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High Performance demands High Maintenance
Husqvarna motorcycles are made straight from the factory race-ready, even the TE models. These bikes are designed for the high demands of racing which will cause a lot of wear and tear on the engine components. To limit wear, Husqvarna designed their engines to have the oil & filter changed along with valves adjusted after every race, no questions asked. Usually the engine gets a complete tear down and inspection. So what do you do if you’re like me who only rides for fun?
If you only ride for fun then your only option is to keep track of the hours you ride. A good rule of thumb is to change your oil and check your valves every ten hours of riding. Doing this not only prolongs the life of your engine but it also keeps your bike in peak operating condition.
Engine oil never wears out or breaks down, it just gets dirty and contaminated with harsh carbon deposits. Your engine oil doesn’t only lubricate your engine but it also helps keep your engine clean by removing carbon deposits and allowing the oil filter to separate the two. Carbon is the hardest element known to man because it never breaks down. Old carbon-contaminated oil would be similar to having sand in your oil, your engine doesn’t stand a chance.
As for the valves, think of your valves as the timing on your car. If your timing is off just a little, your car will start running rough and will make funny noises. If your valves are .002-.003 of an inch out of tolerance, then your bike will be hard to start and will backfire all day long. What happens is the high RPM’s will actually cause the valves to mushroom out and suck up into the head which eventually leads to the valve never closing causing a loss of compression.
Now I know that an oil change with valve check every 10 hours seems to be an inconvenience at first but it is not an inconvenience when compared to rebuilding your engine or breaking down on the trail. Husqvarna bikes are high performance machines that require high maintenance. If you cringe at the sound of maintenance work, then don’t buy a high performance bike or you’ll be cringing when you see the maintenance bill.
Written By:
Chris Nicholas – President of Husky OUTLET
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