Opinions
Chris Denison
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155 lb
Jump Monkey
The WR300 motor had a deliberate hit that came on strong and pulled hard. I would've liked the motor to be a bit more "luggable" in that it was hard to ride off the pipe without the hard hit trying to steal the show [Ed note: ridden before jetting change]. In terms of gearing, the Husky was in between first and second on tight trails, though where I could carry more speed I felt a little more comfortable. The suspension felt like it was "more springs than valving" and had a somewhat kicky edge to it that had the rebound feeling slightly abrupt but would still blow through on super-hard hits. The ergonomics of this bike take some getting used to, though I liked the narrow feeling of the bar (and the rest of the machine, to an extent). The kickstarter needs to be enlarged to twice its size. The clutch pull was slightly tight and the brakes were weak at best (much of which could be attributed to the excess of fork oil on the front rotor), and I wasn't super stoked with the huge amount of vibration coming from the bike. Given some more time to adapt, a little tuning on the suspension, a little TLC to the chassis and maybe some gearing changes, I could definitely get this bike to a more race-ready point.
Alexander Smith
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 155 lb
Excellent Driver
The WR300 had a pretty serious hit in the powerband that reminded me of an RM250 motocross bike (not necessarily a bad thing). I was impressed how the bike would lug so low and not stall; but the hit was there waiting to save the day if you got in trouble. The bike had more vibration in the footpegs than I like, and the ergonomics left something to be desired. The kickstarter is the first hint as to why Jimmy Lewis calls this bike "Stumpy." The shift lever seems short, high and too far in. It seemed like the throw between shifts was considerably longer than on the average bike; I don't think I ever went from first to second without hitting neutral. The steering felt good; fast enough to be ridable on tight trails but not too fast to make it scary on fast roads. I felt that the suspension was acceptable for a stock motorcycle, however oversprung it might have been (a sensation which might have been due to the leaky fork). Improved ergonomics could make the biggest improvement to Husky's WR.
Karel Kramer
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 lb
B Rider
After racing a Husky four-stroke at a GNCC I was eager to hit some trails on the Husky 300 two-stroke. It was a nice surprise. Of the three 300 two-strokes available, I find the Husky far more pleasant than the Gas Gas. It also has some facets that improve on the class-leading KTM. The Husky has a better seat, exceptional off-idle chugability and nice hand-holds to lift the bike. It still needs a diet, more controlled suspension and an E-button to knock the KTM off the pedestal, but if you like something simpler and with a linkage, the Husky certainly has the goods.