FE/FC Looking for some FE501 Feedback

I'm looking at getting a FE501 and adding a dual sport kit so I can ride legally the 5-15 miles to the trails from my garage. Just curious if anyone here has a FE501 and can give me the good and the bad on it. There's not much in the way of test or reviews on the beast but what little I've seen has peeked my interest. Won't be doing any real hard core single track just some lighter single track and jeep trails and fast dirt roads.
Have a KTM 690 Enduro and want something lighter for those days I'm needing to get a little more frisky!
Surely someone here must've taken the plunge no? I'm all ears!

Very good bike, I can only comment on the Australian version, which is road legal here.
I was at the dealer when they took mine out of the box and they are all the same. Just some compliance stuff is different like the wiring harness for the lights, indicators and the like.
Powerful engine but very controllable, a bit better than the similar 450 as the 501 is smoother (standard map).
My old Italian lightly tuned TE450 was probably a bit more of a handful as it came on harder initially, the FE501 is mr. smoooooooth but will outrun it on power and handling.
I try not to get too confident on it however as it has mega grunt!
The rear link suspension is more forgiving ( I found) for the not professional rider like me as it feels smoother and gives nicer traction than the KTM direct connected shock for my riding.
Handling is very good and suits me, dives in to corners well and is easy to pick up.
I was looking at a FE350 but what did it for me was the minor price difference (AU$400 in between the two) and the very smooth and tractable engine. Only a few kg heavier ,so negligible.
Suspension overall is better than the KTM as it has upgraded forks (4CS) and billet triple clamps and even an amateur like me feels the difference.

A couple of negatives. Compared to the old TE450 no ignition key, steering lock only. So take a chain if you travel.
Where the springs fit on the foot pegs the paint on the frame gets damaged just by fitting the pegs on the new bike. If you can ask the dealer to assemble this yourself and fit some protection there it will prevent rust in the future. (a bit of plastic).
The "after thought" electrics like the indicator switch is dreadful and a Chinese made pit bike probably has a better one. Shame Shame! I'm not talking about the electrics in general, just the stuff they added to make it road legal.
No kick starter, so if you venture out alone make sure the battery is in good nick! If it is, no problem, start first go.
All up very good bike, higher spec than KTM but similar philosophy. Awesome off road but some finishes could be better for the asking price.
Get one. you won't regret it!

check motology viddy with GK and AR for some cool Oz riding.
Also check with ZipTy, Ty has a FE501 in test/use as a hardcore DS machine.

Thanks Guys.....Having an ignition and no kick starter stock is a non issue for how I'll use it so I'm in good shape....All I need is blinkers,horn,brake light and I'm good to go as it'll never see night time riding so a strong head light is non-issue as well....I'm taking the plunge and adding what I need so let the fun begin in the next couple of weeks...Also going to add a Pirelli MT21 dot rear as the stock dunlop rear will be smoked in a 100 miles based on the little bit of road I did on my FE350's rear!....Dunlops imo wear like shit and I can't say I'm even a fan of how they work so no love lost there

Maybe look at a 2011 Husaberg 570??? 70 degree motor and basically a stroker 500 KTM already street legal..

Thanks but not my cup of tea and as stated earlier I've already pulled the trigger on the FE501 so I'm good to go!

I wish I could find a nice used 2011 70 Degree 570 in AZ. I'd be all over it. I like it because it's different and unconventional. I've kicked myself more than once over not getting one while I could.

Sorry thought you were looking for 501 feedback because you were thinking about getting one, just gave another option, but if you already pulled the trigger good for you.

That Husaberg 570 is an amazing piece of kit, made my 511 feel like a pussy cat. This was in road trim, I could see it being a right handfull off road.

I had to see what all the hoopla was about so I called my local Husky dealer and had them prep me a 501. Test rode it last night. Wow! Very nice bike with lot's of power, smooth power all over the place. This is what I'm talking about! The bug bit me pretty hard so I have my TE310 listed to see if I get any interest. I felt at home instantly although some usual ergo mods will need to be done due to my tall stature. Great bike

Picked mine up today. Time to start working on ergos.

So I took the 501 out for a good day of trail riding yesterday. I had just under 2 hours on it prior to this ride. I took my son to a local riding park that was running a off road riding class. I took the advanced class and my 10 year old son took the beginner class on his crf100. He had a blast and seemed to progress very well. The class I was in was taught by a local AA Enduro rider and he put us through the paces pretty hard focusing on steep hill climbs with rooted and log crossings on them. There were 40+ students so we did plenty of sitting on the bikes waiting to go next. My fan ran pretty much the entire time even after adjusting the TPS voltage higher and using Evans waterless coolant. It never boiled over but lot's of orange bikes were steaming off. Overall the 501 worked flawlessly once I dialed the rebound back on the shock a bit. A few things jumped out at me after the day was done.

*1 The pegs on this bike are waaay too high for my long legs and I already have a 1" taller seat installed. To try and fix this I ordered some Fastway EVO 3's before I even finished loading the bikes on the truck...
*2 This bike runs hot! Holy furnace between my legs Batman...LOL Hoping after 10 hours that reduces a bit. I may try to install a FC450 hose that eliminates the thermostat to help increase flow.
*3 This bike's engine power is super smooth and is a breeze for hill climbs. It lofts the front wheel at will and hops logs like they weren't even there. I'm happy with the power. I stalled the engine one time when someone went down in front of me a on very technical hill climb but I was able to restart it fast and finish the climb without drama.
* 4 I need stiffer springs ASAP. I bottom out the rear pretty easy and I had to back off the clickers to make up for the under sprung state. I already have a 6.2 sitting on the bench. That will go in today but I'm unsure of what the forks will need. I'm 240lbs in gear and like it a bit soft so maybe .50's in the forks? I think it has .48's in there now? A little help please?
*5 I don't like the MX51 front tire much. I have a Golden tire coming from ZipTy this week. Hope that helps. I already trashed the rear so I recon I'll run it till it takes a crap then look at something wider like a 120 130 range. Maybe even a Rally raid? At 60hp this bike will be ruff on the rear tire.

don't think they will be .48's already, think they are .44's. For 240lb I would go .50's and probably a 6.2 rear (i'm 220lb and have .48's and a 6.0)

what did you set your TPS at and was it .580V to start with?

I have two riding buddies on Fe501 Bergs, other than the linkage rear end, almost identical to the Husky.
The bikes are great & will cope with your type of riding no worries at all. We ride all sorts of terrain from open trails to steep hill & wash-outs to technical single track, all taken in their stride.

Personally, I don't like the way they feel, this is just a personal choice thing, so I won't be moving to the new model.

My mates however, love them.

I ordered some springs for the forks from Slavens Racing last night. You are correct, the stock springs are 4.4N so I went up 2 sizes to the 4.8N. That is in line with what I did on the rear. I didn't want the forks too stiff. The springs that Slavens sells claim to be exact matches for the 4CS forks. I ordered online and plan to call them this morning to discuss my order and adjust it if they recommend doing so. I may also have them toss a few nylon spacers in in case I need to adjust for unequal length. i hope changing the springs can be done without too much drama since I don't have the funds to have them disassembled right now. I hope to make a tool to remove the cap. Pin wrench style.

MX-Tech is near my house and they designed and built those valves...
I'm just not ready to spend $800 on a suspension tune right now

You need to get your ecu remapped. That is why it is getting so hot between the legs. My 350 would get so hot I could not grip the bike with my right leg. Sent it to Halls and $50 later the problem is gone.
They are mapped lean from the factory