Husqvarna FE 350 and Husqvarna TE 300i in a comparison test

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Husqvarna FE 350 and Husqvarna TE 300i in a comparison test

Cloudy to clear

The days of blue two-stroke clouds are (almost) over. Because with one injection, KTM and subsidiary Husqvarna throw the carburetor overboard. The comparison test between Husqvarna FE 350 and Husqvarna TE 300i shows: cheerful prospects for fans of the Schnurle reverse flush.

JEvery gas surge conveys a dense bluish cloud out of the slimline silence of the TE 300i. Didi Lacher, six-time train German motocross champion and off-road expert from MOTORRAD, is confused. Did the injection just turn the carburettor-fed two-stroke engine into an e-cigarette? To anticipate: there is only smoke in the cold running phase. As soon as the engine reaches operating temperature, there is no longer any visible blue haze. As promised.

Husqvarna FE 350 and Husqvarna TE 300i in a comparison test

Cloudy to clear

FE 350 3.3 liters per hour, the TE 300i 3.7 liters. For a two-hour enduro on sandy or fast slopes, the reduced fuel supply to 9.25 liters still demands nerve strength. Incidentally, the ten-liter tank of the 2017 TE models does not fit the current 300.

Nevertheless: With Didi Lacher the confusion is gone. Because the two-stroke has remained true to itself even after the technical high-gloss polish. Anyone who has liked two-stroke engines so far will find the injection engine even more likeable because of its stable idling, fine throttle response and lower consumption. The only difference is that four-stroke fans will still not – yet – change their minds about the new technology.

MOTORCYCLE conclusion

And what is the bottom line? Everything the same as before. Nearly. Because the injection transports the two-stroke engine into the modern age and still retains the simple technology – but also its character. Experienced pilots are required to use the qualities of the extraordinarily potent propellant. Everyone else will be happier with the uncomplicated 350.

A rare species: two-stroke fuel injection

Small, light, powerful – the two-stroke engine would be the perfect motorcycle engine. But high consumption and dirty exhaust emissions are always a cause for concern. Not only Husqvarna and KTM have to prove that gasoline injection can cultivate technology.

fact, Husqvarna

1997: With the Vdue, Bimota builds a two-stroke engine with injection. The project fails.

Only three moving parts (crankshaft, connecting rod, piston), compact dimensions (no high-rise valve train), low weight and high specific power (ignition with every revolution) – there are strong arguments in favor of the two-stroke engine in a motorcycle. The only horse’s foot: the high flushing losses when changing gases spoil the exhaust gas and consumption balance. All attempts to minimize this shortcoming are based on one idea: The burned exhaust gases are first flushed out with clean air. The combustible mixture enriched with petrol should only then flow in with the outlet channel largely closed.

One of the most spectacular two-stroke initiatives was undoubtedly the 500 Vdue from the high-end manufacturer Bimota. Two injection nozzles per cylinder supplied the 110 hp tandem engine (two counter-rotating crankshafts) with petrol.

fact, Husqvarna

2017: The E-Tec two-cylinder from Rotax with direct injection – for boats and snowmobiles.

However, the Italians never brought the machine, which was calculated at 30,000 marks and weighed 175 kilograms with a full tank, to market readiness. In 1997, Vdue was discontinued shortly before the start of series production.

While the injection nozzles are placed in the transfer channels with Bimota and TPI technology from KTM / Husqvarna, the Austrian engine specialist Rotax goes one step further. In the E-Tec two-stroke engine, the injection nozzles are located in the combustion chamber so that the mixture can only be injected when the channels are completely closed. This two-cylinder (600 to 850 cm³) is the only two-stroke engine that deserves the designation of direct injection. The twin, with up to 165 hp and turning over 8000 rpm, is currently only used in boats and snowmobiles.

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