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 hile Yamaha and KTM are generally credited with the return in
popularity of the modern-day fourstroke motocross bike, some purists might argue that
Husqvarna was, in fact, the first manufacturer to produce a lightweight four stroke motor
and shoehorn it into an agile motocross-based chassis.In fact, you can look back to 1992 when Jacky Martens steered a Husky thumper to the World 500cc Motocross Championship for proof that the once Swedish, now Italian, marque was as much as five years ahead of Yamaha's ground-breaking YZ426F Since then, however, the Husqvarna factory has experienced more than its fair share of commercial difficulties with Cagiva and MV Agusta, all of which are |
owned by
Italy's Castiglioni family. It reached the stage last year when production actually ground
to a halt as the parent company sourced injections of capital to keep the wheels turning.
Needless to say, Huskys have been thin on the ground. However, longtime local agent Hans Appelgren reports the factory is back in full swing and full stocks of the '02 models are expected by the time this issue goes on sale. While Husqvarna's new electric-start TE250 and TE450 endure bikes are giving the bush brigade plenty to get stoked up about, the thundering new TC570 headlines Husky's '02 motocross assault. The thumping beast has scored a new 41 mm Mikuni TMR |
carb for '02,
along with adjustable handlebar mounts, a floating rear disc brake and updated electrical
and wheel components. DETAILS |
When you're railing a corner in the attack position, getting your weight right over the
front of the Husky isn't as easy as it can be on other bikes. There is a sizeable gap from
the very front of the seat to the fuel cap and then again to the triple-clamps, so it's
virtually impossible to position your weight all the way forward. You could try placing
your family jewels on the tank, but that's not a seating position we'd recommend. That small criticism aside, the standing position on the Husky is very aggressive and puts you in a dominant position on the bike. Standing up through the tightest of turns or flicking the bike side to side is almost effortless when standing on the pegs. |
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MAIN: Husqvarna's TC570 dishes up a Euro-style power delivery that helps the bike to quickly and easyily lope around natural-terrain tracks. It's traditional, old-school power, but there's plenty of it. 1. Husky's open class thumpers have always had a spacious ergos lay-out and the new 570 is no exception. 2.The big Husky handles remarkably well, thanks to a nimble chassis and lightweight feel. | ||
| MOTOR Husky has dished up 570cc of pure, old-school, traditional fourbanger power. It has a slowrevving, stump-pulling, tractor-like power delivery that, once in motion, takes a fair effort to slow down. While the Husky isn't as responsive as the other big-bores, it certainly isn't a slouch when it comes to throttle response. But because the power is slow-revving, it just doesn't have the snap or burst of life of the CRF or YZ-F. The Husky's power builds progressively in a diesel locomotive fashion but, with 570cc at your right hand, things rush by mighty fast. With no hits or hiccups in the power spread, horsepower continues to flow as you screw the throttle on. The rev limner was never found on our test track and top speed would be slightly faster than the other three bikes. You can make the most of the motor on fast, flowing tracks and leave in your wake a thundering echo. While 570cc is a lot of motor to finesse around a tight motocross track, the easy-to-use power and tractability make life surprisingly simple in technical situations. The four-speed gearbox takes some getting used to and most local motocross tracks would be a frstand second-gear affair. On a more open layout, like a thumper track, second and third would be the way to go. First gear was slightly tall in certain situations, so a shorter gearing ratio would be advisable. Don't let the left side kickstarter scare you, because the big Husky kicked into life on the first or second kick every time. By the end of the day we were doing the left boot thing and firing the beast into life without a problem. |
SUSPENSION & HANDLING Visually, the Husky does look like a big bike. In days gone by, that visual appearance would have translated to heavy and cumbersome on the track. But this is 2002 and the TC570 is anything but heavy and cumbersome. It handles remarkably well with a nimble chassis that's a snap to turn and a feather-lightweight feel that won't sap your strength. The bike steers accurately and tracts straight. All that detracts from the handling is the ergonomic layout we mentioned earlier - otherwise it was impressive. The Husky's suspension action could be most compared to the CRF The Husky doesn't have the firm, race-oriented suspension of the YZ or the mushy front end of the KTM. The Husky's suspension, both front and rear, has a supple initial stroke that won't turn your arms to jelly, enough substance in the middle to keep things tracking straight and true and doesn't blow out to an earth-shattering metalto-metal collision on full stroke. We'll come right out and say we were surprised by just how good the Husky TC570 is. The motor might not be ready for the tight confines of an indoor supercross, but of course that was never its purpose! Give the Husky room to move and its 570cc will take you anywhere you want to go in a big hurry. Suspension and handling are solid and predictable and encourage the rider to go harder. All in all, this bike may not have some of the modern genius found on newer four-strokes, but it isn't out of the race. In fact, there's no reason why the Husky TC570 shouldn't embarrass some of its big-name rivals. |
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