2016
Husqvarna FS 450 Supermoto
Husqvarna
is really starting to differentiate itself from sister company KTM and the
release of the updated 2016 FS 450 Supermoto certainly contributes to that.
While Husqvarna is busy hyping up the forthcoming release of their 701
Supermoto, the FS 450 Supermoto is actually a bike that doesn’t have an
equivalent in KTM’s lineup.
That
to us is far more interesting than the 701 Supermoto which is as far as we can
tell just a rebadged KTM 690 SMC R. The new FS 450 Supermoto is derived from
the heavily revised FE 450 Enduro which was announced just a few months ago and
that means it gets a whole lot of great features that the previous years model
did not.
That
includes a new subframe which is made of a composite material that is 30%
carbon fibre and features a three-piece construction, which is 1 kg lighter
than its equivalent in the previous model. The new cast aluminium swingarm has
been redesigned, is stiffer and lighter than before as well.
Like
its enduro cousin, the FS 450’s motor gets a serious overhaul as well. The new
engine is 23 mm shorter, 23 mm narrower and 9 mm lower than before. Total
weight reduction for the engine is a very impressive 1.8 kg. Even the cylinder
head gets some work to reduce weight.
The
5-speed gearbox comes standard with a slipper clutch and the clutch lever is
hydraulic. The gearbox gets some tweaks to make it more compact and lighter
too. The FS 450 also features a standard handlebar map switch which also
activates launch control, a function that limits the amount of power to the
rear wheel for approximately two seconds. This results in improved traction and
the prevention of loss of control under hard acceleration.
If
upon looking at the pictures below of the bike you were wondering why the
exhaust headers looked suspicously like something from a 2-stroke, you’re not
imagining things. The resonance chamber is integrated into the header pipe to
resemble a 2-stroke expansion chamber which not only helps with weight
distribution, but also reduces noise.
The
proprietary WP rear shock has been specifically designed for Supermoto and
features 266 mm of rear travel. It features fully adjustable rebound and high/low
speed compression while up front you get 48 mm WP closed cartridge forks with
280 mm of suspension travel and is also fully adjustable.
The
brand new 2016 Husqvarna FS 450 Supermoto will heat dealer showrooms in Europe
this month and will hopefully find it’s way internationally soon thereafter.