Last weekend I conducted one of my regular coaching schools at Lakes Motorcycle Club in NSW and used the Husky long-termer as my demo bike.
I think the most regular questions I fielded from the 20-odd riders, plus their family and friends, were about the FC350.
It’s hard to deny that the Husky turns heads but one of the most common phrases I heard was “It’s just a white KTM”. While it is true that the two brands share the majority of components, there are subtle changes that make the two totally different to ride.
The seat and plastics are specific to the Husky and greatly differ from the KTM’s. The shape of the plastics has grown on me, except for the wide front guard. It looks like a shovel but without that width, I would be coping a face full of dirt.
The seat is super grippy, in fact it is so grippy that it likes to wear holes in my pants. The carbon-polyamide subframe is the major difference between the KTM and Husky. It incorporates the airbox and houses the electrics and battery. This subframe softens the power curve slightly because of the different airbox design but it greatly improves the handling characteristics of the bike.
While this might be hard to believe, it is recognised among those who have ridden the brands back to back. When I first saw the aluminium mounting bosses in into the carbon-polyamide subframe I was worried about it breaking or being damaged by continuous removal and reinstallation but it has stood up very well. Yes, it is possible to break it in a crash but it would have to be a big off and one that no aluminium subframe would handle either.
The Husky has had no mods over the last month and is in relatively stock form apart from the suspension modifications and revalving. I have just been using the bike for demo riding at my training schools as well as fun riding around a few motocross tracks.
I enjoy riding the 350 as it is so light and easy to throw around and handles very well but I have been sticking clear of racing it lately as it only disappoints me on the race track. If I didn’t race, then this bike would be awesome but I struggle with it on the track. My size does not work with a 350 on the track and I struggle to keep up with smaller riders on 450s at starts and on long straights.
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Technical Editor Mat Boyd
This long term updated was published in ADB Issue #442 – July 2016.