FE/FC 501 VS 500 Kickstarter??

[corndogs]

I've been really wanting to get a 501 to go with my 300 2T but there are times when batteries go bad at the worst time and you have to kick start. Have you found that to be a problem with the 501. My other option is to add the linkage suspension/swingarm to a 500.

thanks

 

[EB1156]

Why not get a good battery and not worry about it? Or add the kick start kit to the 501? That would probably be cheaper than adding the linkage suspension to the 500.

 

[bikesparky]

Mines over a year old and never had any problems. I started it today after sitting here for 4 weeks after I broke my collar bone, started first go.
I have to say it's never cold here so that eliminates a few battery problems.
If you worried about it on longer trips you can always carry one of these emergency li-po boost packs. It can charge your phone too if needed.
I found most problems are operator related. Either leave the button out, which on this bike doesn't seem to matter much compared older models.
Or people find it either not starting without help or hard to start in the morning, but still ride off under the impression it will be ok after a bit of a ride.... not a good idea if you go off the beaten track!

 

[Big Timmy]

I haven't had any problem with my FE501 starting even in gear and I use the "Slavens Racing" 280 lb. Belleville clutch spring. I also use a larger than normal diameter pair of grips too. So the clutch lever doesn't disengage as far in when squeezing it tightly. It drags a bit more than stock, engages earlier and is way stiffer.

I have the stock battery still in it and will leave it installed until it needs a new battery. A pig tail for a battery tender is installed but I haven't used the battery tender at all really yet to date. The bike was new in the beginning of April. Not one malfunction.

I also have the complete factory kicker assembly from the Husky Powerparts catalog. It has every part necessary to install the complete kit. Its still sitting in a box all parts unopened, in my garage. It took 4 months to get it, paid for it up front and was about $290.00 with tax, shipped to my house. It will sit in that box and the individual bags packages and boxes will re main unopened until I have a legit reason to pull the entire clutch side cover some day. Like when I decide to install a Boyesen Water Pump Impeller kit, cover and maybe a Rekluse to go with it.

Until then just buy the FE 501 Husky and save yourself a ton of grief. The shock on the PDS sits at a completely different angle on the KTM 500 and would cost you easily more than a few thousand dollars even if you were buying or sourcing these Husky parts used. Which I would say, Good Luck.

Buy the Husky, buy the Kicker kit if you think you need it and buy a good battery when you do need it, or long before.

I personally don't mind adding a few more pounds to the bike by installing the kicker at some point. I have no problem now throwing the bike around. I don't think I'll need it but it would be a nice option as my other bike never even had a kicker provision and never needed one either.

So I bought the kicker before I even got the bike to my house along with a few thousand dollars worth of other goodies. It took longer to get that kicker kit than any other part for the bike I've purchased at the time. I do think they are now stocked up and available and a bit easier to acquisition. I have one but its not really needed.

 

[Huskynoobee]

You'll never get tired pushing a button...

 

[Big Timmy]

So True, but it is nice having the provision, so why not at some point use it.

 

[Baritone]

Thought about the lack of kick when considering the KTM vs the Husky. Ultimately went Husky (always ridden them) and because I had an E start 610 from 06 than never failed to start. The kit is about $300 and not too hard to install. Probably $200 in labor at the dealer. I just always keep by bike on a tender so...so far so good.

You can't deny the benefit of the "kick" insurance though. Another thing to consider, even though I haven't done it, is to get one of those little micro batteries for a jump if the battery goes flat. They are about the size of a pack of cigarettes but provide plenty of jump power. Easy to pack in a tank bag, etc.

 

[Big Timmy]

Plus I would think of course the FI ECU has to have enough juice to at least activate the FI system or you would be kicking all day. I don't know if just kicking it and turning it over would do that automatically. But I do know by just rolling the FE501 it senses it's moving and the instrument cluster/dash will light up, so that is a question. Could I just kick it and it will fire or not. I have really never let the ECU time out and then tried to bump start it down a hill. With out at least pressing the starter button. Even if it wasn't held long enough to actually turn it over.

My TC 449 engine in my G450X, if you let it sit for a few minutes on top of a slope and the computer shuts down. ( you can easily hear it) You can go to bump start it down the hill and it will not fire. The FI / ECU computer has to be activated first to get it to light off. Either through the button forward of the High /Low beam headlight switch the BMW has. Or a direct push of the starter button to activate the ECU again. Before it will ever bump start.

I did this a few times when I was first new to EFI bikes, after taking a break on top of a few small 30 ft. tall, loose slag pile mounds. Where I had a higher vantage point of view as a lookout for other illegal activities in the area. I took a bit of a rest and casually pushed off down the hill to bump start the bike like in the old days and had a handful skidding down the black slippery slope forgetting the ECU and FI wasn't on. It wouldn't even turn the engine over the first time I tried this and I had enough time to bounce my ass off the seat a few times going /skidding down the hill that first time. LOL.

It needs to have the ECU on and able to be ready to feed gas to start, DUH.

I did this a few times. Slow learner I guess. Just a tap of the start button and a bounce of my butt to the seat and it lights right up. It didn't take more than about 2 times though to figure this out.

 

[bikesparky]

Plus I would think of course the FI ECU has to have enough juice to at least activate the FI system or you would be kicking all day. I don't know if just kicking it and turning it over would do that automatically. But I do know by just rolling the FE501 it senses it's moving and the instrument cluster/dash will light up, so that is a question. Could I just kick it and it will fire or not. I have really never let the ECU time out and then tried to bump start it down a hill. With out at least pressing the starter button. Even if it wasn't held long enough to actually turn it over.

Spinning the front wheel only activates the dash, it has a little backup battery in it which most likely charges when the engine is running, as soon as the magnet spins past the speed sensor it turns on. The FI system comes only on when the engine is cranked or via the diagnostic connector (pin 5 black white to negative) . Since the FI system is different from the no battery motoX bikes I think it will be a no go with the kick starter if the battery is completely flat. For starters it will be hard to prime the fuel pump. It might be that they designed the bike to be able to start regardless but I probably would trust a little lithium battery pack more than a kick starter on this bike. I haven't tested the theory and I could be wrong.
A downhill and a push on the starter button is a good way. I started big road bikes like that before with a battery that was to weak to crank, the joint effort of the starter and the sweat of the push seems to do it.

 

[graygoat657]

What he said^^
If the battery is depleted past 5 volts you will not have enough juice to fire the fuel pump. The enduro bikes do not have capacitors built in their systems, so you would not be able to kick the bike back to life if you drained the battery past 5 volts. If you are worried about the battery, carry a Li-Po jump battery. Its cheap and light insurance.

 

[Big Timmy]

Not a problem, the earth X battery shuts itself down at 9 volts so if it does drain the battery it can't go any lower. When the battery starts to get worn out buy an earth X and It will probably still kick at 9 volts. You'de have to use a booster type charger though to charge it back from 9 volts if you want to use the electric starter. A trickle charger wont regenerate an earth X battery if it goes under 9 volts you have to zap it with a larger size charger to charge it or use a small jump battery like they are talking about above.

They gave everybody at my work one of these to carry in our work trucks. The total size with all the adaptors and plugs is smaller than a CD case. The battery itself is about the size of a standard I phone 4s but shorter and is only 3/8 thick. It'll even charge your phone, GPS, camera, laptop and many other devices. Good idea to have one.

 

[reveille]

IIRC the frames are totally different on a PDS bike and linkage so you wouldn't be able to add linkage to a pds. You may be able to add PDS to a linkage though. There are welded lugs on the frame that attach the triangle linkage system and those don't exist on a 500 EXC frame.

 

[graygoat657]

Not a problem, the earth X battery shuts itself down at 9 volts so if it does drain the battery it can't go any lower. When the battery starts to get worn out buy an earth X and It will probably still kick at 9 volts. You'de have to use a booster type charger though to charge it back from 9 volts if you want to use the electric starter. A trickle charger wont regenerate an earth X battery if it goes under 9 volts you have to zap it with a larger size charger to charge it or use a small jump battery like they are talking about above.

+2 on EarthX. Good batteries, good customer service.

 

[Big Timmy]

You may be able to add PDS to a linkage though.

reveille,
Even the other way around, I don't think you could make the Husky a PDS bike as the shock can't be laid down at that much of cantilevered angle. The Husky FE frames top shock mounts are moved rearward of the top mount just above for the composite subframe. Not that anyone would actually do this but there is also a hump molded to allow more airflow from the airfilters mounting flange surface in the airbox on the inlet side of the filter on the linkaged FE models. This would physically be in the way of the shock body if someone tried to do this. Even if a different shock was used that had the shocks Reservoir rotated more outward. The frames upper shock mounts are even in a different location on the Husabergs that had the PDS and the composite subframes. Neither is compatible. The frames are completely different. The small tubes welded to the frames that lead up to the upper shock mounts have completely different bend and are welded into a different position on the linkage frames composite subframe or not, and are completely in a different position. Although lower linkage mounts could be added easy enough to run a linkage on a PDS frame. The top shock mounts would have to be altered rearward too and I believe the back bone length on the PDS frames is shorter. I believe the current Husky frames have a longer back bone. Look at these pictures. Especially the last picture. To see what I'm saying.

 

[reveille]

Mine currently has a bit too much mud to tell!

 

[Big Timmy]

Good one,
I just hosed all the mud off mine "reveille" to take a rear tire picture but I got 2 more days off. It will be out again before Sunday gets here.

Mine came back tonight at 6:45 pm and it was pretty muddy too and it was raining when I hosed it off.

Its hard to take pictures of myself riding though as I ride alone 97% of the time and the people along the trails where I am have AK 47s. No Cameras anywhere in sight !! Just rifle scopes.

 

[reveille]

This was last Saturday at the Bucky 7 in Cross Plains Wisconsin. This mud was sticky clay and VERY heavy. It took me an hour to scrape the mud(more like adobe) out of the fenders and I used a snow shovel to scoop it off my driveway before even starting to wash it. I couldn't even see my chain guide or rear brake, it was ridiculous. It rained heavy the night before and all day during the event. At least it was 50f so it wasn't as bad as past events with snow on the ground. This time of the year in the midwest is tough because any rain takes a long time to soak in and the lack of sandy soil and warm sunny days fail to dry the soil. Sharp knobbies and steady control to keep you off your ass helps. I have another one tomorrow in Morrison and of course it's raining it's butt off ATM.
What really sucks about all the heavy mud is the suspension gets all screwed up with 50 pounds of clay tagging along. Makes it interesting.

 

[Big Timmy]

Hey reveille, I know all about the Adobe clay Buddy. Its all over here too. Its a pain in the arse to wash off. I roll my bike back and forth a few times before I even shut down the hose anymore to see what I may have missed. I wash it off the driveway in my backyard off on to the yard.
I own a few rental houses here, one has a main load bearing wall down through the middle about 2 ft thick of solid Adobe. That is Plastered over. I think sometimes the layers of paint on it is what is holding it all together. Its not even bricks its solid adobe. This place is known for old adobe brick construction.
There is a Lime processing plant not even 10 miles up the highway from here and 2 more I can see in the distance in Mexico.

 

[Baddrapp]

Pam works great at keeping the mud from sticking.

 

[Big Timmy]

Yep,
I keep that in the kitchen though.

Silicone spray works equally as well too and its free from work.