Sports enduro comparisons: Husaberg FE 501e, Husqvarna TE 570, KTM EXC 520 Racing

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Sports enduro comparisons: Husaberg FE 501e, Husqvarna TE 570, KTM EXC 520 Racing

Beach boys

Whether full throttle on the beach, half throttle on scree or idle on clay-damp descents – hardenduros go through very thick and very thin. Always, everywhere – and better from model year to model year.

Snap, Jorg presses the button on his cell phone. Conversation ended. “Bad weather in Germany,” he says? and grins. Is it actually true that the word Schadenfreude only exists in German? Quite possible, because the area between the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees and the Mediterranean offers plenty of other reasons to be happy. About the sun, the dry roads, the mild temperatures – and about our enduros: Husaberg, Husqvarna, KTM.
Or more precisely: Husaberg 501e ?? the brand new one from Sweden with a completely new engine and lots of changes for 2001 (see page 40). And the Husqvarna TE 570. In the meantime, quite old, but strongly revitalized for 2001. New look, progress in detail (see again box on page 40). Also the 520 KTM. The enduro world has never been the same since it existed. An enduro that made history. Great victory in last year’s comparative tests – that of MOTORRAD and without exception all others worldwide. In this respect, Mattighofen can be satisfied with a few retouching (and again: see box).
Jorg switches off his cell phone completely, swings on the husky ?? and kicks. Luckily he hasn’t been on the other two enduros yet. Because whoever pressed a button will never, never, never play again. After KTM, Husaberg now also delivers all enduros with an electric starter as standard.
Jorg’s thirst for action is understandable. There are still more than 100 kilometers ahead of us. And in the evening we want to have the final showdown on the motocross track and a special enduro stage. Andi auf der Husaberg is also ready to go. Push the button and it’s gone. My KTM doesn’t have to be asked twice either. Thanks to the flat slide carburetor from Keihin, the EXC can even get the engine running smoothly faster than the Swede, which is more economical with a round slide carburetor from Dellorto.
While we are chugging along a high path, there is still an opportunity to think through the chat from just now. Andi is absolutely delighted with the Husaberg. From the electric starter anyway, from the feather weight of 114 kilograms no less ?? at least as long as he deliberately ignores the unhealthy sounding, mechanically extremely loud drive of the balance shaft. He would also like to swap the heavily cranked enduro handlebars from Magura for the straighter SX version of the KTM. Could suit him like that. Nothing goes away on my KTM. High handlebar position moved far forward, tip-top levering, extremely slim tank-seat line – the Austrian knows what modern off-road cracks want. In contrast to the husky, one could almost say. Lower steering head and lower handlebars force Jorg to bow permanently, even if the Italian offers significantly more freedom of movement than in previous years thanks to the new tank-seat combination and slimmer rear frame.
In contrast to the difficult ascent, we can feel the smoothness of the three cars for the first time on the relatively flat, stony high path. First class, the KTM. No rubbing, no vibration, that’s how it has to be. In addition, the 520 unit hangs on a leash like a snappy pit bull. Whether washout or stone edge? a brief twitch of the gas, and the racing, which seems feather-light despite 118 kilograms, is over.
Andi on the “Berg” will envy me. But he doesn’t. Because the balance shaft, which FE was given for the first time in model history, works wonders. Smartly housed in the crankcase to save space, it turns directly on the crankshaft. Forget the martial vibrations, the wild hacking of their predecessors at low speeds over? the uncouth Viking becomes a lady of the world. Also in terms of the performance characteristics of the new engine. Instead of a brutal acceleration, the FE defines itself with gentle pressure from the lower speed range. It converts every throttle into propulsion with high traction. The Husky does that too, but the 577 single shakes itself pathetically at higher speeds. Only one thing promises relief: shift up early.
Gradually the path meanders downwards, the track becomes narrower, the ground more washed out. Good for those who have sensitive suspension. Such as the Husaberg. So far, the blue-yellow has mostly lost out to the KTM in terms of suspension elements, but the northern lights have now made up ground. The 48 fork from White Power clearly outshines the 43 version of the KTM. Sensitive response, sufficient progression ?? this is how an enduro fork should be. At the rear, it stays the same: The shock absorber, which is linked directly to the new swing arm, swallows the rocks and still offers enough adjustment range for occasional cross ambitions.
But the KTM can do it a bit better. Apart from hard edges, to which the white power element reacts stubbornly, the monoshock of the EXC swallows almost everything. Only the fork clearly signals a need for improvement with its overly soft basic set-up. Even waist-high heels wrest the full suspension travel from the Dutch part on landing.
The Husqvarna is even more extreme. Great in the back, soft as butter in the front. So soft that the upside-down fork from Marzocchi, which appeals to small waves, mercilessly thunders onto the hard metal end stop with every larger hop.
Fortunately, it goes uphill every now and then – again rocking stones, steps, winding. The KTM hops from stone to stone like a chamois. Short bursts of throttle lift the EXC over the rattle like a trialer. But carefully! A little too much gas and the Racing spins wildly. The downside of the low flywheel mass and the very steep rear swing arm cannot be overlooked. No wonder that Husaberg can follow. The Nordic single-cylinder pushes putt, putt, putt unspectacularly but efficiently upwards. Full of traction and little weight? the Swedes know what really matters in enduro sport. Husqvarna also knows where to go. Gentle use of force, traction ?? everything there. Only after the reduction for 2001, Jorg feels the still large crankshaft flywheel mass, which together with the stately 121 kilograms make the load sluggish.
Uphill and downhill a few more times, and we are on the plain. Off to the final. First on the motocross track. Andi had to pass in the first round with a twisted knee. Jorg and I take over. Even with pleasure. First the KTM. Nomen est omen ?? Racing. The thing goes like hell. Sit on it and have a crack. Forget the casual enduro style. Despite poisonous rear brakes and too soft fork: pure motocross. But the ride on the cannonball requires full concentration. The rear wheel spins on hard ground, in the grippy part of the route the front wheel rises after every bend. Still a clear case: best time ?? and maximum heart rate.
That sinks at the Husaberg. The full power from below brings calm to the action. Subjectively, you lose ages on the KTM, objectively only about two seconds. The comparatively meager 49 hp can hardly be implemented more efficiently.
The Husky also brings enough pressure from below, but the extreme clatter of the single at higher speeds makes the shift foot twitch upwards all too quickly. And because in the Husky development department from the 2000 model to the 2001 vintage, six horsepower maximum power was spilled and the fork, which is far too soft, warns of moderate flights, the Italian is at the bottom of the final cross.
And it stays with the enduro test, a tight special test. Of course, the steeper steering head does its best, but the weight and the latent fear of stalling and the sweaty consequences make you cautious in the narrow run. Only when long-drawn-out residents beckon does the track-stable TE know no opponents. Which Husaberg does not challenge. Close around, let the engine pull gently? no problem, handling and engine characteristics harmonize perfectly. Again you feel slower than you are. Again the KTM is faster. But: A lot of effort, a lot of concentration and a fine knack for clutch and gas are part of record laps like the BSE test for beef sausage.
A.lso: What is true in life also applies to enduro sports. No pain no gain. The KTM is still the measure of all off-road things, but the stepsister from Sweden has caught up. It will never become a crosser, but what an enduro has to be able to do, the new Husaberg can do damn well. And what do we say about the Husky, who was the boss in the enduro ring just a few years ago? Boy how fast the time flies.

Technical specifications

Technical dataHusaberg FE 501eHusqvarna TE 570KTM EXC 520 RacingMotorWater-cooled single-cylinder ohc four-stroke engine with four valvesCapacity cm³501577510Bore x stroke mm95 x 70.798 x 76.595 x 72Nominal output kW (PS) 36 (49) 41 (5576) 42 (5775) Nominal speed 0 40Dellorto, 39Keihin, 39Gange666FahrwerkEinschleifenrahmen steel pipe with welded stern StahlrohrEinschleifenrahmen steel pipe with screwed stern AlurohrEinschleifenrahmen steel pipe with screwed stern AlurohrGabelWhite PowerMarzocchiWhite power0 MM48 mm4543Federweg v / h mm280 / 320300/285295 / 320Gewicht (empty) * kg114121118Radstand * mm151015101500Sitzhohe * mm940955950Tankinhalt l999Preis including additional costs DM152801428714880

Lap times

Lap timesMotocross pisteDriver 1 Husqvarna 2.01 Husaberg 1.59 KTM 1.55Driver 2 Husqvarna 1.55 Husaberg 1.52 KTM 1.51 Enduro testDriver 1 Husqvarna 1.40 Husaberg 1.40 KTM 1.36Driver 2 Husqvarna 1.37 Husaberg 1.35 KTM 1.35Driver 1: Jorg Albocrecht Driver 2: MOTORRAD editor Peter Mayer; Best time of three timed laps;

What’s new?

Husqvarna TE 570MotorLeichtere crankshaft Higher compression carriage Two degrees steeper Lenkkopfwinkel15 mm lower GabelversatzSchmalere tank-seat combination New plastic covers over Worked UmlenkhebeleiZuruckverlegte FubrastenDickere swing axis and VorderradachseKTM 520 EXC engine Modified Water Pump Larger coolers needle bearing replaces bronze sleeve in KupplungskorbHusaberg FE 501eMotorNeues crankcase with integrated cylinder and “wet” cylinder liner balance shaft on the crank Wellever Repaired lubricating Crankshaft and valve train More stroke of the hydraulic clutch actuation Standard electric starter ChassisUpside-down fork from White Power with 48 mm sliding tubes New, lighter swing arm

Scoring

Table Maximum PunktzahlHusaberg FE 501eHusqvarna TE 570KTM EXC 520 RacingMOTORStartverhalten109510Durchzug101098Drehfreudigkeit107610Spitzenleistung10789Kupplung10999Getriebe10789Laufruhe109710Summe70585265FAHRWERKAbstimmungGabel10967Abstimmung Federbein10879Handlichkeit109710Geradeauslauf109107Bremse vorn109109Bremse hinten10997Ergonomie108610Summe70615559SONSTIGESGewicht101078Preis10787Verarbeitung10669Summe30232124Gesamtsumme160142128148

1st place – KTM EXC 520 Racing

Yes who else? The 520 is and remains the measure of all things in enduro sport. State-of-the-art ergonomics, hyper-agile motor, electric starter and clean workmanship make them a winner. But only if the partnership is right. Anyone who rides the cannonball must be able to determine the trajectory themselves. Otherwise the impact can be very painful.

2nd place – Husaberg FE 501 e

Gosh? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. The brand new Husaberg is the newcomer of the 2001 model year. No wonder. After all, the balance shaft and the standard electric starter taught the FE cultivated manners for the first time. When tuning the engine, the Scandinavians know what enduro cracks want. Good traction, great handling, good suspension ?? just little stress.

3rd place – Husqvarna TE 570

Boy how time flies The old lady is now having a hard time keeping up with the young splashes. Without an electric starter and balance shaft, with a buttery-soft fork and comparatively sluggish handling, even the diligent detail work of the Italians doesn’t help much. What is needed is a completely new design. And that won’t come until 2003 – at the earliest.

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