2020/2020.5 Husqvarna FC450/Rockstar Edition Baseline Settings/Set Up Tips

Rejoice, Husqvarna owners, we are here with some helpful setting tips for your 2020 Husqvarna FC450 or your 2020.5 Rockstar Edition. As always if you have any questions, our job is to help you try to get as comfortable as possible, in order for you to enjoy your dirt bike even more. You can always hit the contact button on keeferinctesting.com to get some answers.  

Engine/ECU: For 2020 Husqvarna fixed most of the FC 450 ECU rich feeling problems with the help of some of us media testers. Last year the 2019 ECU setting was rich off the bottom and slightly lean on top, which made for a lethargic/inconsistent throttle delivery. For 2020 the ECU is better, has a more lively feel coming out of corners and still has the super connected rear wheel feeling. I am usually a “map two” kind of rider due to its increased pick up/recovery feel, but sometimes I am looking for that extra puling power that is needed when the track is tilled deep or soft. I have been on the Vortex ignition bandwagon for a couple years with this machine and for the Rockstar Edition/FC450 it hasn't wavered. If you want the same great rear wheel connection as well as more pulling power everywhere, along with more rpm response look into a Vortex ignition from Chad at XPR Motorsports or Jamie at Twisted Development. I have turned a lot of Husqvarna riders onto this mod and have had a 100% approval ratio. What I like about this modification is that it doesn't hurt reliability and makes for a very usable yet powerful engine for almost every type of rider. Yes, it will set you back around $800.00, but to me is much better than slapping on a muffler system and will do more for your engine. Just in case you’re worried about pricing, the Vortex has a great resale value and you will not be losing much money if/when you sell it to another lucky Husqvarna owner. 

Suspension: If you haven't listened to my WP XACT Pro Components suspension podcast you may want to at least check that out, but if you're sticking with the stock suspension for a while, you can try this setting to see if this helps comfort when the track gets rough. This setting below should be in the ballpark for riders around 165-200 pounds, but if you’re heavier than 200 pounds going to a stiffer rear spring wild help the ride attitude of the Husqvarna. I have went to several tracks and tried many different settings, but this specific setting had the most “track toughness”. The Husqvarna’s stock WP suspension doesn't quite have the comfort like a Kawasaki or Yamaha does, but the Husqvarna/WP set also holds up more in the stroke. To get some added comfort back with the added hold up, try this setting. 

Fork: (160-195 pounds)

Height: 5mm

Air Pressure: 11.1 Bar

Compression: 14-15 clicks out

Rebound: 14-15 clicks out

Shock:

Sag: 103mm

Low Speed Compression: 12-13 clicks out

High Speed Compression: 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 turns out

Rebound:  10 clicks out

Chassis: Aftermarket engine mounts are all the rage right now and some of you may not have the money to spend on a pair of engine mounts for your Husqvarna. I will say that I don’t feel like the RE’s chassis is stiff, but I have heard from other vet riders that it can be at times, so I decided to play around with torque specs on the engine mounts and stumbled across this. If you’re experiencing a stiff feeling chassis sensation and want the Husqvarna to settle while leaning (under throttle), there is an inexpensive way to achieve some extra front end traction (as well as an overall more planted feel). You can remove the left side upper engine mount bolt (upper right bolt only, as shown) and torque all other top engine mount bolts to 30Nm. This band aid will give you a more planted sensation when on throttle while leaning the FC450 RE through sweepers and fast straights. You will have to make sure that all engine mount bolts have blue Loctite to ensure they do not back out (you should do this regardless if you keep all the bolts in or not). You can also try torquing your swingarm pivot bolt to 95 Nm (instead of 100Nm) to help rear end traction out of corners. The downside to doing these mods is that the chassis will flex a little more, so if you’re riding deep tilled tracks this modification may be too “flexy” for some (especially when chopping throttle).  

Handlebars: The stock Pro Taper handlebar is great! However it is too low for my 6’0 frame, so going with a Ride Engineering one piece bar mount with 5mm risers helps (if you like the stock bar bend). I also like the Pro Taper SX Race bar and that worked well for riders from 5’8 to 6’1. The SX Race bend comes in a crossbar or crossbar-less style and is 800mm width, 87mm height, 54.5 rise, and 54mm sweep. If you’re looking for a better “stand up feel” from your Husqvarna look for a handlebar close to this measurement.  

Rear Brake Pedal Spring: Purchase a Honda CRF450R rear brake pedal spring with the rubber around the spring. The Husqvarna rear brake pedal spring vibrates and will break every 4-5 engine hours.

Gearing: I like the stock 13/49 gearing, but for sand I prefer the 14/53 gearing for mid rpm recovery and chassis feel. Yes, going to a 14/53 will put your rear wheel back more than the 13/49 and get you some extra high speed stability with the 14/53. At tracks like Glen Helen I go with a 14/53 because I get that extra planted/stable feeling coming down hills. 

Rear Axle/Axle Blocks: Going to a Works Connection Elite axle block kit or Ride Engineering axle block kit will get rid of the fixed left axle block on the stock Husqvarna’s axle. This will help the rear end to move more freely under throttle and improve the shock’s comfort on acceleration chop. Both are great, but you will have to decide if you want a complete axle/axle block kit like Ride Engineering’s  or just the blocks themselves like WC’s. 

Muffler: To me FMF makes the best muffler system for the Husqvarna Rockstar Edition. Maybe that’s why the Husqvarna RE comes with a 4.1 slip on. However, installing a megabomb headpipe will help mid range rpm response as well as give you some added top end pulling power. There are some other companies that have other bikes dialed in more, but on the Husqvarna/KTM, FMF has got it dialed. You will get more low to mid RPM response as well as more mid range pulling power. The kicker is that you will not lose bottom end or low end recovery. It’s a win/win, which rarely ever happens in the world of aftermarket parts. 

2019 Honda CRF250RX First Impression

What? Honda has another new model? Yes, that’s right, the 2019 CRF250RX is Honda’s latest off-road addition to their growing stable. We had a chance to let our “Electric Diesel” test rider Tod Sciacqua ride it at Cahuilla Creek in Anza, California for a full day of ripping. This is just a quick first impression, but we will be re-visiting this machine for a long term test soon so don’t fret your pretty little dirt bike faces. If you want to hear more about this red machine, click on the “Podcast” tab and listen to Tod and I talk about what this bike is like to ride. 

This all-new CRF250RX is specially designed for closed-course off-road competition only, so just know that this machine will not be OHV legal until you get a spark arrestor. Some of the CRF250RX key features that Honda would like you to know are:

• Large-capacity, 2.2 gallon resin fuel tank 

• 18-inch rear wheel

• Forged aluminum sidestand

• Sealed drive chain

• Suspension with settings dedicated to closed-course off-road use 

Engine/Drivetrain

• High-performance, 249cc single-cylinder engine with dual-overhead-cam design and high rev limit.

• Finger rocker arm with Diamond Like Coating (DLC) maximizes valve lift while retaining a low engine height

• Downdraft intake layout improvies air-charging efficiency

• Dual exhaust ports enable ideal air-charging efficiency

• Cam profile, which is based on feedback on the CRF250R used by the Team HRC factory MX2 race team

• Intake- and exhaust-port geometry provides strong low-rpm engine power while also maintaining stellar top-end performance

• 44mm throttle body offers ideal low-rpm intake airflow for strong corner-exit performance

• Honda’s piston oil jet with five nozzle holes provides superior piston-cooling efficiency and reduced knocking, enabling a precise ignition-timing setting for optimum power delivery

• Lightweight AC generator keeps weight to a minimum and minimizes friction losses

• Electric-start standard for easy, fast engine startup

• Easily selectable Standard, Smooth, and Aggressive riding modes enable easy tuning depending on rider preference or course conditions

• Selectable HRC launch control provides a steady stream of torque for excellent performance on race starts

• Exclusive ECU settings for ideal engine performance and rideability in off-road situations

Chassis/Suspension

• Lightweight aluminum frame with tapered main spars provides great rider feedback

• Low center of gravity reduces front-end lift for strong acceleration

• Renthal Fatbar® handlebar reduces steering-system weight, and flexes for comfort

• Top triple clamp features two handlebar-holder locations for moving the handlebar rearward and forward by 26mm, ensuring rider comfort. When holder is turned 180 degrees, the handlebar can be moved an additional 10mm from the base position, resulting in four total unique handlebar positions

• Newly shaped footpegs are 20% lighter and shed mud more easily, giving the rider great feel and confidence in all riding conditions

• Engine guard allows excellent airflow, boosting engine-cooling performance

• 49mm Showa SPG coil-spring fork with dedicated settings for ideal handling and comfort in technical conditions experienced in off-road racing

• Fork protectors have outstanding coverage for protection in off-road conditions

• Black rims offer strong presence parked in the pits or out on the trail

• Lightweight front-brake caliper uses pistons of different diameters (30mm and 27mm) for strong braking performance

• Front-brake hose resists expansion for precise braking

• Smooth bodywork layout eases rider movement

• In-mold graphics are durable and resistant to peeling caused by washing or abrasion

• Dunlop Geomax AT81 tires provide optimum feel and traction in challenging riding conditions

So now that you have some idea about what Honda did to this sucker, what did Tod think about the 2019 CRF250RX: 

Going into the test day I was thinking this would be a corked up slow trail bike, not really expecting the awesomeness of the power potential this race bike truly really had. One of the first things I noticed was the oversized tank and the 18” rear wheel with the sweet looking racing black rims. Yes, I am sucker for black rims because it just makes the red plastic pop that much more. Throwing your leg over the Honda for the first time, you will notice the large fuel tank and by appearance you may think this tank will affect your riding while on the trail, but once you take off you forget all about it.

I want get this out of the way right now because I feel no one talks about this enough. There are three different power settings on the handlebar, which to me is always great for different riding conditions you may ride on any given day. I may be in the mood for different conditions, on any given ride I go on, so having the aggressive, smooth, or standard “mood” settings is perfect for the many different riding moods that I have. The engine delivery is snappy and responsive enough to pop me up over rocks, logs and the occasional rain ruts that we encounter here on the west coast from time to time. I only weigh in at 155 pounds so having too much power is a concern to me at times when looking to purchase a bike. With this CRF250RX I feel like I can manhandle this machine more because the power delivery is fun, yet never gets me in trouble when riding. The mid range to top end pulling power feels just like the 2019 CRF250R to me and that means it pulls far and likes to be revved. If there is anything I could complain about the engine, it would be lack of some torque down on very low RPM. The throttle response is crisp and instant, but the bottom end delivery can feel empty if I was on a tight trail that was somewhat sandy.  

The Showa suspension feels like it was tailor valved for my riding style and weight. Again I am not a heavy guy and this Showa CRF250RX suspension was plush for me out on the closed course trails of Cahuilla Creek. On the occasion I hit the moto track on the way into the pits, the suspension had enough hold up for the jumps that Cahuilla provided. Overall, I can’t sit here and type any real negative on the suspension side (as I love me some spring forks) and Showa knocked it out of the park with this fork setting. We set the sag at 106mm for my weight and I was happy right away with the balance that the HondaI had. I am sure Keefer will nitpick the crap out of this thing more at a later time, but for now lets just say the Showa suspension was great for my smaller stature. 

48mm Showa spring forks grace the new 2019 CRF250RX.

 While riding the diverse terrain I noticed how nimble and easy this CRF250RX is in the tight stuff (and through corners). Although the nature of the chassis is agile and quick handling, the straight line stability feels planted and not as twitchy as the 250R. On tighter switchbacks the CRF250RX feels light and very playful and that makes me want push harder through the tighter terrain. One thing is for certain about the evolution of dirt bikes these past few years; it’s that the brakes have improved dramatically. A lot of media testers don’t talk about how important good brakes are and the new Honda provides some great stopping ability. The front brake on past Honda’s felt somewhat spongey and soft to me, but this 2019 CRF250RX has a strong front brake that lets me charge into corners much harder than I can remember.   

The Honda loves to carve up some berms.

Did I mention I love electric start? Well, I do! You might think you don’t need an electric start on a 250, but after a full day of riding, kickstarting your bike gets tiring. Us older guys love this feature as it just makes riding a dirt bike more enjoyable to me. The biggest bummer to me on the day was that they didn't let me take the bike home. I will have to say that I am also mystified that Honda doesn't put handguards on this machine. The seven mile loop that Honda laid out for us was filled with blood sucking demon branches that will attack you any chance they can. Just ask my right forearm! The Honda CRF250RX comes with a skid plate, which is mandatory for any off road bike, so why aren’t handguards mandatory on this sucker as well? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? 

Dear Honda, we need handguards please!

Great job to Honda on making a hybrid machine that is easy to manage and fun to ride. Look for more 2019 Honda CRF250RX updates at keeferinctesting.com soon or check out the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Keefer Tested Podcast on this site right now! -Big Air Tod  

2019 Kawasaki KX450 Update

Ahhh, the twenty-nineteen Green-Machine. There is a lot to love about Kawasaki’s new 450 and after an initial 20 plus testing hours have been racked up, this quick-read breaks those loves down and also highlights what I look forward to improving moving forward. As we all know, the KX450 was ranked high during our shootouts (it almost won the damn thing) for the new year, and for good reason! This completely brand new bike harnesses a lot of great features that will keep it a front runner moving into the future. 

First and foremost, the chassis. When you look at this 450 on the stand, the bike looks big. When you sit on the bike, it feels big (tall). If you weigh the bike, it still is “big” (3rd heaviest bike in class, weighing in at 242lbs wet). BUT, when you ride the 2019 KX450, it DOES NOT feel big. Kawasaki has designed this chassis in a way for it to feel more slim, nimble, and easy handling than ever before. This bike is so playful in so many ways, and literally lets you put it anywhere you want. The cockpit dimensions were a bit off for me, as I’m short (period), and I felt the bar bend was too high. Not only do I dislike the 7/8th Renthals that come stock (sorry Kris), but it was even more of an excuse to change them out entirely for a low-bend, oversize bar. I chose a set of Pro Taper EVO (Husqvarna OEM bend) as the replacements, because I wanted low and a relatively mild sweep. The combination seems to work well as of now, but I literally just put them on and need more time to test. *(On a side note - why can’t Kawasaki use a different glue for their throttle side grip?? As an FYI, it takes an act of god, razor blades, and a Dremel to remove the damn thing).

Moving onto the suspension, I was able to log the first 10-12 hours on all stock settings (adjusting minor clickers here and there) before sending the fork and shock to Race Tech for some love. In stock trim, the forks where a bit soft on harsh landings (bottomed out quickly) and they also liked to “pack up” in the mid-stroke. What I mean is, under braking or de-cel at speed, the fork likes to stay in the mid-stroke portion of the travel, translating into a harsh feeling/un-stable front end. Obviously, we sped up the rebound quite a bit, to get the fork to stay higher in the stroke, but the improvement was marginal. After riding Race Tech’s re-valve, bottoming resistance has been greatly improved, but I am still struggling with the same mid-stroke instability. Some things that have helped it (but not perfected it) have been speeding up the rebound settings again, and turning in high-speed compression on the rear shock. By doing so, it makes the rear shock ride higher, thus transferring more weight to the front with hopes to make the forks work as they should. I am pretty picky when it comes to front-end feel on my bikes, so this is going to be a work in progress to get it where I want. Part of the reason I wanted a lower-bend handlebar was to see if it would help me put more weight up front (from a body positioning stand point) to settle down the front. If not, I plan to turn back to Race Tech in the near future for new settings if I cannot get it where I want. Stay tuned. 

As for the shock, I think it works well all around. In stock trim, it was too stiff for the forks, which I believe made the front-end feel ever softer than it should. After Race Tech massaged it, we lowered the spring rate for my weight (145lbs) with some internal valving to compliment it, and the shock is more supple and forgiving. I have a feeling that if/when I perfect the forks, the overall chassis/suspension combination on this bike is going to be hard to beat.  

With all of the new 450 power plants being so good these days, to dissect and nit-pick each of them is a real chore. The same goes for the KX450 motor. It is very free-revving and easy to ride across multiple different tracks and conditions. It definitely is not the fastest, it definitely does not have the most torque, but the usability and “racey” feel makes up for all of that. We had the guys at Kawasaki help us with some new map settings during initial testing, and we found two that we really liked. The first one Kris developed, with the intentions of a more aggressive, “snappy” race-feel to make the bike stay alive across the RPM range (which you can find by clicking on the 2019 KX450 “Optional Settings” article). We have currently been using this map the most. The other is for the nasty, slick days out here on the west coast. When blue groove becomes your friend, the more linear map really keeps the power plant more subtle, but useable from bottom to top. 

Next on my to-do list, is an exhaust. This is not to say the stock system is bad (I mean… if we are judging by looks, it’s bad). But, it actually sounds good and I do not mind the performance either. I am interested to see what improvements can be made by bolting on a new system. Is there any specific brand requests from anyone reading this? (Editors Note: We tried the FMF full system and although it was good, we wanted a little more excitement down low. FMF has since re-configured the headpipe and we will test ASAP).

Want to learn about a specific system, tell Kris! I am sure we can make it happen. -Dominic Cimino

Ok, this was supposed to be a “quick-read”. I guess it is easy to talk about something that you really like, and that is the case with this new 450 from Kawasaki. As stated, there is a lot to love about this bike, and we are just scratching the surface on the things that will prove to improve. My focus is to really get the forks dialed in, to polish of the great chassis combination that this bike has to offer. I am confident that when this happens, all of the others things that we will get to test moving forward will become the cherries on-top. You know the drill - keep an eye on KeeferIncTesting.com for all of this stuff and more. Thank you for reading!

Comparing The 2018 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition To The 2018 FC450 Standard Edition

What exactly does the 2018 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition do differently on the track compared to the standard 2018 FC450? Is it worth the extra money? Isn’t that always the question? Is the juice worth the squeeze? After putting over 13 hours on the bike in just over two weeks I wanted to break down what the differences are on the track. If you want to learn more about the 2018 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition and the changes that it received click on this link to learn all about it: https://www.keeferinctesting.com/motocross-testing/2017/12/6/2018-husqvarna-fc450-rockstar-edition. 

Engine: The standard 2018 Husqvarna FC450 comes on smooth and builds RPM’s calculated which leads the rider to have maximum rear wheel traction. The Rockstar Edition is not different in that aspect, however with the engine changes Husky made to the “RE” it does have slightly more pulling power down low. The RPM response isn’t better on the RE, but getting out of the corner the 2018.5 machine pulls 2nd and 3rd gear just a tad harder. I still would like to have more RPM response like the Honda and Yamaha have, but what I do get out of this Rockstar Edition engine is a ton of connectivity from my throttle hand to the rear wheel. I can get on the gas so much sooner on this Husqvarna than I can on any Japanese model. My lap times are deceivingly fast because I simply don’t feel like I am charging that hard. When I do lap time comparisons on the Rockstar Edition in comparison to the 2018 FC450 and YZ450F, I am consistently 0.4-0.8 seconds faster a lap on the Rockstar Edition over the course of 15 minutes. What is even more confusing is that I don’t feel faster, but with how much rear wheel traction I have I can see why I am faster around the track on the RE. The Husqvarna engine also lets you pull second gear farther than any other 450cc model available (minus the KTM 450 SX-F). I did change the stock 13/48 gearing to a 14/52. On paper both of these ratios are the same, but the 14/52 gearing helped liven up third gear in corner for me. I could utilize third gear more with better RPM response than the stock gearing. Since I was on the prowl for more throttle response, I tried the smaller black throttle cam. The smaller throttle cam gave me more excitement down on low RPM’s, but it was harder to control through corners and I felt I lost some of that connectivity to the rear wheel some. It is a great option however for you rider that hit sand tracks and softer tilled dirt. The RE’s engine is slightly better than the standard 2018 FC450, but nothing that is life changing.

Chassis: This is where I think most of the improvements between the two Husky’s are felt on the track. The problem with the standard FC450’s chassis is that although super compliant and comfortable on intermediate to hard terrain, once you get on a softer, tackier type track and start to really push, you can feel the frame flex under loads. On east coast dirt the Husqvarna and KTM frames are not as magical as they are on the west coast hard pack dirt. The standard frame is great on square edge, choppy terrain, but if you have a long sweeper with some rolling whoops you can feel the frame flex and then release which gives you a swapping sensation out of the rear end (I can feel this on the west coast as well). It unsettles the rear end and forces the rider to let off the throttle. The new RE feels more planted from the swingarm pivot bolt back and has a more solid feel. Rigid? No. Solid? Yes. Some magazines are mistaken the solid feel for a harsh feel in the fork, but that couldn’t be more further from the truth. The new Rockstar Edition chassis carves corners with ease and feels super light on the track. It actually feels lighter than the standard edition when needing to make a sudden line change. Straight line stability is improved even with the solid feel and I can hang it out out a little more with the newfound solid feel. Since Husqvarna gave us 10mm more rear wheel chain adjustment space, I tried this and found it to be better for rear wheel traction, but also lended me a broken rear fender. If you bottom out the rear shock a lot (which is not that hard to do with the Rockstar Edition) be careful about putting the rear wheel too far back because when you bottom out, it could break the rear fender where it mounts up underneath the seat like it did on me.

Suspension: Now I have a theory about this Rockstar Edition suspension. I call it a “theory” because I didn’t speak directly to any of Husky’s R&D testers yet about this. As a production tester I kind of know how things are developed and feel Husqvarna went a little softer on their suspension settings because their RE frame was a little stiffer now. It makes sense to me and you can feel the soft suspension immediately once out on the track. The RE WP AER fork has a standard air pressure setting of 10.5 bars (from 10.8 on the standard edition), but I go up to 10.6-10.7 bars on jumpier style tracks. The fork bottoms out on flat landings and up steeper jump faces. On de-cel bumps (off throttle) the RE fork is better than the standard FC450 however. On throttle though the Rockstar Edition fork feels like it has less traction than the standard FC450 fork. When accelerating over some braking bumps or hitting the tops of acceleration chop the front end feels less planted to the ground than the standard version. If you are coming into a corner and chop the throttle the fork has a pretty comfortable mid-stroke feel, but once back on throttle the fork feels slightly harsh and has some deflection. Out back the shock is soft on high speed compression plain and simple. The shock has a good damping character at the beginning and middle part of its stroke, but near the end it just falls away and feels empty. I would like to see WP/Husqvarna fill that part in with some more high speed compression damping force. I tried going stiffer on the high speed, but it hurt the rear end comfort on acceleration chop for me too much for me to justify the change. I did go in four clicks on the low speed compression and slowed the shock down three clicks to try and get it to hold up just a bit more for me. Overall, the FC450 Rockstar Edition has a softer feel to it, but both ends of the machine feels balanced. I will be looking for more hold up and increased comfort in the common weeks so stay tuned for a Keefer Tested podcast on some updated specs.

Ergonomics: The standard 2018 FC450 was tough to lift my leg up high into corners because the mid shroud area always snagged my pant/knee braces. The KTM was even worse yet, but the new RE FC450 is much slimmer feeling and the rider sits more on top than in. I also can grip with my legs better and I don’t feel like the rear end of the bike is as fat as it once was. Some magazines were bitching about the lower bar bend, but I actually like it. I tried a slightly higher bend and I hated it so I went back to stock. For all you Husqvarna/KTM owners out there do yourself a favor and stick with a low/flat bar bend. Both of these bikes are a little front end high anyway and you don’t want to compound this with a higher bar. The gripper/pleated seat works well, but make sure to have some Bag Balm on hand to rub on your ass! This seat tears my butt up! I am working with a chaffed ass here people! I love riding this bike so much, but I pay the price when I get home that evening.

In closing the 2018 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition is a better machine than the standard 2018 FC450. If I was going to by a Husky (which I just might do) I would be willing to pay the extra grand or so for this model for the simple fact of the chassis and the small engine improvements that come with it. Stay tuned to pulpmx.com and keeferinctesting.com for more on-track testing info from this white stallion.