Tard Vision Quest... '09 Husqvarna SM 610 build (pic heavy)

[Virginian]

I found a 2009 SM 610 with 386 miles on the odometer up in Philadelphia at a very fair price. I immediately call the dude and spoke with him and said I'll take it. One problem though, just paid off the lien and was waiting on the title. So I sent a deposit and waited almost a month before the bank sent it to him.

Road trip to Philly from Northern Virginia... ugghhh... I thought about taking the train and riding it home. The dude said it had never been laid down and was good to go. In the back of my mind, I thought I better drive up and trailer it back home and go over it before I take an epic journey on it.

I drove up to north Philly and met the dude in a back ally in kind of skid row part of town.   The dude finally showed up 15 minutes late and I finally got to look the bike over. Two flat ties, a low speed lay down on the left side, but she fired right up and ran like a champ. The dude was straight up for the most part but this bike has never seen any maintenance since the day it was sold in '09. Sold!   Time to load her up and head home...

Loaded up in skid row, headed south!


Veteran's Stadium, home of the Eagles. From the DC area they freak'n hate the Redskins. They beat up a Redskin fan dressed up as Santa one December! lol This place has it's own jail.


Through the Baltimore tunnel.


A little history about myself:  I've been riding for 34 years and have logged just over 300,000 miles. Started off with a RD400, graduated to Ninjas, GSXRs, BMWs, Harleys, etc. Kind of tried them all over the years. When I look back, the RD 400 with inta-wheelie was probably the most fun out of the herd. I'm hoping the SM610 will fill that void in my life. So, I turned 50 this year and said, F it, time to find one and make it happen.

Here she is all cleaned up after years of grime, dust, spider turds, etc. all over her. Washing her today, three stickers came off. Damn... I'm not starting off very well.



(continued)

[Virginian]

The good, the bad and ugly...

Here's a pick of the shifter damaged.


M!@#$@R F*&^%3R! Everything I read on this possessed kickstand was correct. I barely bumped the bike and over she went breaking the clutch. Perfect... Bad situation #2. I'm posting this pic because I'm asking if the toe kick out is bent or not? I'm not sure how to remedy this?  Unacceptable to have a bike so prone to drop.


More evidence of a low speed lay down...


Stickers are pealing up. I really wanted the flat black or graphite version so I may switch out the plastics. THis set of plastics it pretty beat up from people scuffing them with their boots getting off and on it. I tried to clean up them but the scuffs are really bad and everywhere, seriously every piece of plastic.


Stock emissions. I have to do some research on the process for removing this. I have ridden her exactly 1 mile before the tip over and clutch lever break and the power was not there to to roost. Just as well, I would be too anxious to ride her and she needs all her fluids changed. Basically the first service.


I know she needs a can to breath better but I kind of like the muffler tip with the Husky logo! Gotta love the Italian flare here and there.


I was going to order a new clutch lever & I was kicking around the idea of Zeta Armor Handguards (in red) and the Zeta XC Hand Protectors w/ Flashers in black. Touratech has some interesting lever that are made out of plastic. Anyone try these? http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/1041/PN-410-5646/Plastic-Enduro-Lever-Set-Gray-for-Brembo-Brake-Clutch Might be a good option to store under the seat in case of emergency?


Demon kickstand: I think I just grind off this tit kick out the spring at an angle? If I read correctly, this will make the kick stand act as a normal kickstand, except you have to remember to kick it up before riding?


Thanks for reading. I got a great deal on this bike and with a little TLC and some pimping, I'll get her standing tall and hope to post some ride reports.

Eric

[DogBoy]

Nice bike. Mookie has (had?) a 610 and may have plenty of info for you.


1) Buy and install handguards.
2) Don't worry about scratches on a supermoto.
3) Ride like an idiot. Have the kind of fun you can only have on a supermoto.

 

[Rincewind]

Great choice for a motard.  Enjoy!  

Thanks for pointing out the Husky symbol on the exhaust end.  

[Carbonero]

Vet's stadium was torn down in 2004.

[expatbrit]

'tards rule. That's all. When I bought the WR250X the dealer had Huskys and almost convinced me to spend the Much More Money on a discounted one over the used WR.

I bet it's an /absolute/ hoot to hoon.

[DogBoy]

Vet's stadium was torn down in 2004.

Apparently you don't know about supermotos and time travel.

[DNA]

Sigh - I sure miss my 'Tard even though it was about the stupidest bike ever made.

Have fun - I see a new one in my future again.  

Eventually.

Post up as you fix'er up and flog her hard.

[expatbrit]

Sigh - I sure miss my 'Tard even though it was about the stupidest bike ever made.

Have fun - I see a new one in my future again.  

Eventually.

Post up as you fix'er up and flog her hard.

I really, really, REALLY want a KTM690SM of some description. I keep stalking the local CL, praying one doesn't pop up.

[falconati]

Loving my Hyper - just kicking myself over not getting one sooner.

[Virginian]

Vet's stadium was torn down in 2004.

Sorry, didn't know that.   I thought it was against the law to tear down any veteran memorial. Much like soldier field in Chicago?

[Virginian]

Demonic kickback cut off till my new kickstand arrives.


Save the whale option package removed.


Hammerhead shifter fixed up the bent stock one. Love it!


I changed the oil filter and oil today. Here's what the magnetic drain plug looked like. There were definitely metal shards on it but no too bad.

 
The oil filter wasn't too bad, aside from just being dark/dirty.

 
I'm documenting all of this with many pics. If you guys see anything that I missed, please chime in. Placing another parts order this week. Next weekend, I hope to flush the radiator. I have to search around for what the best coolant would be for the flush. I read good things about Engine Ice. It's supposed to be biodegradable as well.

I took her out today for a 100 mile jaunt. So far so good, the power up kit enables power wheelies in 1st & 2nd. Hopefully a pipe is in the near future. Loving the tard so far!
 
Eric

[Virginian]

I made some more progress today.
 
Installed a Motion Pro clutch cable and a new lever to replace the one that broken. Really slick clutch cable that's nylon lined and smooths out the pull quite a bit.

 
Removed the Save the Whales option package.

 
Power up kit installed. I only got dowsed with gas a few times removing the tank.

 
The left overs...

[spd2918]

I like purchase adventures.  I bought a YZF600R from a moron in December in Minnesota.  It was a cold test ride.  He had cut off the exhaust and plastered it with stickers.  I had the stock exhaust welded back on (welds painted), pulled the stickers, changed the oil, and put on new skins.  $1,800 total.  I beat the hell out of it on the track all summer and just sold it for $2,800.  


I'd paint those case scratches to protect the metal.

[Virginian]

I like purchase adventures.  I bought a YZF600R from a moron in December in Minnesota.  It was a cold test ride.  He had cut off the exhaust and plastered it with stickers.  I had the stock exhaust welded back on (welds painted), pulled the stickers, changed the oil, and put on new skins.  $1,800 total.  I beat the hell out of it on the track all summer and just sold it for $2,800.  


I'd paint those case scratches to protect the metal.

Awesome! That's the reason I road tripped up to Philly for it. The price provided plenty of room to upgrade, which I was going to do anyway. I'll address the scratched on the case this winter. So far I love it!  

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Eric

[Virginian]

Put another 200 miles on her today. She's running really strong with no backfiring or popping. I am getting a little seepage of oil around the head and where the oil filter cap is. Other than that, good to go!

It's hard to beat a warm fall day in VA with canopy trees on a country road.

[fxrbill]

http://www.cafehusky.com/ for all your Husky questions.Just saw your post over there,but I'll leave this here in case somone needs the best Husky site available.

[DogBoy]

Great that you're out putting miles on and risking your license.  

Couldn't hurt to check the air filter. This is a dirt bike after all and it should be inspected more often than on a street bike.

[Mookie]

Great bike!  I never had a kickstand issue other than the fact that it's about 2 inches too short, so it's really easy to let it fall down if you don't get the parking angles lined up.  

There are a few things that seem to be endemic to this model, some have easy fixes or aren't really a big deal.

I've gone through 4 clutch cables - the bottom mounting bracket from the factory is at a slightly incorrect angle that eventually will wear out your cable.  You can either try and fab a new or buy it from somewhere (I don't know where).  I just check my cable frequently.  I should probably fix it since the part probably costs 5 bucks.

The cam chain tensioner goes bad eventually and needs to be replaced with a manual adjuster or you might lose the cam chain and the engine along with it.

My engine has always had a really slow oil weep from the front cylinder head bolts.  No biggie, it washes off.

Mine has never stranded me and gets used every day for city commuting and the occasional insanely inappropriate road trip.  Enjoy!

[Virginian]

 Update!

As some of you know I just bought this bike a little while ago and the stickers were pretty scabbed up. I did some research and found an outfit that would do what I was looking for. I was looking for something different than the usual lightning bolts, farts & darts. This is what I came up with and I really pleased with how it came out. They are super heavy duty!!!

I spoke with a real nice guy on the phone at Magik S.C. and he said no problem. They've never done a SM610 before so I mailed them all my plastic and he now has the pattern if you would like to do something custom a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing stock stickers that well... don't stick very well. Turn around time was a bout a week, and the price was cheap at half the price. I hope you like them! Here's Tyler's contact info if you have any interest:

Tyler Minor
tyler@magiksc.com
http://www.magiksc.com
951-654-5550

Thanks for looking,
Eric

[stromgal]

That is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sharp.  

[miles]

Your Husky sure looks a lot better than mine does right now:

[Virginian]

Damn miles. It breaks my heart seeing your Husky like that.   I sure hope you get her back together soon.

Eric

[miles]

Thanks.  I'll be happy to get it rolling again.


Back in happier times:

[Mastros2]

Nice, I like the new stickers!  

[Virginian]

I installed the swingarm stickers today.



I had to trim them a bit. Here's what I trimmed off. Tyler and I were guesstimating the dimensions over the phone as best we could. I'm very happy with the outcome.

[Virginian]

I installed a Leo Vince X3.



Installing the spark arrestor.


Gotta love the Italians, even the rubber stopper to cover the screw hole to install the spark arrester has a logo on it.  


After the install, I noticed the left kick panel rests on the carbon fiber muffler hanger. Is this OK? Or should I trim some off the plastic there so it doesn't melt?


Ready to roll! When I have a few more shekels, I buy a JD tuner. I posted on this thread, I didn't want to clutter the forum with another thread.


Next I installed a Seat Concepts seat cover with the grip material on the top and carbon fiber faux on the sides with red stitching. I got the tailbone area of the foam cut out and filled with low density foam so you get the effect of the tailbone channel without the sag in the cover. A no charge adjustment from Seat Concepts! Overall I'm very happy with how it turned out except where the seat screw holds the seat on. Kind of looks amateurish the way it bunches up when fastened. I open for suggestion from anyone on how to remedy this.

[Virginian]

That is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sharp.  

Thanks! Very kind of you!

Eric

[Virginian]

One last item, I had to laugh at the stopper that came with the Leo Vince.  


I'm chipping away at my Tard Vision Quest! I hope you guys and gals are enjoying the ride along.  

Eric

[Virginian]

A long overdue update.
Here's a long overdue update... What can I say, life have been overwhelming this winter. This installment I've installed a new/used set of DirtBagz, Rizoma Zero11 LED turn signals, Rizoma universal license plate bracket with LED plate light. I trimmed the stock rear fender to tidy up the rear of the bike a bit.

First the DirtBagz were used but never installed. I purchased them and went to install only to find out the nuts and bolts pack and the muffler shield were missing. Caveat Emptor! I should have just purchased a new set. The missing parts came to $50 plus shipping. So much for saving a buck...

Then after installing the brackets and mounting the bags, someone had cut one of the straps to where it would barely reach.



Not cool....



The straps that go across the rear fender are going to chaff the new sticker job that I did so I need to come up with some sort of buffer pad there to help slow down the inevitable.



There's some extra strap anchors on each side that I have no idea what they're for? Mu best guess is to maybe strap it under the fender and frame as well for added protection. Any ideas?



It cold as heck out so I'm enjoying the puny wood stove that i installed in the garage last year.

(more to come)

[Virginian]

Before assembling it all back together, I quickly wired up & mounted the Rizoma Zero11 LED turn signals. I liked these in particular because they could be viewed a from the front, side and rear. They are light, small and out of the way of the muffler.


I'll post a short video so you can gauge the brightness yourself.


I'm really pleased how these came out and look on the bike.





Next I installed the Rizoma license plate bracket and cut up the stock rear fender. I still need to sand some of the rough parts where I made the cuts but you get the idea. Honestly, this bracket is a work of art and adapts to what ever angle your looking for. Yes, I could just make a bracket on the cheap but i wanted it to look like it was designed not an after thought.




LED plate light, keeping it legal in VA.

(more to come)

[Virginian]

The kit comes with either Euro or US spec mounting plates and turn signal brackets to mount to it as well. My spare parts will be up for sale in the classified section here shortly.


The finished project.



Here's a short video to see the signals and plate light.


In conclusion I think it's appropriate that I tart up my wife cheater with some jewelry on Valentine's Day. The Rizomo accesoriesa are top shelf and their craftsmanship is second to none.

As always, thanks for reading.

Eric

[Virginian]

Added a 610 Case Saver from 7602racing.com


Next up is to install new handgrips and Symtec heating elements. Freak'n brilliant of me to install these as winter comes to close here in the east....

[miles]

I never felt the need to install heated grips on my Husky 450SMRR.  The grips vibrate so damned much the friction alone keeps my hands plenty toasty.

That is one sweet looking SuMo you've got there, sir.  Very sweet indeed.

[Moto Morphin Power Ranger]

Beautiful  

[R Doug]

That is sharp.    


How long before you believe you'll lose your license with too many points?  

[Virginian]

That is sharp.    


How long before you believe you'll lose your license with too many points?  

Doug, If you and Sherri roll north up to VA on that new orange sidehack, you can try it out yourself! Free room and board at my log home with a garage for the bike at Casa de Virginian.  

Eric

[R Doug]

Much thanks.  In case you haven't noticed my trend in bikes, I'm moving to a pipe and slipper mood.  I'll save my license by riding the Guzzi.  

[mugwump58]

[Virginian]

I never felt the need to install heated grips on my Husky 450SMRR.  The grips vibrate so damned much the friction alone keeps my hands plenty toasty.

That is one sweet looking SuMo you've got there, sir.  Very sweet indeed.

I know exactly what you're saying Miles. lol I researched what grips to put on to replace these stock ones and I founds some that should dampen the vibes some. For me it's when I'm slabbing it on the freeway at 70 it gets kind of bad. Other than that, it's not too bad for a thumper. Thanks for the kind words! How's your Husky coming along? I hope to see a thread where it's resurrected!

Eric

[Virginian]

Beautiful  

Many thanks and thank you for reading my build.

Eric

[Virginian]

These are the grips that I was talking about.

[miles]

I know exactly what you're saying Miles. lol I researched what grips to put on to replace these stock ones and I founds some that should dampen the vibes some. For me it's when I'm slabbing it on the freeway at 70 it gets kind of bad. Other than that, it's not too bad for a thumper. Thanks for the kind words! How's your Husky coming along? I hope to see a thread where it's resurrected!

Eric

The 610 has a counterbalancer, but the 450SMRR doesn't- it's too heavy.  As a result, the vibes on the 450 are unbelievable.  

That said, it's mostly resurrected.  It's got the new motor in it, and it runs, but there seems to be some sort of jetting issue to sort out.  I've been so wrapped up in my blown up BMW that I haven't really had the time to deal with my blown up Husky...

It also needs new tires, but for now it's on the back burner.  Actually, maybe tomorrow I can put some time in on it...  but it's never going to be as spiffy as yours.  Your Husky is so damned good-looking it's painful.

[Virginian]

OK, in my never ending tard quest to bore you poor folks with my build and post about items that none of you care about; here's the next segment!

Today was an expensive day. First off I ordered two new tires/tyres for the SM. I labored over every thread in the sumo forums on rubber and pm'ed several members who were kind enough to share their thoughts. What I wound up going with were Michelin Pilots. Bang for the buck I hope to get more than 900 miles out of the stock tire that was trashed.

I called around and the only Husky shop in VA (that I know of?) is Motorcycle Factory Inc. in Woodbridge, VA. Believe it or not they had the best price on these tires within $10 of internet orders. So I ordered them and set the appointment to have them installed. $63 per rim to in stall... yikes...  Set an appointment with service for today.

I get up this morning... perfect...   So much for riding down there and getting the install. I just didn't feel good about trying to ride home with new tires being so slick with snow and ice.


I loaded up the trailer and off I go. 1.5 hours later I'm there and unload and do the waiting game. A couple hours later she done and I'm good to go. So I have a trailer and aluminum ramp that's fairly low to the ground. As I'm loading the bike up, the front tire with brake on isn't enough to hold and the bike starts sliding backwards in the slick icy conditions. I lose my footing and down we go in a pile. A complete yardsale...      I bounce up as any male with any pride left to see if anyone saw this mess, sure enough I had an audience.   Someone came over and helped me load it and I got the hell out of there feeling like a complete horses arse. No damage to the bike as I managed to have it fall on me. Just my pride...  

New Pilots installed ready to be scrubbed in.

[Virginian]

Next up I installed Fastway F6 pegs. I bounced between the pivot pegs and these for a month. In the end the F6's won out for being rigid. The install would require some slight modifications to make them work. I'll post a little on that  as I go. The instruction were mysteriously missing in my package so I looked on the net and found some to download. I should mention that these pegs are very popular with the Wee/Vee Strom crowd.  


You have the option of setting the pegs in normal height or low position. I'm 6' 4" so low for me. This is accomplished by placing the metal bushing on the top or bottom depending on how you want it set up in the peg shaft hole. The bushing is a tapered fit and has to be compressed in. They provide a tool to hammer it in. I chose to just pop it in the vise and squeeze her together.


After I removed the the stock pegs I was test fitting to see if they were level/or not when installed. As luck would have it, they were level on the 610 without any shimming required! They provide you ample shims if you need them. I should note that I had to remove the rear brake lever to get the stock peg off and install the new one.


I had to grind the bracket on the bike a bit to get the peg to fold up properly. No big deal; about 5 minutes with a grinder and a couple of swipes with a fine file, good to go. I touched up the bare metal with some heat resistant Rustoleum paint and let it cure.


I fit the spring on, installed the peg and started to install the cleats. I would suggest using blue Locktite on these so if you don't like them, you can easily remove them and replace with something else. Time will tell if these cleats will eat up my Sidi's.


Right peg installed.


Left one required no alteration and was installed in under 5 minutes.


Total install for me was about an hour, if I didn't have to mod the one bracket I would have completed the whole job in about 15 minutes.

As always, thanks for reading.

Eric

[Virginian]

This weeks installment is a set of hand warmers and HDB upper and lower with mounts for a Ram ball for my GPS, toggle switch for the hand warmers and a Powerlet socket. Highway Dirt Bikes will custom make your upper to accommodate what ever you want to house on it. There craftsmanship is amazing and they provide everything to get the job done.


Lowers installed. Model specific for Huskies!


Checking the fitment of the upper and rearranging all the cables.


Installed the heating elements on the handlebars.


HDB even includes the tap for the bar ends. I have to say this was awful to the threads in the stock bars. After drilling out the ends in steps I started tapping... Good gawd, I needed a man sized come-a-long wrench and lots of WD40.

[Virginian]

I opted for the integrated LED turn signals built into the handguards and the mirrors that fold up into the handguards. I removed the stock turn signals and soldered on connectors on the new LEDs. Truly a plug & play. Awesome trick stuff!


I went to wire up the heated hand grips and install the toggle switch and the dang thing wouldn't fit. It appears that they are sending switches a different diameter so I had to hand file and Dremel the hole a little larger to accommodate.


Handguards installed with the mirrors.



Here's a pic of the finished product without the Powlet socket installed. I'm still waiting on parts for that. It houses my Zumo 550 perfect and the heated hand grips are the shizzle! Best $37 I ever spent and get the job done nicely.


Paul is a great guy at HDB and worked to meet my needs. He didn't just try to sell me something off the shelf when I had a specific need. Delivery time to from when I ordered to my doorstep was 3 days. That included fabrication of a custom bracket and anodizing.

Thanks for reading my build,

Eric

[R Doug]

I love those handguards with the mirrors.  Very Hypermotard.  

[expatbrit]

After a friend has crashed my WR250X twice (once on each side) my Zeta's are looking a bit ragged. I've seen the HDB stuff a few times -- how bright/visible are the indicators? If my car hadn't died, I'd probably already have bought a set just for the trick mirrors.

[Virginian]

After a friend has crashed my WR250X twice (once on each side) my Zeta's are looking a bit ragged. I've seen the HDB stuff a few times -- how bright/visible are the indicators? If my car hadn't died, I'd probably already have bought a set just for the trick mirrors.

I took a quick video to hopefully answer your question. They're no where near as bright as my Rizoma turn signals that I installed earlier on this thread and posted a video of, but I will say they're acceptable to me. I'm going to mess with the resistors a bit and see if I can brighten them up a bit. I ran out in the garage with the door closed it's fairly dark in there and shot a quick video for you. You can see the Rizoma's in the back of the film clip. I hope this answers your question and thanks for reading my build.

Eric

[Virginian]

Also I keep forgetting to mention what got me started on this bike. Way back in March of 2008 I read what Mookie did on this very bike. Probably my favorite ride report of all time! If you haven't read it, pour a beer and have a look. What Jake did is amazing to me and it remained on my wish list till I got serious about this bike last year.

Thanks Jake! You da man!  

Eric

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,22666.0.html

[Mookie]

 

[Virginian]

Minor setback, my stock battery gave up the ghost at almost 5 years old. Unibat from unibatitalia.com no complaints from the service this battery performed.

A member of another forum forum I've been confiding in on this journey turned me on to Moty batteries at motydesign.com and I spent some time with Brian Harris on the phone discussing the upkeep of this type of next gen battery. Super nice guy and I had a couple of take-aways from this conversation. The original Moty's were very small packs that were encased in shrink wrap. You had to pack foam around the battery to secure it in the stock cavity. He since has created a feux battery box to mimic the stock size for a slip install. Indeed it did fit as the stock battery would except being 1 or 2 shorter (which was fine with me). The stock rubber strap used to secure the battery did not have enough resistance so I packed an 1" of foam in the bottom, problem solved. I also though the foam provided some shock/cushion for the battery itself.

Of course I hooked the polarity up wrong because the posts were opposite what the stock batteries were. Popped a fuse... Put that on my list of things I wish I had never done. lol