HUSQVARNA'S continued commitment to its 250 and 300cc 2-stroke models is evident with further improvements for the 2011 versions. The outcome will definitely please fans of the oil burners.

The big change for the 2011 WR300 and WR250 is the Ducati Energia Ignition replacing the Kokusan Ignition.
The net result is two more horsepower and four more newton metres of torque over the 2010 versions, and all done with a much smoother and broader spread of power.

Other improvements are based on the information gained from the World Enduro Championship bikes ridden by Sebastien Guillaume and Bartosz Oblucki. These include a new improved airbox, upgrades to the Sachs rear shock and Kyaba front forks, and a new thermostat. Cosmetically both the 250 and 300 get new graphics, a new rear mudguard with an integrated LED tail light and new reinforced mounts for the headlight/front number plate.

WR250/300 - The ride.
Having only ridden the 2010 models in anger less than a year ago I noticed straight away the difference in the power delivery. The smoother power was more evident on the 300 so I found myself purposely keeping it a gear higher and short shifting through the gears until I got used to the smooth grunty motor.

But, once I got my small brain around the way the power is delivered I found myself being able to hold the one gear for much longer while I was in trail ride mode. It didn’t matter whether I was lugging the motor as I made my way between trees or over logs and rocks or revving the crap out of it while I was trying to punch out faster laps, there was no bogging or flat spots and there is plenty of over-rev while I was trying to hold a gear a little longer in the race between corners.

The 250 motor is definitely a little ‘livelier’ but it is sooo easy to ride it is not funny. Riding the 300 and 250 back to back was interesting as you wouldn’t think there was that much difference but you really can tell you are on the 250 immediately after you give the right grip a twist.

Obviously the 250 doesn’t have the same bottom end the 300 has but it does have plenty of mid range and top end punch and like the 300 not a flat spot to be found. Both 2-strokes are just so much fun to ride and it was a pleasure to belt out hard and fast laps but I must say I ran out of puff quicker on the 2-strokes compared to the TE250 or 310 (getting old?).

What I was trying to think of while I was on the WR250 and WR300 was how an average or less experienced rider would cope with the blue smoking Huskies and my conclusion is with the new ignition and current up-grades each of these models will be more than manageable and will offer plenty of fun for the weekend warrior.

And for the ‘guns’ out there, from my own riding experience and after watching the WRs being thrown around in anger by better riders than me I can only say that you won’t find too much fault when belting your way through the bush at warp speed.
The suspension and brakes (Brembo, of course) are hard to fault and with just 103kg to look after there wasn’t a lot of sideways deflection when the going got tough. Like the 4-stroke Huskies the WRs turn so well you would think they would be unstable at speed but a stretch out on a fire road showed solid stability when revving them out in the higher gears.

As my daughter would say, ‘I, like, totally get’ the whole 2-stroke thing. Great power, huge roosts, plenty of body language when you're scrambling for traction between corners, nimble to throw around and the ability to just throw the machine at the big hits or ‘g’-outs with ease.

The smiles at the end of each ride from myself and the other riders around was evidence enough the up-grades on the 2011 WRs were worth the effort, and they are well worth the money.
Go on, make the call, just google Husqvarna Australia to find your local dealer.
Husqvarna has done its bit, the rest is up to you...