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velo's official '05 fe550 report

Joined Dec 2004
255 Posts | 0+
Kuna, Idaho
so i just got back from moab, and i have a few hundred miles on the bike. i rode it once here (80 miles) before putting in dale's jet kit, then spent another day getting that dialed in, so all told i guess i'm up to around 350 miles. aside from the jet kit, the only other non-stock item is the boss nylon skidplate, fastway low pegs, and 20mm bar risers. here are my observations:

1. i like dale's jet kit alot. carburetion seems perfect everywhere (to me, but i'm a spode). i was a little suspicious about disabling the AP, but dale is smarter than me, and the more i think about it, the more it makes sense. seems like 90% of 4-stroke jetting is limiting the effect of the ap and increasing the pilot jet. almost makes you think that perhaps the pilot jets are spec'd way too lean to pass epa and then they try to compensate for that with the AP, which probably doesn't come into play in their tests.

2. i like the suspension alot. i went 1 stiffer on the compression up front, but then i backed it off the next day after i moved the forks down in the clamps to the top of the fork tube (raising the front end). it's more controlled and progressive than either of my revalved ktms, but still plush. i rode my 300exc (revalved by ****'s) a few times out there too, and had no reason to prefer one over the other suspension-wise except the berg back end handled big g-outs better.

3. the ergos are pretty good at 6'2". for long rides with lots of whoops and chop, i'd like to get a taller (and fatter) seat to give my knees something to hold onto.

4. the handling is pretty nice. the front end sticks better than my 2-strokes (probably partially weight-related), and i was amazed at how easy it is to corner in sand compared to my other bikes. i may still go with a steering damper for dezert racing, but i didn't feel like i needed one at 50-70 mph in sandy rocky terrain, and at lower speeds i think it would be a waste of money.

5. don't let anyone fool you with myths. a 550 is a super-easy bike to ride in tight low-speed stuff. it really doesn't feel any more unwieldy than my 300 to me. this seems like perfect do-it-all bike.

6. the electronic odometer is pretty sweet. i only had to look at the instructions once to choose which functions are displayed, and it's very intuitive after that.


the only complaint is that the rear tire rubs the muffler, and my earlier complaint that the chain was so short the tire was eating the mudguard (already fixed with a longer chain). i'll shim that out a few mm later this week.

since i launched my 300 in a spectacular rider-less backflip on thursday (and had my first part breakage ever!), i felt no need to tip the 550 over, so it stayed upright all week.

i also found quite alot of new trail i hadn't been on before, so next moab trip i'm ready to show you guys the really fun stuff. oh, while i was there, i met ron, a friend of ruxton noble's. he was riding a 501 that was giving him big starting troubles. i almost felt guilty with how easy my bike is to start. he'll probably be on here at some point getting some advice.

-mark
 
Thanks for the write up Mark, glad you enjoy the H-berg I might be at Moonrocks for the April ride 14-15-16 look me up. I have seen Mark ride and he is no SPODE!!!

Kraig Traum
AMA-D36 Enduro Steward & BOD
CERA President
www.cera.org
 
That is really a great report Mark especially after hearing how you've been so partial to your 2-strokes. I know your 300 is a do-it-all sort of bike and you seemed a bit skeptical about how the big 4-stroke would handle your type of riding. Sounds like the mighty 550 will do-it-all and more. Nice to not have to send in your suspension with a brand new bike!

Hope for the chance to ride with you someday.

Log
 
rides a little better then those orange donkeys ya been on, huh. :eek:ccasion9: :D

no comment about the electric linear powerband? watch for more hit right off the bottom after 15 hours.
 
bigbob said:
rides a little better then those orange donkeys ya been on, huh. :eek:ccasion9: :D

no comment about the electric linear powerband? watch for more hit right off the bottom after 15 hours.

well, it rides better than the 525's i've ridden. feels lighter and faster to me. rides 'different' than my orange bikes, but i wouldn't say better. a little better in soft sand and stuff, not quite as quick side to side, a little more prone to stalling on rocky ledgy technical stuff (some of that is rider spodleliness)

edit: forgot to mention, i like medium length rides, so i brought an extra 2 quarts of gas in a gatorade jug and ran with just the left petcock open. i ran out at 76 miles, then opened the right petcock too and went bone dry at 83 miles. that's when i put the extra gas in. this was in a mix of tight rock and sand washes, deep deep sand washes, rocky singletrack, slickrock and about 15 miles of plain old dirt roads. i feel like i can guarantee 70 miles in any conditions for my riding style. if i need more range than that i'll slow down and/or bring extra gas.

mw
 

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