VOLUME 59 ISSUE 18 MAY 3, 2022 P109
F
ive years after clinching the
2018 AMA 450 Supercross
title, the first-ever for the brand,
Husqvarna continues to march for-
ward with a new rendition of its FC
450 Rockstar Edition. In '18, Jason
Anderson took the Rockstar Edition
to victory lane in the model's first year
of inception. The championship was
big for the brand. It undeniably put
Husky on the map as a serious player
in the racing world. Since then, the
bike has seen minor improvements,
mainly in engine mapping and sus-
pension updates, but for '22, the bike
enters an entirely new generation.
So, what's new? Well, everything.
The 2022 FC 450 Rockstar Edi-
tion sports a new frame, engine,
and bodywork–that's easy to see.
The frame is a new design that cuts
out the "backbone" from the shock
mount to the head tube. Now, the
shock has a new tower and is said to
transfer loads down through the sides
of the frame and into the footpegs
rather than up the back of the frame
and into the rider's hands. The frame
is also black rather than blue from the
previous year.
The Rockstar Edition sports a
new powerplant. The SOHC engine
is shorter in length and height for
a more compact center of gravity.
It's also been rotated backward two
degrees, which dropped the counter-
shaft sprocket three millimeters lower,
improving anti-squat characteristics
when under power. Some high-tech
electronics are wired up inside the
new motor, too. A quickshift sensor
sits in the shift drum. It allows the
rider to shift under full power without
