08 Bergs ?

Mark,

A) There has been rumors and talk about a brand new 450 engine since sometime last year. Dave Clarke, who is the main 'Berg dealer in the UK, said to a brit SuMo Mag that the engine had been dynoed here in Örebro and then sent to Austria for further development.

B) Most of the times when I go to see the guys at R&D they welcome me with open arms but at one occasion last year I didn't even get in the front door. "Sorry mate, secrets beeing made. Can't let you in".

A) + B) = something big and new is about to happen I think 8)

RE: Sounds Great!

Mark

My knees have stopped twitching.....there will be a slim, we think about 7l or 2 gallon, fuel tank coming, July was last word I heard.

The engineers in Sweden certianly have not be at rest, the only question is what Austria will let you unbox. Again nothing solid on 08s, but as you suspect, I believe as well that it will be sutle changes, BNG, perhaps some bling, and the wedding crasher will come in 09. And the 09 will be a spectacle from the inuendo that I've got.

RE: Sounds Great!

So would you suggest a resurrection of the old FX line? 450/550650, 18 inch wheel, no lights but with generator, e start, moto exhaust or arrested, stiffer suspension, 6 sp wr, and the 450/550 with lighter flywheel, faster reving engines than the FE line?

Re: RE: Sounds Great!

fryguy said:

So would you suggest a resurrection of the old FX line? 450/550650, 18 inch wheel, no lights but with generator, e start, moto exhaust or arrested, stiffer suspension, 6 sp wr, and the 450/550 with lighter flywheel, faster reving engines than the FE line?

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I don't know who you're addressing Fry, but I'd certainly like to see the FX back in the line-up...

RE: Re: RE: Sounds Great!

I had pointed it at Mark, but conversation from anyone in that corner of the marketplace is ok, more the merrier.

Is there a place for a 450 fx, or just the 550/650?

Today is the first time I've been able to check out this post. I have ridden all the bikes we keep talking about. I've sold all the bikes that keep getting mentioned. There is no doubt which one is for me. I have a 2007 FE450 that I do compete with and by no means at a disadvantage. I honestly feel that I'm on a highly competitive bike. Also I've sold 2 2006
used FE 450's for $6000 this month. I would by all of the used ones I could at the price you mentioned of 3500! That's a lot of money left on the table! Probably the best piece of advice I could give is buy a bike from someone that you like doing business with
and let your riding skills take care of the rest!

sorry to ask again mark but are you ready to sell your berg like i said before Id love to own a newer one

Re: RE: Sounds Great!

fryguy said:

So would you suggest a resurrection of the old FX line? 450/550650, 18 inch wheel, no lights but with generator, e start, moto exhaust or arrested, stiffer suspension, 6 sp wr, and the 450/550 with lighter flywheel, faster reving engines than the FE line?

Click to expand...

Something like this: resurect the FX but they should essentially be the WEC bikes.

Re: RE: Sounds Great!

fryguy said:

So would you suggest a resurrection of the old FX line? 450/550650, 18 inch wheel, no lights but with generator, e start, moto exhaust or arrested, stiffer suspension, 6 sp wr, and the 450/550 with lighter flywheel, faster reving engines than the FE line?

Click to expand...

That would be a nice bike to compete with the KTM XCs and the 2008 Husky TXCs that are coming in 08.

RE: Not For Sale!

The KTM XC lineup has really addressed the crossover between the enduro and MX bikes. Mark, if you were to watch a WEC/ISDE grass track or old GP moto, you would see why FC lineup is weak to the modern Japanese MX bikes. Your description of snap is NOT what the Euros make and that makes them very difficult to make competitive against the Japanese made bikes. Its a philosophy more so than an ability to produce. Inherintly then the philosophy may not sell well here.

Right now I have two guys looking for FC 450s. The first to replace the one he has, he motos, hates the hit that the CRFs that he previously rode because it would beat him up in a 30/60 minute moto. Whilst fast for a lap, endurance skill were hindered. The FC allows him to maintain a quick pace for a longer time. Even some local pros, acknowledged that it lacked power to their own mx bikes they did realize that they could likely ride faster longer with the FC. The other guy has built a 380 out of his first FC and it kills in the bush compared to the Fe for the reasons you state, quicker wind up etc. He has a guy wanting him to build a second bike so he can purchase one of them. So there is market for them.

In the style of racing you do, I understand. Last fall, I took my daughter to the local mx track for her first ride on a track ( which she really enjoyed ). But I sucked at it because the corners were all inside/inside or outside/outside. My training lately has been to get better at Euro grasstracks, which mix it up, they enter wide and come inside to set up for the next inside to outside swoop. This style suits a more linear spread of power, while the lightning quick rev of modern mx bikes, are for the point and shoot style. Two vastly different styles.

Ultimately, I think Husaberg would benefit from building the FX. An FC that would compete in the mx arena is out of the question though, as their focus is offroad and KTM itself is focusing on the mx lineup. They are using a ton of Husaberg bred ideas in the new lineup of SXFs, we just won't see them with yellow and blue plastics. I guarantee that the 09 will be an earthshaker, not that I've seen or heard specifics, but intent is been stated that they want to return to leader of innovation. We'll see, petience jedi

Re: Not For Sale!

mark550fc said:

Once again guys: I love my FC 550 WITH SIX SPEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just because I do not like the fat tank for moto does not mean I think the bike is junk.
I do compete in the over 40 expert class and need a bike that is very competitive for sure. The 450F bikes that stack the line are smoking fast off the line I have to ride like a crazy man to catch up. Out of each corner you can see them jump up about 25 feet before the big Berg winds up. That does not sound like much, but multiply this by 15 turns a lap and that does. Once under way the Berg has great power but making up time is hard to do because you face the quick snap from the 450s on each turn. I would love to see a FC 400,450,500, and any FX size possible. The FE 450 is a great bike,but my focus has been on the FC line. Very few people in the west use the 450x type bikes in my class. As most just use a 450F with a heavy flywheel and call it good for WORCS and Moto, The 450fs hall *** and are much faster than say a 450x. As for people never using all the power of a 450 is just crazy if you think that! My 550 Berg has the throttle pinned all the way up the long hill at Honeylake every lap. Anything less will put you back in the pack big time.
It is good to see calmer dialog. 8)

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Strange..when I race it don't matter if I ride my 125 two smoke or a 525 sx I still end up beating the same guys. Even the little 125 can keep up down the long straights, I find it hard to believe that a 550 berg can't hang with a brand X 450 mx bike. A few years ago I rode a kx 100,a ktm 250sx than a Suzuki DRZ 400 at a local mx track on practice night, after a few laps to get use to each of the bikes my lap times were within 1.5 seconds no matter what bike I was on. If you give most good riders a 250F or a 450F their lap times stay the same, so I can't see how a 450 FC would slow you down even if it is down on power compared to the other 450s.

Re: Math IS Needed!

mark550fc said:

Moto is a top fuel race from corner to corner and only the quick will survive.
........ The points maid about being able to hold a higher constant speed on a soft FC 450 are well said. However at the amateur level we only go 6 laps not 20. That said the throttle is pinned most of the way in the higher divisions.

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Sad but true. Most courses in the USA have turned into sx courses with tight turns and big acceleration. What's the saying, "if your race is won in the turns - ride a 2T, if your race is won accerating between turns - ride a 4T". Nowdays you see step ups and doubles coming out of turns that require instant acceleration. The Japanese mfgs have done a great job of building a bike the excels at this type of racing, while the euros are shrugging their shoulders and saying "huh?".

mark 550

have you ever tried going up 1 tooth on the rear ?

would that help with the 1st 25 feet loss ?

Guys, it's been said many times that the 450FE is more akin to the KTM 400EXC and excels when the riding is technical and difficult and not the recommended bike for open desert racing. When the riding is technical, max HP doesn't mean much. The 550 seems to be the bike of choice for desert. FX would be nice, but the new FE does have much racier suspension. As far as a 550FC being slow. I had a 2000 FC 501 with a pumper carb, SPES pipe, and cleaned up ports. My neighbor still has it, and it will spank my riding buddies CRF450R. Yes, in a drag race. Talk to Lineweaver about removing the balancer and some flywheel mass as well as an FCR upgrade, and your problem will go away.
dan

Re: Not For Sale!

652berg said:

Strange..when I race it don't matter if I ride my 125 two smoke or a 525 sx I still end up beating the same guys. Even the little 125 can keep up down the long straights,

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i have the same experience. i virtually never am short on power, just short on riding ability.

it seems to me that racing a berg in mx is kinda silly, so if that's what we're talking about, i'd like to officially declare this to be a silly conversation.

Maybe today, but Joel Smets didn't think it was so silly a few years ago.
dan

indeed so Dan, Joel loved his Bergs