This is no toy. Horsepower is one thing the TE511 does not lack, if anything the problem is to keep the horses in check. This is why all design aspects of the machine have been studied and evaluated with one thing in mind: making the TE511 easier to ride. Like its almost twin stable mate, the TE449, the high power bike has also seen mechanical and engine changes. These are aimed at making the big brother of the Husqvarna 2012 range easier to ride and more appealing to different types of rider.
Aesthetically, it has the same updates black frame, anodised silver Excel hubs, and the new integrated in-mould graphics …no more adhesives that peel off under the power wash. The tail section has been redesigned as a single-piece, sleeker and more robust, but the most important new features are the engine settings and the layout.
More reliable handling, lower profile.
The improvements made to the TE449 have been extended to the TE511. The oval steel tubing chassis has been strengthened with more 25CrMo4 chrome-moly steel, reinforcing the steering-head, seat rail rear support and engine mounting, with handling and manoeuvrability having been improved, especially due to changes in layout. Suspension is entrusted to Kayaba, front and rear, the latter with upside down shock linkage, which exploits mechanical progression without risking contact in extreme terrain. In general the shocks have better, more balanced settings. Now protected in the rear, the completely adjustable shock (compression high/low speeds, extension) is 4 mm shorter and has a softer setting for the first part of the ride. This allows a lower saddle height, while the more rigid fork setting ensures greater stability. To further lighten and simplify, the wiring of the electrical system has been redesigned with the transparent central section of the fuel tank being retained. When it comes to brakes, little needs to be said: the effectiveness of Brembo brakes is undisputed, with large diameter Braking discs (front 260 mm, rear 240 mm)
Engine power fully exploited
Overtaking, or tackling extreme terrain, the problem with bigger engine size bikes has always been controlling the throttle. Technicians, riders and test riders at Husqvarna have focused mainly on ease of handling, and the 2012 version of the TE511 has a new mapping for the Keihin injection (double flap 46 mm throttle body), developed specifically to make power supply from the single cylinder, four valve, twin cam engine more linear and progressive. Painstaking work, calibrating the powerful engine response to every tiny turn of the throttle. The engine is the result of the recent project based on the innovative CTS concept – Coaxial Traction System – which puts the pinion of the final transmission coaxially in line with the swingarm pivot. This minimizes chain torque and its effects on rear suspension and therefore on handling. The influence of the CTS inspired design extends to the entire mechanical layout and frame, because the Husqvarna engine is so compact it can be positioned as far back as possible on the chassis – any further back would be impossible! The cylinder remains tilted forward (for a low centre of gravity) and the twin cam has particularly straight air intake lines, all optimising intake efficiency. The TE511’s radiator is also new (WP), with a more efficient cooling circuit, and the light steel exhaust was developed specially in collaboration with Akrapovic, the Slovenian specialist. Yet another well established name that needs no presentation and once again demonstrates Husqvarna’s philosophy of selecting only the best components.
Husqvarna TE449: evolution of the species
The experience gained over the last year has made the new TE449 an even more competitive bike. The basic profile is unchanged, the 449 is still the bike that inspires love at first sight, with all the innovative technical features that put it amongst the market leaders in the sector. It was already exclusive, now it has become more streamlined and efficient. Aesthetically it is more pleasing, the chassis is now black, the hubs anodised silver, new graphics emphasize the flow of the lines that express functionality, lightweight and style. The ergonomic side panels allow the driver more freedom of movement, the integrated in-mould graphics are guaranteed to last. The days of “adhesive” graphics that come off with the second power wash are gone.
But races are won by the stopwatch, not on the catwalk, and the changes in handling and mechanics make the new TE449 a more reliable bike, tough and competitive enough to win and keep winning!
Stronger frame, lower profile.
The new version uses more 25CrMo4 chrome-moly steel to reinforce the steering head, the seat rail and engine mounts. The rear section – now a single rear fender piece – is stronger and more streamlined and the entire electrical system has been simplified and lightened. The styling and layout have been completely redesigned; it has better balance, with new suspension settings and the rear Kayaba monoshock is shorter by 4 mm, further reducing seat height. The top of the range rear suspension uses Kayaba components (adjustable for rebound and compression) and upside down linkage, combining the advantages of progressive linkage with a sheltered location. The front suspension (48 mm diameter forks) has been improved with progressive dampening. The rear shock is better shielded for additional protection.
These modifications are the result of the collaboration between the Husqvarna R&D team and the official racing team, further streamlining the frame designed to concentrate weight on the bike’s centre-of-gravity and minimize chain-torque. The steel tubing perimeter frame was designed for the CTS – Coaxial Traction System – the TE449 reduces to a minimum the influence of the final transmission on dynamic handling and steering. With the driving pinion coaxially aligned with the swingarm pivot, the torque generated by a powerful 450cc engine now has almost no influence on changes in road holding and handling, and above all allows the designer to place the engine as far to the rear as possible, improving the wheelbase, enabling the forward slant of the cylinder head which lowers the centre of gravity and giving straighter fuel lines to the engine.
The safety of the braking system is to a trusted standard: Brembo! The front Braking disc has a diameter of no less than 260 mm – with twin piston floating calipers, while the 240 mm rear disc has a light and compact single piston floating caliper.
More linear power delivery
The single cylinder, four valve, twin cam titanium valve engine is a recent design and needed few modifications, just some minor changes to the power curve. To better access and exploit all the power of the TE449, the designers concentrated on mapping of the Keihin injection, which controls the action of the double flap 46mm throttle body). Fine tuning included balancing of the engine thermodynamics with the light steel Akrapovic exhaust, developed in collaboration with a prestigious Slovenian manufacturer. The efficiency of the cooling circuit was improved with a change to the radiator, introducing a new WP component.
Unchanged are the six gears and clutch with soft and progressive hydraulic action. Weight is saved by eliminating a kick starter, which has proved to be superfluous, given the efficient and reliable electric ignition with high-power battery.
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