Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

So, what's the verdict? After our oneday ride on the Husaberg, we came away quite impressed with the performance of the Swedish machin e. Would I buy one? Probably not. As a 26-year-old motocrosser, I would op t for a two-stroke 500 if I were to contest the Open class. My youth allows me to still enjoy the brute power of an open class two-stroke, and at the same time keeps me from being able to afford the expensive Husaberg. Maybe when I'm over 30 I'll desire a mellower powerband, an d be able to afford the exotic machine. Should you buy one? That depends. At $6575, the Husaberg FC501 costs $1576 more than a Honda CR500, an d $1976 (Above) Two TwlnAlr air filters are nestled in the fr ame's backbone. The right side of the fue l tank extends down to the engine cases , keeping the center of gravity low. (Right) 4 Stroke 4U? If we were to buy a Husa berg, those swlngarm stickers would be the first thing to go . The archaic chain guide would be next. . (Left) Sadly , the White Power forks are the chink in the Husaberg's armor. They are softly sprung • and deliver a mi serable ride. (Right) The th ird thing to go woul d be the huge rear fender. Otherwise , the Husaberg Is a great-looking bike. The bike weighs a mere 233.8 pounds dry. ON THE TRACK Su n wa s kind enou gh (or s ma r t enough?) to start the big Husaberg for me w hile I fastened the last few buckles on my boots. '1 saw a guy start one of these with his hand the other day," he said convincingly . "If you kn ow how to do it , starti ng a big four stro ke can be easier than a two-stroke." Even before I threw a leg ove r th e bike, I was surprised at how fast it revved while Sun wicked the throttle. It didn't seem to rev much slower than a big-bore two-stroke . On the track, the bike was an immediate blas t to ride. Never mind the awesome locale, the bike alone was enough to bring a smile over my face. Motor-wise, the Husaberg was quite impressive. Though it didn't have the arm-jerking hit that I have come to associate with 500cc machines, the 501 had a s tro ng, sm ooth sp read of power. The m ot or really began to shin e as the day wore and the track began to dry out - the smooth, linear power d elivery made it easy to maintain traction . Washougal's famous uphill quickly became my favorite track obstacle, as ho lding the throttle wide open and grabbing gears yielded a pleasing ad renaline rush . Tha nks to the steady su r ge of power, a long, controlled wheelie could be carried up the entire face of the uphill. At the same time..however, the Husaberg is capable of producing power quickly with a snap of the.throttle or stab at the clutch lever . Washougal MX Park has sev eral double jum ps, as well as a long s ta di u m wh oop section . I mus t admit that I didn't look forward to those sections of the track initially, thinking that th e 'Berg wouldn 't ha ve th e "s na p" to clear them easily. Needless to say, I was wrong. Even a half-hearted stab at th e throttle wa s enough to send the bike flying over the doubles, and th e tractable power even made it possible to chug through th e inside of a preceding turn and over a followirig double - granted the throttle was applied properly. And what abou t the whoop section? Though I didn't hav e the guts (nor ability) to skim over the tops, it was qui te easy to coax the 501 to double and triple through the section with short blips of the throttle. Practice starts on the bike were eyeopening, and the' first tum repeatedly came into range quicker than we expected. Will th e Husaberg FC501 outsta rt a Honda CRSOO? Probably not if the start straight is tacky, but if the condi tions are slick - without a doubt. Transm ission action is acceptable. While missed shifts were not a prob lem, the lower end did n' t have that "effortless" feel that others do . Shifting action was, however , q uite positive. Finding neu tral while the bike was running was d ifficult, and sta rtin g the bike with th e tranny in gear and the clutch engaged is almost impossible. In fact, sta rting th e bik e is alm ost impossible, period. Until you have the hang of it, that is. Experienced Husaberg own ers should have little problem bringin g the bike to life. I, on the other hand, spen t a good part of the day gasping and wheezing for air while trying to kick start the bike. Making the starting procedure even more miserable was the fact that the lever is on the left.' Start it with yo u r hand? Yeah, su re, Chuck. I'd like to see that one... But what about the rest of the bike? Though the mo tor is d efinitely w ha t makes th e bike great, th e rest is pretty good , also. Ergonomically, the Husaberg . definitely has tha t European feel. The bike is tall, and has a skyscraper feel on th e tr ack . As w it h a ny thi ng, though , more lap s will bring familiarity. The han dlebar layout is good, especially with the perches swi veled around into their forward position. It' s no secret that th e other editors here at Cycle Neiss hate my handl ebar set-u p preferences, and Sun mad e a sim il a r s tr a nge fac e when I adjusted the bars forward the way I like them. The Magura levers are comfort able, and the clutch pull was every bit as stiff as I expected it to be. Fortunat ely, the motor doesn' t require ma xim um clutch work. Rear su spension actio n was su rp risingly good . Even without the sag set, the Ohlins shock provided a super-plush ride that at the same time soaked up big hits. I'm sure that the smooth power delivery complements the rear suspension - I have yet to rid e a ha rs hly-suspended fou rst roke. The initial travel is smoo th and supple, and the remaining travel firms up just enough to prevent the bike from bottoming. . Sa dly, the story isn't the same up front. Simply put, the White Power forks a re an abomination. The upside down units are too soft, and fast or heavy riders will immediately require a stiffer set of springs. The front end dives un der braking and yields a harsh , unpredictable ride. Square edges feel like square edges, and getting the front end to stick in fast corne rs takes a considerable amount of bod y English. We came within a hair of crashin g on several occasions when the front end pushed under acceleration in the fast right hander preceding the uphill. Stopping th e .big yello w bike was a breeze, as the brakes, combined with the eng ine's natural comp ression braking, slow the 'Berg down in a hurry. The front - disc has good feel at the lever, and one finger is all tha t's needed to lock up the front binder. Out back, the brake pedal is a bit awkward and the brake itself is a bit grabb y at first. As usu al, a few laps was all it took to gain a good feel for the pedal action. Thou gh we only spent a single afternoon with the bike, we suspect that the Husaberg is a difficult bike to work on . While the front air filter is easily accessible behin d the left-side rad iator shroud, the seat must be removed to service the frame-mounted filter. Removing the seat invo lves only a pair of allen-head bolts, bu t unlike most modem MX bikes, the seat unbolts at the front and is slid into place at the rear. Two sharp prongs protrude from the rear subframe, and mu st be guided into a pair of small holes in the back of the seat base. Lining the base up takes a great deal of care and more time than we felt was necessary. In addition, Allen head bolts abound on the machin e. Working on the bike after a muddy moto can' t be much fun . As for the rest of·th e bik e, certain aspects of its design are super trick, while othe rs are unbelievabl y cobby. Wh at ' s tri ck? The low-boy fuel tank, smooth, good-looking radiator shrouds, comfortable, double-wide footpegs and beautiful dual exhaust system. What's cobby? The seat and side panel design, bulbous rear fender, and chain guide. Though Sun was quick to point out tha t the chain guide design was tried and true, the prehistoric unit was ugly and mad e an irritating rattling soun d when the bike was in motion. A m ore modern alu m inu m guide and nylon block would be more appealing to the eyes and pleasing to the ears. more than a Honda XR6OO. The problem . is, that the FC501 can't accurately be compared to either machine. It's not meant to be an off-road bike like the XR600- that's what the FE501 is for - and while it is designed fo r motocross use, it' s not meant to go head s up against the CR5OO. The Husaberg FC501 is a great bike with a few nagging glitches that need to be worked out. It's not as fast as a CR, but it will blow the d oors off an XR on a MX track. Want to own a high-performance fourstroke MXer that will set you apart from the rest? Are you willing to spend a few dollars dialing in the front suspension? U so, the Husaberg FC501 may be for you. Husaberg Motorcycles are imported into the United . States by Surdyke Cycles/Husaberg America. They may be reached at 1305 Hwy 61, Festus, MO 63208,314/931-9166. l~ While Cycle News believes theforegoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the retneuers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performan ce or safety of the oehicleis) . The reader should make hisor her own investigation. ~~rg FC501 List Price $6575 Displacement 501cc Engine type Uquid-eoo!ed single-eylinder Iour·stroke Bore X stroke ., 95 x 70.7mm 11 .5:1 38mm DeM'Orto Compression ratio Cartluretlon Ignition EIectronic Transmission speeds -416 StartIng system Kick Fuel capacity 224 gal. Wheelbase 58.6 in. Rake/trail .. ... •..... .. .• . • . .. .•. . .N/A Seat height 37.4 in. Front tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . .3.00x 21 Reartire 4.50x 18 Frontwheel travel 11.6 In. Rear wheel travel .. ., .,12.9 In. Front brake Disc Rear brake ., Disc Rnal drive Chain Clllmed dry weIgIlt .233 lis. .8 35

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