The current displacement size of 250cc for a four-stroke really makes no sense. In fact it is the size victim of some outdated motocross rule that specified that a four-stroke could be double the size of a two-stroke and compete in the same class. And we all saw what that lead to. But having a four-stroke in the 280-350cc range allows the four-stroke motor to produce what most riders would consider torque while still being a lighter bike to ride. And in getting that extra power there is still enough durability because the increased displacement is the easiest way to get power as opposed to stressing it from only 250cc.
Husky took the light-weight approach to the mid-sized four-stroke equation, they used the 250F as a base and built it up to 302cc with an increase in both bore and stroke to 82mm X 57.4mm. The chassis is very close to the TC motocrossers including the switch to Kayaba suspension components, and of course valved for off-road duties. Some smart changes include the additional fuel capacity, about .5-gallon in the 2.3-gallon tank, a cooling fan mounted on the radiator and the gem of electric starting. This all comes ready-to-ride at the full-tank weight of just 256 pounds. Handguards are standard too. Improvements are many when compared to the TE 310 this bike evolved from, specifically in the fuel injection mapping and the use of a 12-port injector. The biggest improvement coming from the closed-course competition setting the TXC is delivered in, which means it is a race bike. There is no spark arrestor and no lights, so it is not intended to be a trail bike.
And that is just fine because from the first minutes on the Husqvarna you realize it is very peppy, aggressive actually, and likes to be ridden aggressively. That is not to say that the power delivery is hard to ride or needs to be revved to make good use, it actually has a lot of pick-up, bottom and mid-range power. There isn’t much in the way of flywheel effect so stalling with the throttle closed can be an issue, but if you have it cracked at all the bike is very torquey and resists bogging down as good, if not better than, other 350cc bikes. The FI is not the best we have sampled, but it is such an improvement over the previous versions you have to give Husky credit for getting it this much better. And if this is your first FI bike, you will actually like the way this FI delivery works. It eliminates the carb bog but still has that carb snap that is often lost on FI machines. It compensates for temperature and altitude as good as any system but always feels like a carb with a slightly rich pump squirt. And although the bike revs out just fine it really likes to be shifted before sitting on the rev limiter and we have been told an exhaust system can really lengthen the power on top.
The bike has a closer-ratio spread in the six-speed transmission with an overall spread that will handle most any condition. And as the bike breaks in, the shifting lightens up and gets smooth and solid. The clutch did not whimper when we used and abused it but we have seen some failures of the basket dampers in other bikes and would definitely keep an eye on this. And our bike broke a tooth off the oil pump in the first few hours of its life. We caught this (there was a sudden loud ticking noise) and split the cases to check and see if there was any additional damage, there was none. It appeared the side cover may have been forced on in production and damaged the tooth on the oil pump gear. This would have been repaired under Husky’s 30-day warranty for sure.
The chassis is another victory for accomplishing the target goal of keeping the light 250F type of feel. It has a stiffer suspension setup and stance, one that is perfectly set op for Grand Prix or GNCC styles tracks or terrain. The bike can feel stiff if compared to trail bikes and then a little soft towards motocross bikes. The bike is not harsh, especially when ridden fast but it does let you know what is under your wheels. The chassis has a stiff nature to it which allows precise steering and there is not much flex feeling to make any part of the handling character vague. So you will feel stuff through the bars and footpegs. The damping is pretty consistent in the stroke and the bike will bottom on the big hits, but you know when it will happen. Setup is pretty important on this bike and we found that if the front end ever starts feeling harsh, there are two things to check. The first is the ride height (low in the rear is bad!) and then make sure the rebound is not keeping the suspension, especially the fork, packed. Get it dialed and the Husky is as sweet and few bikes, even 250Fs feel this light when you are in the power.
The layout of the bike is not the roomiest and can feel a little cramped when sitting, especially for guys pushing past the six-foot mark though changing the bars could go a long way in curing this. Brakes are strong and progressive and we had no complaints on them. The service on the bike is a little funky with a hose connected to the drain plug, skid plate removal necessary and the air filter is a tight fit around the battery. Everything else is pretty standard issue compared to other bikes and should not be any different in just being a Husky. We rarely got the cooling fan to come on so the radiators are doing plenty of the work, even in the slow and tight trails and since the bike does not need much clutch work to pull through stuff, that helps keep the engine cool too.
One of the biggest plusses for the Husky is the price. At $7899 and with some very excited Husky dealers wanting to get riders and racers out on these machines, the TXC 310 can be looked at as a really good deal. It is one of the best bikes Husky has ever produced and definitely fits an area of demand in our market. It would be difficult and expensive to take a motocross 250F and make it into what the Husky is stock, especially for the faster yet more technical types of off-road racing that is so popular.DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT/CAPACITIES:
Wheelbase: 57.87 in.
Overall Length: 85.67 in.
Overall Width: 32.28 in.
Rake: 26.5 degrees
Trail: 4.17 in.
Seat Height: 37.40 in.
Ground Clearance: 11.42 in.
Curb Weight (no gas): 240.5 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 2.25 gallons
Oil Capacity: 0.95 quartsFRAME:
Chromoly single-tube frame cradle utilizes rounded-rectangle elliptical tubing for maximum strength and durability.SUSPENSION:
FORK – Kayaba 48mm closed-cartridge fork featuring 11.8 inches of front wheel travel. Upside down (USD) telescopic fork features fully-adjustable compression and rebound damping.
SHOCK – Kayaba Progressive “Soft Damp” hydraulic single shock with 11.65 inches of travel. Features adjustable spring preload and fully-adjustable rebound and dual (high/low-speed) compression damping.
BRAKES:
Front: Braking 260mm wave rotor, Brembo dual-piston floating caliper; Hydraulic actuation.
Rear: Braking 240mm wave rotor, Brembo single piston floating caliper; Hydraulic actuation.RIMS/TIRES:
Front: 1.60×21 Excel rim, 90/90-21
Rear: 2.15×18 Excel rim, 120/90-18
ENGINE:
Type: Single-cylinder, dual overhead cam (DOHC) four-stoke
Head: 4 titanium valves in radial arrangement operated by DOHC
Displacement: 302.4cc
Bore x Stroke: 82 x 57.35mm
Compression Ratio: 13:1
Starting: Electric and kick start
Clutch: Wet multi-plate with hydraulic control
Cooling: Liquid, 2 radiators with electric fanIGNITION: Electronic with adjustable advance
FUEL SYSTEM: EFI with Mikuni D45 throttle body
LUBRICATION: Dry sump with 2 oil pump rotor and cartridge filterTRANSMISSION: 6 speed
Ratios:
1st 30/14
2nd 28/16
3rd 29/20
4th 27/22
