FE450e new gearing Makes a BIG SMILE! Desert here I come!

Most of you know I am a big guy who found my Fe450 to be a fantastic woods bike, but coming up short in the Desert. Well actually I now have discovered the 450 is a great Desert and open bike too. It was not coming up short at all. It was coming up TALL.

Trouble with a newbie rider like me is I post sometimes dumb stuf. Now I know how a simple gear change can change a ride. I thought I knew gear changes. had been thru them in other bikes, I know the ratio's and all......... so here is the good story:
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My chain and sprocket were ready to change. To save money I put back on the stock 48 tooth rear(which I had rode only 10 hours on) and dropped in a new 13 front. This lowered the gearing again from the 14/50 I had. Like most I found the stock 14/48 to tall, but I trust Husaberg engineers so one month into bike ownership last year, I stepped it down the smallest step I could by going to 14/50. I have been there for 110 hours and that was the gearing I ran in the desert.

Bottom line the new 13/48 gearing makes the bike a more working trail bike feel in the woods, less open ended which made me zoom ahead... I kinda miss, but 2nd,3rd and 4 gear are now closer and magically the bike has lost the gappyness in the open trails. It now has more of a half to 3/4 powerband feel thru all gears. It draws more on the bikes power in each gear. Very cool. I can tell it will be a new and much better ride in the open including the desert. very happy with new gearing. Doh! wow the 450 is sweet. 125 hours now, the bike is super reliable, fast & LIGHT, great in all conditions- a real charmer.

I think Taffy tole me 13/48 last year. I wish I has listened, but ya gotta learn as you go. maybe now I'll make it leaner too. :wink:

Bigbob, I run 13/50 on my FE450, can still do nearly 80mph. I don't like a larger rear than 50, the chain eats into the chainguide block.

KTM is notorious for over gearing bikes as well.

When I rode 400/450EXCs, I always ran 13/52 gearing even though stock was 14/50. My bike would still run 75mph+.

I was planning on running 14/50 on my 07 FE450.

Keep an eye on the swingarm chain pad. The 13T will accelerate the wear quite a bit over the stock 14T.

Glad to hear of the positive outcome of your gearing change Bob. Always kinda felt something wasn't right when you would post that the 450 was no good in the dez. One thing many of us fail to take into consideration is the actual weight of the human on board. I'm sure the 450 realizes it's potential in the desert better with a 160 lb. pilot versus a 230 lb. pilot.
I'm closer to the latter but I'm working on it. This had something to do with my choice of the 550.

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