VOL. 55 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 P91
FC 450 slowed for the corner,
a testament to the power of the
Brembo braking com ponents
fitted to both ends of the bike.
Feel at the lever also trum ps the
rest, offering more understanding
of how much brake pressure is
being applied under hard decel-
eration. Im portant, especially so
for tracks with lots of downhill
sections—we have our eyes on
you, Glen Helen.
Going uphill, on the other hand,
comes as a challenge for the
Husqvarna. The FC 450 suf-
fers from an overly soft throttle
response followed by a slow-
revving midrange that's lacking
in com parison to its com petitors,
even the KTM. The difference
between the two Austrians is
that, while engine internals are
identical, the Husky has a unique
air box and exhaust system. In
unanimous agreement, testers
said that the combination robbed
low-to-mid range horsepower
and took away from the bike's
raw sound. This means that the
Husqvarna might lose out in a
drag race, but some embraced
the mellow power delivery, say-
ing it was easier to control on a
deteriorated track.
The difference between the
Husqvarna and KTM continues
on in the suspension department,
even if the spec sheets say oth-
erwise. Both are fitted with a set
of WP AER 48mm forks up front,
but required different settings for
testers to feel comfortable on
track—the Husky needing more
tuning to find the ideal setup. A
"dead feel" was a common issue
with the air-spring forks on both
Austrian machines, meaning it's
difficult to understand how the
suspension was reacting at any
given moment, most commonly
on hard landings and fast, choppy
sections of track.
Regardless of the Husqvarna's
few shortcomings, the FC 450 is
a downright im pressive motorcy-
cle, making it a surprise to find it
ranked way back in fifth place. A
couple tweaks to its powerplant
and suspension package might
just be enough to push the Husky
back to the pointy end of the
class, but until then, it falls short.
5
th
Place
GEAR ID'd
GEARSET: THOR - PRIME PRO INFECTION
BOOTS: ALPINESTARS – TECH 10
HELMET: SHOEI – VFX-EVO ZINGER
GOGGLES: 100% - RACECRAFT
