Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

1997 Husaberg FX 501 E SpecIftcaIIons $8.813 Uat price Country of origin _ Sweden 500.9cc Uquid-eooled, SOHC/4-vlllve four· stroke BoN" _ 95 x 70.7mm CartMlretlon . _ DelI'Orto 40mm round slide ignition __ _ SEM/Kl1/60 EG-15 F..me Chrome-moly w/chrome-moly subframe 6-speed. semi-wide ratio StartI. . ·S~ .. _ Electric start w/kick F capacity 2.25 gallons ......base _ 58.7 inches Seat height .....•.................. 37.4 inches Front tI.. . Michelin MS11. 90/90-21 Rear tIN _. _.. Michelin MS11. 130/80-18 Rake a. .1e _ 28.0 degrees Front n __ White Power 5060 50mm . Extreme conventional fork w/l1.0 inches of wheel travel Rear Ion Ohlins·type 3A shock wi 12.75 inches of wheel travel Front b..ke 260mm disc. w/dual·piston caliper Rear breke 220mm disc, w/single·piston caliper Claimed dry weight 255.7 Ibs. Dhplace_ .. _ Eng type _ _ T............ _ (Right) The compact, water-cooled SOC.9cc motor abounds with new parts In the top and bottom end ~ aimed at Increasing reliability. (Below) The O-rIng chain and hardened-aluminum sprocket are nice touches, but the antiquated .t chaln-gulde made a heck of a racket on the trail. In the top end, Husaberg installed new camshafts, rocker arms, valves adjustment screws and valve guides, all aimed at increasing durability. A new, fully automatic decompression system was installed to aid starting. New chrome-moly frames and subframes also were designed for the 1997 Husabergs. Last year's White Power inverted forks were ditched in favor of the WP's new 5060 50mm Extreme conventional forks which have been tested and deve!.. oped by the likes of Husaberg's former World 500cc MX Champion Joel Smets and other World MX regulars. New triple damps and a stronger front hub and axle were used to complement the new forks. Other miscellaneous items that were changed include newly designed front and rear fenders, front number plate, seat, wiring harness, electrical controls and starter relays on the electric start models. Out on the trail, the new changes work quite well. The motor is simply magic - it has one of the most impressive motors we have ever thrown our legs over. It revs out like nothing we've ever felt before '- almost like a twostroke - but it's always hooking up. The bike can be chugged up hills at low rpm' or ripped up at high rpm - the choice is yours. The bottom end isn't all that ~ impressive - nothing like an XR600 - but it is definitely usable, and from the midrange up to the top end the bike pulls extremely hard. The sound that emanates from the exhaust is absolutely beautiful. Basically, it is one of the fastest off-road bikes we've ever ridden, or at least it gives 'off that sensation, and lessly, and even with an oddly shaped Magura lever, it was easy to get at and the pull was fairly effortless. The suspension on the FX 501 E is good. The only place we could find a problem was with the front fork over small chop, rocks and cross-trail rain ruts. The fork was a little harsh here, but everywhere else it felt great handling large sand whoops and G-outs without a whimper. It's probably a good compromise for a really fast this was the 50lee. There's still a 600cc to be tested. The transmission shifts 'pretty well and has no false neutrals, which seem to live in European bikes. Neutral is hard to find when the bike is at a complete stop, but we never accidentally hit it while attempting a gnarly hill or other ominous obstacle. Seems like a good trade off to us. The clutch worked flaw- desert racer. The Ohlins Type 3A shock that is mounted in the rear works superbly and needs just a little break-in time to remove some of the initial harshness. After break-in, it nicely handled everything we could throw its way. The Brembo brakes that come stock on the Husaberg work fairly well. The front brake has good feel and power, while the rear was a different story. The rear brake seems to lack any real feel to it initially and takes quite a bit of force to lock it up. After some adjustment time, you get used to it, but most stock rear brakes these days modulate better and take a little less force to fully lock the wheel up. The Husaberg FX 501 E is a fine handler on the trail at high and low speeds. The front end feels planted in comers, but the bike carves a turn best when the gas is on. The bike will brake-slide and pivot nicely if that's your style, and the bike didn't exhibit any headshake during our time on it. It handles well in a wide variety of conditions. Fit and finish are things that Husaberg has been working on for years and since KTM has joined forces with them, expect the 'Bergs to be getting significantly better in these departments within the next few years. The finish is nice and the controls are well placed, although we'd like to see a Domino clutch lever and a quicker-to-wide-open throttle find their wayan to the bikes next year. The bike seems a little cramped while standing for larger riders, but taller bars probably would do the trick. Overall, the Husaberg FX 501 E is a machine that rates high in the adrenaline-inducing department. It is furiously fast, a solid handler with state-of-the-art suspension and is definitely a blast to ride. The $8,813 price tag may seem a tad steep (okay, a couple of tads), but that's what you have to pay for a unique, two-stroke-swallowing fourstraker with style - although the lime green color is drawing mixed reviews ~mtheCNs~. ~

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