2019 Husqvarna FS 450 Review – First Ride
Fri, 14 Dec 2018
The joy and fun of riding supermoto is something I personally love, but apparently this sentiment isn’t shared by most. It’s too bad, really. Supermoto offers all the fun of track riding for a fraction of the cost of taking your sportbike to a trackday. And if you’re a dirt guy, there’s even some of that, too. By their very nature, motocrossers are light, narrow, agile, and come packed with potent engines. Converting them into SuMos isn’t more than a wheel change, brake swap, and suspension tweak away, and yet the apparent demand is so small most OEMs – with the exception of Suzuki and its DR-Z400SM – haven’t taken notice.
2019 Husqvarna FS 450
| Engine | 19.0/20 |
| Suspension/Handling | 13.0/15 |
| Transmission/Clutch | 9.0/10 |
| Brakes | 8.5/10 |
| Instruments/Controls | 4.0/5 |
| Ergonomics/Comfort | 8.5/10 |
| Appearance/Quality | 9.5/10 |
| Desirability | 9.5/10 |
| Value | 9.5/10 |
| Overall Score | 90.5/100 |
Emphasis on most. Thankfully, Husqvarna hasn’t forgotten about us and has graced us with the FS450 supermoto. Based on the FC450 motocrosser, the FS450 is updated compared to last year’s version. A stiffened frame claims to enhance rider feedback – and it’s blue because, well, Husqvarna. A feature unique to Husky, the revised (versus last year) two-piece carbon fiber composite subframe gets a further weight reduction, down 0.6 lbs, making it just over 1 kg, or 2.2 lbs. In all, Husky says the FS450 weighs a mere 227 lbs, minus gas – just four pounds heavier than the FC450 MXer.
In the MX world of a few years ago, air forks used to be all the rage, wherein the traditional coil springs were replaced with a pneumatic cartridge. On paper there were a few benefits. First, trading springs for air meant a significant weight reduction. Second, adjustments for rider weight or riding style can be made by either adding or subtracting air, whereas before you’d have to change physical springs.
The reality, or at least so I’m told by my MX friends, was that air springs became really finicky to master. A perfect setup one moto could feel terrible the next. Temperature played a big role in the air fork’s behavior, as does sealing of the system; air expands and contracts depending on its temperature, while a little bit of air leaking out can both wreak havoc on a setup. Surprisingly, the FS450 still wears WP’s 48mm AER fork (and DCC rear shock). Both get revised settings for SuMo use and are fully adjustable.
The most obvious difference between a MX and SuMo is the wheel, tire, and brake package. Traditionally, folks who convert a motocrosser to supermoto either re-lace the stock hubs or buy aftermarket versions. Either way the wheel size is 17 inches, mostly because there’s a huge range of tire options. As we’ve learned from the usage of the AER fork, however, Husqvarna does things a little differently. Instead, the FS450 gets Alpina tubeless wheels measuring 17 inches in the rear, but 16.5 inches up front. In theory, the smaller diameter front wheel will help with turn-in and help the FS with its agility. The downside is rubber is harder to find. However, finding good rubber is not impossible, and the standard 125/80-16.5 front, 165/65-17 rear Bridgestone Battlax Racing slicks are excellent. Stopping the 227-lb FS450 comes down to a 310mm disc and Brembo four-piston radial-mount caliper in front, and a 220mm disc with single-piston caliper in the back. A radial master cylinder and steel-braided lines round out the package.
Saving the best for last, the FS450 gets a revised 450cc Single compared to last year, with a focus on making things lighter and more compact. To that end, Husqvarna redesigned the SOHC cylinder head, making it more compact and lighter, moving the camshaft closer to the bike’s CoG. Overall, the engine is 15mm lower compared to its predecessor and sheds slightly more than one pound, too – not bad when talking about a little 450cc Single. Slightly revised valve timing delivers more bottom end. When it’s all added up, Husqvarna claims the FS450 puts out 63 hp at the crank. Impressive. What’s more impressive is the fact that factory racebikes in Supercross are putting that much power to the wheel.
With that kind of performance on such a light racing machine, taming it all is important. Because of this, the FS sees technologies formerly reserved for sportbikes, like adjustable engine mapping, launch control, and traction control. There are two engine maps, and traction control (which can be turned off) is also correlated to each map. The TC system itself doesn’t employ wheel speed sensors, but instead uses a more crude system that analyzes engine speed and its rate of change (similar to early iterations of TC from MV Agusta). Should that rate of change exceed the predetermined algorithm depending on the gear, power mode, or both, ignition timing will be throttled back to help the tire get traction again. Getting drive out of corners is great, but SuMo is all about letting the rear hang loose and sliding it into a corner. To that end, a Suter slipper clutch helps a ton in keeping the back wheel settled while banging downshifts and kicking the rear out.
Excited yet? You should be, and for $10,799 it’s much easier (and likely cheaper) to simply buy one of these instead of converting a ‘crosser. But like all good things worth having, there’s a catch: we’ve been told only about 200 FS450s are coming stateside. So if you haven’t already spoken up for one, you might already be too late. Luckily for us, we were able to snatch this example.
You snooze, you lose
It’s a strange thing, trying to evaluate the FS450, because by default it’s the best motorcycle in a class of one. Nonetheless, the FS is an absolute riot for ripping up your local kart/supermoto track. The first thing you notice is the lack of a key – this is a racebike after all. Make sure you’re in neutral, push the starter button and the raucous 450 Single lights up (and yes, it will jump if you try starting it in gear). Our particular tester was equipped with an accessory FMF exhaust, giving a particularly healthy note at each crack of the throttle.
Once out on track it’s instantly clear the FS450 isn’t a bike for beginners. Throttle delivery is crisp and unforgiving for the inexperienced. It leaps at the first call, leaving no doubt about the bottom end power from the 450 Single. Of course, this was on Power Mode 1. Switch to the second map and things lighten up a little when you turn the throttle, but the word “soft” doesn’t belong anywhere near the FS450. Lofting up power wheelies in either mode in the first couple gears is only a clutch pop and wrist flick away.
Power from the bottom and mid range is healthy, with a slight tapering on top, but rowing through the five gear ratios takes just a flick from the toe. The gears are closely-spaced, since supermoto tracks are shorter and tighter than traditional roadrace tracks, which means you’ll find yourself shifting often, though the FS does have decent overrev should you need to carry a gear just a tiny bit longer than you should.
As mentioned before, the Bridgestone slicks offer up all kinds of grip, and I really don’t think I got them spinning enough to engage the traction control. Judging by experience, intervention from rate-of-change traction control systems is fairly obvious, and the Husky never intruded on my fun.
Of course, the real fun of supermoto is hitting the brakes, clicking downshifts, and wagging the rear loose. To this end, the Brembo components gave excellent stopping power and feel – though a very minor argument could be made for a smidge more bite from the pads. Still, the brakes are by no means inadequate, and if you do it right, tapping the rear to initiate a slide while downshifting can make even the biggest squid a hero for a second or two. Get it wrong (which is also easy to do) and you just end up looking like a bigger squid.
Slick tires, wide handlebars, and virtually no weight make for the perfect trifecta when it comes to slicing corners, and the FS450 inspires confidence. Despite the fact many MX guys have gone back to coil springs in their forks, there wasn’t much to complain about with the WP AER fork. Once the initial air pressure was set in the morning, it provided excellent support and compliance all day, with hardly a compression or rebound tweak needed all day. Leaned over, both the fork and shock simply absorbed bumps and gave just the right amount of feedback.
If I did have one gripe, transitions side-to-side on the FS weren’t as quick as I expected them to be despite the 16.5-inch front wheel. They weren’t slow, mind you, but I expected such a focused machine to have lightning fast reflexes. Then, I compared some numbers:
| Husqvarna FS450 | Yamaha YZF-R6 | KTM 790 Duke |
| Rake: 26.1° | Rake: 24° | Rake: 24° |
| Trail: NA | Trail: 3.8 in. | Trail: 3.8 in. |
| Wheelbase: 58 in. | Wheelbase: 54.1 in. | Wheelbase: 58.0 in. |
With its less aggressive rake and long-ish wheelbase (compared to an R6), the slower transitions made more sense. The FS relies on its light weight for agility and wide bars for leverage; Be deliberate with direction changes and the FS responds in kind.
Still, don’t mistake this as the Husqvarna FS450 being anything short of a weapon. I’m confident the it could show up at a supermoto race and surprise a few people on their built machines. Heck, with the right rider it stands a strong chance of stepping on a podium. It’s a shame there will only be a limited number of these coming here, but even if you can’t get on one, you owe it to yourself to give supermoto a try. If you do it might convince Husqvarna to bring in more, and I think the world could use some more supermotos.
2019 Husqvarna FS 450
+ Highs
- Impressive power
- Strong brakes
- Lots of bike for the money
– Sighs
- Wouldn’t mind a little faster turn-in
- Super limited quantities
- Not street legal (maybe that’s a good thing?)
In Gear
Helmet: HJC RPHA 10 Pro Cypher
(No longer in production, but old stock still available from various retailers)
- Leathers: Pilot EVO V2 $1350
- Gloves: Cortech Impulse RR $129.99
Boots: Alpinestars Supertech R $499.95
2019 Husqvarna FS 450 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 4-stroke Single, with four valves / SOHC with rocker levers |
| Displacement | 449.9 cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 95 mm x 63.4 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 12.75:1 |
| Starter | Electric starter with lithium ion 12V 2.0Ah battery |
| Transmission | 5-speed |
| Clutch | Suter slipper clutch, Magura Hydraulics |
| EMS | Keihin EFI, throttle body 44 mm |
| Frame | Central double-cradle-type 25CrMo4 steel, Carbon fiber reinforced polyamide subframe |
| Handlebar | Pro Taper, Aluminum Ø 28/22 mm |
| Front Suspension | WP inverted fork, AER 48, Ø 48 mm, 11.0 inches of travel |
| Rear Suspension | WP shock absorber with linkage, 10.5 inches of travel |
| Front Brake | 310 mm disc brake, four-piston radially-mounted Brembo caliper |
| Rear Brake | 220 mm disc brake, single-piston Brembo caliper |
| Front Wheel | 3.50 x 16.5´´ Alpina black, aluminum/ |
| Rear Wheel | 5.00 x 17´´ Alpina black, aluminum |
| Front Tire | 125/80-16.5´´; |
| Rear Tire | 165/65-17´´ |
| Chain | 5/8 x 1/4´´ |
| Rake | 26.1° |
| Wheelbase | 58 ± 0.4 inches |
| Ground Clearance | 11.4 inches |
| Seat Height | 35.0 inches |
| Tank Capacity | 1.85 gallons |
| Weight Without Fuel | 227 pounds (claimed) |
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
More by Troy Siahaan
I can't understand why it isn't street legal. I thought most supermotos are ridden on the street, for commuting etc. as a general purpose bike. Making it track-only limits its usefulness. $11K is a rather large chunk of money for a hobby bike. We don't just need more supermoto riders, we need a street legal supermoto bike.
- See 22 previous
-
Spiff on Dec 15, 2018
I'm not sure this bike could be ridden responsibly on the street.😳
-
TroySiahaan on Dec 15, 2018
Don't confuse a Suzuki DR-Z400SM and this. Sure they're both supermotos, but that's kinda like saying a Ferrari and Honda Civic are both cars.
-
Sayyed Bashir on Dec 15, 2018
I have a 2018 KTM 500 EXC and it is very similar to this except it has 21"/18" TKC80 knobby tires and is street legal. I can vouch for the hit of power as my bike likes to wheelie much more than I do. It is truly a go-anywhere bike. I put a 4 gal tank on it so it can go 240 miles. Also a Rekluse clutch so it never stalls on steep gnarly dirt trails.
-
Craig Hoffman on Dec 15, 2018
Find an old Husky 510SMR. My friend has one, fully street legal, reliable motor, and silly fun, and a giant slayer on pretty much any curvy canyon road, where the big bikes have a hard time using their power. My buddy trailers it to the riding spots though, freeways are pretty insufferable on a dirt bike. It is a really great track day bike for places like Streets of Willow, or better yet a Kart track if they will let you on it.
This was many years ago, was at Grange Raceway in SoCal driving karts and Max Biaggi was there on an SM. It was a pretty new thing back then!
-
Gabriel Owens on Dec 15, 2018
Craig I'm going through this line of thought right now. I really want a super lightweight bike to load in my truck and drive up to the pig trail in Arkansas with. Thought heavily about a Suzuki 400 or the new z400 seems a better bike. Take into consideration I'm 6'1 and 230#'s. Just can't figure out what would work best for me. Could care less about top end I just wanna bang the corners.
-
Old MOron on Dec 15, 2018
I'll take the DR-Z over the Civic any day!
-
Spiff on Dec 15, 2018
Another reason this is not ideal for the road is the maintenance. Your 500 only does limited road work, connecting trails. This thing as a commuter would constantly need attention. Now that said I had a supermoto, and dealt with that. For me? Totally worth it. Even more so if it could have been a second bike.
-
Alaskan18724 on Dec 15, 2018
Had the same thought. What use is it if it ain’t legal?
-
Sayyed Bashir on Dec 15, 2018
You are right. My 500 needs an oil change every 15 hours and valve check every 30 hours. Even though I don't put too many hours on it and don't ride aggressively in dirt. I am approaching 30 hours (and my first valve check) after owning it for a year, so that is not too bad. On the other hand I do 20K miles a year commuting and weekend riding on my other bikes and they have 4K to 6K mile oil changes and 15K to 18K mile valve check intervals (except my main commuter, the 2007 Harley Softail which doesn't need any adjustments and has 170K miles on it).
-
Craig Hoffman on Dec 16, 2018
A Husky TE610/630 or KTM 690 would be sweet street legal dual sports that are very streetable and yet reasonably off road worthy, and good used buys for reasonable dough. I liken these bikes to updated and far better versions of the Honda XR650L.
Far more off road oriented but still street legal and more along the lines of Sayyed's KTM 500 but for reasonable used dough is the Husaberg FE570. Light bike, monster power, kick ass SM if you wanted to go that route with it, and the 70 degree engine is overbuilt and bombproof reliable. I have a 2010 450 version and will never part with it. Being a confused KTM, getting the usual consumable parts for the Bergs has not been a problem for me.
Sayyed's KTM 500 would be the best available new street legal serious dirt bike, or a new Honda 450 would be nice too. Like all latest and greatest good things, bring money :)
-
Craig Hoffman on Dec 16, 2018
My experience with KTM singles is their valves need an initial bed in adjustment and then, unless you constantly rev the nuts off them, stay put. I did an initial adjustment on my 2010 Husaberg, 450 they have not moved since then, and that was 8 years and 5,000 mostly off road miles ago.
The bike has around 320 hours on it now and sees a lot of midrange RPM as it has lots of power there, never really working that hard. I am anal about air filters which helps a ton. As long as the bike starts easily when cold, it is pretty indicative that the valves are fine. They get hard starting when the valves are too tight. Your 500 will likely be the same.
I do oil changes every 25 hours, it comes out so clean I saved it one time and put it in my lawn mower, which was due for a change. Pretty sweet oil for the lawn mower :P
-
Old MOron on Dec 16, 2018
Another thought: doesn't the Civic have front-wheel drive?
If you're going to make MOronic analogies, at least do the DR-Z the justice of comparing it to a Miata. -
Spiff on Dec 16, 2018
If you can find a well sorted one, the Aprilia SXV550 is FUCKING AWSOME! They do require attention, but if one has had the love of Amauri (west coast) or Alan Noland (east coast) they are good to go. Also if you can find a KTM SM690 or a 690 Duke. If you have the money a Husqvarna 710 Vitpilen.
-
Spiff on Dec 16, 2018
Lol
-
Sayyed Bashir on Dec 17, 2018
Thank you for the advice. I have never had the valves checked on the 500 so I will check them at least one time. Today I spent the whole day (7 hours) changing the coolant and changing the oil and filter on my 2014 Panigale 899 (for the first time since I bought it in May). This doesn't include the time to remove the fairings (which I had taken off earlier) or the time to put them back on (which I couldn't do because it started raining). No wonder Ducati service costs so much. Next time will be faster (had to run around for some tools).
-
TroySiahaan on Dec 17, 2018
I remember when those Aprilias came out how I wanted one so badly. Not long after I heard about how much work they are to maintain. I still long to ride one...as long as it belongs to someone else. :)
-
Spiff on Dec 17, 2018
If you have a chance, buy one. Once they are rebuilt by one of the two I mentioned above they are fine. Do the routine maintenance (I changed the oil every 500 miles, some do every 1000.) and ride. It is the most exhilarating bike I've owned, and I ride a Super Duke.
-
Craig Hoffman on Dec 18, 2018
Pure track day toy / giant killer.
I did a track day years ago at Buttonwillow on my TL1000S, was dicing with a guy on a KTM 525 set up as an SM. I kept passing him down the straight bits and he kept passing me in the corners. After awhile, it occurred to me that I was working way harder than him.
SMs rock for track days, on the right course this bike would be a riot. While you would not want to be on the big track at Willow, the track does not have to be super tight either, these bikes are respectably fast. Buttonwillow, Streets of Willow are places I have been that are great for Motards :)
-
TroySiahaan on Dec 19, 2018
I've got no doubt I'd love every minute with the SXV...which is probably why I shouldn't buy one! It's ok, I'm plenty happy with my mini-moto. Tons of fun at a fraction of the cost.
-
Spiff on Dec 19, 2018
Heck yeah. I would love to get into min-moto. All what you said, but slow enough that you can survive the crashes.
Very serious, if you have a good mini-moto scene around you, I have an idea.
-
TroySiahaan on Dec 19, 2018
Oh yes, the mini scene in SoCal is very healthy.
-
Spiff on Dec 19, 2018
I have an idea no one is doing, and if there is an audience...
If you like, email me at xxxxxxx@gmail.com
No stress, but let me know either way so I can remove the email.
-
TroySiahaan on Dec 19, 2018
Now you've done it. Expect some spam mail soon...
Worth checking out RJ's utube vids of his 300exc tpi - now effectively a 300 SM. Nice tour of London's xmas lights posted recently.
-
Spiff on Dec 15, 2018
Lamb Chop did a 500 KTM conversion as well.
New Rider's Hub
Get StartedFind your Motorcycle
Top Brands
- Aprilia
- BMW
- Ducati
- Honda
- Kawasaki
- KTM
- Triumph
- CFMoto
- Indian
- Yamaha
- Harley-Davidson
- Suzuki
Popular Articles
2025 Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S – First Look
Official: 2024 Yamaha MT-09 Y-AMT Announced
2024 Ducati Diavel V4 vs Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R – Side by Side
Official: The US Is Getting the 2025 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP
Small Adventure Bike, Big Adventure Dreams
You may also be interested in
2022 Honda Navi Review – First Ride
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801 Review – First Ride
2019 Husqvarna FS 450 Supermoto Announced
2020 Husqvarna FS450 Available September 2019
2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 Review – First Ride
Church Of MO: 2019 KTM 790 Duke Review – First Ride
2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition Review - First Ride
Kawasaki Hydrogen Prototype Makes Public Debut
Another Dunlop Tops Isle of Man TT Record Books
2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 Gallery
Registration Now Open for 2024 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
2025 Triumph Daytona 660 Review – First Ride
Out and About at the 2024 Isle of Man TT
2024 BMW F 900 GS Review – First Ride
Yamaha Unveils Updates to 2025 Off-Road Lineup
What Should Be Standard On More Motorcycles? – Question of the Day
Racing Into New Territory – Question Of The Day
2024 KTM RC8c Review Gallery
By Troy Siahaan
See also: Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 Aero Concept – First Look, 2019 Husqvarna Svartpilen 701 First Look, Husqvarna Svartpilen, and Mysterious `Real Street' Concept Machine Will Be at EICMA.