Honda Crf450x Vs. Husaberg Fe450e

Honda CRF450X vs. Husaberg FE450e

Catch you on the flip side!

RYAN DUDEK

THE DEFINITION OF AN ENDURO BIKE IS BECOMING DILUTED. There are street-legal enduro bikes, standard-issue (Japanese) enduro bikes, pure competition enduro bikes and cross-country racing bikes. These are more niches than actual categories, though, so for that reason we’ve matched up a textbook, trail-riding-legal enduro, the Honda CRF450X (which also happens to be our 2008 Ten Best winner in the category), against a closed-course competition machine, the new Husaberg FE450e. Both bikes are intended for off-road riding and racing but the design approach is radically different.

The difference comes from Husaberg’s innovative layout, not the fact that it’s sold as a closed-course-only racer. Key here is that the 449cc engine has essentially been flipped, with the cylinder angled at 70 degrees from vertical and the crankshaft positioned much nearer the bike’s center of gravity than in a conventional setup. This puts the rotating mass of the crank in a neutral position so that it offers less gyroscopic resistance when the bike is asked to change direction.

Further, the FE’s perimeter frame is made of chrome-moly rather than aluminum, and the bike uses an all-plastic subframe. The air filter sits in the middle of the “gas tank” while fuel is actually spread thin along the sides of the machine and channeled down under the seat and, once again, closer to the center of gravity; capacity is 2.3 gallons. This new configuration keeps the ergos flat and slim to allow maximum rider mobility. It’s all part of the FE’s revolutionary design.

The CRF450X, on the other hand, is of typical construction, and the only changes for 2009 are new graphics and a white rear fender. No complaints, though, as it was Best Enduro last year, and with no new challengers aside from the ’Berg, it is comparatively just as good against the usual Fsuspects. The major changes we liked at the time of last year's redo were the new front-end geometry and the addition of the Honda Progressive Steering Damper. And while the smaller, 1.9-gallon fuel tank was good for making the bike slim, it was (and is) bad for range.

HONDA

CRF450X

$7499

Ups

A great enduro that is traillegal

Lively electric-motor feel

A zillion dealers

Downs

Now teels cumbersome in tight stuff

Same bike as ’08

Shorter fuel range limits adventure riding

Honda’s press kit reassures us the X is “going strictly by the book” as it features a fourth-generation twin-spar aluminum frame. The point here is not to take a stab at Honda’s conservative design evolution for its dirtbikes; the philosophy works, because the CRF450R motocrosser has been the best you can buy for seven years. The point is to say that Husaberg is rewriting the book.

Although these bikes’ designs are completely different, we are not comparing apples to oranges. Both the 450X and 450e fit the “enduro” bill and are class leaders in terms of overall performance. Box stock, these bikes are pretty much ready to go. We only added handguards; off-road, you’ve got to have them.

First point is that the price difference is substantial, and in these times costs can weigh heavily on buying decisions. The Husaberg is a whopping $2000 more than the Honda. One reason the Berg is expensive is its closed-loop fuel-injection system. But we can thank the electronics for making a difference in performance. With a push of a button, our FE450 fired after only a couple of cranks, every time, even in belowfreezing temperatures. Turning on the gas and pulling the choke on the Honda started to feel old fashioned. Then cranking it for 30 seconds to get it running in that same freezing temperature made you hope it would start! “Why fuel-injection on a dirtbike?” people sometimes ask. It works!

A nice additional EFI touch is that the ’Berg comes standard with three different ignition maps-Soft (good for low-octane fuel), Standard and Aggressive. The difference between them can be readily felt at the flick of the switch located behind the numberplate. We did all of the back-toback comparison testing in the Aggressive mode and that was also our favorite setting: It’s tame enough off the bottom and grunts through the midrange. Top-end output, despite the “Aggressive” name, is just okay. Short shifts keep it in the meat of the power.

The counter-argument to Husaberg’s EFI is that the Honda doesn’t need it to have a zippy motor that is also very user-friendly. It is smooth and consistent, running soft off the bottom and then ramping up nicely with a fiery topend pull that’s harder than the ’Berg’s. And the exhaust is so quiet it can seem almost like you are riding an electric bike!

HUSABERG

FE450e

$9498

Ups

Precise steering

Nimble and flickable

Radical new design

Closed-loop fuel-injection

Downs

Missing headlight and spark arrestor

Price!!!

Doesn’t meet off-road emissions regs yet

The emissions equipment does cause the X to backfire regularly.

While the engine character between the two bikes is only a little dissimilar, there are major differences when it comes to the overall handling of these vastly different chassis. This is Husaberg territory. The ’Berg turns unbelievably well and the rider can flick the bike side-to-side with incredibly low effort. The front end is extremely accurate, too. The nimble and almost-weightless manner is really something on tighter trails. This design really works!

In comparison, the CRF-X feels heavy (it weighs just 5 pounds more on the scales). You apply bar input and wait for the bike to react, then you’ll need to get ready to catch it, as it tends to fall into corners, and also takes more effort to pick back up again. Not to exaggerate the “turning” point here, because it’s not like the CRF is a tank, it’s just not nearly as nimble and light feeling. In favor of the CRF, its front end has a more planted feel, but not by much.

So, the tighter the terrain, the better the Husaberg performs. In the desert and on wide-open trails, the ’Berg turns into an average enduro. Honda has the desert dialed; the X is a Baja ace, with superior stability and better tracking.

Both of these bikes have very good suspension setups, offering nice balance front to rear and giving a consistent, plush ride. The Honda is a tad softer and goes over chatter and braking bumps better, while the ’Berg takes the bigger hits with superior aplomb. But the differences are minor, and in damping terms, they are both phenomenal on the trails.

The interesting thing here is how we have two bikes from opposite ends of the spectrum. Honda, a huge company that seems to build every bike by the book, and then Husaberg, a small maker that has literally turned the book upside down. Yet both machines work similarly and are terrific off-road. The CRF450X is a staple in the enduro world, to be sure, and it’s a bike you can’t go wrong with, especially for the price. But Husaberg has successfully broken the mold for off-road motorcycles. It’s out of the ordinary, works extraordinarily and is a clear winner in this test, even without a headlight and spark arrestor. Enduros are changing and Husaberg is pointing the way. □