krieg
Husqvarna
Pro Class
Despite the weird weather in Central PA I got to take the new 449 on a great 30 mile ride in a variety of conditions including tight rocky, rooty, rutty single trails, fire roads, rail beds, coal banks, and transition roads.
The first, and most pleasant discovery is the flawless EFI and electric, perfectly predictable power delivery. What a great motor!
As has been discussed by others, the bike handles and feels a lot lighter than it is. I was expecting a wrestling match in the tight stuff, especially in the watermellon sized rocks. The 449 plowed through all of it, firmly planted and predictable. I was fully prepared to feel "beat up" and tired after riding, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only time I was aware of the bike's real weight was when I had to lift the backend to scoot the bike around Mom's basement! Make no mistake, this bike is heavy. It just doesn't act like it when in motion.
It took me a while to adapt to the shifter position. Initially, it felt oddly misplaced. Upshifting was awkward. I quickly adapted and found the transmission to be smooth as butter. Clutch feel is a bit stiff, but it's going to be very hard to find any clutch as good as the Gas Gas in terms of feel and light pull.
Brakes are ok, nothing stellar, again... the Gas Gas brakes are the gold standard IMO.
On the highway (yeah, I found a remote stretch to ride on without a plate) the bike felt stable and planted at speeds up to 50 MPH, I didn't go any faster. The front end never shook or wobbled, but that may have been due to the fact that Chris at Toy Tech used tireballs(?) (or something similar) in the rims. This thing will do fine on the road for the minimal use it will see.
Only negatives so far... the battery was weak out of the box, barely able to crank the bike in a few circumstances. One time I was about 5 miles into the woods. The thought of having to push the bike out, was a bit unsettling. I really dislike the lack of a kicker. When I got the bike home, I put the battery on a trickle charge overnight and it was a lot stronger after several hours.
Negative #2, The horn quit working after the second "test blow". No big deal until I have to get the bike inspected for the plate.
I'm really impressed with the build quality of this bike. It's obvious that Husky is improving in this department... maybe due to BMW's influence? Not that my previous Huskies were bad, the 449 is just noticeably better.
Mother Nature seemed to be on my side this morning when I woke up to sunshine and warm temps. despite the forecast for rain. I plan another shake down today! Stay tuned...
The first, and most pleasant discovery is the flawless EFI and electric, perfectly predictable power delivery. What a great motor!
As has been discussed by others, the bike handles and feels a lot lighter than it is. I was expecting a wrestling match in the tight stuff, especially in the watermellon sized rocks. The 449 plowed through all of it, firmly planted and predictable. I was fully prepared to feel "beat up" and tired after riding, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only time I was aware of the bike's real weight was when I had to lift the backend to scoot the bike around Mom's basement! Make no mistake, this bike is heavy. It just doesn't act like it when in motion.
It took me a while to adapt to the shifter position. Initially, it felt oddly misplaced. Upshifting was awkward. I quickly adapted and found the transmission to be smooth as butter. Clutch feel is a bit stiff, but it's going to be very hard to find any clutch as good as the Gas Gas in terms of feel and light pull.
Brakes are ok, nothing stellar, again... the Gas Gas brakes are the gold standard IMO.
On the highway (yeah, I found a remote stretch to ride on without a plate) the bike felt stable and planted at speeds up to 50 MPH, I didn't go any faster. The front end never shook or wobbled, but that may have been due to the fact that Chris at Toy Tech used tireballs(?) (or something similar) in the rims. This thing will do fine on the road for the minimal use it will see.
Only negatives so far... the battery was weak out of the box, barely able to crank the bike in a few circumstances. One time I was about 5 miles into the woods. The thought of having to push the bike out, was a bit unsettling. I really dislike the lack of a kicker. When I got the bike home, I put the battery on a trickle charge overnight and it was a lot stronger after several hours.
Negative #2, The horn quit working after the second "test blow". No big deal until I have to get the bike inspected for the plate.
I'm really impressed with the build quality of this bike. It's obvious that Husky is improving in this department... maybe due to BMW's influence? Not that my previous Huskies were bad, the 449 is just noticeably better.
Mother Nature seemed to be on my side this morning when I woke up to sunshine and warm temps. despite the forecast for rain. I plan another shake down today! Stay tuned...
Still LOVE mine. 700 miles and she is has rock solid.
