FE570 vs TE630 for weekend trails and dual-sporting

Simple_One · Jan 7, 2014

Hi All,

I'm looking at a Husky TE630 or Berg FE570 as a general weekend trail bike, as well as for some 'adventure' type trips. As far as the weekend goes, reality for me is I ride the bike to the trails, and that might include up to 30 minutes of roads each way at 110km/hr. I'm not stunningly concerned about being comfortable, but I'm curious whether this would be too much for the Berg's smaller oil capacity?

Similarly, I'd like to do some multi day, maybe even up to a week long trip, which is unsupported beyond what can be carried by the rider and the bike. The obvious consequence being that I won't have a lot of space or weight available to carry oil + filters to change every 2-3 days (~1500km's or 15hrs) along with food and water etc. I know people have plumbed the Berg frame to increase oil capacity, but I doubt my skills to do this. Are there any other simpler options for expanding oil capacity and/or adding a cooler that people have tried?

I'd be interested to hear people thoughts on whether the Berg can be used for this more dual-sport/trail riding type of role, rather than just enduro racing?
Similarly, is the Husky likely to be much better than the Berg from a reliability standpoint?
(The Husky certainly has the oil capacity advantage, and wouldn't appear to be as highly strung given that it has the extra cc's but only produces similar horsepower and has a much higher curb weight)...

1lunger · Jan 8, 2014

The Berg hands down. I have 1st hand experience with both bikes and the Berg will make it a lot more fun! It can do the week long rides without an oil change. Fuel is your biggest worry, but they make a bigger tank for the 70* bikes. These bikes are do it all bikes, but the Berg can do it better, much better!

tourist · Jan 8, 2014

I only have a 570, no 630

But - the Husaberg can do with much longer oil change intervals than it says in the manual - it's effectively been proven. Someone over at ADVRider (Lost Rider I think it was?) had oil sent to Blackstone labs for analysis over something like a 20.000 mile interval (and counting). The oil was fine after 2000mi/3000+km changes IIRC.

It's somewhere in this mound of a thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=639366

Here's also a very nice thread on ADVrider: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=782994

1lunger · Jan 8, 2014

1lunger said:
The Berg hands down. I have 1st hand experience with both bikes and the Berg will make it a lot more fun! It can do the week long rides without an oil change. Fuel is your biggest worry, but they make a bigger tank for the 70* bikes. These bikes are do it all bikes, but the Berg can do it better, much better!

Edit: I should state that I own a 610 not a 630, but I have friends that have the 630 and it's not that different. I love the 610! It's a great bike! It will do anything you want it to. However, since I bought the 570, the 610 has seen very little ride time. The 570 is just better in so many ways. The only thing the 610 has on the berg, it's smoother for the road riding, but the slightly more vibey berg makes up for it with its awesome trail manners and sick power delivery. It's also easier to pickup. I've spent a lot of time on the 610 off road and there's nothing it can't do that the berg can, I just do it faster and easier on the berg.

Dualsport4ever · Jan 8, 2014

May want to consider a cushioned rear hub if you are considering longer trips on pavement.

berger · Jan 8, 2014

Less pavement and majority single track it would be the berg hands down. More pavement, 2 track and long days in the saddle the husky gets the nod.

tourist · Jan 8, 2014

Dualsport4ever said:
May want to consider a cushioned rear hub if you are considering longer trips on pavement.

... or if you're strapped for cash, you could look into a Kush Sprocket, an damper-coupled rear sprocket. The first generation had some reliability issues but I haven't yet found many complaints about the current second generation.

http://www.kushsprockets.com/produc...aberg-te-fe-fc-fs-etc-rear-dampening-sprocket

Simple_One · Jan 9, 2014

Thanks for the great info guys. I've researched this to death over the last week, and I'm still basically at the same point I was originally: The Berg is better at most things, but costs more; the TE is great for the longer trips but heavier all the time. It's such an obvious conclusion, but there is no escaping it.

I was hoping to find other factors that would make the decision much simpler, but it seems that both bikes can make decent short to medium range adventurers. If I'm honest, as much as I want to do more long range trips, I'll struggle to arrange to do more than one a year, and I would be surprised if it surpassed two weeks. I can probably plan around any maintenance short comings. All the rest of the time the bike is going to be a weekend weapon, which probably seals the deal in favour of the Berg, despite the extra cost.

That super wide ratio TE630 gearbox just seems brilliant though, but the idea of something that is even heavier (~another 13kg) than my current DRZ is not appealing at all...

hoosie5seventy · Jan 10, 2014

Simple_One said:
That super wide ratio TE630 gearbox just seems brilliant though, but the idea of something that is even heavier (~another 13kg) than my current DRZ is not appealing at all...

i've owned both (well a TE610) and i think the berg's gearbox was just as wide although i never saw the ratio numbers to back that up. personally i'd go the berg if you think you'd only manage one big trip a year. i'm sure on most trips you'd be able to get into a town somewhere and change the oil at the 1600 mile mark.

you've probably come across this already, but the TE630 is a lot heavier than the 610 but it is all in the ridiculous twin exhaust system... you would want to factor in the expense of converting it to a single pipe again and bring the weight down to the 610's level.

08FE650 · Jan 10, 2014

I wouldn't worry about the Cush drive, after 270 hrs (mostly road work to and from work) on my 650 and there's no noticeable wear on any of the gears or anything, I'd rather the snappier response. (Originally I wanted one of the kush sprockets and put my name on their waiting list 18 months ago and never heard from them)

Chas · Jan 11, 2014

Dualsport4ever said:
May want to consider a cushioned rear hub if you are considering longer trips on pavement.

I also would not worry about a cush hub since the Berg already has a 'cushed' clutch basket. With that said, I do run a Kush sprocket on my '09 Beta 565 RS since the KTM RFS engine lacks a cushed clutch. The newest improved version of the Kush sprocket has proven to be plenty robust enough for the 565 KTM engine.

T_i_G_e_R · Jan 12, 2014

I have both bikes.. both completely different bikes indeed.. take the te630

crispy duck · Jan 12, 2014

What about the bmw x challenge ? will do everything you want also

uh my first post also hello everyone

1lunger · Jan 12, 2014

T_i_G_e_R said:
I have both bikes.. both completely different bikes indeed.. take the te630

May I ask why you don't vote for the Berg?

Lost Rider · Jan 14, 2014

Chas said:
Dualsport4ever said:

May want to consider a cushioned rear hub if you are considering longer trips on pavement.

Click to expand...

I also would not worry about a cush hub since the Berg already has a 'cushed' clutch basket. With that said, I do run a Kush sprocket on my '09 Beta 565 RS since the KTM RFS engine lacks a cushed clutch. The newest improved version of the Kush sprocket has proven to be plenty robust enough for the 565 KTM engine.

Based on my experience a cush hub is a necessity for long distance dual sport riding that involves long stretches of pavement on the husa, the clutch basket dampers don't provide enough cush to protect the counter shaft. Pay now for a cush drive or pay later to split the motor to replace the counter shaft.
This photo was @ about 11K miles on my 570, with a Woody's rear wheel with cush hub now I'm not seeing any wearing on the (replaced) splines with almost equal miles.

Maintenance is a non-issue for long trips on the berg, oil analysis after a 2800 mile ride pre-running the Baja 1000 course to La Paz and back home still showed acceptable lubrication results, same for similar western TAT rides, etc, etc. My regular intervals are about 2k with Motorex oil, Scott's metal oil filter. My valves stayed in spec till about 14k and they are still in spec @ 20k miles, motor still burns no oil and is running strong.
Can't comment on the TE since I don't own one, but the FE is most certainly capable of being a reliable, comfortable long distance dirt tourer or race bike or a single track weapon. :mrgreen:

All the oil analysis results and much more info on DS'ing a berg in this thread:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=782994

Good luck with your decision!

-Finn

vintagespeed · Jan 16, 2014

it's almost time for me to get out of this cubical, so forgive me for only reading about halfway down...

i've done a couple long trips, my last one was this past Sept riding the TAT. i didn't have the Berg at that time, was riding a heavily lightened and modified DR650 (with REAL suspension) that i've ridden on many other trips and long distance desert rides. my weekend weapon for dezert riding is a 2T 250 that i have since given to my oldest son.

what i CAN definitely tell you is that no matter what bike you take on a long trip, you adjust. if the bike is not a highway miler, you slow down, you run fewer miles on the day, you do more frequent oil changes. it's not a big deal.

when it becomes a REALLY big deal is when you get into some gnarly stuff and the weight of that big highway pig + all the unnecessary **** you brought with you kills your legs, reduces your ability to ride the long hours and falls on you pinning you face down in the mud... 8O

when i got back from the TAT ride, i sold my DR immediately, and i really loved that bike. and bought the Berg, i'm currently thrashing it about madly in the dez and loving every minute of it.

i will adjust.

T_i_G_e_R · Jan 20, 2014

1lunger said:
T_i_G_e_R said:

I have both bikes.. both completely different bikes indeed.. take the te630

Click to expand...

May I ask why you don't vote for the Berg?

Beeeecauuuse I was rebuilding my berg and just about to put in a new crank.. pretty unsure.. of.. reliablity for long trips. Husqvarna has been very reliable. Berg is back together and seems fine... FOR NOW

T_i_G_e_R · Jan 20, 2014

Also, I felt the way most feel about at 320 LB bike being unridable earlier in my riding career, but once you really know how to ride, you can manage just fine on a TE630

1lunger · Jan 21, 2014

I've read (I believe on here) that a 300 hr motor was taken down and it looked fine. Lots of other posts on high mile/hr bergs running great!

Life is good!

1lunger · Jan 21, 2014

Edit: 345 hr bikes. :evil!

Life is good!

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FE570 vs TE630 for weekend trails and dual-sporting

Simple_One

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tourist

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tourist

Simple_One

hoosie5seventy

08FE650

Chas

T_i_G_e_R

crispy duck

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Lost Rider

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