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The TE450 was my weapon of choice and I can tell you that, even from my short test ride, it is obvious that EFI is going to seriously benefit off-road machines in years to come, it was very impressive.

We all know the theory behind EFI; the instantaneous throttle response, the end of engine fluffing and bogging, the end of the need to re-jet you bike for different atmospheric and track conditions, and the easy of tuneablility via computer, and in practice those elements that you are able to test on just one day at one place were very evident.

Throttle response and engine pick-up were noticeably improved over a carburetted model for sure at all speeds, but particularly impressive to me was the bike’s pick-up right off tick-over without any bogging or coughing.

The 450 was an ideal bike to test this on and in a slow speed trials type area where we shot some images the EFI really impressed me. I could bumble the bike on virtually no throttle for 20 to 30 seconds, crack the throttle right open and the pick-up was instant, crisp and clear. No slow reaction, not bogging while it cleared excess fuel out of the carb, nothing, just instant and identical response every time.

In tight going this is a real appealing thing to riders, it will certainly make attacking rock sections or other technical elements easier, and also it made a big improvement on the bikes ability to labour in higher gears without stalling or struggling.

I was really very impressed with the EFI system and its application for enduro purposes and look forward to giving it a more serious test along with the entire Husqvarna enduro range soon.

KC wrote:Here is my 2 cents worth: With any carburetor, whether the Rochester Quadrajet on my old '82 Firebird or the dinky Briggs & Stratton on my lawn mower, I have spent countless hours cleaning and tuning them to keep them running at an acceptable level. The last 8 vehicles I have owned have all had fuel injection. I have never performed a single minute of maintenance on any of them other than pour a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the tank about every 20,000 miles. If the FI on bikes are engineered similarly, it will be a must-have for me!

Hank Moody wrote:


Ride it this year or wait for KTM to catch up!

troy wrote:Btw, as of Jan 1, 2008, Letko is officially NOT a Husky dealer. So don't go there looking for a new Husky. They'll still do parts and such.

Bumper wrote:Yamaha is coming out with a wr 250r that is FI with a 6 speed tranny, street legal...

Stu wrote:He didn't want to talk about the new 250 to you, a serious off-roader, because it is a foo-foo bike.

I've never known Letko to jab anyone with pricing before and I have dealt with them for over 40 years. Are you sure they were not looking at some other product on the microfiche and just quoted the wrong price? My experience has been that they have always been fair. I would ask Leigh again if that was right if it were me.

Stu