Fe 390 or 450

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Singletrail

Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
4
Location
Canberra Australia
Gday everyone,

Im waiting for the 2011 bikes to hit the show room and Im not sure of what one to buy?
I ride single trails mainly and love a good hill climb.
Cheers
 
Suttos up in Penrith have a day out at Clarence every now and then where you pay a small fee and get to ride the 390, 450 and 570.

Call Suttos up and find out when their next day is. It would be really worth riding all 3 bikes first I think, even though it is a bit of a haul from Canberra to Clarence. Lots of different opinions on UHE. Me for instance wouldn't swap the 570 for anything, while others on UHE just rave about the 390 and how great it is on power delivery and flick-ability.
My opinion doesn't count of course as I haven’t ridden the 390 or 450. :?

02 4737 9566 Chris or Daniel are a great help when buying a burger.

Welcome to UHE too :)
 
Thanks Davo I will ring Suttos.
It will be worth the drive to ride both bikes as its a bit hard to get a good feel for the bike riding around the streets.
I have been reading on UHO that the 390 is better for the tighter riding, but I do like the tight and open trails.

Singltrail.
 
My mates like the real tight stuff, Watagans, Rydal, Newnes, a real rocky goat country place down the back of Bigga, and the black diamond stuff out back of Toms Hill at Louee. I can nearly get up all the hills we go on and I am on the 570. I favor the open fire trails with the 570 power it just doesn't seem to stop coming on.

I am also happy with the low down slow power of the 570, it is tame. It feels like a DRZ400 if you have ever ridden one of them. Bit like a tractor :D

Then there seems to be a place somewhere around half throttle where the 570 turns into an animal.
I have had two instances where I have come over a small jump, landed and wound the power on, can feel the rear wheel spinning and its feels great, then bang it hooks up and you are in a spot of bother with the front wheel about 4 foot off the ground, thinking, this is gunna hurt. Haven’t come off the back yet but been close.
After reading many UHE posts, maybe the 390 would be a bit more forgiving, but I’m not changing. :)
 
Singletrail said:
... but I do like the tight and open trails.
Click to expand...

If you are coming from a Yamaha WR250F, the FE390 is going to be plenty of power - its engine is sooooo smooooth too, and plenty fast enough for tight AND the open trails in areas around Canberra. Maybe the FE450 with map switch on soft = FE390?? Dunno?
 
I like the 390. Ride on the MX track as well. All usable power for me and it doesn't get away from you. At Malcolm Smith motor sports in Riverside. Malcolm an old racer recommended the 390 as well. Great all around bike. Dude this thing is fast! Ride it in Mojave desert. Buy the 390!
 
boanders said:
At Malcolm Smith motor sports in Riverside. Malcolm an old racer recommended the 390 as well.
Click to expand...
Ahhh, what does some "old racer" know? Probably never had much of a career himself, just wobbled around slowly for a while on a few old clunkers in local races. Can't have amounted to much or I'm sure I'd have heard of him - he'd probably be in the hall of fame or an iconic movie or such like.

Wait a minute... :shock:
 
I think it would be worth a bit of time and effort to just ride each bike to get an impression of how they differ.

You might even try a blind test, if possible, where you don't know which bike you are riding so there is no bias. Then write down your impressions for each bike after the ride and compare them. It should be fairly easy - just cover the model designation on the rear fender.
 
The 570 satisfies the hooligan inside me, but I believe that with a auto clutch of some description, gearing and using the map switch, you could still have a tractable trails carver and full grunt on tap. All the bikes are the same size shape and weight so why not go for the biggest stick ? Just another angle for arguments sake, you'll be stoked with whatever you buy.
 
berglsmerg said:
All the bikes are the same size shape and weight so why not go for the biggest stick ?
Click to expand...
classic fundamental logic. :lol: :lol: That is the logic I used :lol:


And how's this for classic timing posted just this morning in another post:
fstclyz said:
How's the akra pipe working for you after a few months? I've got a 390 and wanting a bit more grunt.
CD
Click to expand...
from - viewtopic.php?f=26&t=11554&p=109585#p109585


Is that enough to keep you confused Singletrail ? :roll:
 
Yeh im confused. Thats the thing buy the 390 and feel after a couple of months I need more power or buy the 450 and be fighting it. Im thinking the 390 then after trick it up with a new exhaust. :mrgreen:
 
Singletrail said:
Yeh im confused. Thats the thing buy the 390 and feel after a couple of months I need more power or buy the 450 and be fighting it.
Click to expand...
As mentioned earlier, "Then there seems to be a place somewhere around half throttle where the 570 turns into an animal." I find the 450 is exactly the same. Open the throttle smoothly and gently and you get just as little or as much grunt as you asked for. On the other hand, give it a big handful and it picks up the front or takes off like a rocket. It has a *lot* more go than the Husky 450 I had before, but it's easier to ride as you have much better control over the power (and of course it turns much easier too). I haven't ridden the 390 so I can't compare the two, but the suggestion to ride all three if possible is a good one as it's the only way you'll know for sure what you're happiest with.

When upgrade time comes around for me that's what I'll try to do, as I can't say for sure whether I might prefer the 390 or the 570 over the 450 - if anything I think the 570's more likely as I'm sure it's still easy to ride with that great throttle response and you can't beat having more go when you need it!
 
berglsmerg said:
All the bikes are the same size shape and weight so why not go for the biggest stick ?
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly! Until I compared the 390 to the 570 anyway, the differences are bigger than the engine displacements suggests. As for the 450 (which I havent ridden), what I read about it, it seems like a 570 but with less power.
As for 390, it's plenty enough for me, I use it mainly for enduro riding, occasional trail and gravelroad. Soft setting for the enduro, standard for the gravel and hard for when I want to...who am I kidding, I never use it.
 
I am told the fe 390 will do 160km/hr. The speed limit here is 110; on the twin track trails I don't exceed 80 and single track 40. I bought my fe390 for dedicated single track (I have a Husky TE610 for other stuff - if I didn't have it Id get the fe 450)
If you are a desert racer then I guess you need more grunt than the 390.
 

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