What Husaberg is most competitive yet today?

I had several Husabergs from 1989 to 1994.

Im looking for a Husaberg close to new as possible or restorable so I can prove to my friends the Berg was ahead of its time.

Will try my best to make it look new and would only ride it on nice days to demonstrate the Bergs abilities. Im 57 now but still riding A class Hare scrambles and enduro.

The 501 engine always seemed like a winner but like I said never been on a newer Husaberg so looking for suggestions!

Im in the USA so not sure what I might find if anything.

Taffy, yes it was me who emailed a couple days back!

the 70d engine has the crankshaft over the gearbox...ahead of its time. in its last season....2013, a Husaberg 450 won the world enduro championship WEC2 ridden by a Frenchman on only an importers machine.
the original 1990 machines were the breakthrough machines. simple; light and no oil pump. They went wrong from 1997 onwards. WP suspension was a backwards step.

then the engines were unreliable and didn't produce the power. the 1998 YZ400 made the Husabergs look slow (engine compartment), shagged out SEM and Dell orto complete the picture.

There are only a few out there but those that have a Joel Smets Replica are fortunate. The chassis number has JSR in it from the beginning.

Tfafy

Based on the small number of replies so far finding a low hour/use Husaberg of any year or model may be difficult.

If anyone has or knows of anything please message me here on this site.

I understand a bike like this will have decent value so expect I'm going to have to spend some money.

this site is just about washed up now. People don't want in depth conversation and getting to the rub of things. pretty pictures, emiticoms, ****, and stupidity rule.

The guy running this shop doesn't give a **** but we're stuck with him so.....

Taffy

Taffy said:

this site is just about washed up now. People don't want in depth conversation and getting to the rub of things. pretty pictures, emiticoms, ****, and stupidity rule.

The guy running this shop doesn't give a **** but we're stuck with him so.....

Taffy

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I'm definitely interested in more in depth analysis and conversation. I hate how shallow forums have become where all anyone wants to talk about is fluff.

I just picked up a 10 original hour 201q FE390. I purchased it because I ride a lot of tight singletrack in the Pacific Northwest and the platform is and was outstanding for woods applications.

The engineers were brilliant in the design and the bike feels so light and handles phenomenal. It hides it weight better than any bike I've ever ridden.

The power delivery is all about putting traction to the ground and is one of the most effective power delivery bikes I've owned.

For comparison, I've owned
KTM 300xcw, 200xcw, 400xcw, 525exc,

Beta 390, Beta 300rr

YZ450FX, YZ250FX

And many more

The Husaberg 70 degree was way ahead of it's time and no doubt if brought back into production would be a podium contender immediately.

I reckon the 70 deg models are still competitive- IF SET UP RIGHT- depending on the conditions. Not sure what sort of terrain you're riding, but I think my 570 out handles late WR450s that are popular here, feels lighter, and has WAY more torque. A 390 for tight stuff or a 450 for more open, 570 ultimate open class/ desert sled. AND I think they will get collectable- showing signs of that here right now. Late '11 or '12 model with closed cartridge forks and valved shock is comparable to anything new in the rough stuff. My 570 only weighs a few more kilos than a current KTM 500/ Husky 501 and you can't feel it until you have to pick it up! I used to hate 4 strokes until I rode a 390 when they first came out, now do all sorts of trails from fast fire road to nasty single track on the 570 with the Safari tank!
Rik

rikschipp said:

I reckon the 70 deg models are still competitive- IF SET UP RIGHT- depending on the conditions. Not sure what sort of terrain you're riding, but I think my 570 out handles late WR450s that are popular here, feels lighter, and has WAY more torque. A 390 for tight stuff or a 450 for more open, 570 ultimate open class/ desert sled. AND I think they will get collectable- showing signs of that here right now. Late '11 or '12 model with closed cartridge forks and valved shock is comparable to anything new in the rough stuff. My 570 only weighs a few more kilos than a current KTM 500/ Husky 501 and you can't feel it until you have to pick it up! I used to hate 4 strokes until I rode a 390 when they first came out, now do all sorts of trails from fast fire road to nasty single track on the 570 with the Safari tank!
Rik

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I agree that the 70 degree bike would definitely be competitive in Natl Enduro type racing. Those races are still predominately tight trees and the motors power delivery characteristics combined with the handling would shine in these conditions. Add to that the closed cartridge forks of that Era were outstanding and better than today's suspension packages.

It would be an interesting experiment to put a top tier racer on a Husaberg FE390 or FE450 and have them run a race. Of course bike familiarity and seat time would be a factor, but I bet they would easily hang with the others in the top portion of the class

70 degree bike. Except for being heavy to pickup off the ground there great bikes

I raced the 570 for 4 seasons and won two championships. they were age related though! But it was too big to win anything else. I also did shed loads of work to it at the end of a 30 year career of racing so if anyone could sort one out it was me.

sorry, the 570 is and always was too much and in all honesty so was the 450 for most people. I know what made them handle and I did all the mods that i felt it needed as i went. I had no idea what Lundgren et al were doing.

anyway, the phuqin 570 was trying to kill me and one day it rolled on top of me and took my leg around and halfway up my back. I didn't walk right for a year.

I put TCs with ever greater offsets on it and when i stopped i was told afterwards that Lundgren and his team mate wanted even more offset....the very thing i was thinking of! But i'd have had to have had a set of 2003-2008s machined...it was probably next thing on the cards though as i never stopped making it a better bike.

fact is though lads - the works riders wanted to be on the 2Ts in 2011 or was it 2012 and got their wish. I said it at the time; that's the death nell of the laid down engines because if the works riders didn't want to ride it then why the phuq would KTM carry on making the bloody bike? I mean would YOU? So it makes it doubly weird that private French team won in 2013 and means that Lundgren wasn't up to it. after he won the Junior World Championships for two years he didn't win anything as an adult as i recall (someone correct me on this?).

So do you take it that the works riders failed or that a frenchman was the only rider to 'release' the bike?

In standard order though it was way too heavy.

THE TROUBLE WITH YOU LOT READING THIS IS THAT YOU TALK SO MUCH 'PISH'. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WEIGHED OR WHERE THE WEIGHT WAS, YOU DON'T REALISE HOW MUCH WORK HAD TO BE DONE TO THEM.

if just one of you had changed your bikes and done some of the mods I'd respect your views more but to sit back in the armchair and say that it would win today when it couldn't win then is just not right.

sorry!

Taffy

Taf, Taf, Taf, Taf, Taf!
Mate, you have to get back on the meds!!! (joking)
I don't think ANYBODY reckons these thing would win at national level, I thought we were talking about an older gent having fun at local races.
Yes, 2 strokes are better hard enduro bikes, full stop. I think they are more fun in tight stuff, but are harder work.
AS I SAID, a 570 would only be suitable for open stuff at higher speeds, and yes, 450s are still hard work and yes, they are heavier than the new 500/ 501s.
The general concensus on why KTM stopped making them after using the head/ injection/ shock angle etc on the '12 models was they were too expensive to manufacture.
I stick to what I said with 50 years of riding experience and 40 years in the bike game including close to 5 in a successful KTM/ Berg shop
Rik

GOD HELP US, taffy is arguing with the aussies again

So, a nice initial ride on the 10hr 2011 FE390.

I'm no pro. I'm 52, A senior woods rider. Past bikes in the past 2 years, Beta 300rr, YZ250FX, KTM 200xcw

I ride flowing singletrack almost exclusively here in the PNW.

The FE390 is a fully capable package. The weight is only noticeable if in 1st gear situations, but the motor being such a tractor helps chug up and through difficult sections.

The Husaberg 70 degree would most definitely not be suitable for today's Hard Enduro series, Endurocross, etc.

But, in a National Enduro series and some of the GNCC races, I believe the advantages of the centralized mass and linear power delivery combined with the precise handling and excellent WP closed cartridge forks would allow the decade + bike to continue to be competitive.

The key is the terrain. Anything with that 2nd-4th gear flowing singletrack would allow the design of the bike to be used at an advantage.

I can't wait to put this bike through the paces and plan on a Enduro race in May with it.

I've found a nice 2005 FC501. Is this a decent bike?

The decals have been changed and I would like to have the original ones or some race team graphics from that period.
Any possibility something is still available somewhere?

I see the tank looks discolored mainly on the bottom.
Any chance new ones are available yet somewhere?

Markmn said:

I've found a nice 2005 FC501. Is this a decent bike?

The decals have been changed and I would like to have the original ones or some race team graphics from that period.
Any possibility something is still available somewhere?

I see the tank looks discolored mainly on the bottom.
Any chance new ones are available yet somewhere?

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fuel tanks are ten-a-penny used and haven't discoloured. they are 2002-2005 all models...can't go wrong.

decals; now and again a set come up that someone found on ebay but otherwise, no there aren't any.

cheers

Taffy

rikschipp said:

Taf, Taf, Taf, Taf, Taf!
Mate, you have to get back on the meds!!! (joking)
I don't think ANYBODY reckons these thing would win at national level, I thought we were talking about an older gent having fun at local races.
Yes, 2 strokes are better hard enduro bikes, full stop. I think they are more fun in tight stuff, but are harder work.
AS I SAID, a 570 would only be suitable for open stuff at higher speeds, and yes, 450s are still hard work and yes, they are heavier than the new 500/ 501s.
The general concensus on why KTM stopped making them after using the head/ injection/ shock angle etc on the '12 models was they were too expensive to manufacture.
I stick to what I said with 50 years of riding experience and 40 years in the bike game including close to 5 in a successful KTM/ Berg shop
Rik

Click to expand...

Rik
there's no general consensus

Husaberg took the decision NOT to homologate the FS570 in California. It would have cost $50,000 or some such. KTM decided that without California, it wasn't worth USA. Then they realised that without the USA, it wasn't worth the FS model.

So, they then stopped all FS models the next year. Husaberg didn't make an FS in 2012. without an FS model, there were no longer the production numbers to make the model viable as a whole.

It can therefore be said that because of "California", Husaberg stopped making the 70d engine. The thing is, it isn't conjecture, it was said here - live - at the time.

competitive in the paddock.....maybe.

regards

Taffy

Thanks, Taffy, we weren't privy to that down here. Funny how the factories rely on the US sales and its perceived prestige. One of our dealers during the 'Berg days was selling more bikes than any dealer in the states, yet numbers were still way below the seller of the day here, and still today, the WR450.
Rik

someone once said that Australian sales were 33%, USA was 33% and Europe was 33% of which the UK through DCR was the biggest seller by far.

Husaberg and KTM made a total mess of things from 1999 onwards. Clearly the 1999 was getting old and all the engine upgrades were ready when KTM stole their engine for themselves in an act of greed because they told Husaberg to go design a new engine "quickly" which was the 2001 engine and all its mistakes.

Yet when the KTM 400 and 520 came out in 2000 they had a Keihin Mk1 carb and a kokusan (guessing here) ignition. why the hell didn't they share the engine? Imagine Husabergs in 2000 with that KTM 520 engine?

The 2001 engine had standard cut gears that needed to be undercut (which they got from late 2002) and the SEM and dell orto needed to be gone. The sales went up with the new engine but every owner was an advert for "don't make my mistake and get one as well...you fool!".

Also, the American importer went pop in about 2000 and then the new one never got going and all this at the time the FC470/FX470 was the most terrible bike Husaberg ever made.

The reason you won't see the Husaberg name again is because GasGas is a Spanish Company and Spain is a good market. The Swedes and Mr Gundersson insisted on R&D being in Orebro and KTM won't want that arrangement again....no way!

The Swedes wanted some design autonomy - and got it - but KTM would rather shut-up shop than give in this time.

It might be that that clause is dropped soon? 2002 to what? 2027 = 25 year contract? Who knows, 2027 a Moto3 race might be won by a Husaberg!

Taffy

Didn't Lafferty say he liked riding the Husaberg over his KTM at one point?

It sure seemed to be a terrible move by KTM to do what they did with Husaberg when Husaberg had names like Graham Jarvis, Lafferty, Fahringer, Bobbitt, etc