But the 570 has had more than a mere name change. The cases are now black for better corrosion resistance, there's a lighter crankshaft for a snappier throttle response, an all-new clutch, and a new carb with an improved idle regulator. Apparently the previous screw system was prone to bending as it got older, dropping the idle in the process. Turning the idle screw even a small amount made a huge difference, but then because the screw was bent, it would always return to the lowest point, dropping the idle back down again. This caused hours of frustration if the rider didn't know the cause. The new system is a much stronger sliding valve arrangement, plus there's a new anti-friction treatment on the slide.
  Doesn't sound like much has changed? Don't be fooled: read on.
  A lot of R&D has gone into the geometry of the new 570. The rake is 2° steeper and the steering head has been moved 5mm forward. In theory this would quicken the steering while retaining the stability of a longish wheelbase, something bike designers strive to achieve. The steering head itself is lighter yet stronger.
  Staying with the steering, the triple clamp off-set is now 15mm instead of 25mm, which again would tend to quicken things up. The fork travel is longer as well, boosted back up to 300mm after a couple of years at 285 - we wondered about the wisdom of the reduction at the time.
  All in all then the Husky has an all-new steering set-up, and this is one of the first things you notice when you ride it.
  The improvements don't end with the steering though. Detail work includes a well-designed shroud on the rear brake master cylinder to stop the right boot from snagging, a new rear brake adjustment cam and new footpeg springs. The fuel tank has easier-to-attach fittings, the shock mount is stronger, and the paint is a good deal tougher on the frame.
  While the rear wheel retains the same 320mm of travel it had last year, the shock is changed. It now has a 50mm piston, new valving and a new adjustment system. The linkage ratios have also been revised for a more progressive action and the swingarm bolt is bigger to keep the plot stiff in the frame. While we're on that subject, both axles have gone from 20mm to 25mm, hunting the same stiffness, and the rear hub is now even stronger.
  Then of course there's the all-new plastics and graphics with the slim-line 9 litre tank and a seat that's flatter than your litt sister. You can take this or leave it, but the 2001 Huskys loc absolutely stunning in the flesh. A few riders had a whinge about the look of the pre-proddy pictures, but when you see them up front they're something else again. The 570 looks the business in a big way, prompting comments like the old, `It looks like it's flying when it's standing still'. Hey, it's true!

Fast by look, fast by nature, the new TE570    feels like a new bike from the ground-up
The slimline plastics and seat give plenty of rider freedom
The new decomp lever and killswitch are welcome detail changes
	Plug and general engine access is excellent

Admission

  Sidetrack has never been a huge fan of the 610. Yeah, wi liked it well enough but the TE41 0 was always more the favourite because it felt lighter and quicker to toss around. It came as something of a shock then to ride the 570 200 metres and fall deeply and passionately in love.
  There's a certain something about a truly good bike that leaps out and grabs you instantly. A well-sorted feel, the wa everything fits to your body, the response to the slightest movement of the right hand. Few bikes can provide an instant sense of depraved lust for speed and handling; the 570 does.
  To explain this it is probably important to point out that despite what seem like detail changes from last year to this the 2001 TE570 feels like a completely new bike. Take the clutch for instance. It's lighter than before, and way lighter than it was just two years ago. Better still, it disengages ver cleanly and we never had a problem finding neutral after pulling to a halt. The take-up is strong and the feel excellen
  But the reason for the new over-all feel to the bike has to be the crank. The big, even ponderous sensation of all that mass spinning under the tank has gone. The reduction of inertia has not only allowed the engine to rev quicker, but th gyroscopic effect of the crank has been reduced as well, an while it may sound esoteric you can actually feel it. The engine has a lighter, snappier feel to it and this change of mood has permeated throughout the bike.
  Of course some things don't change. The 570 still makes awesome power, delivered in a mind-bending rush. The response is sharper, but the delivery is smoother and there is even less need to use revs to cover ground. The TE grunts its way along tight single-tracks with little need for the clutch or gear lever. Pick a gear and leave it there; the 570 will pull it. Out in the open though you can let the revs not so much build as slam blocks of power one on top of the other until the speedo gives up in despair and you're hard on the brakes for the next turn.
  This is the sort stuff the 610 was legendary for and the 570 will not diminish the tough-guy reputation one single bit. The new delivery though is much more user-friendly, especially in the rough where too much throttle can quickly lead to drama. On top of all this the 570 produces less vibration, and in fact with its easy starting it's down-right civilised.

  The 570 is the sort of bike you go looking for trouble on. The easy line is never the one because the bike is begging to strut its stuff. You go searching for long rocky hills, sharp ledges on slippery trails and berms to nail on some snotty trail way back in the scrub. You can't help but push the suspension because the fact is that it'll take it.
  The 2001 suspension package is the softest/firmest on any Husky we've ridden. It is wonderfully plush over rock yet incredibly firm in the final reaches of the stroke after the hits have come hard. We'd ridden a different bike in the same spot a month before - and a very good bike at that - and the change in the perception of the riding was amazing. Things we'd been wary of like sharply raised tree roots became a breeze, challenges like steep climbs over rock steps turned to fun, and just to push things a bit a snotty rocky trail we'd previously avoided completely was tackled with ease.
  Confidence. That's the word. The 570 is extremely surefooted and when the wheels are tracking every inch of the way then the rider can stop worrying and enjoy the trip.
  The new linkage ratios have paid off with a progressive action. The wheel keeps strong contact with the ground in the messy stuff enabling the rear tyre to find drive almost anywhere. Going from wet clay to damp rock on steep up-hills hardly produced a side-slip, and with a little momentum the Husky clambered over angled wet tree roots like a true champion. Yet when the bike was tossed into the air it landed with superb grace, feeling as firm as a motocrosser. It also has the happy knack of using all its suspension travel without feeling like a sponge.

    The changes have made a huge difference to the feel of the bike. It's snappier, and a whole lot quicker to turn

      
Through the Bars

  So we've got a great engine and a brilliant suspension package, but that's nothing when compared to the improvement in the steering. Remember that the rake is steeper, the steering head is pushed forward and the triple clamp offset has been reduced. What have we got? A whole new way for a big bore Husky to go through a turn.
  The 570 loves a berm. Slide it in under brakes, feed on the power as the wheels lock into the rut and watch out, she's gunna turn. No 610 has ever gone through a corner like this and it's so good that you have to keep hitting berm after berm to make sure the first couple weren't a fluke.
  The Husky's ability to hold a line is exceptional. Even on flat corners the front will bite and drive, and hitting something mid-turn won't upset either end. High speed or low speed, the story's the same and the rider quickly finds he's getting to the end of the trail very much sooner than he did before.
  But the quicker steering hasn't produced a trade-off on straight line stability. The 610's rock-solid attitude at speed still lurks in the 570, enabling it to be hammered down rough trails without a qualm in the world. As mentioned previously, the rider goes looking for the hard line on bad hills just to see if the bike will take it. It does, and without drama!
  Throughout the test there wasn't a single time that the Husky didn't feel 100% under control, pilot error aside of course.

  No dramas here either with the 570 sporting the usual excellent Brembo set-up. The shroud over the rear master cylinder is a tidy thing and the rear adjustment system does work better than the previous one.

Odds & Sods

• We like the new decompression lever which is separate from the clutch, making it easier to reach and use.
• Access to the sparkplug is unbelievable in this day and age. All bikes should be like this.
• The new killswitch is better than the old system - short story ... A few years back a test 610 managed to fall over. It was picked up, restarted, but then cut out every time the clutch was pulled in. It took a minute or two to work out that the left switch block had rotated and the lever was hitting the killswitch. We like the new, simpler system.
• We didn't like having to give it back before the engine had fully loosened up. Husky importer Hans Appelgren has promised us another run once the ks are up - we figure it'll go like a cut snake then.

On the Trailer

  The 570 offers a whole lot more than a name and graphics change. It feels like a ground-up new bike, and it handles like one too. Interestingly, when Darryl King came out to ride the last Thumper Nats round this year he was keen to ride the production 2001 TC570 instead of the factory bike he had with him. Unfortunately the proddy didn't arrive in time, but it says something when a guy like that wants a production model over a factory special. And the latest news is that Stefan Merriman has just won the Six Days on what was basically a stock standard 2001 TE410. These things are that good.
  It's more than a new face, it's a whole new outlook. Give one a try, but have the money ready because once the 570 gets its teeth into a bloke, there is no escape.