We were a alarmed to hear that Pierer Industrie AG, the majority stakeholder of KTM, was going to discontinue their Husaberg brand of motorcycles and replace them with age-old Husqvarna brand that they had acquired from BMW in 2013. We have grown to love and respect the KTM line of bikes as well as the premium Husaberg line. Last year, we put a couple Husaberg TE300 bikes through the paces in the mountains of Eastern Idaho and the deserts of Central and Southern Utah. For these types of technical trail riding, they were excellent in every way. Later in 2013, after the Husqvarna acquisition announcement, KTM released more information about what the Husqvarna bikes were to become. We were relieved to find out that the 111 year old Husky brand would have new thoroughbred blood pumping through its veins as the bikes would be based on the technologically advanced Husaberg platform. We couldn’t wait to place our order for a couple of the 2014 Husqvarnas. We placed an anxious call to Rexburg Motorsports in Rexburg, Idaho, hoping to be some of the first to get our hands on the first bikes from Austria. It will be our pleasure to provide you with our observations and feedback as we throw a leg over these bikes every chance we get this season. We’ll be riding an FE501 and a TE300.
Our first ride was on FE501. The 501 is based on a white powder coated chrome-moly steel frame that is mated with a space-aged plastic subframe, which houses the easy-access air box. The subframe also provides some nifty integrated grab handles that get used all the time. They say this plastic subframe provides the right amount of rigidity, flex, and therefore feedback to the rider and comfort. All we know is, we never broke or bent these subframes on our Husaberg TE300s when we probably should have. The air box on these bikes makes a quick peek at the air filter a snap by simply removing one of the side panels under the seat. No tools required.
For suspension, the Husky bikes employ a WPS 4 chamber, closed cartridge fork that provides a precise and yet bottomless ride as we pound through chop, rocks, roots, and whoops. There have been several occasions when we took a hit to the front end that we thought would certainly translate into us flying over the bars and through the air with the bike coming in hot behind us, but somehow, this fork just takes the hit and you keep riding. This fork is highly adjustable as well. Both the compression and rebound clickers are sitting on top of the fork. You just take your hand off the throttle and spin the clickers once or twice to tune on the fly. The Huskies bring a new rear suspension to the market this year. Husaberg and KTM enduro models currently use a PDS linkage-less shock setup on the rear, while Husqvarna is using a new linkage rear suspension with a WP shock. This new set up keeps the rear tire more planted to the ground through the bumps and also provides a softer landing when jumping the bike. More feedback to come on this suspension as we get the suspension dialed in and lay down some more miles.
Brakes on these bikes are superb. They use a large 4-pot caliper on the front and a 2-pot caliper on the rear. The lever and pedal feel is excellent. This braking system provides big braking power with rider-friendly, precise brake control.
One of our favorite aspects about Husky, Husaberg, and KTM bikes is power delivery via their silky-smooth hydraulic, wet disc clutches. You have to watch what you say around mixed company when talking about this clutch. If there are Japanese bike owners within earshot, it’s probably better to avoid this subject because you’ll inevitably find yourself making comments about how the clutches on other bikes feel archaic, primitive, and exhausting compared to your (insert Austrian brand here) and that’s why Rekluse clutches were invented.
The power plant on the FE501 is the same 510cc single overhead cam engine that is used on the Husaberg FE501 and the KTM 500 XC(W). Essentially, it’s the 450cc motor with a longer stroke. Its reputation is all about durability, reliability, and longer service intervals. This engine is all about torque and lots of it. It’s digital EFI system makes it responsive and nimble. When you crack the throttle, it reacts instantly with tractor-like torque that you have no choice but to respect. It’s a lot of fun to ride, especially when you need to build speed quickly or want to climb out of a hole with virtually no runway.
He ain’t heavy… Well, actually he is. This bike gained 5 pounds over the Husaberg FE501, weighing in at 250 lbs without fuel. This bike definitely feels significantly heavier than the TE300 when it’s stationary. We’re going to reserve further judgements about the weight of this bike and how it affects the handling characteristics until we get the suspension tuned properly.
This is our initial report on our FE501. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the season as we put the 2014 Huskies to work in the mountains and deserts this year.
Sources:
Rexburg Motorsports
www.rexburgmotorsports.com
(888) 619 - 0770
1178 University Blvd
Rexburg, ID 83440
