Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2015 HUSQVARNA FC250 BETTER THAN THE 2014 FC250?

A: Yes. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that the 2015 Husqvarna FC250 was improved over the previous model year. Why? Because the Husqvarna FC250 gets the benefit of every improvement that is made to the KTM 250SXF.

Q: WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE 2015 HUSQVARNA FC250?

A: The Husqvarna FC250 received the exact same changes as the 2015 KTM 250SXF. Suspension was the primary focus, although there are a bevy of other updates found throughout the bike.

(1) WP 4CS fork. The four-chamber fork was specifically designed for motocross. It offers improved damping and shaves off 175 grams. The clicker settings can be easily adjusted with dials on the top of each fork. The left fork houses compression damping, while the right leg controls rebound.

(2) Shock. The WP DCC (Dual Compression Control) shock features different valving and a 4mm increase in stroke. The slightly longer stroke complements the new link geometry without changing rear-wheel travel.

(3) Linkage. The 2.5mm-longer linkage features new geometry for improved handling and shock performance. The different rising rate offers a less-progressive feel throughout the entire stroke. Additionally, tighter machining tolerances in the linkage system equate to a weight savings of 40 grams.

(4) Front axle. The 22mm front axle replaces the previous 26mm axle to reduce unsprung weight by 40 grams. The axle clamps have a 2mm-shorter offset and increased trail.

(5) Subframe. The lightweight polyamide subframe of the FC250 has been reinforced with an additional screw on the left side that improves fitment and the airbox seal.

(6) Fork guards. The fork guards are no longer wrapped around the lower fork stanchions. Although they don’t offer as much coverage, they can be removed without taking the forks off the bike.

(7) Hand guards. All Husqvarnas previously came with hand guards, but this year the motocross versions didn’t get them.

(8) Handlebars. Renthal FatBars have been replaced by Neken bars, but the bend is identical to last year.

(9) Seat cover. The seat-cover material is completely new, completely slippery and completely useless.

(10) Oil pump. The oil-pump suction screen has new O-rings that increase durability under extreme conditions and over time.

(11) Clutch. The Coil Spring Clutch (CSC) has a lighter, one-piece, CNC-machined, steel clutch basket and upgraded clutch springs.

(12) Graphics. The Husqvarna FC250 uses sturdy in-mold graphics.

Q: WHAT MAKES THE HUSQVARNA FC250 DIFFERENT FROM THE KTM 250SXF?

A: The MXA wrecking crew was able to identify eight major areas where the KTM 250SXF and Husqvarna FC250 differ.

(1) Aesthetics. Although the Husky and KTM have the same exact engine, suspension and chassis, the two brands are differentiated by their aesthetics, plastic shapes, yellow valve cover and black rear sprocket.

(2) Subframe. compared to KTM’s aluminum subframe, which equates to an improved feel.

(3) Airbox. The FC250 airbox is different because it has to fit into the polyamide subframe. Unfortunately, that’s not a good thing. It is a far worse design than what KTM is using. Why? There aren’t any open areas for air to enter the airbox. The FC250 airbox is buttoned up tighter than Fort Knox.

(4) Rims. The Husqvarna line comes standard with black-anodized D.I.D DirtStar rims, while KTMs come equipped with black-anodized Excel rims.

(5) Controls. Every Husky comes with white hand guards. They are easily removable if you prefer to block roost with your knuckles. The FC250 grips are slightly firmer than what is found on the KTM 250SXF, and they also have “Husqvarna” inscribed in the rubber.

(6) Ignition maps. Husqvarna mounted a two-position map switch on the handlebars. Map 1 is the stock map and Map 2 is whatever map you choose at the junction box under the seat. The choices are mellow or aggressive.

(7) Seat. The Husqvarna seat looks cool, but the grippy-looking material offers no grip whatsoever.

(8) Muffler. Don’t be confused by the different exhaust part numbers on the FC250 and 250SXF. Both bikes use the same system, aside from a minor bracket change that’s required because of the tighter confines of Husqvarna’s polyamide subframe.

Q: WHAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2015 FC250 AND THE 2014 FC250?

A: That’s easy. The switch from WP bladder forks to WP 4CS forks was a hopeful step in the right direction. But, it was a baby step. The 4CS forks are more progressive. They don’t blow through the stroke as bad. Yet the stock damping is stiff and geared toward faster and heavier riders. Most riders, slow or fast, find them to be too harsh .

Are the 4CS forks better than the typical Showa or Kayaba setup? No. It’s obvious that the 4CS fork still has some catching up to do, but Husqvarna has gained more ground in one model year than with the WP bladder fork over 10 years.

Q: IS THE FC250 COMPLEMENTED BY THE WP 5018 SHOCK AND LINKAGE CHANGE?

A: The FC250’s WP rear shock features new valving and a 4mm increase in stroke. The slightly longer stroke complements the new link geometry, which is 2.5mm longer without changing rear-wheel travel. With a few adjustments, we had the rear working in unison with the front. The major goal is to get the front and rear in balance — read the settings at the end of this test. Oddly enough, the FC250 suspension feels different from what is found on the KTM 250SXF. The KTM suspension has a softer overall feel. On the KTM, the rear end blew through the stroke with faster riders, so we opted to go up a spring rate. Initially we plugged in our 250SXF settings but kept on going out on the clickers until eventually we ran out of compression adjustment.

Why does identical suspension have a different feel? Here are a few explanations.

(1) Spring-rate tolerances. We had an issue with our KTM 450SXF shock spring feeling softer than last year’s 5.7 spring. When we checked the 2015 spring, it was considerably lighter than the 2014 spring, even though they were both labeled 5.7 Nm. We believe that there are tolerance variances in the WP shock springs (even the 5.4Nm on the FC250).

(2) Polyamide subframe. The Husqvarna polyamide subframe is a softer compound than the KTM aluminum subframe, which results in more flex and less rigidity. It’s possible that the increased flex allows the shock to stay further up in the stroke when under a load.

Q: WHICH BIKE HANDLES BETTER BETWEEN THE HUSQVARNA FC250 AND KTM 250SXF?

A: This answer all depends on whom you ask.

Novices. Lighter, less-skilled riders preferred the KTM 250SXF because the suspension felt softer.

Pros and Vets. Faster and heavier riders chose the FC250 because the rear end stayed up in the stroke and bottoming resistance was excellent. We did have reservations when our advanced test riders kept going softer on the compression clickers, but they swore that it was the correct way to go.

Q: HOW DID THE 2015 HUSKY FC250 PERFORM IN STOCK TRIM?

A: In terms of engine performance, the MXA wrecking crew wasn’t over the moon about the 2015 FC250. Why? The bike was sluggish off the bottom and took a long time to ramp up to where the engine produced its best power. Once in the sweet spot, the FC250 took off like a rocket ship and revved until the cows came home, yet the power profile was hard for all our test riders to manage. There was a lot of “hurry up and wait” in the FC250 power profile. Plus, there was a considerable amount of decompression braking when downshifting. It should be noted that the 2015 Husky FC250 pumps out over 42 horsepower. That is a big number. To get to that number you have to go all-out, rev it to its 13,4000 rpm rev limiter and ride like a Pro.

The chassis didn’t work as well when the engine was off as when it was on. The stiff suspension setup really responded to being pressed into the ground, but when you chopped the throttle, the suspension loaded up.

Q: WHAT CAN YOU DO TO FIX THE 2015 HUSQVARNA’S PROBLEMS?

A: Surprisingly, the fixes are easy and inexpensive, but you will have to channel your inner Macgyver to maximize the potential of the FC250.

(1) Airbox cover. The Husky airbox is sealed off tighter than a drum. Air only gets in by mistake. No air means no power. You can prove this by taking the airbox cover off of your 2014–2015 Husky FC250 and riding without it. It’s a different bike. The stock Husky airbox cover costs one full horsepower. The solution? Drill holes in the side panel until your bike runs as well with the side cover on as it did with it off.

(2) Mesh screening. The FC250 has mesh screen dividers in the muffler and the airbox. We removed both of them (and switched to a fire-retardant air filter just to be safe). The reward is improved throttle response, an area where the FC250 is desperately lacking.

(3) Gearing. Husky’s and KTM’s five-speed gearboxes have big gaps between the gears, particularly the second-to-third-gear transition. For 2015, we spent considerable time trying to find the ultimate gearing. Guess what? Faster test riders actually preferred gearing the FC250 up by running fewer teeth on the stock 50-tooth rear sprocket. With taller gearing, the fast test riders were able to stay in second gear longer, and downshifting into corners was much more pleasant thanks to a decrease in decompression braking (and the freer suspension). There is, however, a break-even point where the talent required to carry the upshift to third or not having to downshift to first in tight corners exceeded the rider’s speed. In these cases, we had test riders who geared the Husky FC250 down by adding one tooth to the rear sprocket.

Q: WHAT DID WE HATE?

A: The hate list:

(1) Airbox. An engine needs to breathe, but the FC250 asphyxiates the powerband.

(2) Spokes. For some reason the spoke at the rear rim lock always came loose.

(3) Rear fender. You will break the rear fender. How? Just like us, you’ll forget to use the grab handles and instead pick the FC250 by the rear fender. As a result, the plastic will snap and the fender will stand at attention.

(4) Shift knob. The spring-loaded shift knob would get bent backwards in deep berms and refuse to snap back out. Without the shift knob, there is no shifting. Plus, the shift lever itself is too low, but when you move it up on the spline, it is too high.

(5) Subframe. The polyamide rear subframe is a neat idea, but it bulges out in certain areas, causing the test rider’s boots to get hooked on the subframe. It needs a smoother interface.

(6) Gearing. You have the choice of gearing it up or down, but you don’t have the choice of running the stock gearing.

(7) Seat cover. It’s like sitting on a stick of butter.

Q: WHAT DID WE LIKE?

A: The like list:

(1) Clutch. The self-adjusting hydraulic clutch is the best on the market. It feels different from a cable clutch but is easy to adapt to.

(2) Brakes. Hands down the best brakes in the class (other than the KTM 250SXF, of course).

(3) Shifting. The transmission shifts with ease under a load. It is very impressive when you rate it against the competition.

(4) Electric start. Once you get used to having the button, it is hard to go back to kicking.

(5) Aesthetics. The bike looks great with its yellow, blue and white color scheme. What we like even more are the bulletproof in-mold graphics.

(6) Suspension. We are happy that Husqvarna changed to the 4CS forks — although we’re not totally in love with them).

(7) Fork adjusters. What we do love are the fork adjusters, which can be clicked quickly thanks to dials on top of the fork caps.

(8) Side panels. Even though we have issues with the airbox and plastic subframe, we like the full-coverage side panels because they are easier to grip than the smaller KTM side panels.

Q: WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK?

A: There is a little work to be done on the 2015 Husqvarna once you get it home from the dealership, but once you fiddle with the clickers, drill out the airbox and play with the gearing, you will be rewarded with an awesome high-rpm powerband, superb hydraulic clutch, supreme brakes, electric starting, well-balanced chassis and vastly improved forks.

MXA HUSQVARNA FC250 SETUP SPECS

Are you looking to get the 2015 Husqvarna FC250 suspension set up? Use these specs as a starting point and adjust accordingly.

WP 4CS FORK SETTINGS
The new 4CS forks are  better than the previous WP bladder forks for several reasons. (1) They stay up in the stroke and don’t blow through the travel easily. (2) There’s also better bottoming resistance that helps them work better in rough terrain. However, the 4CS fork is a little too firm for riders below Pro speed, but we think that this is helped by lowering the fork oil height in 5mm increments. But, to really fix them you will need to send these forks out to your local suspension guru before you will be totally happy.

For hardcore racing, we recommend this fork setup on the 2015 Husqvarna FC250 (stock specs are in parentheses).
Spring rate: 0.46 kg/mm
Oil height: 105mm (100mm)
Compression: 18 clicks out (15 clicks out)
Rebound: 17 clicks out (15 clicks out)
Fork-leg height: 15mm up (5mm up)
Notes: Fork-leg height is a viable solution to balancing out the fore-to-aft feel of the FC250. On tighter tracks, we raised the fork legs to put more emphasis on the front wheel. Also note that achieving harmony between the forks and shock should be your first goal. Having one area out of sync will wreak havoc on the handling and suspension performance.

WP SHOCK SETTINGS
The upgrades made to the WP shock were beneficial to the overall setup of the bike. We noticed that the new layout bolstered performance in terms of providing a plusher feel and absorbing square-edged bumps. One of the biggest issues with the shock in the past was its inability to absorb bumps, particularly while seated when exiting corners. This has been vastly improved for 2015.

For hardcore racing, we recommend this fork setup on the 2015 Husqvarna FC250 (stock specs are in parentheses).
Spring rate: 5.4 Nm
Race sag: 105mm
Hi-compression: 1-3/4 turns out (2 turns out)
Lo-compression: 22 clicks out (15 clicks out)
Rebound: 12 clicks out (15 clicks out)
Notes: If you’re concerned that the stock 5.4 Nm spring rate is too soft, be sure to measure the static sag after setting race sag. If static sag is more than 40mm, it’s imperative that you jump up a spring rate. Also, understand that the FC250 is very sensitive to race sag.