FC450 VS FE450e

If you choose the FE:
If you get rid of the battery and the stuff inside the engine that has to do with the E-starter, also the E-starter itself of course, you will shave of about 8-10 pounds.
If you choose the FC:
There should not be so much trouble to get the two extra gears back in the gearbox I think.

Bear in mind that the FE's softer suspension _can_ cause trouble at the MX-track depending on your own weight and how high you jump. On the other hand the FC's harder suspension will slow you down on the trails. It all depends on which kind of riding you consider your "main kind". It sounds to me that the FE is your choice.

For me, I ride my FS both on trails, ice and occasionally at the MX-track. My main focus is SM-tracks so I consider the other riding as bonus and accept the disadvantages the lower and harder suspension gives me.

go to this excellent british site and scroll down on the right side to some tests. third line down they test ride the husabergs and i think you'll get a good comparison.

http://www.enduro.uk.com/

i ride hard MX and i can adjust the enduro suspension to stop bottoming but you must turn the clickers and preload back for trail riding or your arms will drop off.

you'll hardly feel the 13lbs or whatever and i would just withdraw the lights and battery so as to save weight and damage in a crash.

the biggest gain would be your residual value. 2 years time an MX ain't worth zilch.

don't worry about the gearbox-cruising in 4th or top will see you going way quick enough to soil your jeans!

the enduro every time!

Taffy

If you are riding 90% trails why not get the FE. Lights, 6 speeds, spark arrestor, estart and kick stand. I bought an FC for single track and had to spend big bucks on the suspension and add the spark arrestor. It is a major pain in the *** riding with other people and not having the kickstand or estart.
Don't pull the driver out on the bag when all you need is a wedge.

Just my opinion, and as always I could be wrong.

Cheers
Ken

berger said:

If you are riding 90% trails why not get the FE. Lights, 6 speeds, spark arrestor, estart and kick stand. I bought an FC for single track and had to spend big bucks on the suspension and add the spark arrestor. It is a major pain in the *** riding with other people and not having the kickstand or estart.
Don't pull the driver out on the bag when all you need is a wedge.

Just my opinion, and as always I could be wrong.

Cheers
Ken

Click to expand...

I totaly agree but why, on gods yellow/blue earth, would anybody want the spark arrestor :?:

In The US, spark arrestors are required on any combustion engine used on public lands. I am unaware of any exceptions.

Joe

I have both an FC and FE. Much prefer the FE suspension unless you are doing SX style jumps. I don't notice the extra weight of the E Start when riding since Husaberg kept the components low. I do notice the weight when lifting the bike through rocks and such though. Is easy to buy the plug that goes into the starter opening on the engine case and remove the E Start, battery, and taillight/fender extension if you choose. I ride in Baja at times and find the speed limitations of a 4 speed a big problem. Big Gun sells an MX muffler if you want to remove the stock spark arrestor muffler. Resale on an E Start Enduro is better.
Dan

As far as the muffler goes, you should be able to just buy the FC tip and that should let it breathe a bit easier.

And, judging by what your riding breakdown is I would definitely buy the FE. The ratio's I believe are the same with the first four gears on both models, the FE having the last two ratio's. The first time you lay the bike down and it floods, you will really appreciate that electric start. And once you get used to having the "E" button you will be amazed how adept you'll be at using it. Like not even missing a beat if you come into a corner too hot and stall it, you'll have your finger on the button and have the lump re-lit with minimal loss of momentum. Or maybe you mess up climbing a hill and are at an awkward angle, just hit the buttton and away you go.

agree dale

REAL racers keep the electric start on not off nowadays. momentum is everything. give a REAL racer a running engine and he'll be back on the track in a jiffy!

however if the phucking thing is laying on it's left on a steep hill then being GNCC champ doesn't mean diddly-squat.

it's not so much that you have to be "in it to win it" more like "it's gotta start-for u ta finish".

Taffy

Taffy said:

agree dale

REAL racers keep the electric start on not off nowadays. Taffy

Click to expand...

I've got to disagree with you guys here. Go to a GNCC or WEC and look at the racers bikes (on four strokes). For the most part you will find kickstart only, that's right the e-start has been removed (that goes for VOR, husky, Husaberg, and KTM). A properly jetted 4T starts easily, so why burden yourself with the weight. When I weighed the e-start parts on my food scale, I think it was ~12 lbs. I would prefer to drop the 12 lbs of the back and replace it with bib mousse tubes (~4 lbs a peice).

TM-enduro

so what you've done there is look at a cross sountry race which doesn't even ressemble an enduro (let alone a welsh enduro), looked at national/international riders and said: "see!".

sorry, but the places we ride here and the standard of rider mean that you're a long time stalled. if i rode MX or CC i'd have kickstart only as well and especially if i was an expert.

regards

Taffy

well bugger me backwards!

read TBM tonight and all 5 british enduro championship winning machines are on test.
WR125 husky 2T
CRX250F 4T
CR250 MX converted 2T
WR450 (500)F 4T
KTM525EXC 4T

all three championship winning 4T machines kept their leccy boots.

ye gads! i'll take back what i said above!

Taffy

Spoke with Rick Bozarth at Boss Husaberg today to buy the MX rear cap for my FE rather than the planned Big Gun and it seems that the inner perforated core is a separate piece and not built onto the end cap. No problem except the core is not available. Rick says that if you leave the inner Krizman core installed and only change the end cap, you won't see any gains. Back to Big Gun. More importantly, ask Rick his thoughts on this FC vs FE thing and he liked the FC with 5th and 6th gears added along with an FE ignition and headlight added as well. Says he can sell a new FC with these mods for only a couple of hundred more than what he would sell a new FE for and if you changed the Exhaust and stiffened the suspension on the FE, now the modified FC is a bit less money overall. As they say, more than one way to skin a cat and it looks like it all boils down to if you want the E Button or not :?:
Dan

Taffy
I guess it just depends upon the type of terrain you ride. For faster open stuff, I'll take a big block e-start 4T anydy. But in my neck of the woods, where 125, 200, and 250 2T's rule the tight nasty woods, I'll take the lighter wieght every time. Yes, I've wadded the bike up in the 3rd turn of an HS and endo'd down a hill in an enduro special test and cursed a foul starting flooded overheated 4T, and prayed ofr a button. I'm still waiting for a 235 lb 'berg enduro bike to take on the 250 2T's. I've raced 125's, 250's, and open class strokers in A/AA class, and can tell you that for me and many others, weight is the enemy. FYI, it is rare to see a 4T in the AA class for that reason. The B and C classes have alot of e-start 4T's rumbling thru the woods, but often their goal is to finish, rather than going for the win. I've ridden an '04 yz450 and '04 wr250 back to back, the lighter yz is faster and easier to ride (for me).
Oregon
The 6 speeds are manditory for faster special tests and transport sections (and gravel roads in HS's), so you would have to install 5th and 6th. Either bike is an excellent choice.

I ride an FE and a guy I know has a 125sx. I can give you a direct comparison of the two bikes. We rode some singletrack, quad trails, sandwashes, and some (what I would rate) medium hillclimbs.

The 125 power is too limited compared to my Husaberg. He was shifting 3 times as much as I on the trails.

He couldn't make it up the hardest hill. I rode it for him, after several attempts I barely made it. I went right up on my bike without any effort; cake walk.

His suspension was abusive compared to my FE.

What extra weight the bike has is more than offset by the power advantage, and much smoother suspension.

In the whoops, the FE again was far superior in handling and more fun.