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Hyosung TE450 MX ATV
Korea Steps
Into The 450 Ring
Hyosung TE450 MX
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If you need further proof of the rapid
development of the highly competitive 450cc race
ATV class, look no further than the sheer number
of manufacturers offering an entry this season.
The Hyosung TE450 represents the eighth manual
transmission 450cc performance model we’ve
looked at this season (the others of course
being the Honda TRX450R, Yamaha YFZ450, Suzuki
LTR-450, Kawasaki KFX450, Can-Am DS450, Polaris
Outlaw 450 MXR, and KTM SX450).
For
those unaware of just who Hyosung is, rest
assured they are a Korean based manufacturer
with a rich heritage in powersport/ motorcycle
production dating back to 1978. Despite
the fact that they have been steadily
establishing a dealer network here in the U.S.,
a majority of their global sales cater to the
European and Asian market. The TE 450 (and
the rebadged United Motors version) represents
the company’s first stab the performance 450cc
class and as such it bears much of its
configuration to the standard fair: Dual A-arm
front suspension with piggyback
reservoir-equipped shocks, a solid axel and
mono-shock setup in the rear, chain drive,
5-speed manual transmission, and a liquid cooled
dual overhead cam 450cc four stroke single
providing the muscle.
Upon first glance,
the quad looks sharp and purposeful with racing
inspired plastic (available in black and red
color options) and a wide, low center of
gravity. Little touches like Kenda
Dominator tires all around and an
aftermarket-styled muffler make the ATV stand
out in a crowd. Hyosung boasts two claims
to fame with the TE450: First, with a claimed
power output of 51 horses, the lightest power to
weight ratio of all of the 450s. And
second, with an MSRP of $5999, it is the
cheapest entry in the class.
Odds and
Ends
Before we even get to the details
of the actual ride experience, we have to
comment on some of the oddities that will
certainly be noticed by most before they even
press the handlebar-mounted starter. Yes,
there are two levers where one normally expects
to find only the clutch. The second
slightly smaller (and higher) mounted lever is
the parking brake. It appears to function
efficiently enough, but more than one test rider
complained of accidentally grabbing it when
reaching for the clutch in a panic.
Additionally, the quad is peppered with running
gear that normally accompanies street bikes.
Reflectors, threaded mirror mounts, and even a
horn come standard. When asked, Hyosung
claims that the model is actually street legal
in several countries across the pond and thus
comes equipped to deal with such regulations as
required (which explains why early photos of the
quad often showed it wearing supermoto-style
tires). Obviously here in the states, not
only is the ATV sold for offroad-use only, we
suspect those looking to shave weight for racing
will start by ditching the street gear and then
continue eliminating non-necessities such as
fenders and lights anyway. Still, we must
admit that it certainly looks strange to find
turn signals on an ATV.
Ergonomics
Once the initial shock of the vehicle’s odd
choice of standard equipment wears off, the
actual experience of climbing on board is
surprisingly standard-fair. The reach to
the bars is natural and comfortable and the
quality of the components looks and feels very
much like their Japanese counterparts. The
riding position is fairly neutral and confidence
inspiring and the overall feel of the quad can
be most accurately compared as somewhere between
the Honda TRX450R and the Yamaha YFZ450.
It isn’t quite as tight and nimble as the
Kawasaki KFX nor is it as squatty and stable as
the Suzuki LTR. We were impressed with the
ergonomics and layout of the quad right off the
showroom floor. A quick stab of the
e-start button sparked the 450 to barky life.
We broke our test into two main environments:
A sandy motocross course and a hard pack woods
section in effort to isolate the TE450’s
strengths and weaknesses. Here is what we
uncovered…
Speed
While the best
power to weight ratio in the class is quite a
claim, we can’t accuse Hyosung of exaggerating,
at least not in the power output portion of
their claim. While we didn’t have an
opportunity to put the TE450 on the dyno to
verify it, we can state with confidence that an
estimate of 51 horsepower isn’t too far off.
The quad begins making power down low and builds
steadily to the upper reaches of each gear with
linear authority. A bit too much throttle
will break the rear tires free in most any gear.
We noticed the back end displays a definite
tendency to start creeping up beside the rider
on the hard-stuff especially. Often times
the only means to get the quad to straighten out
during acceleration was to actually let off the
gas: A shame that so much power is lost in
translation due to the limitations of the
chassis. Truth be told it is the
suspension action, or lack thereof, that causes
many of the handling bugs we encountered but
more on that later.
To answer the
question is the Hyosung TE450 fast, we can
honestly report that it is easily on par with
the efforts of its classmates. With some
upgrades, this quad could certainly be
competitive against the brands mentioned above.
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