Trail testing the grand
  daddy of Husqvarna
  dirtbikes

    WORDS:   WARNER
    SHOOTER:  BAZZA
    

 

The TE570 is a sharp weapon in tight terrain and when the tracks are fast and flowing, it's a flat-out blast.
  
T      
he testing of the new Husky 570 took the form of a day's trailride near the Blue Mountains in NSW. Hans Appelgren was the designated trail captain, followed by Barry Ashenhurst and myself, while Christian Horwood had the unenviable task of 		  

     

BENEATH THE SKIN
At a glance, it would appear the most notable change on the new big-bore Husky is cosmetic, but the improvements go a lot deeper than that. The chassis and suspension also received their fair share of attention.

  • The front of the bike is still suspended by a Marzocchi fork, but this year the valving has been altered and the fork has more travel.
  • The steering angle has been steepened by two degrees.
  • Under the saddle, the new TE570 sports a larger-diameter Sachs shock with a lighter spring, and the linkage ratios have been revised.

    All this translates to a positive feel in a variety of conditions. Thanks to the steeper steering angle, the TE570 is very manoeuvrable on tight tracks. We rode on tracks that were so tight I had to ride with one finger pushing the front brake lever away from the bar to avoid trees and shrubs activating the front brake. The plush suspension inspired my confidence and I was comfortable pushing the 570 along at a respectable pace. A couple of times I even got close enough to Hans' WR to fill my lungs with poxy two-stroke fumes. The 570 dealt with rocks and tree roots without flinching. However, over a succession of small bumps the Husky did feel unsettled. It never did anything unpredictable and if I hadn't been having so much fun I probably would've stopped and tweaked the rebound adjusters.
    Before the day came to an end I had the chance to wind the big girl out. The 570 has so much grunt it just about peeled my eyelids back. Somehow, Husqvarna has quickened the steering without compromising straight-line stability. At high speed the TE570 is as stable as Ned Flanders at a christening. Rocketing along fast, flowing trails highlighted the versatility of this machine. Sure, it's a blast to carve through the bush on, but with minor modifications the thumpin' 570 would satisfy the most competitive spirit of a grasstrack motocrosser. Bolt on a numberplate, ditch the electrics and it's ready to race.

This article appears in

magazine No. 23 April 2001

Web conversion: Glenn Alderton
sweep rider.  Hans Appelgren is the sole Australian importer of Husqvarna motorcycles. Christian is a mechanic at Husky Imports, a Pro class competitor in the Thumper Nationals and a frequent trailblazer. He knows his way around a dirtbike. On the way to our riding location I asked Christian how well Hans rides.
    "To keep up with him you can't afford to be stuffing around," he said. By the end of the day I realised that was a massive understatement. Hans Appelgren hunts a Husky WR250 through tight, single track like a man possessed, and keeping him in sight is bloody exhausting.
    While everyone else was gearing up for the ride I was busy taking close-up shots of the shiny new bikes, knowing everything would be covered in mud within minutes. My fluffing about gave the others a perfect opportunity to choose their weapons. Hans wasted no time in claiming the WR250 by placing his helmet and goggles on the bars. All the bikes belonged to Hans, so none of us was about to challenge his decision. It was a well calculated decision because 90 per cent of the day's trails were tight and technical.
     Meanwhile, Barry sidled over to the 2001 model TE400 and began caressing it lovingly. Baz likes to get well acquainted with a bike before he rides it, an embarrassing attempt to convince the machine not to buck him off when his brain intermittently shorts out. Barry had experienced many special moments on the 2000 model TE410 during last year's AMCROSS series, so it seemed logical for him to be riding the updated version.
    Christian happily chose the only bike that was more than a few weeks old: a 2000 model TE610. Finally, I had my gear on and was ready to pick my poison. Considering there was only one bike left, the decision was quite simple. Hmmm, a Husky 570. Ths was going to be one hell of a ride. I gave the big girl an uneasy stare. She must have sensed my fear because I'm sure I heard her snarl. Or maybe that was Baz busting some early moves on the 400.

FULL OF SURPRISES
The beginning of the ride was tight and twisty, not the ideal terrain for a 570cc four-stroke, or so I thought. I jumped to the conclusion that a big bike like the TE570 was only suited to open country. The longer we spent on tight terrain the more I came to appreciate the capabilities of the big-bore Husky. When I think about a dirtbike that has a capacity around 600cc, I immediately picture generous proportions. Sure, big bikes have loads of grunt, but for a rider of my size they can be cumbersome. I guess that's why I enjoyed riding the 570 so much. It's got big-bike power without the big-bike feel.
    Allow me to clarify. Husqvarna didn't suddenly delete 40cc from its 2000 model big-bore fourstroke. The TE610 cranked over 570cc last year and this year the engine size hasn't changed. What has changed is the weight of the crankshaft. Although the power is still tractable, a lighter crankshaft enables the engine to accelerate faster.
    The ergonomic design is a radical improvement over last year's model and it makes this thumping four-stroke feel surprisingly compact. The shape of the seat and tank make light work of shifting your weight. The cockpit layout places your weight well forward and puts you in an aggressive position without even realising it, and the straight-bend handlebars also help get your weight forward and keep it there. The combination of sleeker ergonomics and a freer-revving engine is the reason this bike feels much smaller than it is.
    I was also surprised by the Husky's throttle response. Because I assumed this bike was suited to open terrain, I expected to be struggling with flat spots in the carburation at slow speeds. But the mix of a light clutch and a responsive throttle helped make the Husky a lot of fun in technical situations. Changes to the carburettor slide on the new Husky four-stroke may have contributed to throttle response. Rather than the aluminium coated slides on earlier models, a hardened coating is now used. The new coating is said to create less friction, especially in wet conditions. The new clutches on the four-stroke Huskies work a treat. These bikes don't sport hydraulic clutch systems but they do run on-the-fly adjusters. The clutch on the TE570 is a one-finger operation, and for such a large-capacity dirtbike, that's impressive.