Husqvarna SM610 - opinions/reviews please?

**TOTO** · 20th July 2009, 00:23

Howdy people. I am currently trying to do my homework on motards as i want to buy one such machine probably at the end of the year.

I have researched and read all about all the suzuki, ktm, and some aprilia options i like , but I have just stumbled upn the Husqvarna SM 610. What is this bike like ?

I see its a 610cc so I presume the power will be there and and hopefully a plenty. I also see that a not very old second hand one is roughly the same price of a Suzuki DRZ 400 SM. The suzuki is currently one of my options.

Anyone own a Husqvarna SM 610 ? what I really would like to know is opinion in terms of :

1. "Fun factor"
2. Reliability
3. Service intervals (hope its not every 15 hours)
4. Price of parts
5. Dealers of Husqvarna in upper north island ?
6. Fuel tank range
7. Is the seat hard as a brick ?
8. How would it compare to the DR-Z 400 SM ?
9. With the experience you have on one , would you buy the same machine again ? why , or why not ?

Cheers.

**SeppoDave** · 20th July 2009, 06:25

I don't have one, but check out the mad Frenchmen vid!

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=81859

Or you might try asking Bulldog or Mikkel

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...d.php?t=101188

...and I'm sure your research will have told you that it's 576cc, not 610.

Cheers

Dave

**Mikkel** · 20th July 2009, 13:11

Originally Posted by TOTO

Howdy people. I am currently trying to do my homework on motards as i want to buy one such machine probably at the end of the year.

I have researched and read all about all the suzuki, ktm, and some aprilia options i like , but I have just stumbled upn the Husqvarna SM 610. What is this bike like ?

I see its a 610cc so I presume the power will be there and and hopefully a plenty. I also see that a not very old second hand one is roughly the same price of a Suzuki DRZ 400 SM. The suzuki is currently one of my options.

There's a thread here in the motards sub-forum from back when Bulldog wanted to buy his I believe. We went over it quite thoroughly back then IIRC.

Anyway, with the 610SM think torque - not power. It does put out around 53 hps (with an aftermarket can) but it goes a bit flat up top and is a bit chunky down low - big singles eh... I have been thinking about getting an aftermarket cam put in and a full Arrow race exhaust system - just to shift the torque a bit up the rev range. But so far I don't really need more power, it could however improve the rideability of the bike...
It wouldn't be faster than the 450 ccm high-spec motards, but it is less maintenance intensive.

Originally Posted by TOTO

Anyone own a Husqvarna SM 610 ? what I really would like to know is opinion in terms of :

1. "Fun factor"
2. Reliability
3. Service intervals (hope its not every 15 hours)
4. Price of parts
5. Dealers of Husqvarna in upper north island ?
6. Fuel tank range
7. Is the seat hard as a brick ?
8. How would it compare to the DR-Z 400 SM ?
9. With the experience you have on one , would you buy the same machine again ? why , or why not ?

1. Duh, it's a motard... Of course it's fun - I'd say a fun factor of 39.2.
2. Quite good. The dash has a quirk that means everynow and again it needs a reboot after starting because it fails to display any numbers. Change to an LED tail light or expect to go through a lot of bulbs.
3. I change the oil and filter every 2,500 kms. That's more often than necessary - but hey... The cam chain is replaced every 10,000 kms - so my 10k km service was a bit more expensive (~$600).
4. Price? Never mind the price - it's the delivery time that is the issue. I've been waiting for over a year for a new footpeg after I fucked one up. Best advice is to change everything possible into aftermarket parts as the original ones fails - it's cheaper and you avoid delivery problems. But that's for special things like footpegs - mechanical stuff usually isn't that bad.
5. No idea. Don at Pitlane here in Chch is a good bastard though.
6. I can get around 200 km to a tank. I usually run between 16 and 19 km per liter.
7. No, but it is narrow. HTFU! I've done ~600 km in one day - mix of open road and gravel... was glad to get off the bike at the end, but I didn't have any trouble walking or sitting down.
8. The DRZ400 are nice bikes. The 400 ccm engine is much smoother and user-friendly. The feel of the DRZ is quite different from the Husky. The Husky has got loads more character - and compared to a *standard* DRZ400 (CV carbs, etc.) it is a lot more punchy. The Brembo brakes on the Husky are outstanding and the Marzocci (sp?) suspension is very good.
9. Definitely, I've been enjoying my Husky. The KTM 690 is probably mechanically superior in most ways - but the Husky is a lot better looking, not to mention cheaper. The Suzuki DRZ400SM are nice, but everyone's got/had one - and you have to do a fair bit of work to make them equal the Husky performance-wise - and as a result maintenance will be more expensive too (and that's just considering the engine...). The Aprillia SXV550 is an awesome machine, but very maintenance intensive and the tank is very small. Unfortunately the Japanese doesn't do a high-spec street motard (no the DRZ is not high-spec)...

**TOTO** · 20th July 2009, 14:25

Wicked, thanks for that SeppoDave and Mikkel.

Very good write up Mikkel, heaps thanks for that. I have found a dealer outside , but near auckland and will go there when free to try it and see how I get on.

**denefoster** · 20th July 2009, 17:48

I have an 09 SM610 with 1000kms on it as of today.

1. "Fun factor"

Hell yes. Ride it like you stole it. Handful of throttle, whoa awful light in the front, mash the brakes and slide the rear around a bit. Not scary at all to give too much of everything.

2. Reliability

First service booked on Wednesday this week. Will know more then

3. Service intervals (hope its not every 15 hours)

1000km, 5000km, 10000km, 15000km (if within 24months of 10000 service), 20000 (again, only within 24months)

4. Price of parts

Price, and availability.. handguards are turning out to be a bit of an issue.

5. Dealers of Husqvarna in upper north island ?

Motorad in Wellington is the only one I know of.

6. Fuel tank range

170km of motorway, 130km of town

7. Is the seat hard as a brick ?

Not so bad, but then again I did 1000km in a weekend on a DRZ400

8. How would it compare to the DR-Z 400 SM ?

Wouldn't even rate the DRZ (and I had a hotted up DR-Z400e) comparatively

9. With the experience you have on one , would you buy the same machine again ? why , or why not ?

Yup ! Everything I thought it would be and more, for only a few $$ more than a new DRZ off the floor.

If you're ever around Wellington, you're more than welcome to give mine a spin

**denefoster** · 20th July 2009, 17:52

And one more, it does look absolutely badass. Hit the profile for a pic in stealth grey.

**Mikkel** · 20th July 2009, 18:19

Originally Posted by denefoster

handguards are turning out to be a bit of an issue.

Huh? Why not just get some good aftermarket ones? Cheaper, easier to get and replace - most likely just as good as OEM ones.

Mods that has been done to my bike:

Scorpion Muffler (+rejetting ofc)
Renthal Fatbars
Aftermarket clutch lever (my stock one ate clutch cables for breakfast)
Barkbusters/leverguards - they are good!
LED bulb in tail light
Numberplate laminated to a chunky steel plate with RTV to prevent rattling to pieces
Stebel horn
Modified R/H footpeg (crashed it ok...)

Mine's an '06 model with Keihin FCR carbs - dunno what the fuel injected ones are like. Surprised to see that they are less economical though. Either you are giving it serious arseholes (and you're still running it in I suppose) or - surprisingly - the stock fuel map is rich, they are usually lean I believe.

**denefoster** · 20th July 2009, 18:59

Originally Posted by Mikkel

Huh? Why not just get some good aftermarket ones? Cheaper, easier to get and replace - most likely just as good as OEM ones.

Mods that has been done to my bike:

Scorpion Muffler (+rejetting ofc)
Renthal Fatbars
Aftermarket clutch lever (my stock one ate clutch cables for breakfast)
Barkbusters/leverguards - they are good!
LED bulb in tail light
Numberplate laminated to a chunky steel plate with RTV to prevent rattling to pieces
Stebel horn
Modified R/H footpeg (crashed it ok...)

Mine's an '06 model with Keihin FCR carbs - dunno what the fuel injected ones are like. Surprised to see that they are less economical though. Either you are giving it serious arseholes (and you're still running it in I suppose) or - surprisingly - the stock fuel map is rich, they are usually lean I believe.

The 09 brake lever runs past the end of the bar about 2cm, and the zeta bends that I have wont fit, and the throttle tube also runs over the end of the bar. Never mind the wall thickness of the bars, would have to tap them out. Annoying. After a set of ASVs, clutch is easy but they dont make a brake lever that'll fit. That'll fix part of the problem.

And yes, I give it hell

Especially around town. Doesn't smell like it's running too rich, but is popping a bit of decel. Shop is going to have a poke when they get their grubby mits on it this week.

**Mikkel** · 20th July 2009, 19:10

I've had mine on the dyno - we weren't able to get rid of the backfiring under engine braking. Now I just live with making little children cry and upsetting the sensible part of the population.

Go get some renthal fat bars, that ought to sort out the issue.

Otherwise, head over to www.advrider.com and check out the Husky 610 SM owners thread.

**denefoster** · 20th July 2009, 19:18

Yeah, the backfiring is not so bad. Bars, meh, a new set of levers + dremel + tap will work. I actually really like the stock ones. The levers however are poop.

But back on topic, go buy one. the SM610 rocks

**R6_kid:Me** · 20th July 2009, 19:22

Originally Posted by denefoster

Yup ! Everything I thought it would be and more, for only a few $$ more than a new DRZ off the floor.

How much are they brand new?

**denefoster** · 20th July 2009, 19:24

Originally Posted by R6_kid

How much are they brand new?

Humm, quoted ~13k for the DRZ SM, PM me for the Husky

**.chris** · 20th July 2009, 19:25

They have one in at spectrum in Takapuna at the moment, very nice looking bike.

**Mikkel** · 20th July 2009, 19:54

Originally Posted by R6_kid

How much are they brand new?

I bought my 2006 with 1600 km on the dial for nine and a half. Ex-demo bike -- but most of the mileage had been put on by the shopowner who used it for commuting

Came with the scorpion muffler (had cost the dealer about three hundred - has a minor ding on the inside, who cares? It's a motard) and the fatbars.