Which Bike Is Right For Me? 250 Vs. 350 Vs. 450

A question I get asked a lot is what size bike is right for me? While this is a question that is not easy to answer, I thought I would try to give you some perspective on what each bike is like to ride and how to determine which one could be right for you. I have tested the 2020 Husqvarna 250/350/450 and will use these bikes, in this article, as my baseline for explanation. As always I am here to help when I can, so please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com if you have any uncertainties. That’s why I built Keefer Inc. Testing.  

FC250: The FC250’s engine character is smooth off the bottom end then starts to build power up quickly from mid-top end. It’s a very non-aggressive type of low end delivery that has a deceiving strong mid range torque character. The FC250’s delivery is meant for a rider that likes to carry momentum and not rely on sheer bottom end torque to pull him out of a corner. If you like to let each gear rev out then this engine is perfect for that type of riding style.You would think without tons of torque feel, the FC250 wouldn't have a lot of recovery when in the wrong gear through corners, but to my surprise, the Husqvarna’s engine has superb recovery time and will get you back down the track, in the meat of the power, in no time. 

FC350: If you have never rode a 350cc Husqvarna/KTM then you’re missing out. The 350 comes on slightly more aggressive then the 250cc engine, but packs more punch through the mid-top end range. Again, if you’re looking for massive amounts of torque out of corners this still isn't your cup of tea, but the FC350 does have some low end RPM response (excitement) that the FC250 doesn’t. Hopping over bumps and getting over a double out of a corner is much easier with the extra RPM response that this engine brings. Not to mention that the bike still feels as light as a 250 when cornering, so getting through the corners in order to be able to clear an obstacle is made easier with the 350. The pulling power of the mid-top end range is where this FC350 will put a smile on your face. Just when you think it’s time to shift, you’re wrong, so just let it rev out a few hundred RPM more. When riding the 350 to 450 back to back, the 350 feels as fast as the 450 on top end. I don’t feel like I am losing much ground to the 450 on fast straights as long as I am not going uphill. This is where the 350 will get ate up by the 450. Pulling power/torque/meat feel is the 450’s strong suit. 

FC450: The overall engine character of the FC450 still has that smooth easy to ride feel, but with slightly less engine braking than the 350 to me. Coming into corners you can feel less drag on the engine and less movement in the chassis compared to the 350’s engine. If you’re looking for a hard hitting 450 engine character this isn't your type of machine. However, if you’re looking for an easy to ride, connected to the rear wheel feel, deceivingly fast type of power, the FC450 could be just what you’re looking for. The FC450 doesn’t feel that much heavier on the track compared to the 350, but to me the 350 has more engine recovery than the 450 when in the wrong gear. The RPM response of the 350 is more lively than the 450, but you can get away with being lazy on the 450 and let that big motor pull you out of “the wrong gear trouble” without killing the engine. Basically what I am saying is that the 450 “chugs/lugs” better than the FC250/350 can. 

Now that we have each engine character broken down, where does that leave you? What type of rider are you? That is important when deciding on which size bike to purchase. You have to know what type of tracks you’re riding, how often you’re riding, how serious you take your riding, and how you ride. Ask yourself these hard questions and then you can use this guideline below to decide on which direction you would like to go. 

250cc Rider: You would be surprised on how many riders over 50 years old I have turned on to 250cc’s four-strokes and they are completely happy. The Yamaha YZ250F has unbelievable amounts of torque for the older rider that may need some of that because he may like to ride a gear high (AKA, still lazy because you’re old). With the 250cc machine you’re able to get away with riding harder than you should because it simply doesn't have the weight of the 450cc machine. You’re able to push harder into corners and work on your technique because you’re not scared of the engine delivery. You’re actually able to ride the machine instead of the machine riding you. Obviously bigger riders (over 200 pounds) will need more engine than 250cc’s, but if you’re in the 200 pound range and are a beginner type of rider I would actually recommend a 250cc four stroke to you. It’s safer and can help you jumpstart your on-the-bike fitness without the consequence of getting hurt because of fatigue on the bike. Being tired while riding a 250cc four-stroke is much safer than riding a 450cc four-stroke fatigued. If you’re a 85cc rider and are looking to graduate to a bigger bike you DO NOT need a 250cc four-stroke. You need a 125cc two-stroke. Chances are you’re a 110 pounds so a 250cc four-stroke is too much bike for you. 

350cc Rider: Just because you may be a bigger rider (200-230 pounds) doesn’t necessarily mean you need a 450cc motorcycle to get you around the track. In fact, I have had many 220-230 pound testers love the FC350 because they could actually ride it harder/longer than that of their 450cc machines. If you’re racing against guys in a class full of 450’s, having a a 350 as a weapon of choice to outlast your competitors could prove wise. I could see you may need a 450 if your local tracks are super sandy and deep, but if you have soft to intermediate terrain, a 350 is much easier to handle for a longer moto, than that of a 450. Let’s say you’re just an average weekend warrior that likes to hit the track with your buddies and race on occasion. The 350 is a perfect size machine to be able to enjoy some laps without worrying about getting whiskey throttle after lap four because you have arm pump. I really try to recommend a 350 to most vet riders that like to ride for fun and occasionally race because it really does have enough power to clear all the jumps on a local track as well as corner easy enough to help your technique because let’s be real, you know your technique is not up to snuff. Let’s face it, you work five days a week and can’t be at the gym like these other people that seem to have so much damn time, so why not get an engine character that you can control. It amazes me how some guys egos can get in the way of purchasing the right motorcycle. The 350cc engine will be easier to manage on rough tracks that will require some technique and finesse. 

450cc Rider: Look I am not going to sit here and tell you that a 450cc four stroke motorcycle isn't my favorite bike to ride, because it is! It’s easy to be lazy and go fast, but there is one caveat. You have to be in shape to hold on to it! If I didn't ride so much I would ride a 350 more, but all I do is ride so I like a 450 engine! You can’t just show up to your local track on the weekends, hop on your 450 and expect to haul ass for more than just a few laps. If you do try to do this without “help” your medical bills will be high and your wife will be pissed. The good news is that out of all the 450 MX’ers, the FC450 is the easiest to ride/control/handle because of its well mannered power delivery. You fit the 450cc rider checklist if you are serious about your local racing, like to keep yourself in shape, want to improve on both of the aforementioned statements, have been riding more than a few years, and/or just simply a bigger dude (over 240 pounds). I really try to let older vet guys know that they simply DO NOT need 450cc’s of power just because they can go out and buy it. They will never use all of it and they will get tired too quickly. To me that isn't fun. Fun is being able to ride more than four laps, rip corners correctly, and go home un-injured. The 450 is capable of giving you all of this as well, but just know it might take more work on your part to be able to do all of those things easier and the correct way.

Hopefully after reading through this article you have determined which type of rider you are, can relate to one of these machines, and decide which cc displacement is your next purchase. I understand it’s difficult to make a 9-10K purchase based on something you have yet to ride, but that’s where I try to come in and hopefully guide you in the right direction! A lot of these manufacturers have demo days at local tracks so be sure to look for those near you and try the new bikes if you’re able. See you at the track! -KK

2018 Husqvarna FC350 First Test

The 350cc machine concept took a while to catch on with the consumer, but I have been seeing many more 350’s at the track the last couple years. Some of this is do to the fact that Husqvarna and KTM 350’s are so much better than they were just a few short years ago. I recently received my 2018 Husqvarna FC350 test bike and have been putting a lot of time on it the past few weeks and have a good impression of the bike’s character that I will break down below. If you want to learn more or just want to get your information in podcast form, click on the podcast tab and listen to the 2018 Husqvarna FC350 First Impression now. 

Engine: The 2018 Husqvarna FC350’s engine character is more like a 250 than a 450. The bottom end comes on strong and has an exciting feel to it, but doesn't have the sheer torque numbers like the FC450 does. The 2018 FC 350 puts out a max horsepower reading of 52.62 @12800 RPM with a max torque reading of 28.54 ft-lbs at 8300 RPM. The 2018 FC450 has a max horsepower reading of 56.35 horsepower at 9500 RPM with a max torque reading of 36.50 ft-lbs. at 7100 RPM. The FC450 has eight more ft-lbs of torque, which is a considerable amount when you ride them back to back. The peak horsepower numbers are closer however and when up to speed (like going down a fast straightaway) the 350 feels very close to the 450 in terms of sheer speed. Where you will lose some time to a 450 is coming out of deep, tilled up corners where you need that “meat” to pull you up on top of the soft stuff. One upside to the Husqvarna FC 350 engine character is that it has a much livelier/exciting RPM response feel over the somewhat smoother feeling of the FC450. If you want to pop over a hole or braking bump the FC 350's excitement can get you over small imperfections on the track easier. The FC 350’s mid range pull is impressive as it can pull even a bigger sized rider around the track in third gear, with the right amount of clutch use. One of my 220 pound novice test riders stated that “the FC 350 was the most fun he had on a bike”. The beauty about the FC350’s engine is that you can leave it in second gear, longer, down a straightaway and not have to worry abut shifting to third gear. It’s ok, because the FC 350 likes to be revved. The rider will have to learn how to ride the mid-sized white bike this way, but once you do, you come to appreciate the Husqvarna’s extra pulling power character. This bike is fast on top end, plain and simple! I am telling you that you will not miss much top end (if any) compared to a 450. Not one time when I rode this bike was I thinking "I need more top end”. I can clear anything on the track with the Husqvarna FC 350 that I can clear with a 450. You just will have to be conscious of not shifting too early. Ride it like a 250F down low, but reap the benefits of a 450 up on top. That should be the Husqvarna FC350’s tag line. 

Suspension: Do I wish the Husqvarna FC 350 had a spring fork? Yes, I do, but the 48mm AER fork isn't horrible. Would I rather have a Showa spring fork from a 2018 Honda CRF450R? No, I will gladly take the new 2018 setting that WP has inside the FC 350. I ran 10.6 bars in the fork and that seemed to give the WP fork a nice feel when it’s in the top of the stroke, decent comfort through the middle part of the stroke and an ample amount of bottoming resistance near the end. I recommend staying in between 10.5-10.7 bars if you're in between 160 pounds to 200 pounds. This will give you the most amount of comfort through braking bumps and more front end traction through corners. Don't mess with the fork height as the stock height leaves the FC 350 with the best balance on all different types of tracks. You can slow the rebound down on the fork one or two clicks to slow the action down to help the fork from coming back to quick on slap down landings. I have always got along with most WP rear ends as they usually have a dead feel over braking bumps and I like how the rear of the FC 350 sticks through corners. The shock is best served up at 105mm and a high speed that is anywhere from a quarter turn to half turn in (stiffer) on high speed compression. This setting keeps the rear end from feeling to low on jump faces and landings. You can also experiment with opening (softening) the rebound one or two clicks to get some of that rear wheel traction/compliance back in acceleration bumps. I experimented with low speed compression and found out that I always went back to a stock setting for the most comfort on rough/choppy/tracks. The FC 350 is a well balanced motocross machine that lets you push your limits without it doing anything out of the ordinary on the track.  

Chassis: The steel frame on the Husqvarna is a well mannered combination of flex and rigidity balance that is tough to replicate. I prefer the steel frame that comes on the new Rockstar Edition Husqvarna FC450, but I really come to appreciate how much traction the 2018 FC350 has when the track offers little to none. Straight line stability of the Husqvarna FC 350 is good and is a comfortable bike at high speeds. The carbon composite airbox is smaller in diameter on the FC 350 (which hurts power a little) than a KTM’s, but the FC 350 offers a little more plushness when hitting square edge compared to a KTM 350 SX-F. The only downs side to this chassis is that it can flex more than I would like on soft dirt when riding aggressively. When hitting rolling whoops through corners (on throttle) the rear end of the bike can unload and snap back which causes the Husqvarna FC 350 to step out and give the rider an uneasy feeling. The benefit to the new generation Rockstar Edition FC 450 frame is that it is much better in this area. Hopefully Husqvarna will go to the new generation frame in 2019 on the 350 to combat this issue. 

Extras: 

Airbox Side Cover: If you want a little more bottom end and throttle response try drilling out your side panel like the photo shows. This will only take a few minutes and can give you a little more pop/bottom end out of corners. Just be aware that you will now have holes in your side panel when it is raining or in muddy conditions, which can wreck havoc on the air filter sooner rather than later. 

Muffler: I have tried an FMF slip on system on the FC 350 and KTM 350 SX-F in the past with good results. The slip on will give you slightly more bottom, but where you will notice the difference is through the mid range and top end. Going to a full system will not give you as much bottom end, but you'll get more mid to top end than a slip on style system. You can also put a KTM style muffler/can on and that will get you some extra response. The KTM’s muffler is slightly different and is not as quiet as the Husqvarna muffler. 

Ergonomics: The rider triangle (peg, seat, handlebars) is comfortable for my 6’0 frame and I love the fact Husqvarna uses Pro Taper handlebars and not Neken. The Pro Taper bars flex more and to me the bar bend Husqvarna uses is better when cornering. It’s a flatter/lower bend that I am accustomed to. 

Engine Maps: If you want the most out of your 2018 FC350 then make sure to use Map 2. Map 2 will get you more snap down low and a harder/longer pulling mid-range. If you’re looking for a more useable power in hard pack or maybe you're not quite in shape yet for that 20 minute moto, use Map 1. It has a smoother deliver with a broad mid-top end pull. It will rev out a little farther than Map 2 and that could be good for a GP style race. 

Gearing: I tried going up and down a tooth on the rear sprocket, but always came back to stock gearing. Going up a tooth shortened the puling power and didn't help getting into third gear any sooner. Going down a tooth actually was pretty good at more of faster style GP track that let second, third and fourth gears pull slightly longer. I didn't like it in tighter sections however as I had to down shift to first gear at times to get out of sharp 180 corners. Stick to stock, trust me.

The Husqvarna FC 350 is for anyone that wants a light feeling machine that has a lot of fun factor. If you're a serious racer that rides on deeper style dirt you will most likely want a 450. Every time I ride the FC 350 I always say to myself "why don't I have one of these in my garage". The answer that usually comes to my mind is I still have an ego and want the most horsepower available when I decide to go racing. However, once I get over my "racing" stage of my life, I know I would see myself owning a Husqvarna FC350.  

If you have any questions about this test please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com.