VOLUME 57 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 4, 2020 P89
strong CNC-machined basket and
Belleville washer design, has great
feel, a light pull and is extremely
consistent. The Husky, like the
KTM, offers two useful engine-
mapping settings, and launch con-
trol and traction control (you might
not use traction control all of the
time, but there are times when it
really comes in handy. And it's just
nice to know that it's there). The
Husky is also one of the lightest
bikes in its class, and you definitely
feel that on the track.
This was only our first full day on
the 2021 Husqvarna FC 450, and,
of course, we're looking forward to
trying it out more on other tracks
and comparing it to other 2021
450s coming out soon. We like the
direction Husqvarna is going with
the FC 450, which has, more and
more, developed into its own per-
sonality when compared to KTM's
450 SX-F. Husqvarna is doing a
good job building a 450cc moto-
crosser that appeals to both the
young rider who wants go-go-go
and the older, or more refined, rider
who also wants performance but
with comfort and controllability. CN
As far as the shorter suspen-
sion and lower seat height go, our
test rider thought it was indeed all
good stuff, but, given a choice, he
would prefer the taller stance of last
year's bike, mainly from a comfort
point of view just because he's taller
than your average rider at six foot
one inch. He added, however, it
wasn't a deal-breaker, and he did
admit that it made the bike easier
to ride through the flat corners and
improved the bike's overall stability
over rough ground. He went on to
say that he was already impressed
with the handling and controllability
of the '20 Husky, and the chassis
changes to the 2021 model only
made it better and should appeal to
a even broader range of riders now.
The FC also got a new seat
cover that isn't as grippy as the pre-
vious one. Can you hear us cheer-
ing? The other one was overkill,
like sitting on eight-grit sandpaper.
Many things return that we al-
ready love about the FC 450 such
as its Brembo brakes, which are
still some of the best in the busi-
ness. The Husky's Magura hy-
draulic DDS clutch, with its super-
