Husaberg 70 Degree Owners Thread!

[HighFive]

If I had to pick one word descriptor of the FE390 it would be: effortless

It still takes a Rider, mind you, making proper decisions and inputs. While she is quite forgiving, she's not a cure for "stupid". So, let's keep it in perspective.

The feeling in motion is effortless. I don't really feel the weight of the machine. Its a rather fascinating sensation which I've not experienced on other machines.

Now then, she is a tall bike. You need to be comfortable riding a tall bike. I have a 32" inseam and am comfortable on it. I don't need to be flat footed on the ground paddling thru the rocks. This pony responds much better to rider inputs while the feet are on the pegs. It doesn't like walking thru rubble. It much prefers riding thru it.....effortlessly.

My bike came off the showroom floor a little too lean for my taste. Weird because it was still silky smooth.....lean usually produces a snatchy take-off. But, it had a tendency to wheez or flame-out when charging into a corner and chopping off the throttle, then hammering back on. However, the Cyborg set me up with a big-time fix. A dealer remapped the ECU with the FX450 competition fuel map and Ho-Chi-Momma is it ever running PERFECT now. That there is the best improvement to the bike you could probably ever make.....and a necessary one at that.

The Seat....surprisingly I like it. I keep thinking it too hard, but my butt isn't getting uncomfortable on that thing, even after a full day of riding. But I do prefer to wear LD Comfort shorts (underwear) which may help a bunch. No padding in the shorts, but also no seams to be sitting on with pressure. Fantastic product....all the LD Comfort wear. So, I'm not going rush out for a new seat, just yet. The stocker seams to fit me and work well enough.

HF

[ktm950se]

Other than the lower wattage output, it seems you enjoy the 'Berg more than the WRR. That's good news!
Can the wattage be increased, i.e. the stator rewound or replaced?
Also, what about the 'Berg's carrying capacity? Without a metal subframe, are there any aftermarket frames available to add saddle bags? And is the stock bike capable of carrying Giant Loop's Great Basin (for long trips) on the plastic subframe?

ktm950se

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Originally Posted by ktm950se

Other than the lower wattage output, it seems you enjoy the 'Berg more than the WRR. That's good news!
Can the wattage be increased, i.e. the stator rewound or replaced?
Also, what about the 'Berg's carrying capacity? Without a metal subframe, are there any aftermarket frames available to add saddle bags? And is the stock bike capable of carrying Giant Loop's Great Basin (for long trips) on the plastic subframe?

ktm950se

+1! Well said HF, although I haven't seen the lean conditions outta my FEs. Buddy of mine had a loose starter relay terminal, I think, but have not heard of your specific issue.

Stator upgrades are easy. Plenty of guys riding Bergs with GL Coyotes on back and tank bags. I would think if you can put a 70 degree subframe tank and the weight associated with the extra fuel, you should be able to run a Great Basin.

I've set 1 of my FEs up with a 13/48 combo. With balanced wheels (necessity imho) she will run 70-80 all day long. With a little wind protection and extra fuel, the Berg would make a fine adventure bike. As far as maintenance...no valve adjustments req'd at 30+ hours on 2010 FE 450 or 40+ hours on 2011.

I will tell you that the closed cartridge forks on the 2011 and later are far superior to the open cartridge on the 09 and 10s.

Ride the BLUE wave and enjoy life.

[error cooled]

Originally Posted by HighFive

Uhm....yeah....one pressing thought which is causing me some degree of concern and emotional distress: R² may be in trouble.
This FE390 is a better dualsport than I even imagined it would be.
In the woods, it makes the hard stuff seem....well....not so hard really. Feels like cheating to me. Its kind of like riding a Trials bike with big power and plenty of comfort. Silky smooth motor with flawless FI metering, wonderful suspension, and very stable handling. I'm climbing over rocks and logs forgetting I'm not on a trials bike....which is bound to get me in a pickle soon.
..............
Its pure joy on the forest roads and two-track, while letting me explore much more single track than I cared to before. And, that is leading me to new discovers in my own backyard like this (just yesterday).
If you want to primarily ride in a localized manner and never fear the terrain, BUY the FE390

HF and Company -

I appreciate you taking the time to thoughtfully lay out your views of the bike. I am damn near sold.....

I wish I had the time to wander aimlessly around but my riding is localized and based out of my Land Cruiser and a trailer. I have racked up less than 5K miles on the WRR in 3 years. Usually via a half dozen trips in the summer where I rack up between 100 and 300 miles exploring the local National Forests. I also have taken longer trailered trips to Moab and Colorado. I have never tried heated accessories so I am not too worried about that.

Now its time to find a 2011 FE390.....

[ktm950se]

Originally Posted by Tarheel Wheeler

Stator upgrades are easy.

Who is providing this product or service?

Originally Posted by Tarheel Wheeler

Plenty of guys riding Bergs with GL Coyotes on back and tank bags. I would think if you can put a 70 degree subframe tank and the weight associated with the extra fuel, you should be able to run a Great Basin.

Are you suggesting that the 70 Degree subframe is better able to handle the weight of a Great Basin than the stock part?

Thanks!

ktm950se

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Originally Posted by ktm950se

who is providing this product or service?

contact trailtech ref stator rewind.

are you suggesting that the 70 degree subframe is better able to handle the weight of a great basin than the stock part?

i was suggesting that the extra weight of the fuel in a 70 degree might be compared to the extra weight of gear in a gb compared to a coyote.

thanks!

Ktm950se

[Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by error cooled

Now its time to find a 2011 FE390.....

I traded up from my 08 WRR to a FE570S. I think the 390 would have been plenty of HP for me. But too much HP aside ... I really love this berg.

[natedog39]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle

I traded up from my 08 WRR to a FE570S. I think the 390 would have been plenty of HP for me. But too much HP aside ... I really love this berg.

You really think it has too much power?

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by HighFive

If I had to pick one word descriptor of the FE390 it would be: effortless

My bike came off the showroom floor a little too lean for my taste. Weird because it was still silky smooth.....lean usually produces a snatchy take-off. But, it had a tendency to wheez or flame-out when charging into a corner and chopping off the throttle, then hammering back on. However, the Cyborg set me up with a big-time fix. A dealer remapped the ECU with the FX450 competition fuel map and Ho-Chi-Momma is it ever running PERFECT now. That there is the best improvement to the bike you could probably ever make.....and a necessary one at that.

HF

HF, glad you like the re-map. It's awesome. It's the map my dealer (Tasky's in Everett, WA) put into mine right away when I bought it new, and it rips! I've never experienced the too-lean EPA map. That lean EPA map is also probably why yours ran better with the "Briggs & Stratton" perforated restrictor plate installed. It was too lean to run with it out. With the new map it's just the opposite, the restrictor plate chokes it.

BTW, in case people don't know, the toolkit comes with a special tool to remove that pesky restrictor plate (which doesn't look like a spark arrestor to me).



My dealer says that restrictor plate mysteriously "falls out" of all of his customers bikes

[MrBracket]

Here's how I got around not having a metal subframe...



I can carry gear and extra fuel without having to add any racks or large gas tanks to the bike. That way when I get to where I'm going I can ditch the trailer and play on my lightweight berg! Check out the trailer at www.moto-mule.com

Like mentioned above, the berg is a super off road bike. I'm running some Kenda DOT knobbies similar to the 606's. Definately rides like a dirtbike on the road. Mine is also the FX model, with a close ration gearbox. With dirt gearing 13/52 it's not comfortable over 55mph. I'm thinking of adding a Rekluse clutch and higher gearing to see if I can make it more comfortable at speed and still perform offroad the way I like. If I had the FE with the taller 6th gear it would probably be about perfect...

[error cooled]

Found a 2011 FE390 leftover for $6800 a few hundred miles away.....

Spoke with the dealership and they can have the bike prepped to my liking (re-mapped, with taillights and blinkers)...

I am about to move some funds over to make the deal.....

I think I can get $5K between my WR250R and XR600R when I sell them in May... so total out of pocket around $2K

SOMEONE TALK ME OUT OF THIS

[HighFive]

Originally Posted by ktm950se

Other than the lower wattage output, it seems you enjoy the 'Berg more than the WRR. That's good news!

In the woods for sure. Berg all the way!

The WRR is simply one of the best true adventure touring machines I've owned, all things considered. I could ride it to Alaska and back....no problem. Bigdog & Dingweed did it just last summer. But, I wouldn't try to do that on my Husaberg. So, my WRR ain't going nowhere soon.

But, that's also the dilemma from another perspective.....my WRR ain't going nowhere soon.

HF

[HighFive]

Originally Posted by ktm950se

Are you suggesting that the 70 Degree subframe is better able to handle the weight of a Great Basin than the stock part?

I've taken my stock plastic subframe off the bike and thoroughly inspected it. Squeezed it, dropped it, stood on it. This is one stout piece of thick plastic. The solid body perimeter appears to be quite strong. I'd have no worries stuffing a GB full. There doesn't appear to be a particular weak point in the subframe design. I think it will work fine, if you don't get ridiculous with your load.

The stock part may be stronger (structurally) than the fuel cell version, but that's purely a guess using my imagination.

But what do I know...

HF

p.s. I'll be running a GL Coyote bag soon enough. That holds plenty for me. In fact, if you can't get it in a Coyote, you probably don't need to take it with you. Just sayin

[crankshaft]

Would be easy to CNC a billet alum replacement I would guess, or even a steel piece for strength.

[Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by natedog39

You really think it has too much power?

For a dual sport bike it is great. For the tight, rooty, rocky, muddy NE trails I ride sometimes ... for me a 390 would be plenty. I am looking forward to riding the new KTM 350 in those conditions because it will be lighter than my berg.

You rode with me once Nate ... I am old and slow. I know that you can handle the 570 like it's a featherweight.