The Husqvarna EE 3 has had a pretty diverse life so far – mustering cattle one month, shredding the local green space the next. This month, we’ve been making the most of our little city-side riding spot before it gets bulldozed and turned into an over-55s retirement village. Because if there’s one thing retirees love, it’s taking away the last patch of open dirt where kids can rip around on two wheels. Progress, right?
That’s the beauty of the EE 3 – it transitions seamlessly from farm to city, from the bush to the ’burbs. It’s quiet, it’s capable, and it keeps Jax riding wherever we can find a bit of open ground.
Lately, Jax has been getting creative with his training. Inspired by the way the pros can stand and ride an entire moto, he’s been practicing riding without the seat. The goal? Strengthen his core and force himself to stand up more. And honestly, he loves the challenge.
The only problem? It’s not quite as brutal as it used to be on older petrol bikes. Back in the day, if you took the seat off a 50cc, you’d be left sitting on the equivalent of a jagged railway track. But on the EE 3, the frame rails don’t protrude out as much, meaning even if Jax does sit down, he doesn’t get the punishment he probably should. It’s still harder to sit than with the seat on, but the pain factor isn’t quite there.
At least the seat itself is easy to get on and off. The latch system is simple, making it easy to click back into place when he’s done pretending he’s training for the MXoN.
One thing we’ve learned while sending the EE 3 over anything that remotely resembles a jump is that while it shares the same frame and motor as the KTM SX-E 5, it’s not exactly built for high-flying heroics. The suspension, softer and more beginner-friendly than the SX-E 5, has been fantastic for teaching Jax how to ride across all sorts of terrain. It soaks up rough ground like a dream and is much more forgiving than some of the harsh, trail-friendly 50cc petrol bikes out there. But the moment Jax starts getting ambitious with his jumps, it’s clear this isn’t a competition bike.
Bottoming out the fork has become a common occurrence when he starts getting airborne. It’s not a deal-breaker – Jax just lands and keeps going – but it’s noticeable. If he was older or heavier, we’d be looking at stiffer suspension, but at five years old, it’s honestly not worth messing with. The bike does exactly what it was designed to do: make learning to ride easy, comfortable and fun.
Four months in, and nothing has broken. Not a thing. It’s held up through farm work, park sessions, and an increasing number of crash landings, and yet everything still feels as tight as day one. The only bit of maintenance we’ve had to do is adjust the chain, which is finally starting to stretch. A couple of turns on the adjusters and we were good to go. No oil changes, no cleaning air filters, no replacing fouled spark plugs – just charge it up and ride.
