By Dan Barnes
Finally, we're going to start the fun stuff: upgrades! Having a bike fit you properly makes everything work better and is safer, especially in the dirt. In spite of its overall bigness, the TE610's cockpit is only of average size, and some details are more cramped than typical, so there was work to be done to make it fit this 6'4" guy.
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More so than with any other vehicle I've experienced, it's proven necessary to strip all the covers off the Husqvarna TE610 and inspect everything, top to bottom. Every detail is an opportunity for a problem, and buying a brand-new bike would only have gotten us off the hook for a few parts and maybe an oil change. No one part of it took much time or money, but it all needed to be done.
C.A.D. - Cardboard Aided Design
It was an epiphany when I walked into a race shop and saw the interior tin work of an under-construction Rolex GT car mocked up entirely in white illustration board, clecos and blue tape. I made a mental note: I can do that! I can even afford that! Now my projects turn out better with the use of old cereal boxes, scissors and tape.
As outlined in Part 1, if a Husqvarna TE610 matches the description of the bike you want, then there really isn't any other bike that does. Things didn't go the way I expected when I got the Husky home to my garage and started going over it. The plan was to get the bike home, change the oil, clean the air filter and chain, and go ride. But with the grease and dirt removed, I could actually see the chain guide. There was work to do.
Buying a semi-obscure Italian motorcycle and riding it out to the middle of nowhere may not seem to be a well-thought-out plan, but really, there was some thought. I swear. An off-road bike is ridiculous fun, but it's also kind of like having a track car that needs a trailer. The goal of this project is a go anywhere, do anything bike.
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