What's your journey that got you to your Husaberg?

dr 650 rse
lc4 640 adv
lc4 690 enduro r and xtz 750
Fe 570 and xrv 750

OK, here is what I remember....

1973 XR75 (actually still have it)
1974 XR75 gone
1979 YZ100 gone
1979 CB400 Hawk gone
big gap

1992 Kawasaki KDX250 gone
2003 Yamaha WR250f gone
2007 Husqvarna TC450 gone
2001 Yamaha YZ250 gone
1999 Buell X1 Lightning
2012 KTM 350 XC-f
2001 Honda CR250r gone
2010 Brammo Enertia
2007 Husaberg FE450

Vintage;
1973 Husqvarna CR250 gone
1981 Husqvarna XC 430 gone
1973 Husqvarna WR450 gone
1976/77 Yamaha TT500
1974 Yamaha MX250 gone
1974 Redline Honda XL350 gone
1978 Kawasaki KX125 gone
1981 Yamaha TT500 gone
1999 Kawasaki KX500 gone
1982 Yamaha YZ490 gone

3 & 4 wheels
1980 Honda ATC110
2001 Yamaha Raptor 660 gone
2004 Yamaha YFZ450

My first bike that I rode was friends JAWA Mustang 50 from 70ies. Than I rode a HONDA Monkey 50 from early 80ies once and almost killed myself in front of my parents eyes. I understand, they never supported my bike positiveness. When I was a teenager I was chopper/cruiser oriented. Dremt of some customized H-D Sportster. My first bike was JAWA 250 "Perak" from 1951, much prettier than any Harley can be. At that time there was already a MANET Tatran 125from 1966 in the garage (scooter with e-starter in mid 60ies!!), but I was not riding it long. Next bike was my fathers JAWA 250 "Panel" from it think 1969. Then after I by chance saw and heard a KTM 500 from around 1999-2000 on the gas station, I ceased to consider dirtbikes being disgusting, got in love with the fourstoke sound of tough single. Wanted something reliable, thus bought HONDA XL500R from 1984, (from some standard *******) which was after my investment a very good tractor. Mechanic who repaired it for me and installed new Wiseco hi-comp piston was a fanatic Husaberg rider. I liked the bikes on his yard. Later I bought my bike from him, simply said it is a HUSABERG FE450 from 2004. I trusted the guy as a friend (which he was pretending) and as a dakar mechanic, but the bike was completed from parts which he found in the garage floor (and should be rather in the bin) and the work done on the engine was not adequate to his exagerated reputation. I have no respect to him anymore. So I had to invest plenty of money into the bike to make it run how it should. Now I know the bike like it was my own kid. Still some small issues in front of me (changing bar and rising it, suspension tuning, carb jetting, rad fan from PC, balancing the center of gravity towards back by a simple auxilary tank of my own design), but the real problems are over, bike runs well and starts at the first-second kick anytime. The starter, battery and related gears are removed, so the bike is a hardcore lightweight fourstroke hammer. If I was a rich man, tara-rada-da (in the material way), I would try a modern 300 twostroke or 350 fourstroke, which I had opportunity to test this fall, but I am satisfied enough with my current bona fide-made genuine authentic Husaberg designed from 99% with honest love in Sweden.

tony951 said:

A buddy has a FE570 and that's what got me looking at Bergs - I wanted a no-compromise machine and the 550 came along at a great price. Awesome enduro bike!!

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Have you ridden the two back to back? How do they compare?

basalt said:

Have you ridden the two back to back? How do they compare?

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If it's worth anything - I have ridden both, not back to back though. They are very interestingly different. The 550 is super stable and the 570 is magically nimble. 550 is more brutal and angry and animalistic, the 570 is more clinical and refined (refined like a modern assault rifle is refined, not like a complicated cake is refined)! Stripped muscle car vs. Porsche GT3. Both have an absolutely direct relationship between throttle and height of front wheel from ground but somehow do it in a completely different manner. 550 stock suspension is quite a bit stiffer; I found the 570 perhaps a little soft at first. The 570 is surprisingly quiet as stock, which IMO is great.

Bottom line for me: I absolutely need and must and will own both bikes.

Minibike (Briggs & Stratton)
XR75
YZ80
YZ125
Five year break from bikes.
XT350
KLX650- Twelve glorious years, 38,000 rugged (mostly off-road) miles and she never let me down. Loved that big ol' tank.
06' Husky TE610
11' TE511 (JUST SOLD) Great off-road Dualsport
2014 Husky WR300 (Last of the Italian Engineered Smokers) Still have it and love it.
2011 FE570 ~ Best bike I've ever owned ~ THE BEST OF THE BEST.

1984 honda c50
1985 HONDA XR 200 R
1987 MOTO GUZZI V35 IMOLA
1988 HUSQY WR400
1989 YAMAHA XT 250 '82
1990 HONDA SABRE 750
1991 HUSQY CR250 '84
1992 YAMAHA XT 250 '87
1993 SUZUKI GSXF 400
1996 HONDA CBR400 AERO
1998 HUSABERG FE 501 '99
2002 HUSABERG FE 501 '03
2003 HUSABERG FC550 '02
2004 HUSABERG FE 400 '98
2005 HUSABERG FS650E '06
2008 HUSABERG FE450 '09

edelweiss said:

. . . . I trusted the guy as a friend (which he was pretending) and as a dakar mechanic, but the bike was completed from parts which he found in the garage floor (and should be rather in the bin) and the work done on the engine was not adequate to his exagerated reputation. I have no respect to him anymore. So I had to invest plenty of money into the bike to make it run how it should. Now I know the bike like it was my own kid. Still some small issues in front of me (changing bar and rising it, suspension tuning, carb jetting, rad fan from PC, balancing the center of gravity towards back by a simple auxilary tank of my own design), but the real problems are over, bike runs well and starts at the first-second kick anytime. The starter, battery and related gears are removed, so the bike is a hardcore lightweight fourstroke hammer. If I was a rich man, tara-rada-da (in the material way), I would try a modern 300 twostroke or 350 fourstroke, which I had opportunity to test this fall, but I am satisfied enough with my current bona fide-made genuine authentic Husaberg designed from 99% with honest love in Sweden.

Click to expand...

I just had the same sort of experience having my 650 rebuilt. Guy with a good reputation fell down on the job with my bike. The benefit? Had to rebuild everything myself and I learned a lot. Should prepare me for my next engine build.