Husqvarna 2017 Enduro range

The mighty 2017 Husqvarna range might look familiar but in reality it is brand-new from the ground up.

Theres a new chassis, new sub-frame, new ergonomics, new two-stroke and four-stroke engines and new suspension naturally topped-off with new paint and graphics.

We all know that the Huskies share much with the parent KTM brand and benefit from the huge development capabilities of Europes largest off-road manufacturer.

The new chassis are a claimed 20 per cent torsionally stiffer (resistant to twisting) while the longitudinal stiffness is reduced by 30 per cent, with the aim being a smoother ride, just what you want from an enduro machine that you will be spending hours riding at a time.

Attached to the chassis is Huskys unique composite sub frame that sports 30 per cent carbon fibre and is an impressive 2.2lbs lighter than before.

All models have been put on a strict diet and the new engines are all lighter than before.

The two-strokes have all-new crankcases which now incorporate the electric start, which is new and more compact, at the bottom of the engine to help mass centralisation and keep it out of harms way.

The four-stroke range also sport all-new engines in which the major components and revolving shafts have been repositioned for both reduced weight and mass centralisation including the balance shafts for smoother running.

The four-strokes feature Keihin efi with a 42mm body which is smaller, lighter and cleverer than ever with sensors allowing individual mapping for each gear. Suspension all round is new with the latest WP XPLOR48 forks (with CNC machined triple clamps) up front with all damping adjustments up top of the fork leg for easy tweaking.

And at the rear you get a link type suspension just like on a motocrosser.

It is obvious that a shed-load of work has gone into these all-new machines and here we get a flavour of all seven models for you to choose from three flighty strokers and four four bangers.

Four-Strokes

250F/350F

First-off, Im not going to go on chit-chatting about comparing which is better...simply because you dont have to race each other in class, even though in reality the 350F is closer to the 250F in performance, its actually built to beat the mighty 450.

The 250F is comfortable at the throttle and has the performance fully-capable of competing in a national Enduro straight out the box.

Similarly the 350F is one of few bikes that I would feel confident racing motocross on Saturday, then a National time card enduro on Sunday.

Both bikes have strengths in their class and are outstanding models that have proven to be perfect for their target riders.

But the nagging question remains, Which is better?

On the awesome 30-minute sandy lap we got to rail in Sweden the 250F actually lost a touch of response way down low, when compared to the 350F there was a feeling of slightly more hesitation off idle.

But what the 250F lost here, it quickly gained in the mid range where you could be a bit more slap-happy with the throttle, especially when we hit the wooded section.

You could just play with the throttle more on the slippery tree roots, whereas on the 350F, when up to speed you were very wary of its power difference.

The 350F was definitely a bit more motocrossy but without sacrificing the overall performance and delivery was still clean throughout.

The Husky 350F makes plenty of power at any time but is actually much friendlier than expected.

Because of its racy delivery you would think that it would have to be shifted more often, but that is not so. The 350 has a very long working power band, you hardly have to shift at all under 5,000rpm.

On the bigger hits the 250 took a little more clutch to stay in the rev band, which wasnt a problem and as soon as I revved the bike out I had no problems singing the 250 down the sandy rhythm sections.

Interestingly enough, I think the throatier 350F will suit the more novice-to-intermediate rider with its superb linear power delivery.

Single-track riding will never be a problem for the 350 and high up on the real steep sections the motor just pulled and pulled.

The 350 still retained a somewhat mellow attitude. Yet it also achieved more zip all over the range.

Despite the 350F not having a vicious hit, which enables it to find immense traction and usability, the added torque for 2017 allowed me to leave the bike in higher gears in certain sections, where on the smaller 250F I would need to select the right gear in order to be spot on.

To help complement the new-found power, the Huskies sported new WP X-plor suspension front and rear for better performance at higher speeds, while also working to retain plushness to soak up the smaller stuff.

I found it worked great from stock. For the record, on each bike I went down four clicks on compression and up six on rebound.

Purely personal and it worked for me, youll just have to find your own settings.

Both models felt very well balanced front to back.

450F/ 500F

On to the big guns now the no-nonsense daddies of the Husky family, 450F and 500F.

One of the first things to hit me on these bikes (apart from the awesome power) was the high degree of overall flex designed into the chassis for 2017.

The frame has a certain amount of give that is transmitted to the rider in a soft and comfortable feel. And this trait was clearly evident on the super sandy track.

One of the benefits of the increased power from the two heavyweights is the initial zip straight off the pipe, which allowed me to feel as if I could change direction more quickly.

Using the throttle to pivot me out of a turn was much easier done with the big bore bikes.

The 500F actually has a mild zone but its right on the brink of stalling a little bit of throttle control cures the problem and once out in the woods its all good.

I really did like the two big bikes, especially the 500 a beautiful bike to ride.

Handling-wise, both the 450 and 500 were fantastic on the wooded sections at high speed.

The added grunt on the 500F made it seem, amazingly, lighter overall than the 450.

However the front end tended to push a bit in corners, fortunately the 500 slid very well.

And with just an ounce of throttle movement, both bikes were outstanding for flat tracking around turns as well as navigating the tricky extreme section,

Yet again Husqvarna have virtually removed nearly all of the vibration from the bikes.

And the end result was a smooth, comfortable ride that could be enjoyed for very long and exciting races.

Two-Strokes

125EXC

THE all-new 125 stroker is probably the market leader in ready-to-race Enduro bikes right now.

With the agility and enough muscle to fight the 250EXC-F this lightweight really punched above its weight.

Everything is all-new, from the WP XPLOR suspension to the newly designed lightweight chromoly steel frame.

Handling-wise it is obviously super light and nimble so there was no issue with bogging down and worrying about not getting up anything.

The 125 straight-away felt sharper and more responsive compared to the 2016 model, mainly down to the newly developed power valve unit which results in a massive power increase over the rev range.

And this really showed on the super loamy Swedish sand, with the 125 just feeling a bit more comfortable with it.

But to be honest it felt so light that no terrain seemed impossible on the featherweight.

Granted, you did have to be very wary on the deep stuff, but once in the woods it performed awesome.

The 125 market is definitely niche these days but if you love your little strokers this is as good as it gets.

250EXC

Now on to my favourite bike of the bunch.

Yes I may be slightly biased, seeing as a 250 two-stroke is the weapon of choice for me.

But damn this bike rips. Not only is it super light and nimble and perfect for the extreme going but also in between special tests is is so fast.

The power delivery straight off the bat is simply awesome.

But the second you stand on the equally awesome Brembo brakes which feature a 10mm longer rear brake pedal and come with lighter discs it stops on a sixpence.

The ability to coast over large rocks on not much more than tickover is incredible.

On the flip side, Id describe the motor as pipey with a slightly soft mid-range and a tendency to get into the power much sooner.

As a result I could still lug the bike but you need to do it in a higher gear.

The overall feel to the engine is that its fast and loves to be on the pipe, making it a real fun package on the high-speed sections.

There isnt any terrain this bike doesnt like, deep sand, hill climbs, woods nothing stops it.

Its ability to go over obstacles on tickover then rip up 4th gear climbs is simply remarkable.

I knew going into the tests that the suspension from stock was sprung towards lighter guys and this created a slightly squatty feel.

Saying that, the suspension on both ends had great initial feel and performance.

One benefit of the plush set-up is that it soaked up all the initial golf-ball sized rocks perfectly.

You could barely feel the repeated hits. This was great, although it definitely sacrificed its ability in the big steps.

Sprung correctly for my racing weight, though, the new WP XPLOR suspension looks like a great package.

300EXC

THE 300 two-stroke is probably still cream of the crop in most circles, and for good reason.

It wins many extreme hare scrambles and various other events. For me though, over the last couple of years the 250 has gradually risen to the top, simply because I thought the 300 was becoming too fast and too aggressive, to a point where you were just hanging onto the thing in places.

So, to my immense pleasure, when I set of into the lions den for what I thought would be a blurry lap of sheer hanging on it was in fact a super mellowed-out, completely manageable 300 Super two-stroke.

Husqvarna has taken what was the finest two-stroke on the market a couple of years ago and turned it back into one of the best bikes Ive ever ridden.

One of the biggest changes to the 300 is the new counter-balancer shaft to eradicate vibration engine.

And you can tell instantly, there are next to no vibes on this wonderful machine.On the tight technical sections, the 300 performed best in a taller gear compared to the 250 giving it a much wider option on different obstacles.

An instant advantage.

I was so impressed with how the 300 pulled through the power band and more importantly very predictably.

Just like the 250 this bike feels incredibly light.

Again this is such an advantage, especially in tough conditions, when you need all the help you can get at the end of a race.