HUSQVARNA is rapidly changing from being a niche European manufacturer to a mainstream bike brand, and the 2009 range is likely to be even more attractive to an ever-increasing number of riders than ever before.The changes began some years ago with more modern machines coming from the Husqvarna factory, and the appeal has been ramped up even more with the firm’s acquisition by BMW.

The long, succesful history of the brand hasn’t been forgotten though – you don't win 74 World Motorcycle Championships by accident and that is something that can never been taken away from Husqvarna, no matter who owns the company and it’s with that heritage in mind the 2009 range of Husqvarnas have hit the market with major changes and new models in the lucrative off-road and supermoto market.

The 2009 Husqvarna launch hosted by PFG managing director Paul Feeney on the Gold Coast was an opportunity to throw a leg over a handful of Husky’s latest machines, which are now built in Italy. So what has changed? To begin with, the TC 450 and TC510 motocross models both received significant updates, including redesigned frames, revised front suspension settings, all-new exhaust systems and a Sachs shock. Similar improvements can be found on the new Husqvarna TXC (cross-country) models, while the TC250 is essentially a completely new bike.

A quick squirt on the TC450 left Cycle Torque's guest test rider *Eric Falkenhagen extremely impressed with the ergonomics and the overall handling of the bike, developed with the help of former World Motocross Champion Andrea Bartolini.

“The 450 was so much fun, the bike was easy to move around on, the power was not what you would call stump pulling but it seemed to work better in the mid to high end of the rev range. The Marzocchi front suspension was plush, the rear shock was a little soft for me but it could quite easily be set-up, the Brembo brakes as expected worked as good as anything else that I have ridden. All up, I could race this thing at any level without any major changes except setting the suspension for my weight.”

The two-stroke fans will be relieved to know the existing WR125 and 250 models are not only updated but are joined by the all-new WR300 enduro machine, which is said to be a near-replica of the race bike ridden by Seb Guillaume in the World Championship Series while the CR125 has been completely revised from the bottom up.

Eric spent a lot of time on the CR125. “The 125 was a flyer in the tighter sections of the track, you can just ride the wheels off the little CR all day and it will handle anything you throw at it. I was hitting some pretty sharp edged braking bumps and it just soaked it up with ease. Motor wise it was a little weak down low but once you got it up in the rev range it was sweet, I did lap after lap going as fast as I could and not once did this bike step out or show a weakness handling wise. So much fun.”

But perhaps the biggest buzz of all belongs to the all-new fuel-injected, four-stroke Husqvarna TE310 which features an all new frame, both kick and electric start, new exhaust, new rear suspension, wave type disc brakes, Mikuni-developed FI system and an increased bore (83mm compared to 76mm) from the TE250.

Before he could ride the 310 Eric scored a ride on the 250. “The TE250 handled like a dream, the enduro track we rode on was a good mixture of open trail and tight stuff and the 250 was comfortable in trail riding cruise mode or flat out smashing your way through the bush. It never stepped out or did anything to take away my confidence in its handling. Motor wise I was also really impressed.”
“I couldn't wait to ride the 310 and when I finally got my turn I wasn't disappointed,” said Eric after his blast on the new TE310. “I could ride this bike all day, everything was awesome, cornering, power and throttle response from the fuel injected motor. You will not fault this bike, other than getting it set-up for your weight and gearing it for your local trail, that's it, even the new dash was easy to read. For trail riders through to the hard core enduro guns, this bike is it!”

Eric's final ride for the day was the TC510 Trail. “I was surprised how light the 510 felt on the trail, this bike is not aimed at the competition market but it is quite handy on the open trails, actually, it had heaps of power and everything else on the bike like the brakes, clutch, suspension all worked well, great trail bike.”

In summary Eric had this to say. “I was really impressed with the finish on all of the bikes, the graphics, the hydraulic clutch, Excel rims, brakes and suspension. It was hard to fault any of the bikes I rode, congrats to Husky and Paul Feeney, a great day’s riding and if I'm any judge I think 2009 will be a great year for Husqvarna.”

*Eric Falkenhagen hails from North Queensland where he cut his teeth on the rough and tumble North Queensland Motocross Championships which he won several times. He moved to Brisbane a few years ago and is considered one of the better pro riders and motocross coaches in the region.