2016 Husqvarna FC450: Power Delivery

The 2016 MX models are pivotal for Husqvarna, and the FC450 is the flagship of this new-gen range. Having been redesigned from the ground up, the 2016 FC450 is a massive 5.2kg lighter than its predecessor, and with its all-new bodywork and subframe, the new bike represents the biggest departure from its KTM counterpart yet. In many ways, this FC450 is the platform that’ll set the tone for the new-look, Austrian-based Husqvarna as it sets about pilfering sales from the Japanese manufacturers in the hotly contested, high-tech motocross market.

So, has Husqvarna got it right for 2016? Does this bike’s performance represent a quantum leap over its predecessor? And what’s the new machine like to work on and maintain? All is revealed in Transmoto‘s 2016 January-February issue (#54), but here’s what jumped out at us about the bike’s power delivery after several rides.

• This new engine delivers a super-smooth, seamless surge of manageable torque. It’s more powerful and easier to use than its predecessor – which is the Holy Grail of engine development. Whether you’re exiting a tight rut or railing a fast sweeper, it gets the power to the ground incredibly efficiently.

• The transmission’s redesigned shifter cam makes gear-changes slicker and more positive, but it also makes it a bit more difficult to find neutral when the bike is running.

• Interestingly, the FC450’s muffler comes with a reverse mesh cone that KTM’s 450SX-F doesn’t have. This makes the Husky’s exhaust note a little quieter, and its power delivery a tad smoother.

• The standard 13/48 sprocket combination is bang-on, though Pro riders who like a more aggressive style of power may look to fit a 49-tooth on the rear.

• The soft/traction map (accessible via the bar-mounted Map-Select switch) takes noticeably more punch out of the power delivery through the bottom and mid- range this year.

• Integrating the new Launch Control system into bar-mounted Map-Select switch is nifty. Though, once activated, you can’t blip the throttle, nor close it by one-third, or the Launch Control will automatically deactivate.

• Because the bike now uses a lithium-ion battery, you need to be across the ‘technique’ required to start the bike when temperatures drop below 15o C – when, as the owners manual outlines, “multiple starting attempts may be needed”. This means hitting the button for 5 seconds and leaving it for 30, which helps distribute heat through the battery’s cells – because a lithium battery’s current output (and therefore starting power) increases as it warms up. It works. While the battery may initially turn the bike over sluggishly in cold conditions, it improves noticeably as you cycle it.

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Interested in owning a 2016 Husqvarna FC450? Right now, when you purchase a 12-issue print subscription to Transmoto (for just $90) you automatically go in the running to win Transmoto‘s FC450 project bike, valued at an RRP of $11,995, plus one year’s supply of Bel-Ray oils and lubricants (limited to a retail value of $2380). After being fitted with loads of premium-quality Husqvarna Accessories genuine parts, and undergoing a series of mods, this new-generation FC450 will get a factory freshen-up before being won by one very, very lucky subscriber.