🎥 2020 Husky FE350: What To Fit & Why

When the crew from Husqvarna Motorcycles says they’re happy to flow you a long-term project bike, how’s a bloke go about choosing from the seven models in the brand’s new-generation enduro range? Easy: take your favourite 2019 model, the FE350, and go again. That’s how! In actual fact, there was a bit more to the thought process than that. Basically, I figured that getting a FE350 project bike in back-to-back years would be the perfect way to properly understand where the new-generation 2020 bike had changed and/or improved, and by how much. On paper, the new FE350 comes with sweeping changes to chassis, suspension and bodywork, and a bunch of small but significant refinements to its powerplant, mapping and traction control. But how do those changes translate into seat-of-the-pants feel when riding the thing? And are there any changes to fasteners and/or accessibility for maintenance? This 2020 FE350 would surely shed light on those questions.

Okay, then how does a bloke go about choosing accessory parts for this 2020 FE350? Well, Husqvarna Motorcycles made that decision easy: by insisting that we only fit parts from the Husqvarna Accessories catalogue. It was a condition of us getting the bike. Which was fine by me because, when you think about it, the manufacturer gets a decent head-start on aftermarket parts guys when it comes to developing accessories – meaning Husky’s parts stand every chance of being the best part for the job. Husqvarna gave us a $1500 budget to spend on parts and accessories, and a Motorex 4T Start-Up Kit to make sure they honoured their worldwide association with the Swiss oil brand. So, all that as left to do was sit down with a bottle of 12-year-old single malt whisky, pore over the countless options staring back at me from Husky’s Accessories catalogue, and figure out how to best spend that 1.5 large. Here’s what I decided on, and why…