FE/FC Happy 2015 to me! New 501s

I just need to share the good news. You guys understand.

My well traveled and well built KLR is gone, replaced with a new 501S. Those first moments rolling out of the parking lot (20 degrees by the way) were pure stoke. The next couple of hours saw the stoke grow even more as I got used to this amazingly awesome ride. Found a field of untracked snow to do loops in in, some icy roads, a snowy mini-moto track to lap on, and some chunky snowy jeep trails to climb. Smiles the entire time. Is there any better smell than a new bike cooking off the manufacturing chemicals? So so stoked and can't wait to finish breaking it in and hitting the desert for the real fun.

You guys get it. Stoke.

Congrats.. Still remember my first day on the 501 too.

That first pic is amazing.

Congratulations man!


View: http://youtu.be/-eY3ixsFGsw

Hey mrmiah,

Congrats on the new bike! Looks like you have had some fun already on that beauty, and you seem to be stokes.

I saw you and said hi when your were back in the service area picking up your bike. I was there picking up the other 501s the day your were picking yours up.

We should hook up for a 501 ride day sometime...I'm up in the Kamas area.

Enjoy the bike.

"An now he dead!"
'Oh my god'
"Well i assume he is"


Thats genius where do you find that stuff?

Awesome! I totally remember you. I'm 100% into riding with you any time. I live down in American Fork. Hoping to hit Moab this weekend or next. I'll PM you my info.

Dude, that's seriously funny!

Congrats! Ditto on those pics, first one is cool but I like the B&W shot too.

congrats for the new bike, good choice

Dude, that is one seriously awesome photo, the snow with the Husky's white/blue color scheme, the town in the background. You really need to frame that and hang it on the wall.

Oh ya, congrats on the new ride! Going from KLR to a FE501S is like "beam me up Scotty", whole new universe.

I wish I could justify a new 501S. I'm jonesing for one but just can't make the argument make sense to myself given my current riding profile. I need to hook up with more guys who want to ride trails instead of mellow jeep roads which my TR650 handles with ease.

I gotta figure out how to get more trail time on my DRZ, then I can justify the 501S.

Give us some good ride reports to keep the flow going.

Dan,
For what it's worth, I was in the same boat, trying to figure out how to justify it too. As a former 250 enduro/DRZ400S/Beta450RS owner, and later KTM690 owner, right..., eventually realized I could sell both 450/690 bikes and make a newer 501S fit between them all. One weekend my dual sport buddies ride those same "mellow jeep roads", and I just veer off the trail a bit at times to ride a trail here or there, but still ride mellow stuff too if needed just to go on those rides. And, the next weekend when my other dirt bike buddies go to the more technical trails, I can ride the same bike then too, not too heavy, and have a blast. What I'm trying now is adding a larger/wider comfy seat, future larger tank, and some other bits to the 500 to lean it back a tad towards larger enduro coverage. Last part, I'm now struggling with which tires (more dirt or street compromise) to settle on. Seeing a lot of others guys (former 650/690) owners now doing the same looking for that perfect hybrid mix coverage and multi-use bike. May not work for you, but I too had to justify it and see if I could make one bike work again... the 501S just might do it, but I do prefer more dirt vs. street, and use a much larger ADV 1200cc bike for my longer road trip duties which helps a lot to justify the 501S in the middle ground.

Why the change from the Beta 450RS to the 501s??

Hey there Weanwright, heheh, don't tell anyone over on the Beta forum, miss everyone over there...

Long story short, ended up going off track with some KTM 690 dual sport riding last year and missed the Beta 450RS. Sold the 690 and went back out and test rode a bunch of plated dirt bikes and such. Liked the 501S with linkage suspension, wanted to give it a try with EFI, WP/4CS suspension and all. Now doing all the same type upgrades and suspension tweaks like the Beta. So far so good. Gotta ways to go yet. Like how they pulled together the best of the Husaberg with KTM engine to arrive at all new and improved Husky 501.

A quick photo of the new 501S with upgrades: seat concepts comfort seat, flatlander skid plate, double take mirrors, EE hand guards, new sprockets, radiator guards, clutch guard, ECU 3-way switch, working on 1-step up heavier suspension springs now. Handling sort of reminds me of the Beta, more so than other bikes I've owned. Now need to go do some riding soon...

The 501s is an amazing machine. That platform and engine offer so much possibility that not many understand. I'm just now barely scratching the surface with new fuel and ignition mappings. It's only Achilles heel is it's fuel filtering which we have handled now.

Decooney - I have talked with several others that has made the switch from Beta. All replied that the Beta was a good bike but overall the brand they went to was just a little better. I sorted out all my issues with my Beta except one,,, weight. Personally if Beta lost 25 lbs they would be great bikes. Enjoy your new bike, we have with our FE250!

Flatlanders bash plate looks good. How is it to remove and remount? I'm still running stock and like the easy access. Not much big rocks where I ride.

The stock guard is really good. Just add a tether so you still have it at the end of the day.

Its more difficult to remove, but has holes for oil drain and such. Needed the extra protection, particularly on the front/side areas where rocks have ruined my other bikes. I tend to store away the nice shiny stock parts and keep them and put add-on bits on that I know will get damaged.

Yeah, sorta felt bad about bailing on Beta, but I got several (6+) guys into Betas in my area in 2008/2009. When I came back in 2015 to buy the new one, was looking for a bit of a return customer deal and all seemed well starting out, but as the bikes started to come in, price started going back up on the BYOB bikes, and me knowing I'd be upgrading the suspension anyhow, the gap between the Beta 500RS and Husky 501S started to close even more. After owning the '14 690 and examining all the bits and how things were quality made, and the Kiehin EFI and all with WP/4CS, the decision was that much easier - yes to 501S ! Whether it's a Husaberg-KTM Husky or not, always wanted a Husqvarna, came close in 2009, but this new 2015 Husky was it for me. Really like the bike.