13 8 http://www.racerxonline.com
2017 HUSQVARNA FC 450
T
he gang at Twisted Development
coordinated this build. Those
folks have been rock solid over
the years helping with our proj-
ects, and we trusted them completely to
fi nish this machine. We all agreed the en-
gine didn’t need any work; the Husqvarna
engine is so strong and broad in its power
delivery there really isn’t a need for more
power. Despite that, we added an FMF
Factory 4.1 exhaust system to drop some
weight and up the cool factor a bit. The ex-
haust does improve power, but it remains
rideable and smooth. The Twisted Devel-
opment guys tuned the fuel mapping with
the new system as well and installed a
new Rekluse manual clutch for us.
Kreft Moto rebuilt the suspension. Kreft
was new to me, and I was approached by
a friend who was a former Honda R&D guy
now helping with the Kreft products. These
guys focus solely on WP suspension, and
they have a brilliant system for it. The fork
setup actually gives you the ability to revalve
the internals with the twist of a dial. You still
have your clickers for compression and re-
bound, but you can change the valving as
well. If that sounds crazy, it did to me as
well when I fi rst heard of it. They also have a
micro-fi nish they put on the fork and shock
sliders to reduce friction. The shock was re-
sprung, revalved, and coated. They also put
an X-Trig quick-adjust collar on the shock to
make sag changes simple. The Kreft setup
was as plush as any WP setup I’d ever rid-
den and has miles of room for adjustment
should you need it. You could literally ride an
off-road race with a super-soft setting and
then, after a quick revalve, have it set up to
handle the biggest jumps you can handle.
It’s a clever setup, and it works.Pro Taper provided bars, grips, throt-
tle tube, and hand guards. Factory Back-
ing designed the graphics with a compli-
menting seat from MotoSeat. Cycra sent
us their new Power Flow kit for increased
air fl ow and a sharp look. We also added a
Boyesen water-pump impeller and cover
for better cooling and a stronger cover.
Nihilo Concepts provided a slew of
parts for this build including billet titanium
footpegs, hour meter, gas cap, frame grip,
ignition cover, and case saver and roller. We
have loved these products in the past, and
Nihilo delivered again for us on our Husky.
The wheelset is from Tusk Rac-
ing, and they have Dunlop MX3S tires
mounted on them. Polisport provided the
chain guide, radiator louvers, and radia-
tor covers, which are a really cool prod-
uct if you’re riding in sand or mud. These
easily installed screens keep debris from
collecting in your radiator fi ns and help
keep temps down as the moto wears on.SuperSprox provided the sprocket,
DID sent the chain, and CV4 made the
radiator hoses to match our build. Works
Connection offered up their master cylinder
cap, rear brake cap, EZ fi ll cap for air forks,
and steering stem nut to match our bike.
This Husky looks clean and unique
simply with a change to the color scheme.
On the track, it’s a potent weapon. The
motor is crisp and strong with a throaty
bark from the FMF exhaust. The Kreft
suspension setup is the best I’ve ridden
on WP air forks, and honestly, I wouldn’t
have known they were air in a blind test.
The range of adjustment made it easy to
set up for multiple riders as well. The FC
450 is comfortable and predictable and
felt like a true race bike with the addition
of our modifi cations. From the quality
hand controls to the razor-sharp foot-
pegs, this is a bike any savvy rider would
love. To see the bike in action, head over
to Racer X Online.