The powerhouse of the Husky motocross line is the FC 450. It is, for all intents and purposes a very similar bike to the KTM version Ryan Dungy just took both Supercross and Outdoor Motocross titles on with the Husqvarna twist put on it. That means it looks different and has some changes in a composite rear sub-frame and things like DID rims and Magura clutch control. We know where it is built, in Austria now, but how is this bike and Husky working to carry on the tradition?
Firstly they are very focused on the American market and that is why the 450cc size is so important. Americans like the biggest and fastest of anything they can get. And the US was the second home to Husky as the brand was very prominent in bringing the sport of motocross across the pond. And where better than Budd’s Creek near the nation’s capital to introduce the all-new FC 450.
First, this bike is a huge drop in weight from the previous model, now scaling in at a claimed 225 pounds without fuel, and we believe it. Though the 450 felt heavy and larger than the rest of the bikes we rode on the same day, it isn’t a portly feeling as most 450cc bikes. It has a very mass centered feel so the bike rotates easier in relation to the center of gravity compared to most. The bike feels light in a longitudinal way and stable side-to-side which is a confidence inspiring feeling.
The FC 450 was definitely stiffer feeling than the other bikes and with more power it also was a lot more critical of the suspension clickers. The fork is definitely improved over previous WP 4CS forks in compliance as long as the clickers are in the right position. On this day Husqvarna felt it best to have them set at 5 clicks stiffer on both compression and rebound which has the fork staying up higher in the stroke and acting softer to the rider. Keeping the rear ride height near 105mm was also critical so the turning did not suffer. And it does not. The Husky was a berm carver or very planted on sweeping turns. With all the power the key was getting traction and I was very surprised at how slowing the rebound on the rear WP shock just a couple of clicks made a world of difference on hard-out-of-turn acceleration.
Speaking of power the Husky is loaded. It is one of the smoothest power deliveries out there. Almost enduro-like but that is not a slam because you can serve it up however you like when twisting the throttle. More boost just takes more throttle and there is a great connectivity between your wrist and what the rear wheel is doing. The bike starts pulling at zero and seems like it never stops, hitting the rev limiter does not happen too much as there is a noticeable taper in power to signal shifting time. The aggressive map position changed how sensitive the throttle was in the middle positions but did not seem to change the amount of power or the way the bike picked up.
The FC 450 is a bike we’d really like to spend a lot more time on. It seems to have all the right ingredients to make it one of the best 450cc motocross bikes available. And that is a huge leap from where Husqvarna was just a few years back.
