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Fe550e woods gearing

Joined Oct 2005
687 Posts | 0+
Folsom, CA
Ok my stock gearing was 14/48 wow never saw 2nd gear even :lol: 8O haha

on week 2 of ownership I dropped the CS one tooth to 13/48 at the advice of celticdude. been at 13/48 for a year now. Yes 13/48 is nice......but I never see 4th gear. so what? hey if the bike is beautiful riding on my woods trails from 0-35 mph using only 1-3 gears then why change?

why change? oh heck I guess just to try it. So I am considering going to 13/50. Maybe now I will see 4th gear more often.....or maybe I should just go faster :shock: :p

any one running 13/50? any comments?


thanks
 
I run 13/50 on my 450. Works great on tigh single track, a little low when I start to dual sport it? We'll see.....
 
Bob,
I think the stock gearing on the FE550 is 15/48. It is on the '05. I honestly can't imagine ever going lower than 14/48 on the 550. This is what I run. I ride very tight, slow technical terrain. Even on rocky and rutted technical hills, I am still in 2nd gear. The 450 is another story. It does well with a 13T front.

Basing your gearing on the reasoning to "use more gears" strikes me as backwards reasoning, at least on a big bore four stroke with 50 hp. The shorter your gearing, the more you shift. If you don't ride any faster and don't need 4/5/6, then I am not sure lower gearing is going to be any benefit.

13/50 would be miserable to me on a FE550. You will be shifting constantly, and the motor will blow through the lower gears, increasing wheel spin and making it harder to ride.

With a high torque-producing bike like the 550, it is ideal to run the tallest gearing you can, based on terrain and rider skill. This lets you stay in one gear longer, reduces shifting, and increases the fun factor.
 
On my 550 I made a change from the factory´s 14/48 to 14/52 -
like Johnf3, I´m riding in very technical terrain,but I actually do need a very short 1st gear - even in stock it was to tall.

At least here in Austria, some change to even 13/52 in real technical riding (eg. Erzberg)
Anyway, I wouldn´t never go for a 13 as the chain is going to destroy the slider pretty soon;
I´m real suprised you´re running it for one season without destroying the slider?

Bigger Sprockets have also the advantage of less wear on the chain/sprocket-combo & better reaction of the shock.

With a high torque-producing bike like the 550, it is ideal to run the tallest gearing you can, based on terrain and rider skill. This lets you stay in one gear longer, reduces shifting, and increases the fun factor.

I totally agree :lol:
 
aplogize if _ mis-spoke, maybe it was 15/48 stock, I have to check. point is I only dropped the CS 1 tooth from stock whatever it was and now I am gonna add 2 teeth in back. 1 tooth down in front and 2 up in back is not such a radical change on a bike that stock gearing will go like 120mph if you had the balls to go that fast/.

But I totally disagree with this no shifting is a good thing concept. The husabergs are wide wide ratio tranny to the hilt. Even with the big Fe550 you will on a steep hill, hard packed notice that you are searching for the right gear. Its gappy. The FE450e is way gappy in the open. The Fe550 power fills the gaps except on steep hard pack hills....you will want a new gear in between 1 & 2 and again near 3rd. given the stock gearing or even my 1 tooth down CS gearing

I am totally on board with the Husqvarna close-ratio tranny. I use to see 4th and 5th lots of time on my husky te 510. Yes I shifted a lot, but I always had two gears in any situation to work with.
 
I just installed a 14T countershaft sprocket. I like it. Before this I had a 15T on the front combined with 52T Ironman on the rear. Now tight trails are effortless in second. First is low for crawling in tight spots and third is nice when the trail straightens out. This gearing also has the effect of closing up the ratios which works well for me. Sixth is still long enough that I can lope along at 90K and there's lots left if I want to use it.
 
bigbob said:
But I totally disagree with this no shifting is a good thing concept. The husabergs are wide wide ratio tranny to the hilt. Even with the big Fe550 you will on a steep hill, hard packed notice that you are searching for the right gear. Its gappy.
.

It's cool to disagree, but you're in the minority. Shifting less is better--when the bike can pull the gearing.

And the Husabergs really aren't wide, wide gearboxes. The ratios between 2,3, and 4 are comparable to most any other dirt bikes.

I'll race ya up any hill you want with my gearing vs yours :D

BTW, I think 14/48 is perfect on the 550 for most situations. It's what I have been running since day 1.
 
your right the stock was a 15CS. sorry for the cornfusions. so I am at 14/48 and yes I am gonna try 14/50. will report back.

BTW my speed ranges/gear now are typically, don't quote me on it:

0-10-MPH 1st

10-20 mph 2nd

20-33 mph 3rd

I never see 4th because I get skeered over 35 mph
 
One thing to keep in mind if going to the 50 tooth rear, check that the chain does not rub excessively on the chain guide, I drilled some more holes in the bracket that holds the guide to lower it about 10mm, I think others have done the same, just check the clearance otherwise the chain and guide will wear
I run the 14-50 now and I find it perfect
 
are you saying to mount the chain guide a full 10mm lower? that is some drop.
 
the distance depends on how much the chain is going to rub on the guide, you will have to check this and make the call yourself, I was told buy another berg owner that his guide came with 2 holes already so lowering the guide was simple, yes I had to lower mine 10mm
 
ok thanks for the chain guide lowering tip


Hey Gokai, WOW your jetting different then mine.

FE550/08
mj 162
NCVS 3rd from top
pj40/paj80
fms ~ 1.5 open
Honda Diaphram kit

I'm ready to lower my pilot fuel jet down to a 42 from my 45. It's buttery down low I know a 42 will improve it. How do you like that honda diaphagm kit? what is the Kit part #? what about the Boysen device? I was thinkjing of installing that.
 
bigbob said:
ok thanks for the chain guide lowering tip


Hey Gokai, WOW your jetting different then mine.

FE550/08
mj 162
NCVS 3rd from top
pj40/paj80
fms ~ 1.5 open
Honda Diaphram kit
I'm ready to lower my pilot fuel jet down to a 42 from my 45. It's buttery down low I know a 42 will improve it. How do you like that honda diaphagm kit? what is the Kit part #? what about the Boysen device? I was thinkjing of installing that.

Hi Bigbob,

we´re now way off-topic, but okay:
I didn´t invent anything, I`m just a follower to what others have worked out in years of testing.
just jump over into the Doc, go to Carburation and read this thread:
http://www.husaberg.org/index.php?name= ... highlight=
All info in there.(part-nr. etc.)

If you go for the Boyesen, R&DRacing, Mergeracing or other companies -> these products are more or less identical.

All I can say is that all Bergs that I do know and have ridden were way,way to rich jetted and they do become betterand better the leaner you go.

I´m still in carb-testing (still too rich) , and as soon as I found my "personal jetting", I´ll start a thread.


Peter
 
installed the 14/50 combo. used higher back screw hole on chain guard, therby lowering rear of guard a small bit, fits up and works fine as it did with a 50 t rear on my 06 fe450e which I forgot I had installed.

http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is ... 50,590,442

will do a ride report on the new 14/50 gearing here this weekend. am also going to change the PJ from a 45 to a 42 next week or maybe this week. I like small changes, leaner by bits I go
 
for woods on my tuned 400 i run 14/51 but it's important to be aBLE TO ROLL THE THROTTLE HARD WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL. i have improved the bottom end so much in recent times that i'm ready for 14/50 so i'm not saying 14/50 but i would start there and go to 14/49 if i couldn't rip the throttle with control.

regards

Taffy
 
oh great ones, the jetting is now even better, 42pj, 170 mj, OBDVR middle clip, 1.5 turns on FS. VERY NICE!

and the new 14/50 gearing is tops!!!!
 

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