Has Husky hit the bullseye with the new throttle body injection? We sent Geoff Braico to the land of the Vikings to see how good the 2024 Husqvarna TE 300 is.
It’s always an exciting time when a manufacturer goes back to the drawing board and releases the latest and greatest version of their bikes. Husqvarna have done just that with their 2024 enduro range and I was fortunate to attend their worldwide launch in Norway. They’ve totally revamped their entire range of bikes and one of the biggest talking points of the new model launch is the introduction of the Throttle Body Injection (TBI) on their two-stroke enduro weapons. I was pretty damn excited to throw a leg over the 2024 Husqvarna TE 300.
Now, we aren’t complete strangers to the new TBI two-stroke engines from the KTM group as they released them last year in the MX bikes and from all accounts, they’ve been well received. While I hadn’t had the chance to ride one yet, from what I had heard, they produced solid power and were incredibly smooth to ride which is kind of exactly what you want out of a 300 two-stroke enduro machine. There’s no denying that the 300 two-stroke is the pinnacle machine for the ever-growing hard enduro scene as the power, torque and weight of the bikes makes them perfect to tackle the toughest of conditions.
WHAT’S NEW?
The Husky engineers were very proud to tell us that over 95% of the 2024 models different to the previous generation. The new frame is slimmer with the foot pegs moved down 3mm to open the cockpit up a little and help with the rider triangle. The new subframe is a poly/alloy hybrid unit and the new seamless body work makes the bikes very easy to move around on. Every piece of plastic is integrated into the next one so that you don’t catch any edges whilst moving around. As I mentioned, the two-strokes now come with TBI injection technology replacing the TPI units for a more rideable experience and also, it’s a lot simpler for the riders to live with. Braketec still handle the braking department and they too have received a whole host of updates.
The biggest and most exciting part about the ’24 range is the introduction of the new WP XACT 48mm closed cartridge fork. Holy moly have we been waiting a long time for this. They have finally got rid of the XPLOR fork up front and replaced them with WP’s newest technology and I think for me, that’s bigger news than the TBI technology and probably what had me most excited about the new bikes. WP have also thrown a new XACT rear shock and linkage in the mix and now you have a package that could possibly be the most race ready version of this bike ever made right off the showroom floor.
There is also the addition of the new Offroad Control Unit (OCU) which is an awesome piece of kit. It eliminates all of the fuses under the seat and now there is a small screen with each of the main circuits. These circuits are lit up with a green light and if anything goes wrong in that circuit, the light will turn red and you know right away which circuit the fault is in so you don’t have to chase your tail trying to find it. As soon as the fault is sorted, the light will go back to green and as always, green means go.
TBI or TPI?
In 2017 we got word that the KTM group were ditching their carburetted two-strokes making way for their ground breaking fuel injected two-stroke enduro machines. It was a highly anticipated release and I was fortunate enough to be along for the launch of the TPI bikes in Canada. With the carby removed, the new 250 and 300 enduro offerings from KTM/Husky were now running a transfer port injection system that allowed them to pass the ever-changing strict Euro emission standards.
It was a bit of an eye-opening experience riding the TPI bikes the first time. In all honesty, after years of riding carby bikes, my first experience with the fuel injected bikes was a little bit of a letdown. I was always a huge fan of the super grunty nature of the carby TE 300 so when I first hopped on the new TE 300 TPI, I immediately found myself searching for more power and overall, I just wanted more excitement.
I remember thinking to myself, “is this a 300?” I wasn’t quite sold on the new TPI direction. I guess the bottom line of my TPI rant is that since Husqvarna went down the fuel injected path, I have kind missed the older generation carby bikes.
Fast forward to the newest offering from Husqvarna and I was pretty damn excited ride these new 2024 TBI bikes. The TBI concept has a new 39mm Keihin throttle body in charge of fuel delivery and features dual injectors for a more immediate throttle response thanks to the direct cable mounting. This makes the engine run more efficiently and also produces a very strong and linear power delivery making it very rider friendly.
This means better control when idling and a much better fuel-air mixture creating more power and more response in comparison to TPI. As I mentioned above, I thought that the TPI was too smooth and just not what I was chasing out of a 300 two-stroke. I wanted more and well, is TBI the answer?
Honestly, the TBI is a huge step in the right direction. The new TE 300 now has its mojo back and while I still miss the carby snap, I don’t miss how difficult they can be to ride after a long day. The TE 300 TBI bike is super easy to ride.
The motor is strong right of the bottom and continues to pull right the way through. It’s a hill monster especially on the super gnarly conditions we had in Norway with nothing but rocks, hills and more rocks. It was so easy to climb up and down and the thing felt so light between your legs.
The new frame and motor has more ground clearance than the previous model and the pipe is wrapped in tighter to the frame at the front so there is less risk of damaging that amongst rocks. The throttle response is instant yet it’s not scary and not once did the bike cough or splutter even when being ridden right down low in the rev range. Of course, you can give it a quick flick of the clutch and it will launch up any ledge with ease but overall, this is the best version of the 300 motor that has come out of Austria since they switched to TPI.
At the launch was a TE 300 littered with their ‘Technical Accessories” goodies so it was built up with the new FMF Fatty and Titanium Powercore 2 exhaust and boy was I a fan of it. The FMF system gave the bike that extra grunt and on the small sections of track that you could open it up and really get after it, the FMF woke the bike up and she became a bit of an animal.
WP FOR ME?
Since I got back, every single person has asked me the same question. How was the fork? It’s pretty crazy to think that after all these years we have finally seen the reintroduction of the WP closed cartridge fork and I’m happy to say that it’s pretty damn good.
Instead of jumping on the bike and riding kind of reserved, I instantly felt confident to do what I wanted to do on the trails. The old XPLOR fork did the job to a certain point but if you wanted to ride off a ledge or go hit up a moto track with your mates, it was way too soft and there was no way you didn’t have sore wrists after a few laps.
Well, now you can! Sure, it’s still a lot softer than a MX setup so you still have to grease the downramp but the new WP XACT fork makes the whole ride more pleasant. You can actually believe in the bike staying straight and being stable over the rougher conditions. It’s extremely balanced now and with the new frame and its anti-squat features, the feedback you get through your hands and feet is much more positive and comfortable.
The bike holds up better over the rougher stuff yet it still remains plush through the little chop and tree roots. I was jumping off things and riding into sections at race pace with a different level of confidence compared to what I had with the older XPLOR fork and I was all about it.
The new WP XACT shock is lighter and actually they’ve decreased the overall length by 15mm yet still retained the 300mm of travel. This adds to the anti-squat behaviour and the bike sits more level and therefore, you get a very stable ride. It’s definitely a much different ride to the pervious enduro bikes with some people claiming they feel quite rigid, but for me, I really liked the way the bike felt out on the trail. Best handling Husky two-stroke I’ve ridden in years, that’s for sure.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s a damn good thing this 2024 Husky TE 300. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it. Apart from the side stand being a bit hard to access with your boot, this bike is the best 300 two-stroke I’ve ridden from the Austrian brand in a very long time. It was easily my favourite bike at the launch.
Playing around on all the technical stuff I really liked the new TBI motor compared to the previous TPI version. I still would like a little more snap off the bottom just for added fun factor but I’m sure that can be achieved via re-mapping or with a more aggressive exhaust system. The new TBI system gives the bike a super easy and predictable ride that honestly, suits just about any rider out there. The chassis is awesome with the new WP XACT suspension bringing the handling of the bikes up a notch.
It’s so refreshing to finally hop on an Austrian bike off the showroom floor that has suspension that compliments the bike and its capabilities rather than holding it back.
WORDS GEOFF BRAICO || PHOTOS SEBAS ROMERO & FRANCESC MONTERO