance of tlle engine.
Very crisp is the best way to describe
the running characteristics of the warm
engine, and that goes for the entire
range of operation. Once on the trail,
pick your gear - an easy task thanks to
the smooth-shifting six-speed - then
let the engine go to work for you. Like
we said, it's not really necessary to constantly stir the shifter with your left
foot; the motor just keeps on pulling
strongly as you turn the straightpull throttle.
In tight woods, where your speeds
are generally much less than 24 mph,
the WR is very much at home anq the
trees begin to fly by at a rapid rdte. Nail
the throttle between trees, brake slightly
if needed before the next pivot, get
'forward over the bars as you near the
tree, then hit the throttle again as you
enter the corner. That's what fast woods
ridinll,' is all about and the WR makes
you look good while doing it.
We didn't find it was necesSary to
slip the clutch often when exitinll,'
corners since the motor trdnsmits power
to the ground with little tendency
to bog. When needed, the clutch has a
nice, light pull - a definite boon
toward the end of a tough enduro.
While you are busy bursting from
tree to tree, the suspension and handling do their best to keep you out of
serious trouble. We didn't adjust anything as far as suspension goes -stock
fork oil (no air press'ure) and oil level,
and stock preload settings on the shocks
(a snap to chan?;e by setting a circlip)
- and were very happy the way things
worked. Not only did the suspension
soak up· normal trail obstacles with
ease, it also did an admirable job landing off jumps.
There are a few improvements on
this latest Husky to make your life
nicer, one of which is a sealed ball
b...aringon the brake pedal pivot. Gone
is the old bushing system, which seemed
to quickly wear out. The chain has
been upgraded to a RK O-ring unit of
Japanese origin, and appears to hold
up very well.
One thing to check out before riding
is the clearance between the exhaust
pipe and the lower radiator hose just
ahead of the coolant pump. The hose
on Clur bike needed to be shortened
sli~htly. The coolant level also needs
to be checked often; if you lay the bike
down, some coolant will inevitably
flow out of the overflow hose. Make it
a habit to keep the level topped off.
We really have little to complain
about with the 250WR; it works very
well in all areas in stock form. And
with a retail price five dollars shy of
$3,000, it's nice thing-s don't have to be
changed. You're getting a finely-tuned
machine ready to do time as your obedient servant in the forest.
How does it rate when stacked up
all,'ainst the KTM or Can-Am? We
haven't ridden '85 versions of those
machines,but expect the Husky todefinitely give them a run for the money.
The 250WR is just a very effective
packa~e for threading about the forest.
And the bits.of Swedish-flavored hi~h
It.'chnology sprinkled throughout make
the finished product all that much
nicer.
•
Specifications
Engine
Type '"
Displacement
Bore x stroke
Transmission
Carburetor
Intake system
Ignition system
Starting system
Clutch
Chassis
Frame Design
,Frame material
Front fork
Rear suspension
Suspension travel
Front tire
Rear tire
Dimensions
Wheelbase
Seat height
Ground clearance
Fuel capacity
Dry weight
Suggest.ed retail price
Uquid cooled. single cylinder. two-stroke
245cc
69.5mm x 64.5mm
Six speed
Mikuni 38mm
Eight-petal reed valve
Motoplat external rotor COl
Primary kick
Multi-disc. oil·bathed
.
Single downtube. split engine cradle
Chromemoly steel
Husqvarna 40mm
Husqvarna ITC. Ohlins shocks
10.6 in. front/11.8 in. rear
Trelleborg Deep Grip 544 3.00 x 21
Trelleborg Ten Masters 744 5.00 x 18
_
,
'
58.3 in.
37.8 in.
12.6 in.
2.8 gal.
238 Ibs.
$2.995
35
