the old question of which is better: 450/ 550/ 650

And the age old question comes up as a reply:

What, specifically, are you looking to do with it and what level are you at as a rider?

For me the 450 is a little on the soft side but is excellent for trail riding. I would plump for a 550 for pure versatility sake, it's beauty and the beast - I nearly killed myself taking my 650 trail riding.
Simon

I haven't tryed the 450 or the 550, tho i would love to do so.
But since i mostly use my bike for road use, and like to take trips, i think it is best for me to go big

As you found our during your test rides on the 450 & 550, the 450 is a sweet high-rev spinner where you can keep the throttle pinned most of the time. The 550 is another great motor with a good balance of revs and extra torque for advanced or heavier pilots. The 650 is a big linear monster torque machine. It's tough to keep the throttle pinned on the 650 engine unless you comfortable with warp speed travel.

The best bike for you boils down a combination of its intended application and payload weight. Tight woods, open woods, desert, supermoto, etc. I think the 450 would be best on the tight woodsy trails or tight supermoto tracks. As the trails open up or the supermoto tracks get bigger or if you're a bigboy then the larger engines may be more to your liking.

I will quote Anders Eriksson, 7-fold enduro world champion.
He said recently in an interview that he would love to be overall fastest with a 650. That he considers to be his next personal goal.
So whoever thinks BIG is good in enduro, think again.

Or could it be that what you call enduro in the States is more like offroad trail riding to us?
Personally, I am intrigued by the coming 380cc kit. Perhaps we will see it as a stock version in ´07?

Meanwhile, I trade the sluggish turning of my 501 to the stability and power it provides for all other riding besides enduro. Quite happily I might add... Knowing quite well I would be faster in the woods on a 250f...

I was minutes from buying the 650 when the dealer and my wife talked me into the 550. I'm glad they did! I'm in the Eastern Mojave Desert where the trails and terrain are quite diverse and the 550 has the juice on the more open trails. Being intermdiate at best in the more technical stuff, the 550 is a handful, but gives me something to aspire to. There's no way I could've handled the 650 at my experience level. I think I'd be ringing the 450's neck allot on my longer rides.
Tom

Aspen wrote:
"Personally, I am intrigued by the coming 380cc kit. Perhaps we will see it as a stock version in ´07?"
It will most certainly come out as a option kit that you can have factory fitted for a humane cost.
Full gas utan ras.

I rode both the 450 and the 550 before I bought the 550. I was used to more low end torque than the 450 provided. The 450 is a short stroke motor that spins up quickly and has great mid and top power. The low end power is good still, it is very smooth and easy to ride.

Even the 550 is smooth off the bottom and easy to control and ride. It does however, have much more low end power than the 450.

clearly the FE450e is the best. :holy: :violin: spam :director: :grommit: mopedsmile: :ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh: :iagree: H-berg

I have a new 06 fe650 with the akrapovic exhaust system , What a monster , great for open desert riding.......

I have had three KTM 525 and a 05 KTM 580 MXC, Not even close to the power and torque of this awesome machine....



Gee-Bee

We have had this discussion in previous threads and I will say the same thing that I have said before:

The 550 is an amazing motorcycle.

I have been lucky enough to log many hours on the 2004, 2005 and 2006 450, 550 and 650s. I have pounded them as hard as I can in every type of terrain from tight, technical woods, wide open desert conditions, frozen lakes at minus 30 celcius and public streets.

I might have a hard time staying with the likes of Fryguy, BOSS or Dan Watt for any extended periods but I did earn my Expert/Pro status in Cross Country, Hare Scrambles and on the Ice before I stopped racing a few years ago. I have owned way too many motorcyles.....I will repeat the FE550 is an amazing motorcyle...the best I have ever had...by far.

Reality...if I was racing in tight woods I would go with the 450 because I think I could hammer it harder for longer periods of time, conserve energy and probably finish better. That being said, I know that guys like Fryguy and Watt (who are in great physical condition) have raced the 550 with great success in tight terrain. Also, if you are not an overly experienced rider, the 450 may make you more confident and allow you to have more fun.

If I was racing more open terrain like in western USA and Canada, I would definitely run the 550. If you are an experienced rider that wants the beast like power of the 550 but is not concerned about racing it every weekend, the 550 is the ultimate play bike in any conditions. That is my category.

Not sure if this helps but it is what I thought about when trying to decide what to buy. I am definitely biased. I have always liked the bigger motors. I never liked 125 two stokes and always had 250s....until I found out about KTM300EXCs 8O . In my mind the 550 is the 300 2 stroke and the 450 is the 250 2 stroke. The 650.....500 2 stroke.

For what it is worth...there is my 2 cents

My answer would be None of the Above...

All the boys said it for what it realy is, do you do it for fun?

or do you do it for points? Even if your a big guy the 450 is enough,

The stop watch will tell you everything most often the 450 will

be the fastest on the clock,If a smile is what you crave the 650

can certanly do that! I like the idea of having one of each!!!

BOSS has it right. If the stop watch is important, then 450 is the unit, especially if you're from Europe, the east coast or the North West, or Western Canada. However, since you used to ride a 600, well, Coffin has a BIG point! The 550 is good everywhere, and even magical in some.

fry

I wonder if Husaberg might someday decide to offer FS550E bikes. Easy enough to build using existing parts.