The Enduro Light-Heavy Weights

THE ENDURO LIGHT-HEAVY WEIGHTS

CYCLE WORLD COMPARISON

THREE ANSWERS TO THE SAMI QUESTION

HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN A 500cc enduro bike in tight woods? If so, did you enjoy it?

Most riders would have to admit that they haven't gotten much enjoyment from wrestling an oversized, overpowered, 500cc brute through the woods. That kind of riding usually is more work than fun. The manufacturers generally know this, but most of them continue to build Open-class enduro bikes around the same basic engines used in Open-class motocrossers. And while that wasn’t so bad back when MX models had 360cc or 400cc engines, it's not such a good idea with current 500cc motocross machinery. Because with less power and less weight—in other words, less motorcycle—most riders can go faster in the woods.

Three of the manufacturers who are aware of this problem have done something about it by building smaller-displacement, lighter-weight enduro bikes to compete in the Open class—light-heavyweights, if you will. KTM has a 350MXC enduro that is actually an overbored 250. The engine displaces only 273cc, but that’s still enough to qualify the bike for Open-class competition. The theory is that any loss in displacement will be more than offset by what is gained in agility and ease of riding.

Husqvarna has two light-heavyweight models: the 400WR and the 400WRX. The newest is the WRX, which uses a 400WR enduro engine and an XC cross-country singleshock chassis. With its lights and instruments, the WRX is the most versatile bike in Husqvarna’s line, one that open-country enduro riders have been anticipating for some time.

Honda hasn't built a two-stroke enduro bike for years, and has never offered an Open-class two-stroke enduro. Instead. Honda banks on fourstroke Singles for the enduro market, and the revamped, longer-stroke XR350R is the most serious enduro bike in Honda’s XR line. Because of its tractable power output, last year's XR350R did well in certain kinds of enduros, even though it was heavier and less powerful than its two-stroke competitors, this year’s XR350R is even better.

But the question is, how do these bikes stack up as Open-class enduro machines? Also, how do they compare to one another, and how well do they survive mile after mile of hard riding on the trails?

These are questions that can be answered only after days of hard riding on all kinds of terrain—over mountains, across deserts and through foothills. So we did just that, using riders of various skill levels, weights, heights and ages. The results might surprise some people, but not anyone who has ridden these three motorcycles.

Winning enduros is the primary mission for all three of these machines. But it didn’t take many miles to discover that these bikes go about that mission in totally different ways.

We knew the Honda would be different, of course, because it is the only one of the trio with a four-stroke engine. The XR350R’s game plan is to win enduros with steady, reliable power, not with stellar performance— although the '85 XR has a longer stroke, a reworked head and a single carburetor that add considerable lowend and mid-range power compared with the ’84 model. And there’s also an improved chassis that makes the new XR a much better handler than the previous one. But don’t plan on blowing away an Open-class twostroke with the XR. because its engine still gives away power to the twostrokes. By leaving the throttle pegged and constantly working the notchy-shifting six-speed transmission, a good rider can keep up with a comparable two-stroke only as long as he doesn’t make many mistakes.

Riding the XR350R at slow to medium speeds is more pleasant. At reduced speeds the engine pulls strongly in the lower revs, and there’s a gear that’s just right for most situations. Lofting the front wheel with a blip of the throttle to clear logs or ditches usually is out of the question, though; there’s not enough power at any speed above 20 mph. You can get the job done with muscle by yanking heartily on the handlebar, but that can drain even a strong rider’s energy on a long ride.

The KTM can wear you down, too. The 350MXC actually is a 273cc machine, and the engine knows it. It pulls rather meekly from low revs until it gets into the mid-range, then you'd better hang on. The power hits with all the subtlety of a nuclear blast, usually causing the rear tire to spin wildly. The power stays remarkably strong all through the mid-range and into the top-end before fading.

Still, seeing that the KTM’s engine stays in the fat part of its powerband can keep the rider busy. The fivespeed transmission has closely spaced ratios between the first three gears and wide ratios between the top two, meaning that the rider’s left foot and clutch hand are constantly moving. This situation is improved by installing a two-tooth-larger rear sprocket, thus closing the ratio gap when shifting from third to fourth and fourth to fifth. But even then, the KTM has to be ridden like a strong 250 to be competitive.

If, however, Husky’s 400WRX seems to behave like a true 400, it’s because that’s precisely what it is. Smooth, predictable power starts building just above idle and continued in a linear fashion all the way to peak rpm. Although there is a place in the upper part of the mid-range where the power gets noticeably stronger, there’s never any hard-tocontrol burst of acceleration anywhere. That lets the Husky get a good drive out of slippery corners, for the rear tire is less prone suddenly to start spinning.

Potentially, the Husky’s six-speed transmission offers the right gear for virtually any situation, but the final gearing will prove too high for most people. The top speed with stock gearing is 96 mph, but most riders would be better off swapping the 1 5tooth countershaft sprocket to a 14toother. That change also eliminates an unusually wide ratio-gap between the upper three gears, particularly the fifth-to-sixth jump. In fact, the WRX won’t pull sixth gear with the stock ratios on anything but rock-hard ground. With the smaller countershaft sprocket, the ratios between gears are nearly perfect, and top speed still is in the high 80s.

Even though the Husky wins the power contest hands-down, there are other categories where it finishes middle-of-the-pack. The KTM, for example, is the easiest to start. One or two romps on the short kick pedal when cold is normal, and so is one kick when warm. The Husky normally requires two to three kicks when cold, one prod when warm. The Honda comes to life a little more reluctantly. Five to eight kicks are necessary when cold, then the engine usually dies and requires a couple more kicks to get running again. A rather long warmup is needed before the Honda is happy; any attempt to twist the throttle during the first minute or so of warming will cause the engine to stall once again. The Honda’s two-position choke lever helps somewhat; you let the engine run on full choke for a couple of minutes, then flick the lever to the halfway click until the motor is warm enough to run with no choke at all.

Handling, suspension and brakes differ greatly between these bikes as well. The heavier, shorter Honda has less suspension travel than the other two, which is most apparent when going fast. The Honda's front fork is harsh on square-edged objects yet is too soft at higher speeds. The rear suspension works well at medium and slow speeds but the bike bounces around and bottoms at higher speed. The Honda's disc front brake requires the least effort to operate and has more braking power than the others. The XR’s rear brake is only fair; the pedal feel is good, but the brake starts squealing and becomes grabby when trail speeds get fast.

Suprisingly, the XR350R doesn't work as well in the tight woods as it does in the open desert. The XR handles deep sandwashes quite well; it goes where it’s pointed, generally stays straight despite the bouncy rear suspension, and steers well when dodging bushes. But in the woods, the rear end can make fast speeds on narrow trails real exciting. When the going gets rocky and there are big ledges to deal with, the ground clearance is marginal and the frame tubes and caseguards drag.

Open countryside is where the KTM is happiest, too. At high speeds, the stiff rear suspension works better, the pipey engine is easier to keep in the powerband, the clutch doesn’t have to be used as often, and the bike’s overall handling is hard to fault. The beefy White Power fork works well both places; it soaks up the smaller bumps nicely and doesn't bottom at speed. All of the test riders agreed that it was the best fork of the bunch. And the KTM’s steering is precise and accurate—thanks, in part, to its Metzeler tires, which grip well on a wide variety of terrain. The front brake is strong and consistent, but the rear brake is another story. The brake pedal is hard to find, and the pedal pressure required is extreme; and the rear brake also locks easily due to lack of feel. That can get to be a problem, especially when you're trying to make up time in an enduro.

KTM 350MXC

TM'S MID-SIZE ENDURO BIKE IS IN TRUTH. JUST A little less than mid-size, for it has its roots in the 250 class. In building the 350, KTM started with a 250MX/MXC live-speed engine and slipped on a new' cylinder with a 3.5mm larger bore diameter. The 7 1 mm bore boosted engine size from 247cc to 273cc. which was enough to exceed the 251cc minimum displacement needed to qualify for Open-class enduro competition.

Having the world's smallest Open-classer results in a significant weight advantage for the KTM. With a dry weight (no gas) of 23 1 pounds, the 350 KTM is 10 pounds lighter than the Husky 400WRX, and 32 pounds lighter than the Honda XR350R.

Aside from the engine's top end. there isn't much that's new about the 350. for the rest of the bike is identical to the 250MX and MXC. The frame is chrome-moly steel with a sub-frame that quicky unbolts for easy shock access. A White Power upsidedown fork and a dual-clicker single shock, also from White Power, handle the suspension. The aluminum swingarm and the suspension linkage pivot in caged needle bearings that are easily lubed through grease fittings. There’s a floating-rotor disc brake up front and a double-leading-shoe drum brake at the rear. Metzeier MX tires—good all-around tires for all types of terrain—are used at both ends.

Like other MXC models from KTM. the 350’s standard equipment doesn't include lights, odometer, spark arrester, skidplate or other normal enduro hardware. Instead. KTM sells all of these items as options, thus allowing the buyer the opportunity to customequip his machine. KTM delivered our test bike loaded with all of the accessories the company offers.

Still, fast trail speeds are quite possible on the KTM so long as the rider is very aggressive. If he pays constant attention to being in the proper gear, to shifting with the clutch so the transmission doesn't balk, and to continually fanning the clutch for quick acceleration out of turns, he can get the KTM down the trail quicker than either the Honda or the Husky. But riding this way makes being in excellent condition mandatory. which isn't what you expect from an Open-class enduro bike. A six-speed transmission—or a bettershifting five-speed —and a wider powerband would make the KTM much easier to ride.

Husky’s 400WRX isn't perfect but it outshines the other two bikes in both braking and handling. The dualleading-shoe front brake works as well as the discs on the other two bikes, and the rear brake has the best feel and is the strongest of the group.

So, too. is the Husky’s steering precision a notch above the rest. The bike is nimble in the tight stuff yet stable at high speeds, even in sand. Only in suspension does the Husky fall behind, and then only because of the front end, for the single-shock rear suspension is the best of the group. The rear end soaks up bumps of all sizes, and the shock doesn’t fade when blasting through miles of deep whoops.

Actually, the Husqvarna-built front fork is competent at high speeds, yet it’s harsh at slower speeds and has springs that are too soft. What those springs cause, among other things, is a tendency for the front wheel to climb up and over sandy berms rather than steer around them. Husqvarna delivered our bike with stiffer springs from the CR motocross model already installed—and they're the ones we're complaining about, which gives you some idea of how wimpy the Stockers are. We installed ATK fork springs toward the end of the test, and that cured the front-end problem.

Husqvarna 400WRX

ANEW sult of MID-YEAR the cross-breeding MODEL, THE 400WRX of an IS XC THE crossREcountry racer with a WR enduro bike. Starting with the 400cc, six-speed enduro engine (considered by many to be Husqvarna's best powerplant). the designers took an XC single-shock frame, lengthened the bolt-on subframe to help support a large rear fender, installed a travel limiter inside the Ohlins single shock to reduce rear-wheel movement to 1 3 inches (down from 1 3.8 inches on the XC), and bolted on the 11.7-inch-travel XC fork. The WRX uses the WR's lights and dual-leading-shoe front brake. The exhaust pipe is tipped with the large, steel WR silencer and a new spark arrester that doesn't clog. An external heat shield clamps to the pipe in the area of knee contact and also helps deaden noise.

Gas capacity should be no problem with the trim. 3.3-gallon XC tank that rides low on the frame. The seat is wide enough for comfort yet narrow enough so it doesn't rub the rider's legs when he’s standing. The right-side plastic numberplate is straight off an XC, while the left plate is designed to clear the longer WRX silencer without being obtrusive.

The tires are long-lasting Trelleborgs that perform adequately on a variety of terrain but exceptionally on none. Although enduro extras such as an O-ring drive chain and axles with pull bars are standard fare, there is no sidestand. But considering our experience with the 500XC’s utterly awful sidestand. maybe it’s just as well. Optional equipment for the WRX amounts to heavier shock and fork springs, both of which were installed on our test bike before delivery —by Husqvarna’s choice, not ours.

But when it comes to comfort, the Husqvarna is once again the class of the class. Every one of our test riders felt comfortable with the seat-to-peg relationship, and the handlebar shape, rise and width are virtually perfect. The throttle turns easily, but the front-brake lever pull is a bit stiff. The seat has a narrow shape but is wide enough for good support on long rides. The seat foam did. however, require a few hundred miles of break-in before becoming truly comfortable.

Nevertheless, the Honda has the most comfortable seat, thanks to some wonderful foam padding and an intelligent shape. The XR also shines in the control department: The front brake, clutch and throttle work noticeably easier than those on the other bikes. Rider fit isn’t so perfect, though; larger riders felt cramped on the XR and complained about the seat-to-peg relationship. And standing on the pegs quickly became tiring for riders with long legs.

KTM's 350 is the least comfortable of the lot. A narrow, rock-hard seat is brutal on the rider, and positions him high on the bike. The clutch lever has a very hard pull. And the throttle requires more effort than the others.

Fording deep water proved no problem for any of these bikes. They all can handle creek crossings without missing a beat, and only die if the airbox inlet is submerged. The Hus> ky's air inlet is slightly lower than the Honda's or KTM's, so the WRX will ingest water sooner than the other two. The rear brakes on all of the bikes lose some power after getting wet, but all return to normal quickly. The front discs on the Honda and the K I M are unaffected by water, while the Husky drum front brake loses about half of its pow er, then returns to normal after it is dragged for a while on the trail.

Honda XR350R

HONDAS Single has NEWLY little REDESIGNED in common 350 with FOUR-STROKE the XR350 of old. The engine still has an 84mm bore, but the stroke has been increased from 6 1,3mm to 63.8mm. boosting the displacement from 339cc to 353cc. Also, the dual carbs are gone, and the new' head is designed for a single, 35mm Keihin carburetor. The intake ports are tapered so they get smaller after leaving the carburetor; and all four valves are slightly larger to increase the power output. In the transmission, the gears and ratios are unchanged except for first, which is slightly taller.

AÍ so brand-new is the 350’s oiling system. The previous 350 engine had a wet sump, meaning that its oil was carried in the bottom of the engine. But the '85 XR350R engine has a dry sump, meaning that its oil is stored outside of the engine in a separate tank. In keeping with current practice, the frame backbone and front downtube are used as the oil tank. The drysump system is used primarily to correct the previous 350’s tendency to overheat its oil (a dry-sump system lowers oil temperatures because the oil is circulated outside of the engine and is cooled more effectively).

The new' XR has a redesigned frame with a slightly less steep head angle and longer trail (26.5 degrees and 4.1 inches, as opposed to 26 degrees and 3.9 inches on the '84 350). And the new bike’s aluminum swingarm is one inch longer, which contributes to a 1.6-inch longer wheelbase.

Additionally, the 350 has undergone a long list of minor changes. The gas tank is smaller, shorter and placed lower on the frame. The new seat is longer at the front and uses foam padding that is outstanding for long, comfortable rides. A stronger, reshaped front fender and longer rear fender provide good rider protection from mud and water, and a new airbox with a quick-release side numberplate/airbox cover makes air-cleaner access as simple as turning three recessed fasteners by hand. Stopping the XR350R now is accomplished with a 9.4-inch disc at the front and a 5.1inch drum in the rear (the same brakes as the XR600R).

All of the XR line's nifty enduro goodies are found on the 350, including a quick-change rear w heel with snail adjusters that stay in place when the axle is removed, an exceptionally bright headlight, plastic handguards, a shorty front brake lever, and the trickest enduro instrumentation ever included as standard equipment on a motorcycle.

All three bikes also proved exceptionally reliable. Nothing broke, and other than the air cleaners and chains, nothing needed maintenance. The O-ring chains on the Husky and Honda had to be adjusted just one time, whereas the conventional chain on the KTM needed adjusting after each day’s ride and was worn-out at 300 miles.

That these bikes were stone-axe-reliable is no big surprise, though; you expect nothing less from machines that set you back around three grand. Which means that the Honda XR350R—which costs about $1000 less than either the KTM or the Husky—is a great buy from a durability standpoint. And it also makes an outstanding mount for fair-to-middling riders who aren’t looking to low-point any national enduros or w ho simply want to play at less-thanberserko speeds. An expert rider will be able to go quite fast on a stock XR. but he'd undoubtedly be able to go faster yet on something more suited to high-speed running.

Going fast on the KTM will be no problem for experienced racers but very difficult for a novice or intermediate unless he’s accustomed to riding a 1 25 or 250 motocross bike. The KTM's suspension, steering, agility and light w eight make it a trophy-getter in the right hands. But for anyone interested in an enduro bike with the torque and low-speed pulling grunt of a true Open-class machine, the KTM isn't the answer.

But Husky’s 400WRX is. It became the favorite of our test crew on the very first day. and those convictions got stronger with every ride. The*400 is easy to start, is easy to shift, makes tractable pow er at all engine revolutions and has the right gear for any situation, and it is light, nimble and an absolute gas to ride. It's one of very few competition bikes that are fun even when they're not winning an enduro. And you can rest assured of one thing: The 400WRX will win them. 0