FIRST IMPRESSION: HUSQVARNA TX300
With the 2020 TX machines set to be released with the updated TPI engine, we jumped on the 2019 Husqvarna TX 300 to see if you can still get bang for your buck with the good old carburetor.
The future of 2-strokes is right around the corner. Well actually it’s here already. The slew of pre-mix injected engines have been on the showroom floors for a few years now, and it’s only going to increase.
2020 sees KTM and Husqvarna roll out all of their off-road adult-sized dirt bikes (except for the TX125) with a TPI engine. No more jets and needles. Which of course means no more carburetors. The benefits of that means smoother power, better fuel efficiency and you should get a better-performing and longer-lasting engine too. Conversely, you will also get more weight on the bike and less weight left in your wallet.
Now, if you are still on the fence about the new TPI engines and are perfectly happy with your carburetor and fatter wallet, then you’re still in luck. The Husqvarna TX300 is a great option and there couldn’t be a better time than now to get a deal on the 2019 model either. The 2020 bikes are on the way (when exactly we are not sure) but run out specials can be found all over the country on carbureted Husqvarna’s, so let your fingers do the walking.
Limited Time
The first thing I noticed about the TX 300 right from the get go is that it looks bloody cool. Now we all know that white plastic are hard to keep white, but you can not deny that this colour scheme and body work looks pretty awesome. The way the side panels are split down the middle is cool to me and the lines through the shroud are nicer compared to the old long one-piece Husqvarna were using.
Jumping on board it was easy to get comfortable right away with the TX 300. My only gripe is that it doesn’t have two positions for the handlebar clamp like other bikes. You can rotate the bar clamp and get another couple of millimeters, but you can’t shift them forward a position. Having said that, the cockpit felt comfortable and the bar bend really allowed me to feel like there was plenty of room whether I was standing or sitting.
The controls are all standard Austria and feel very comfortable and great on the fingers with the Lock On grips a nice touch too. It is a bike that really likes having input and reacts at the slightest movement of hand or body. You feel connected, which I like.
As with nearly all three hundred 2-strokes - there is power pretty much everywhere. It starts down low and builds really strong through the mid-range to a singing top-end. But where you want to stay for speed is right in the thick of the mid-range, where you have plenty of torque and snap all at the same time. It’s as if zero-half throttle is all grunt and torque, where you can lift the front wheel up and get traction anywhere you need it. While from half-full throttle is where your snap and explosive power comes from.
A nicely tuned carburetor is pretty darn good. But TPI good? That’s hard to say.
Having ridden a TPI 300 2-stroke, you can notice that the carb power delivery is certainly more aggressive, and you need better throttle control to really get the best out of that delivery. But it is in no means too much and you quickly learn to appreciate how low you can go in the rev range and still get power to the ground, torque through the engine and lug up steep hills with ease.
The suspension really surprised me in regards to how good it performed in stock trim. I was able to wind the rear spring stiffer to get rid of some static sag which to me made the bike feel more balanced. The AER 48 forks were fantastic after setting the clickers to 12 clicks all round. I havn’t had much experience with the AER units and I’m not a fan of air forks in general. But this WP system seems to be a really good compromise from the small amount of time I was on it. The 2020 model comes out with the XACT forks so it will be interesting to see the difference between the two as in my opinion this 2019 set up is pretty bang on.
On the rear the WP shock seemed to also work well with the adjustment made to slow down the rebound really noticeable on the track. I think the linkage makes a huge difference and the front and back worked together really well on the soft and rutty conditions I was riding in.
GRAB A DEAL
The 2019 TX 300 is far more capable a bike than even I gave it credit for. It has everything you need for off-road riding in NZ. Things like an 18 inch rear wheel, side stand, large tank, wide ratio gearbox and comfortable ergos. I liked that the carb didn’t need fiddling with and that the power delivery was smooth and strong. The mapping switch, which comes standard was a nice touch too and the brakes, wheels and the rest of the components are top quality. But that’s what you come to expect from a bike out of Austria. I didn’t like the seat cover which is very hard on the butt, and the aforementioned missing extra bar clamp location.
And like I mentioned earlier, with the 2020 bikes on the way, you should be able to score a run out deal on a TX300 from your local dealer. This will be the last TX300 you can buy that will come with a carburetor. If you are a guy who likes to tune your bike then here you go - no computer needed. Fingers crossed we get some more time on the TX ASAP. What a fun bike!