Yesterday I had the most excellent opportunity to extensively ride the new 450 and 570 berg, back to back and at a cool private test track. This was made possible by Jeff Tasky, owner of Taskys metric cycle / Husqvarna NW. Great guy who is ridiculously generous and runs a great shop full of Husky, Berg, TM and GG. Let me just jump to the end, those new Bergs are FANTASTIC. Handling - Phenomenal. Allows you to carve the inside line on a slick track like no body business. front end sticks and does not wash ever. amazing. Motor - Excellent. The EFI on these bikes is spotless, as in perfect. You could come out of tight walking speed corners in 3rd and just roll it on, smooth acceleration everywhere. No hit on ether bike. Vibration is very low. The whole motor package feels VERY refined and smooth flowing. Super controllable and ultra smooth. I wonder if the piston traveling front to back instead of up and down makes it feel smoother as well. Suspension - I figured it would be good at best as i have never cared for WP or link-less. This suspension was VERY impressive. like the motor, liquid smooth, semi soft and comfortable but still resisted bottoming well and enabled you to charge comfortably through anything. I really like the stock suspension on these bikes. Brakes - worked fine Ergonomics and stuff - the bike was very comfortable. A little wide in the tank for my likes but this is nitpicking. The clutch lever had excellent feel and modulation while being light and EZ to use. Bar / peg / seat relationship was very good for me. I loved the 570, as in i want one BAD. at the end of the day everyone was calling it the elk. meaning this thing leaps through the woods. I rode a 08 KTM200 (which was real nice) back to back with the 570 and half the track disappeared on the 570 as it just lept over obstacles i had to hit on the 200. With the ultra smooth EFI and huge perfectly metered amounts I just loved how i could control everything with a flick of the wrist. The 450 was excellent as well and very similar to the 570. It did feel lighter and had a more responsive motor. Many people preferred the 450 noting that both bikes were amazing regardless of size. These bikes do not feel super light when mounting or moving side to side when not in motion but once you get in the saddle and take a rip they feel very light. I think berg might be on to something with this configuration. I was amazed at how these would carve the inside. Seems nearly impossible to get the front end to wash when every other bike I rode, including my own much loved 08 TXC450 was sliding around. Cons - really none. I loved both the 450 and 570. Ergonomics could be slightly narrower for me. I think the bikes are kinda ugly. The front end is a little twitchy. The sucking sound from the air filter right under your crotch is weird and at time even loud. This is extreme nitpicking, i found almost nothing to dislike about these fantastic bikes. Conclusion - Absolutely fantastic bikes. I have to say the 570 is for me one of the best bikes i have ever tried with the 450 right on it's ass. Me and the berg (like the husky shirt :>) There was also a Christini there we got to test... berg / christini berg loves the inside line flying berg Me on my TXC450 at the end of a great day... Big thanks to Jeff Tasky and crew for a most excellent day on some brilliant bike.
I must agree. I have an 09 FE450 and I really cannot find anything "bad" about the bike. It does everything very well/excellent and nothing bad. The chassis is truly amazing. The bike feels like a 250F on roids.
I knew it,,,,, that machine is really an enduro game changer. Nice to see how Jeff and his crew,,,put together real test rides,,,,,,check around the country,,,virtually no one does that. You guys are fortunate to have that thing going for you..... for Motosportz----you ride too much !dang!!
do you mean the one I have been working my ass off for 7 years to get to here where I make little money and work long hours? (welcome to the bike biz :>) It really is a labor of love and I'm lucky to have a wife that puts up with it and has a great job with excellent insurance to make it all possible for me. Looks glamorous but really is not. Yes, get to ride a lot, on some cool bikes and meet cool people all the time but all you see is the fun side of it. Countless hours go into getting there and if I ever figured out what I make a hour I would quit which is why I don't go there. I do love my gig but it is not EZ street by any stretch of the imagination.
I know you work your @$$ off and are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but most people never truly work a job that they are passionate about and you do. Where would we be without our women to keep it all together.
knowing you like i do and working with you for years, you are one of the hardest working guys in the industry it would be nice to have more guys like you, guys that know there stuff. but you do get to hang with all the cool guys. tell Jeff and JR Hi next time you see them. i did the math and you make $3.87 an hour so this is what you were doing this weekend i thought you were doing honeydoos. industry testing? thanks for the write-up dont quit your day job S.
.....fer all yoooo doooooo!..... And what was it ya told me on my Passing Torches thread? Suck it up, Cup Cake. P/s- thanks fer bein' there for me and the Orphan, bud.
I've been wondering....... are the prices of Husky's in Canada going to be affected if the states starts this 100% tarrif business. Your Husky's come through the states no? How 'bout the Husabergs, imported thru the US as well?
The tariff wouldn't apply unless final destination is the u.s. - I imported a bike from canada a few years ago - based on my experience there - if you tried bringing one across after they put the tariff in place - you would have to write one very large check to the customs officer at the border... jeff
I've been hearing the same thing. My dealer is carrying Bergs again. He use to ride/race them, but always felt they were a bit crude. He dropped the line a few years back, but fell in love at the recent KTM dealer meeting. It took him a short time in the saddle to get several on order and one set up as his new personal scoot. Now that he's ridden it in some real conditions he's raving about it. He's saying much the same thing as you claiming it's the best handling bike he's ever ridden, the EFI is like perfect carburation, it turns sharper than anything, and also says I'd be happy with the stock suspension. He took his 450 to my buddie's endurocross track which is about as tough as anything in New England and he loved it stock. He offered me to load it up any day and take it to my track to test, but I haven't had a chance yet and the ground is starting to freeze. Hopefully I'll get a chance before winter really sets in.
2009? Anyone know how those would compare to a 2006 fse450? I have ridden one of those. Real light, easy to move around, nice.
I would venture a guess they are better. Impressive bike overall. My buddy Jake, who is a fast guy likes his TXC250 way better... he that little TXC which is great because it's his I bet anyone who rides one, no matter what bike you own / love, will like them. Super EZ tool to use. I was going very fast (for me) very quick on the 570 and never had to fight the bike, it just works. People there really seemed to like them. I have to say the EFI really got my attention. These are absolutely the best running bikes I have ridden ever. The throttle is light and the bike runs PERFECT. This is the EFI that does for bikes what it did for cars. It is very liberating. The 570 has good flywheel and is smooth yet very fast. I used 1/8 of the throttle all day. BUT, you can meter that 1/8 so accurately and EZ the bike hooks up and will do anything asked of it. Now the down side on the 570... you better be in shape (I'm not) and be a skilled / efficient rider. This bike will leap over and though anything. The 450 is soft enough for me to ride all day as I ride a 450 and like it. I just cant get over the "Elk" 570 Oh, it is UGLY Looks like a cheap Chinese toy.
a cheap Chinese toy is OK as long as you don't eat it!!! or let the poisons absorb through your skin.
I looked into the Berg's in mid 08, they didn't have a CA street legal version, So I jumped on the Husky wagon. When Bergs make it to TE version, I will be looking again.
