TC 450 ($6499)
Husqvarna is taking a big risk by stepping onto the front line of motocross here in the United States. It may have started true MX here, but you'd be hard-pressed to be considered anything but an oddity on one today. That said, motocross is also the best arena in which to showcase the latest technology, and a vast quantity of R&D money is being spent by every manufacturer to get to the top in this field. The competition is so fierce that some manufacturers even delay the release of their product to save face. But Husky is confident it has a player.
The first unique feature of the TC 450 is that it is electric-start only, though there is a kit to make it kick also, or kick only. With that E-button, the Husky will not win any battles on the scale or with its weighty feel at the track. The TC is heavy, and any rider accustomed to a Japanese 450 MX bike will notice. But don't run away just yet. We rode the bike on a true MX course less than 2 miles from the world-famous Unadilla circuit. Thunder Ridge Cycle Park has a natural rolling-hills course heavy on technical turns, not jumps, and loaded with real dirt. Over the course of the day, the track became only a little rough by our standards, and the TC shined. The weight gave it a more-planted feel and helped on loose sweepers, where it dug in and bit the ground. And when flying off the rolling tabletop hills with some pretty hard landings, the suspension did a remarkable job of sticking and staying controlled. We fiddled with the rebound and compression with great results on the fork to get a good feel, whether jumping or turning. All of the stability is there, and turning is middle-of-the-road-style--not too aggressive or lazy. You could go anywhere you needed, just not as instantaneously as with some other bikes.
Husqvarna's MX motor is in the game for sure, again having a much more-traditional four-stroke pull than is common today. The motor, opened up from the enduro spec, has more snap and a quicker run-through since it is breathing out of a freer-flowing exhaust. There isn't much of a hit anywhere in the spread as it revs out and signs off a little before you hit the rev-limiter. Actually, hitting it is pretty uncommon, as the bike prefers to work in a lower rpm range than most 450s. The close-ratio five-speed was about perfectly spaced for the power, and its pull is long enough and strong enough for you to hold it in a gear for a bit longer rather than shifting. But riding a gear high works best.
A small bother was the chain clinking on the lower frame tube when it became just a little loose. And when landing hard on the rear wheel, the slap-down of the fork was a bit stiff; positioning the handlebar more forward in the adjustable clamp helped cure this feel.
TC 250 ($5999)
As with its big brother, the 250 is electric starting only as an MXer. And as with the 250cc enduro TE, the TC hides its weight much better than you'd think. The power spread is best described as a combination of a CRF250R on the bottom and a YZ250F on top, which should be the best thing ever, except in the transition between the two. The TC tends to fall off the pipe if you really put a load on the engine in the lower midrange. And when you scream it, something in the harmonics of the pipe gives the bike a very flattened tone, a similarity to the YZ-F. The Husky still pulls to a healthy top-end surge, despite the noise, and if you keep it singing, it moves as fast as you'd expect a 250cc four-stroke to run.
As for the handling, it mirrors the 450 but is much lighter, which equates to better turning and flickability anywhere on the track. Compared with other 250cc four-stroke MX bikes, we'd bet it gives up some on the scale, and it feels a bit bulkier on the track, too. The bike is comfortable, and there isn't any aspect that sticks out or makes this bike feel European. In fact, all of the Huskys have a more-typical feel than even KTMs.