Musings on the Whooo-sa-berg FE570

I love saying that: who-who-who saberg!

First I'll start with some info about myself so you can put my thoughts in perspective:

1) It's been a while since I rode a dirt bike - so I am rusty. I was never that good to start with although I started riding off-road before some of you were born. Add to that, I am turning 55 this year, I have a bad back/neck and I am out of shape (I huff and puff climbing a hill to get to work and I sit at a desk and write code).

2) I like to putz around when riding off-road. You probably won't see me catch air when riding. I like the feeling of power and speed, but compared to others I am a slow poke. I ride a Ducati and a Husaberg, but I am not a sporty or particularly skilled rider on the street or in the dirt. When others are up on their pegs riding over the gnarly stuff you will probably see me sitting and paddling with my feet.

3) When I went shopping for a dirt bike to replace my long broken DR350, I wanted something that had more power than a 350, maybe even than a 450. I also wanted something that was relatively light because I am convinced that weight is the great Satan off-road. I didn't want an adventure bike or a dual sport compromise - I wanted a street legal dirt bike. At the same time it had to work at slow speeds and have power at the bottom end - I wasn't looking for a race bike - although that is essentially what I ended up with - I didn't want sudden brutal bursts of power with nothing anywhere else. I wanted something that could be forgiving of my lack of skill, at whatever speed and in whatever conditions I rode it in.

4) While I have a budget (even Bill Gates has a budget), I was willing and able to pay a fair market price for quality, and to pay a premium for higher quality and capabilities.

5) The bike had to be platable/street legal. I don't have a truck or anything to haul a trailer (you can't put a trailer hitch on a Bimmer 3 series) - I don't want to get something just to haul a bike - although I have thought about it.

So, that said, last weekend I bought a '09 Husaberg FE 570. I was thinking about the Husky 610, but it was much heavier and was more of a dual sport bike - which is fine if that is what you want. I was aware that most people buy this bike for hard core off-road riding, or even racing - but I liked the way it handled and the very tractable power off idle. It was as light as most 250/350/450 class bikes that you can get licensed in Washington state, had a good suspension, a wide range 6 speed and enough power to push the bike as fast as the gearing would allow.

I picked the bike up Wed. night from Tasky's and rode it a few miles home. A couple of nights this last week I moved things around on the handlebars to my liking and rode it around the yard and up and down the street. Today I rode it out to the ORV riding area near Machias to break it in and find out if I will like my new expensive toy. It is about 20 miles each way so I go to try the bike on the open road - speaking of which, on the way back, I quickly got it up to 80 MPH indicated and there was still more left - although you certainly knew you were doing 80 MPH. With stock gearing (13/52 I think), the bike cruises along fine at 65 to 75 MPH.

On the ride out to Machias I felt a lot of engine vibration through the seat - I think on the way back I didn't notice it as much (either that or I got used to it - I think the former).

Much more to come a little later (I intend to make this thread a running diary of my experience with the bike) - I have a headache/neck ache/backache and I am tired (I *said* I was out of shape), so I am going to take some painkillers and lay on an ice pack for a while.

But to cut to the chase - I was not disappointed in the bike at all. I think it will serve my purposes/desires well, as simple as they may be, with a minimum of mods.

Keep us posted!

Was that you out there at Machias today on the 570 with the paper plate?

You went by me when I was waiting on the road.
I was on a KTM 250.

Check out this thread - http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471318 - plenty of people who live close to Machias (not me) who you can hook up with.

Yup. That was me.

Yeah, I need to hook up with some people who don't mind my plodding ways. I need to have someone there in case I go over the handlebars or something.

A couple of simple observations and then back to bed so I can work tomorrow - I am going to feel it at work tomorrow I am sure. I'll try to come back tomorrow sometime so I can post some more info.

This is a tall bike - 37" with a stock seat IIRC. All the more tall because I had Tasky's install a tall seat. I am 6'6" tall, but I have a 32-33" inseam. When I sit on the bike it sags of course so I can flat foot on a level surface, but getting on and off the bike requires lifting my leg to a degree that I am not used to, made all the harder by my bad back.

There was a couple of times when I had to turn the bike around in tight quarters where the height of the bike worked against me, but other than that I didn't notice it.

Part of the purpose of the bike is to get me off my ass and out doing something that will help get me in shape, or at least slow down my getting out of shape. After just ten minutes of riding off-road in mostly street gear I was sweating like a stuck pig and I wasn't doing anything hard at all. So I think this will help in this regard.

This bike has a sweet transmission. That was something I noticed when I rode the demo bike. No clutch needed. Very smooth and easy from one gear to another. It seemed to get smoother as I rode - at first it wasn't as smooth as the demo bike - a bit notchy, but still very easy to shift. Just think about shifting and its done. I didn't miss a shift or shift unintentionally all day, and that is on a new bike - I usually screw up a shift on a bike new to me at least once.

Oh, and a couple of other things before I forget:

There seems to be a lot of intake noise when I open the throttle more than a trivial amount. A lot as in it sounds like exhaust noise - indeed, it overwhelms the exhaust (which is very tame but sounds good, especially on deceleration) but I am pretty sure the noise is coming from the intake and not the exhaust.

The spark arrestor was loose when I got home. I'll have to put something on it or I will loose it for sure. I didn't see anything else that was loose when I checked the bike over after the ride.

pics, man we need pics

We're the same height though my inseam is 37". When I'm tired, I lean the bike over to get on/off. I have the tall seat also.

The noise is the intake. The exhaust (what others hear) is actually very quiet. I like it that way.

My spark arrestor fell out after my first long ride. Jeff was nice enough to give me another. I've used red loctite on it to keep it in. Longer term I will go with the Pro Moto Billet arrestor (which is actually stamped as approved).

I put the bike back together on Saturday. I had the forks/shock rebuilt by Less Tinius at LT Racing. Feels very nice. I even went for a quick ride and managed to remove 1/2 my rear fender when I jumped a speed bump at 45 mph to see what it would do. I found out - the lower part of the fender contacts the tire on hard compression.

I like the look of the smaller fender so I fabricated a combo license plate holder (horizontal) and LED turn signal bracket. I drilled the fender through in 4 places and instead of the plastic screws I now use 6 mm through bolts. The back end plastic is now much more solid.

Coming - when I get home tonight I'll post some. I took some last night before I washed it. But there are plenty of pics on the web.

Yup. I just did a google on it and found this:

http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=12&article_id=1098

Later. Got to get back to work.

Code Monkey get up, get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
Code Monkey have boring meeting
Boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very diligent
But his output stink
His Code not functional or elegant
What do Code Monkey think?
Code Monkey think,
Maybe manager wanna write
Goddamn log-in page himself
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy, just proud

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
Big, warm, fuzzy, secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like yooooouuuuu

Code Monkey hang around at front desk
Tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
Bring you cup, bring you ice
You say no thank-you for the soda 'cause
Soda make you fat
Anyway, you busy with the telephone
No time for chat
Code Monkey have long walk back to
cubicle
He sit down, pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight,
Code Monkey not feeling so great.

Code Monkey like Fritos,
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
Big, warm, fuzzy, secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you, a lot

Code Monkey have every reason
To get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
See your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up, eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job fulfilling and creative way
Such a load of crap
Code Monkey say someday he have
everything
Even pretty girl, like you
Code Monkey just waiting, for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
Big, warm, fuzzy, secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like yoooooooouuuuuuuu

there are some pics in this thread

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453589

Front

Cool bike,might consider using the clutch for shifting though,probably a 2500.00 trans in there.
RIDE ON CODE MONKEY!

Rear

Left

Right

Lauren -

looks like you did some aftermarket work on the saddle. it doesn't look like mine (factory tall seat)



whose kit did you go with?

Steve

Jeff said he was going to put the tall seat on and when I picked it up it had the Guts seat - or at least the Guts cover.

Okay, where was I?

I can see where this bike, or one with a little different suspension, would be a great super motard. Even with knobbies on it, the bike felt like I could make any corner at any speed - the tighter the better.

That said, I wouldn't want to ride it very far on the road without a drastically different seat, and changing the gearing a little bit - but I bet, at speeds under 100 MPH, with the right suspension (maybe a few inches less travel and lowered) and the right tires/wheels, the right rider, this bike would kick ass in the tight twisties - and by kick ass I mean it would kick the ass of most if not all street bikes.

On a different note, I filled up the tank just before getting to the trail. I filled up when I got home - 1.4 gallons, 44 miles - 31.4 MPG. I am definitely going to need a larger tank.