Hello from Texas...

Hello everyone! I just acquired a 2000 fe501 insanely cheap. Been sitting garaged for a couple years. It is defiantly rough around the edges....(but I paid $200 for it) the bike is complete, had a Scott's dampener at some point as I see the mount, motor is all there and looks to be clean with compression. I just picked it up yesterday, will be getting it torn down for a full once over shortly. The forums look great! A lot of information regarding these rare (at least in my area) bikes. If anyone has suggestions or things to look for as I tear down, please shout out! I'll try to get some better pics loaded up shortly.

Congrats on the new to you purchase. These bikes have a nice following, and you're all set up on the right site.

These bikes are really engineered compared to their Japanese counterparts; with that said, there is no Clymer manual to help you out. The folks here are a wealth of knowledge.

Take lots of pictures as you start to tear into anything. This will help out when you start putting everything back together. if you get into the clutch side, take your time, and pay attention to the sequence of parts coming out. It's not as forgiving as Japanese motors.

Search the technical forum, and good luck!

Wolfy said:

Congrats on the new to you purchase. These bikes have a nice following, and you're all set up on the right site.

These bikes are really engineered compared to their Japanese counterparts; with that said, there is no Clymer manual to help you out. The folks here are a wealth of knowledge.

Take lots of pictures as you start to tear into anything. This will help out when you start putting everything back together. if you get into the clutch side, take your time, and pay attention to the sequence of parts coming out. It's not as forgiving as Japanese motors.

Search the technical forum, and good luck!

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Thanks wolfy! Will do, as of now I have the plastics off, and pulled the carb. Carb is defiantly gummed, along with brittle fuel lines. I also see a few wires that have obvious heat damage. Looking into the head, the valve passages appear to be pretty clean, and all are operating. Looking at the Allen head bolts on the motor, it looks as if not a one has been touched by a tool.... Including the rocker covers! I'm going to try giving it a proper carb cleaning and valve adjustment to start and see where it leads me!

you might be lucky and find an original seat for those decals. just be patient and keep looking on ebay.

Taffy

Taffy said:

you might be lucky and find an original seat for those decals. just be patient and keep looking on ebay.

Taffy

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I'm very much hoping so taffy! Love the look, but defiantly needs a fresh set... I have also been reading and rereading your wiki, and scouring your eBay page as well.:.. Seems as if you my be one of if not the resident expert! So as a first question, is it worth rebuilding and keeping the delorto, or would going to a Klein be the best route for easy tuning. Thank you in advance sir! Also, is the 2000 a ******* year? I see many parts ending in year 99, and starting in 2001. Witch is a little concerning due to the limited availability of berg parts.

the dell orto has made a comeback in OUR workshop. the problem is that traffic here is slowing down and there are many newbie questions but few technical ones so the guys here don't really know about the improvements I have made to the dell orto.

if you get a chance take a look at the videos on facebook of bikes starting. that just wouldn''t have happened a year ago. it was marginal then.

I tend to look at the 2000 the same way I do the series "one and a half" E-Type Jaguar. it has the best frame and the best engine together!

you have to decide whether you "have a cheap hat for your cheap head" or whether you really are interested in this bike?

it costs good money to put them right.

this is what I would do if it was mine:
sledge mod
change the slide to a /50 and commensurate PJ.
take the cam out, machine the shoulder of the cam and fit a steel cam sprocket, later auto decomp and spring and sealed cam bearings. I'd look at the condition of the valve seats and faces as well as the cam follower bearings and then I'd go to the DVSK and put the top end back together.
iridium plug
change the ignition timing to that which I always talk of here.
fit a much later cam chain tensioner blade to this old model.
fit the choke up on to the bars
CTZ7s Gel-cel battery

I'd also get a set of KTM 20mm offset TCs.
get any of the later rear shocks that are really cheap but anything from 2004 onwards is good.
if the leccy boot doesn't work then you'll have to let it be and wait for the day you really need to strip the engine because you can't work on the starter sprague without stripping the motor. sad but true!

you can keep working on these making a really nice bike out of them. for instance, I'm broad in the shoulder and the bars sweep back too hard by far for me so a set of SX bars and a bit more weight on the front made the bike sweeter.

you need to keep an eye on the clutch bush, that must always be a tight fit and can be upgraded with the fitment of the stepped washer from 2002-2002. we also do a clutch upgrade kit that means you use the plates that they are pretty much using today and you're getting an easy neutral.

it's true that you can keep going on and on and on and on. but I have given you some kind of priority as to the value to you of things. not cost but VALUE.

regards

Taffy

Thanks a ton taffy! That's exactly what I was looking to hear! At this point I'm not afraid to throw some money at the bike, seeing as I basically got it for free! I'll defiantly be placing an order with you in the near future for some of you upgraded parts. I'm glad to her that 2000 is a good year, I was getting a little nervous. My first objective is to get it to fire up, once I hear it run, I'm going to strip it down to frame and give it fresh paint and fresh bearings throughout. Once I get he carb back on in sure I'll have to bump start it....witch leads me to my next question.

My kicker lever has about 7 inches of play in it before it seemingly grabs the gear to apply pressure. I know his is going to make it literally impossible to kick start. My question being, what internally do I need to look at or upgrade when I pull the clutch side cover off. Also it doesn't have e-start. It is kicker only.
Thanks!!!

sledge mod was the first thing I mentioned.

Taffy

Taffy said:

sledge mod was the first thing I mentioned.

Taffy

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Awesome. Thanks again taffy, I'm still getting used to berg terminology. Haha

stayed for a week in Houston. a suburb called Belmont. went to the 'taste of Texas', did a few other Restaurants, went into about the onbly place you could call a high street. drank 'fat tyre'. there were 40 beers in this bar and all you could see were taps coming out of the wall? weird all of the beers were off and too cold. yes we do like a warmer beer - one you can taste. went to British pub named I think....The Richmond Arms?

got offered a job in Houston as a Rugby Union Coach but it didn't look secure enough for me to move out there for that! did Johnson that was good. did a Cajune restaurant, no wonder everyone is fat, they would bring these Crayfish/Crawfish out in a bucket for just one punter. over here it would have done your extended family and africa it would have fed the entire village!

Taffy

Taffy said:

stayed for a week in Houston. a suburb called Belmont. went to the 'taste of Texas', did a few other Restaurants, went into about the onbly place you could call a high street. drank 'fat tyre'. there were 40 beers in this bar and all you could see were taps coming out of the wall? weird all of the beers were off and too cold. yes we do like a warmer beer - one you can taste. went to British pub named I think....The Richmond Arms?

got offered a job in Houston as a Rugby Union Coach but it didn't look secure enough for me to move out there for that! did Johnson that was good. did a Cajune restaurant, no wonder everyone is fat, they would bring these Crayfish/Crawfish out in a bucket for just one punter. over here it would have done your extended family and africa it would have fed the entire village!

Taffy

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Haha! That was a spot on description of Houston! By what makes people really fat is the Mexican food. Cheese enchiladas topped with cheese with a side of cheese! Next time, or if your ever back over give me a Hollar! I can take you to some proper brew joints. And thanks again for all the advice! And I'll defiantly be in touch for some proper mod for the 501! I should be pulling the motor tomorrow, and getting the frame out for fresh powdercoat ect. Then start getting the motor situated. Found a possible donor bike from a member on here, it's a 2002 501. What would be proper parts to upgrade on this 2000?

I thought I did this! there isn't much I'd take off the 2002 otherwise it would be as good a bike.

by the way you are saying 'defiantly' when you mean 'definitely'.

I'll be back one day,when I'm old and wrinkil which is about now actually!!!!

if you want to tune the engine then the valve sizes are useless. you could have a 31/27 head but I doubt it, you'll have a 35/27 head and the exhaust valves want upgrading to 29mm and the seats cut accordingly, then port the exhaust ports heavily as they are like squirrell's earholes!

the rest we discussed. BTW, the little end bushes are always gone on Husabergs so just twist the piston and you'll find it will rotate about 2d each way.

Taffy

Taffy said:

I thought I did this! there isn't much I'd take off the 2002 otherwise it would be as good a bike.

by the way you are saying 'defiantly' when you mean 'definitely'.

I'll be back one day,when I'm old and wrinkil which is about now actually!!!!

if you want to tune the engine then the valve sizes are useless. you could have a 31/27 head but I doubt it, you'll have a 35/27 head and the exhaust valves want upgrading to 29mm and the seats cut accordingly, then port the exhaust ports heavily as they are like squirrell's earholes!

the rest we discussed. BTW, the little end bushes are always gone on Husabergs so just twist the piston and you'll find it will rotate about 2d each way.

Taffy

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Thanks a ton taffy, your knowledge of the berg is impeccable.

Have it fully down to frame as of right now, dropping the frame off to Powdercoat, then I'll be placing an order with you on some parts. Getting the initial parts list finished up..... Then I'll break into the clutch and top end tomorrow... So far the clutch looks decent, drained the oil, it was dark but had no metal in it whatsoever.... So that's a good sign. Clutch basket looks to be in good shape no grooves.

I'll be starting a rebuild thread on the bike tomorrow. I'll also get some pics uploaded. Going build it from the frame up so should be a lot going on in the next couple weeks!

Ps. I will "definitely" try to fix my autocorrect on this pos Phone. Haha