Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126950
The Husky works best in tight. technical and low-speed situations. In the whoops and at speed. the Husky can get a little squirrely. The longer stroke motor and porting changes gives the new Husky Enduro a stronger and broader powerbend, but it'. still aIow on top. point is in low peed situations when you need plenty of LOrque and lugging power LO get you through a tight, technical section. 1I's hard to stall the engine. It just keeps chugging away, even when things look grim, such as motoring up a long, rocky, loose uphill. The mOLOr has a smoother, broader powerband than before, giving you additional confidence to challenge more difficult terrain. There's no worry about the Hu ky suddenly coming on the pipe and sending you off in a direction you don't want LO go - it's predictable. On fa tel' trail , the Husky has no problem keeping up. It' not really the fastest 250ccdin bike around, and a more experienced enduro rider might want a bit more power on top, but for the most pan, the Husky can get the job done the way it is. The Husky vibrates more than we liked, but it wasn't something we couldn't live with. The vibration is most evident in the middle of the powerband and is barely noticeable when the engine is r . on LOp. During our first outing on the Husky, a pipe mount bolt vibratedloose, destroying the' outer threads in the process. We didn't have any complaints with the Husky's transmission. It shifts predictably and easy. A slight nudge on the shift lever is all it cake to catch the next gear, with or without the aid of the clutch. The clutch held up weliLO many miles of abuse, but it isn't the smoothest-working clutch around. Dropping the transmission into first gear from neutral usually produced a noticeable "thud" from the gearbox, especially when the motorcycle wa cold. Sometimes the mOLOr would stall, as if theel utch lever wasn't pulled in at all. But when the Hu ky i in motion, the clutch is easy to slip and works okay. Although it's a long reach, one finger on the lever can get the job done. The Husky' supension is very good in most situations. On tight and technical trails, the Husky is extremely stable and easy LO concrol, although the fork and shock are set up a lillie on the stiff side. Over rxky ~errain, the Husky really shines. It doesn't do anything unexpected and it doesn't have any nasty habits. The only thing the Husky doesn't like is whoop-de-doos, especially at high speeds. Over whoops, the back end can get a little squirrelly and stan swapping, if you're not paying close attemion. A lot of this has to do with the mediocre from fork. It's best LO keep your weight over the rear fender and keep the from end light, forcing the rear shock to do rna tof the work. Turning the Husky is simple. With the new tank/seat layout, it' very easy to slide your weight up on the Husqvama 250cc Enduro Liquid-cooled. two-stroke. single Bonl x stroke .... 66.5 x 70.8mm Displacement ...........• 246cc Compression I'lItio 14.8:1 Carburetor . . . . . .. 38mm Mikuni Horsepower N/A Torque N/A Starting system Primary kick Ignition COl Lubrication. .. . .. .. .. Premix Primary drive Stl'llight-cut gears Final drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chain Gear ratios Primary 79/30; 2.630 Final. 52/14; 3.710 6th 20/27; 0.740 5th 22/25; 0.880 4th 24/23; 1.043 3rd 26/20; 1.300 2nd 29/17; 1.706 1st 33/14; 2.357 Frame Single downtube. split double CI'lIdIe Engine type An Ohlin. piggyback reservoir shock connects to new linkag.. for a more progreaive retio. Reer auspension works adequately. the left side kick lever is a little on the tall side and a bit difficult to get a leg on. Luckily, one or two good kicks usually brings the Husky to life, hot or cold. After a shan warm-up period, we hit the trails and quickly noticed a problem with the carburetion. In stock condition, our 250 ran rough atlow- to mid-range, and when riding. downhill the Husky would load up and barely run. We had the exact same experience with last year's Husky 250cc Enduro. But the cure is quick and simple. We replaced the stock 2.5 slide with a 3.0 slide, and from then on the Husky ran crisp and clean throughout the powerband. No other jetting changes were required. Horsepower is similar to last year's 250, but the motorcycle has slightly longer, stronger pull in the middle of the powerband. The mOLOr's strong Rake Trail Front suspension 27° 4.7 in. Telescopic fork Fork tube diameter 40mm Front wheel travel 10.6 in. Single-shock. Rear suspension swingann Rear wheel travel 12.2 in. Front brakes _.. Disc Rear bl'llkes Drum Front tire 3.00x21 Metzeler Rear tire 4.50x21 Metzeler Claimed dry weight 231 Ibs. Overall length 86.6 in. Overall width N/A Overall height 48.6 in. Wheelbase 59.9 in. Fuel capacity 3.2 gal. Ground clearance 13.4 in. Seat height 37.2 in. Colors. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. White Retail price $3275