06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Flight.

Oh my goodness what a fantastic day today at Elkins Flat one of my treasured local Sierra Nevada woods riding areas. it rained on friday and today conditions were moist chocolate cake every where.

The FE450e is so light. Fast, smooth and nimble. I like the WR tranny it's very nice, no gaps in gearing. The bike can tractor up stuff, but wants to scoot up fast mid range go man go. power is linear with most in the mid to upper range I found. The suspension is superb, the bike thrilled me in every situation. here are some shots of my friends that show you the conditions today

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YESS the Husaberg was awesome today. SO LIGHT and Flickable. I actually had a BLAST on trail 25 for the first time. The Jedi bike is sweet in the woods. I miss the 510 on the double wides, but man the Fe450e just sailed thru the tight stuff and danced over the whoops. Here ya go, Me doing My Jedi Star wars leap, The FE450e goes into hyperspace!

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Can ya see me smiling here!

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My friend yz250dan took all these photos of me on my bike for you guys at UHE, they came out great.

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Jedi Berg coming in for a landing

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WOW the bike is something else. Da Berg in it's element today! SWEET!

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Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

Short answer: YES fe450e is very much more nimble and more fun in the woods single track then the TE-510 provided a big hill climb or lots of open trails are not a significant part of the mix.

Long answer:

think of my two bikes like dual sporting percentages: 90/10 90% single track 10% big stuff and open terrain then its the Berg 450 hands down...80/20 still berg, 70/30 --either way, but 60/40 or less small more big stuff Then I like my 510. the age old battle isn't it, well I assume it's age old. Smaller displacements for smaller spaces- yes I have experienced that to be true.

YES on USFS designated trails like the "single track" of elkins Flat and I suspect any woods riding with semi level elevation changes, the Husaberg FE450e is more maneuverable then my TE-510, BUT don't let that comment sway any FE550e buyers or TE-510 buyers...... If you want that nice 500+ power then go 4 it. I take my Husky 510 everywhere and I was on the trails with a KTM 520 owner who wants that extra power and he goes everywhere.

What wories me about the 450 is at my weight will it get me up nasty short to medium lenght rocky slutty garbage hillsides without requiring shifting and momemtum control, technical skills I lack currently. I climbed one small hill climb and the 450 was pinned against its rev limiter in 1st gear - surprized me. I have to learn to use the bike and its gearing to get up hills. See with my 510 I can screw up and just pour on that throttle and it gets me up that hill.

So bottom line will I want the fe450e at Stonyford, a place with big elevation cahnges and open trails and hills and single track too? probably not but that statement is true for any 450 make bike for a big guy like me....because now and then I need the beast up there , But will I prefer the 450e at Foresthill, Georgetown and Elkins Flat ( places that don't have mountains to climb but regular nice woods riding trails systems) - MOST Definitely the FE450e is sweet nimble fast and has surprizing litte engine braking which helps too in the woods to my way of thinking.

will I want the 450 at Moonrocks( desert play ground)? no way give me that power of my Te-510 and loan me your 550e.

the question for me really is this: bigbob of the 450 E start thumpers which make do you prefer? oh man oh man the answer is easy HUSABERG FE450e. Its the light weight champion and I dig the short stroke motor, would I buy a street leagl TE-450 for less money - you bet if i didn't allready have a dual sported TE-510. would I like to own a FE550e and then a Street legal TE-450 - you bet. But I like my mix better because on dual sports rides you are on more open trails and that 510 power is the way to go.

yada yada yada...the guys here probably think I like to hear myself talk with all these posts........not really. just giving up my first impressions, looking foward to many months of happy owner ship of Da Berg 450 and future years of other husaberg bikes too.

I am setting up the FE450e as my enduro bike. I hope to be able to afford a fancy trail computer for it in the spring. I am taking the berg and the husky to clear creek in two weeks, will the berg be nicer in those tight rabbit hole trails you bet, will I miss the Husky for the big hill climbs you bet. would I like to have a FE550 for clear creek oh my yes.

I have my two bikes. I am stoked!

Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

the FE550 is a similar wide ratio tranny as the FE450 e is?

Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

to clarify my opinion and experience: The 510, 525, 550 are very good bikes in the tightest of stuff. I ride my TE-510 on frigging Goat trails, double black diamonds, the worst of the best of California. the Te-510 eats that tight stuff up. I am sure the FE550e eats up all the tight stuff too as well as that ktm 525. I am not one of these guys who says the bigger bikes tire you more - HOGWASH.

I have an 05 TE-510. I did not want to go up displacement this time. I wanted 450 for a lot of reasons and because the 510 has been a bit much power wise lifting the front wheel, cuasing me to feather the clutch more in a couple situations, the BERG fit the bill. Now I know more how well the FE450e really fit my needs as it is the lightest 450 made. minimalist design. the way the rear fender and side panels are all one. the way the tank is only sitting there held by the two side screws to the roost protectors. the no air box 90 degree intake boot up to the twinkee. no shock link. minimal design- very cool. I'm studying it learning the Zen of berg. I like it.

relative to the 550 and comments above, I can also verify this: We average weekend riders of big boy size weight do need the extra ponies to get our body up big hills, a good A rider can technique ride a 450, even a 250 up an huge oatmill hill, but on these hills I need my 510 or that FE550. sorry thats the way it is.

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oBack to my new woods weapon of choice. Here is a fresh new picture of me on the FE450e, forgive my leg out, that was for the camera. I can't rail a berm fast and low enough to ever really need to hang that inside leg out. So that's a fake leg, but nice picture. great conditions huh.

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Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

I keep my picture sizes small because I have dial up. I'll learn more about my bike this weekend. The riding position is really well thought out for a medium size guy. I'm a little big for any bike, the bar risers and tall seat will help that, but even then when I'm sitting my weight is up forward and yet centerbalanced. It just feels good when sitting in the bike. Just a slight lean forward over the bars and I can feel my weight loading the front suspension on corners.

Comments on owning two bikes:

Not being an experienced bike home mechanic, though learning, I feel more confident to do major maintenance work like tear down a front end to service grease stearing bearings becuase i know I can take my time and/or if I screw up, I still have a second bike to ride the next weekend.

Like owning two pair of dress shoes. The both last longer.

Like owning two surfboards, different conditions different tool, but also it's just right to have a quiver. It's fun to go play with the one or the other bike just because you want to, no matter the conditions, these bikes go anywhere.

good to see the manufactuer engineering differences, to know there is more then one way to build a good bike.

maintenace can seem like more if you let it fall behind, two bikes, two oil changes, two air filter cleanings, two more tires to buy.

need a bed extender in my truck for the 2-3 day long trips when I take two bikes so all my gear doesnt need tying down back there.

MOST of all It's really cool to have two great bikes in your signature.

here is the new Jedi Berg Fe450e all cleaned up. you see can Boomer my dog likes it too.

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the guy who edits your posts said:

Bob, when using long links, please use the url tag to shorten them like so:

Code:

[url=http://reallylong.url/to/my/pic.jpg]This is my pic[/url]

Click to expand...

That utah skid plate fits good, would have liked the husaberg skid plate but saved $90 going with the utah plate

Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

yup I saw your edits, did not know how to do that, will figure it out for next time.

Meanwhile I'm on the board with a $20 donation. Great Site Thanks.

Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

test of url edit

pic by me

Re: 06FE450e First Big ride Report w/Photos Jedi Bike in Fli

I'll be going to Clear Creek land of rabbit tight enduro trails and big oat meal soil hill climbs for 3 days Thanksgiving week. Looking forward to riding the 450 on the tight stuff and learning to work it up hills too. I'll have some pictures big time from that trip ready by Turkey day.

a good thread Hijack is always fun. was this thread hijacked? didn't notice, felt like a few more riders jumped on the ship that's all, I'm still the skipper of this thread or should I say skywalker, may the 4 stroke force be with you . :knight:

last night I moved the bars forward and installed the Fastway handguard system. Best handguard install I ever did on a bike. The system fits like a dream, the bars moved that one notch easy professional quality components like a dream. The fastway main center mount all fits perfect around the digital display unit - amazing you know how after market stuff especially handguards and crap never quites fits up quite right without messing with stuff? this set up fits like it was pre-engineered that way at the husaberg design shop.

with the tall seat and black handguards the bike is ready. I rode it last night and it seems faster. I remember riding an 05 ktm 400 exc last april, the other bike I considered. It seemed real quick to me. I think the 400 exc is quicker only in the first half of first gear, the FE450e is faster as you accelerate thru the back half of first gear and way faster in second gear as it seemed to me last night. anyway with bars forward I don't need bar risers somehow when standing the bars feel more up now??

got another perfection weekend of husaberg riding this weekend. Taking the bike to Foresthill, this is the one place where my TE-510 never felt at home. The trails aren't tight at all, but it's a well travelled beautiful USFS woods trail system where the trails are thick with mulitple bermed turns one after another thru the trees. Somehow the big husky feels out of place in those quick berm to berm carving turns. I was never even opening the bike up just throttle clutch throttle clutch.......This is a one of the main reasons why I wanted the 450 as a garage mate for my husky. I bet my husaberg feels a lot different and much more at home at Foresthill. looking forward to it and Fh has one trail with lots of rocks too so I get to feel out my suspension there more.