TWO-STROKE TUESDAY: 2018 HUSKY TE250i FUEL-INJECTED SMOKER

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The Husky TE250i has a 700cc oil tank underneath its tank. Meaning, you don’t have to pre-mix gas anymore. However, you do have to remember to fill the oil tank up about every 5 tanks of gas. Photo by Daryl Ecklund

We got our hands of one of the few Husqvarna TE250i fuel injected two-strokes in the country last week. Yeah, we know, what is a full off-road bike doing on the pages of MXA? We have a crystal ball. We know this bike will be the future of all two-strokes. Make no mistake about, fuel-injection is the future of smokers. Not because the technology is better, but because environmentalists keep pushing for stricter emissions standards. They are already so strict that carbureted two-strokes can’t pass the Euro-4 emissions standards—and if they don’t fuel inject them there won’t be any legal two-strokes in the European showroom in a few years.

As usual, KTM and Husky are on the forefront to pave a path to the future. They aren’t going to let two-strokes go extinct. The Austrian know that two-strokes still have a big place in the market. We doubt the Japanese manufactures, bu which we mean Yamaha, will follow in suit any time soon, but all we can do is watch and see what happens.

MXA’s Daryl Ecklund throws the offroad Husky sideways off the hip jump at Glen Helen. Photo by Travis Fant 

We rode our 2018 fuel-injected Husky on motocross tracks (headlight and all), tight trails, big hills, Endurocross tracks, in the desert and everything in-between. We wanted to see what it was capable of. What it could and couldn’t do.

Our first ride day was on a motocross track. Let’s back up a bit. First, we need to say that this isn’t our first rodeo on a fuel-injected two-stroke. Last month we went to Erzberg, Austria, to test the 2018 KTM 250XC-W TPI—the sister bike to the Husqvarna  TE250i. So, we had a head start on what to expect. At the race track, we stiffened the Husky’s compression all the way on both the front and rear suspension. We knew it was going to be soft. But, it took to the bumps and most of the jumps pretty well. There were no jumps on the track that we had to roll out of fear of bottoming—and Glen Helen has big jumps. We warned each test rider to avoid coming up short! In tight corners our test riders had to downshift—sometimes all the way to first. It should be noted that first gear is really low and is spaced far apart from second gear. We went added a tooth to the rear sprocket so the test riders could pull second though the tighter corners.

Daryl took the bike on the Endurocross track. It took the rocks, tires and  logs with ease. Photo by Travis Fant

The linear powerband was a little sluggish out of corners and the clutch had to be feathered to reach the meat of the power—which was higher up. Our quick fix was to go in a few turns on the power valve adjuster to liven up the bottom without taking too much away from the top-end. Of course, it isn’t a motocross bike, so we expected some compromises at Glen Helen.

However, since this full offroad bike took to the racetrack so well, we were excited to find out how it would work offroad? The same issues we had on the track we had offroad. The powerband needed  more bottom and a better transition into the midrange for tight trails and Endurocross riding. The gearing and power valve changes we did for moto worked hand-in-hand for offroad terrain. The TE250i handled great and had no issues with the suspension setup or handling on trails.

It is safe to stay that fuel-injection will be the future of two-strokes. 

Although we had issues down low, the TE250i was not slow. This fuel-injected smoker has the pony power of the carbureted bikes from the mid on up. With a little more development, the KTM’s and Husky’s fuel-injected two-strokes are going to put their carbureted bikes out to pasture. And, it should go without saying, that if KTM and Husky don’t make fuel-injected two-strokes, the environmentalist will put smokers out to pasture. You may be anti fuel-injection on two-strokes, preferring the old Keihin or Mikuni over computer wizardry, and that is fine for now. But, if you ever want to be able to buy a new two-stroke, you need to embrace this technology—or be doomed to a dwindling supply of used two-strokes in the years to come. You read lots of headlines that claim that such-and-such is the “future of the sport.” When it comes to two-strokes, fuel injection is the future. Not just for you and I, but for KTM and Husqvarna.

Look for the full write up of the 2018 Husqvarna TE250i check out the November issue of MXA. To subscribe, click HERE.