Handling

All items are generally accepted for all Husaberg models. Undreamed-of possibilities..? Check out Hribman's photo on the right! [edit] Husaberg generic info

A general handling guide

Most folk want a bike that will turn on a dime yet be very stable, it should feel like a 125 to flick around and not tire the rider out, right? well as usual we have to compromise but at least we can try and get as close as possible. With all the pre '04 bikes anything that steepens the head angle is generally good for the bike. You've all seen how unstable the steering can get on a bicycle or speedway bike whilst a chopper is the antithesis of stability isn't it? We therefore need that speedway steep head angle.

Correct order of testing

Unfortunately our suspension is linked to the handling issue. If we fit a very strong rear spring it will jack the rear and the front end will become 'speedway-ish' or if we fit stronger front springs instead the bike will have a kicked out front like a Harley and we'll never get around that tree nice 'n tight! So all along you should be tweaking the knobs on your suspension and trying to get a comfortable ride or a fast ride for racing. But let's say we have the correct suspension 'weight of spring' and so we're just doing the HANDLING here.

To lower or raise the front we simply either slip the forks up through the clamps or down. This test is worth doing but remember that the more the forks sink in their travel - the more they sink still more! because wieght starts to "pour" over the front the more it goes down. Therefore sometimes we only need a small change to create this 'tipping point'.

On the rear, we will change the suspension when we raise or lower the bike. This is done by turning the preload ring about 1/2-a-turn either way. The first thing you should try is the tightest turn you can - say around a barrel. With a kicked out front the bike may be very slow to turn around. Typically by jacking the rear 1/2-a-turn: you'll like the new turning speed but alter suspension too. The answer will be to put back to 'as was' but this time make you're change at the forks as described above so if you liked the jacked rear you need to raise the legs through the clamps to keep that pitch angle. Remember that changing things at the forks doesn't alter the suspension but at the rear it does so change the front if you can! You can do this until you start to find that the bike is too temperamental for you - it's your choice when to stop.

Here are some of the things that change your bike:
Headshakes over stutter bumps or under braking = too much rebound on the forks results in the front end staying too low and the headangle is now too steep!

Bike does a sink and rise, sink and rise at the rear under hard acceleration, or at speed on a fast corner = rear spring is too soft. Use more pre-load as a get out of jail OR get a stronger one.

If the forks always seem to sit too high even though all is good (you feel like a little boy looking over the bars) you need more float in the MV of your forks. This makes them ride lower.

Putting the bars in their forward position and also with no raisers are the two ways that ADD weight to the front - and vice-versa right?

Check out the superb document we have in the suspension section on the where's and why's of all this.

So what's the order I should do all the work in?

The simple answer is "whatever the bike needs next!". For me on my FE400e, I set all the sags, set them again and then tried different springs and valving. At the same time ('PITCH' changes) the preload was changed on the rear and the forks moved up and down in the clamps at the front. All testing should be done back-to-back and on the same day where possible.

Something to think about is the fact that loosening everything off on the shock will mean the exhaust being dented heavily by the caliper. Any frame lowering should be done after you've checked that a strong enough spring is fitted.

So although there is no particular order, there are some things we can bear in mind!

KTM triple clamps

Standard clamps on 99% of Husabergs are the 22s, they make it easier to drop into a corner but make the bike more lively in a straight line. Nearly all KTM clamps are 20mm. The mod is to go down to 18, 16 or even 14mm - all to be found on various katooms. Stable for a Rolls Royce - type ride down those bumpy straights! The front end on the pre '03s is so kicked out that this mod has no vices-just virtues! This mod brings the front wheel further under the front of the bike by the amount the offset is shortened by. This adds weight to the front and will therefore compress the forks further on corners and braking etc. If it is done in conjunction with raising the legs through the clamps, the result is a lower centre of gravity and a bike that flicks very easily from left to right. So if the first change alone doesn't help, the pair will!

Husaberg fitted 17mm clamps to their SMs from around '05 and from '07 all SMs were fitted with adjustable offset clamps (16-18mm).

Makke fitted 18mm offset clamps (std are 22mm).

Forks have been dropped through by 15mm and the bike grips going into corners better. Fitment and feel. Further to this though, all the above bearings and spacer are now fitted as OEM items and can be bought straight out of the Husey parts book.

Husaberg 17mm clamps

The factory now fits (from '05) 17mm offset clamps to it's FS model. This sounds like an ideal mod to try on the FE. Do watch those headers hitting the front tyre. There are some tyres that miss BTW...

Taller seat

If you're long in the leg or an expert class rider then well worth it. Taller foam-fantastic. (Taffy)

I even added another 1" to the taller seat and this flatter top allows excellent movement back and forth as well as allowing the rider to get his leg between the bars and the top of the tank. It uses a lot less energy. A very good racing investment!

Lower foot pegs

Being tall, top heavy, and having a stiff arm, I wanted to lower and set back my pegs somewhat. A couple a Ballard's peg rebuilders, about $30, and some shed time with the oxy resulted in the top of the peg being lowered about 10 mm and the front of the peg going back about 20 mm. Possibly the best thing I've done. It's now much easier to stay standing, and keep my weight forward. (Steve)

If doing this, check things like your kick start will still swing OK. Also note the big washer on the sidestand lug in the background. I've reinforced it a bit as standard, it's a bit fragile. (Steve)

Rear wheel forward

This shortens the wheelbase favourably for all pre-2004 models. Watch for the tyre rubbing on the inner lower guard as the first problem. This can be cured with a 1/2" wide metal strip that helps reduce the sharp curve and "flattens out" the inner guard. This idea though, isn't such a good idea on the '04+ models because with the steepened head angle, the wheelbase is already short. Indeed many riders report that having the rear wheel further back is better! Look for an explanation by Viking on the affect on the rear suspension of pushing the rear wheel right back.

Rear wheel backward

This has been tested by Per (Viking) as an improvement in handling.

Bars lifted 1.5"

Large alloy spacers. If you have the bars at the standard height it can get hairy on fast runs on rough ground, raising them 1"-1.5" helps with control. However the bars can be very tiring in woods due to a) being so wide and the rider moving for and aft when turning and b) the throwing left to right and trying to avoid trees with a wide bike. Try taking 3/4-1" off each end for a less tiring ride, keeping them low and hanging on down the straight! With high bars your inside leg can get up ‘n forward in corners. Note: remember that this takes weight OFF the front.

Tyres - Enduro

A british magazine named TBM did a test on seven sets of tyres in typical english muddy weather. The two cheapest tyres came top with the Dunlop 956/909 winning and the Maxxis coming second.

Tyres - Pressures

In the UK for regular tubes 12 - 15LB will suffice at all times. If fitting heavy duty tubes the pressures can drop right down for any wet terrain. I run 6LB front and 9LB rear in very wet mud.

Narrow fuel tank

This has been known as the husey's achilles heel for many years and neither the factory nor the after sales people have done anything about it. Along with the raised bars and the tall seat though you can try to narrow the tank using a heatgun. First, stick the tank on the exhaust tailpipe of the car for 10 minutes (with the taps open) this will fill it with inert gas and we'll all feel happier. There is no danger now of impending doom ok? Then lay the tank on it's inner face on a bench edge etc,and use a heat gun. Press the flank down with a broad piece of wood, clamp down and then heat again.... the tank will fold in slightly, and capacity will drop to 8 litres (from 9). It makes a nice difference and saves £$£$£$£$£. The radiator then becomes the widdest part so the tank is just masking the next culprit!

Frame changes

The '01 -'03s had the same frame with the kicked out front wheel. The bike is extremely stable and great for flat out stuff.

From '04 -'06 the front end was 1.5 degrees steeper and the front wheels would touch the header pipes under braking 'til these were modified by the factory. So this brought the front wheel 1.5" (38-40mm) nearer the rear wheel. The front end feels more planted and the bike is quicker to turn. However the wheelbase is now very short and can be less stable under extreme hard braking and downhills etc.

And '07 on? The works riders have been testing a steering head some 15-25mm further away - same angle. Here is a photo of TM's ex-factory ride. Just put your vernier to the screen - it's real easy! "Joakim Ljunggren has lenghthened the frame 15mm between tank and steering head and Bjorne Carlsson 25mm the fork angle is unchanged." (Viking).

Rear subframe lowered

Both Taffy and Mikst have done this. Here is a photo of Mikst's subframe:

Right Hand: H = 210mm, L = 380mm Left Hand: H = 130mm, L = 330mm (Mikst)

How Taffy did it: the top tubes were cut at the front pivot and re-welded whilst the lower diagonal arms had about 9mm removed and were then rewelded. This lowered the frame in the area over the tyre by 50mm (2"). Luckily the tailpipe is on a slipping clamp, the inner mudguard had the heatgun treatment and some spacers fitted w/ longer bolts so everything has bolted up proffesionally!. I now only use one exhaust spring. The only real mod was to remove the seat cover and guts and then to cut the seat pan open, flatten out the pan and with a sheet of metal i rivetted the pan together again. It looks like an eye from underneath. The seat was then recovered.