2009 Husaberg FE570 - Dirt Rider Magazine

If there was a bike that just keeps on giving and never asks for anything in return, it has been this Husaberg. Since we've had it, it has been the standby on any off-road ride we go on and the benchmark for a performance trailbike. Which is pretty strange for a full-size Open-class machine, but that is the magic of what the Berg brings to the table. Powerful as anything, nimble beyond belief considering the power-yes, it makes 450s feel cantankerous.Our modifications have been very minor, the most extensive being the addition of a Rekluse Z-Start Pro automatic clutch. Call us lazy or call it good, it is, like electric starting, a feature that you don't realize how much you would like it until you try it. For sure, having the clutch set up properly for engagement is a big factor, and having the 95 percent perfection of the stock fuel injection really complements the clutch, but talk about an easy bike to ride in any condition! Absolutely there are those who just cannot get accustomed to the clutch, no matter what, but these have been only a few among the many who have ridden this bike.Our FMF Q muffler actually quieted the bike just a smidgen, but it also smoothed the power and gave the Berg a little pick-me-up on the top-like it really needed it... This 570 slays the steepest of power-robbing hills and will actually accelerate up hills that drag down good-running 450s. You can literally control the throttle and moderate speed instead of just being pinned and waiting to bang a downshift.Sure, I put Fasst Company Flexx bars on it, and I may sound like a broken record, but they are great for my wrists. What is even better about the Husaberg is that the stock suspension is pretty much some of the best all-around trail riding suspension we have ever ridden. And we compared it to everything, even the newer 2010 Bergs, and it still comes out on top. The newer bikes steer a little better (with the revised triple clamp offset), but that is a minor improvement we can live without, unless we come across a good deal on triple clamps. Add the Husaberg PowerParts radiator guards and cooling fan and we have one tough machine. We bounced it off a small cliff, and the radiator was spared.The bike has enough stock electrical power to run the biggest of lights we have, and it has never missed a beat starting, despite being electric only, no kick available. The one time we've gone in and checked the valves, everything was right in the middle of specification. It does take a little more work than most bikes to do this, as you have to remove the radiators. For oil, we've been running Motorex and more recently Maxima; they seem to be doing a fine job.At about 80 hours on the clock we decided the FE was way overdue for a suspension service. Our local KTM dealer, Z Racing in Anaheim, California (www.zracinginc.com), does really solid suspension work, and they made the Husaberg like brand new, and it showed-just look back at the suspension comments above. To show the rest of the bike some love we added some RidePG.com graphics and seat cover, which help on the eyes.About the only two chinks in the Husaberg's armor are a slightly compromised fuel range (with no easy fix as larger tanks aren't available just yet) and a true hiccup in the FI mapping that can have the bike flaming out every so often when you come onto the throttle quickly in repeated on-off twists. We have been playing with the mapping but have not yet nailed the perfect setting. Taking the oil vent line out of the airbox has helped; we'd heard the hot oil plays games with the air sensor inside there.What's next for the 570? Well we're constantly avoiding returning the bike to Husaberg and riding it when we can; if it had a license plate, it would be even harder to hand back. We can only hope!Running Tally

Modifications

Repair Costs: NoneMaintenance Costs: