Just got a 2022 FE 501s and have about 300 miles so far. So glad I didn't get the 350, these things are so de-tuned to be quiet. The FE 501s has just the right amount of power on the road and very controllable and predictable off-road. before purchasing, I thought I would send the front end up with just a blip of the throttle (like a 125 2-stroke or something) but it takes some work to launch the front end by accident. I read a lot about the vibration, but it's just expected dirt bike vibration typical while riding a dirt bike on a smooth, paved road. My previous bikes were KLR250, KDX200 and Honda NX250, all very smooth, soft feeling, comfortable bikes. The seat on this bike is hard and the suspension is my biggest complaint, very firm even on comfort settings. It does NOT comfortably soak up the bumps on rocks like previous bikes I mentioned, especially if you are a seat rider! I've been riding about 30 years now so blowing 13.5k out the door on a bike doesn't bother me, but not an efficient use of money when it comes to an off road bike unless for competition or just "what the hell, I deserve it" kind of thing. It is a race bike meant for competition and high maintenance.
Congrats! I have a 2021 FE501S and love it. I did the big 3 upgrade that made it come alive. 1) Euro Airbox 2) Vortex ECU 3) Yoshimura pipe You have to do all 3 at the same time. I also had the stock suspension internals upgraded. Way smoother.
I added heavier springs and shocks, Enduro engineer skid plate, Enduro engineer tall seat, bar risers, upgraded headlight. Love my 22FE501S got it on the first allotment at the end of July
I'm curious. I did that to my ktm 690 and regretted it badly. I'm 195. And now I have the 2022 and will avoid stiffer springs to save the bike. How's it going as far as plush? How much did u add and how much ya weigh? Thank u
@@Bowiehair With riding gear and boots I weigh about 245 I’m 6 foot 2 1/2 inches the bike is super comfortable even with the heavier springs it’s the perfect set up
@@RoscoRide oh yeah that's a lot for that soft set that come w em. I'm good I think at my weight. I do love this 501. Gotta say. I'm getting pressure to uncork it buy see little need to do so. It's a tractor.
First comment. At least you didn't complain about dropping a freshy.... menat to be used and abused. Just bought my 501s and waiting to pick it up in a week or two. Can't wait. Looked back at a few of your other vids and it looks like you guys go to some really cool places. I live in Carmel Valley. Let me know if you're ever headed up North and want someone to tag along. Always looking for somebody to ride with. Great vid. Thanks for sharing
Congrats on the 501-you’ll love it and don’t worry about getting it scratched. Definitely will have to ride the Carmel Valley-sounds expensive, but fun. Enjoy your Husky!
Hi , beautiful bike , I got a question, do you use this bike in road ? , if so , how does this bike behave in road ? I really want a bike like this just because I like it , used to do downhill in mountain bikes hence my interest in this bikes , does it worth it use this in road ? I won’t use it to commute, just to hang out from time to time , I aware that it need to be serviced in hours , do you this it will be a wasted to use this bike as I planing to use it , thank you
Can't wait to get mine next week. Thanks for the video! Did your GL bag come with the gray logo or did you color it in some how? The only one I could find has a bright orange and white logo so I'll have to color it in or cover it up.
Thanks for watching and the comments. It’s a really fun bike-you’ll love it. Good eyes on the GL, funny. I’m pretty sure it was orange and it got rubbed off to grey, but since you asked-I’m not really sure. I didn’t do anything custom to it. But GL is Great! I took it off my FE 350 that had a few hours on it, like over 500.
@@BigRing maybe the sun fade will work on that logo lol. I’m having the shop put on the vortex ecu and 450 air boot but I’m leaving the exhaust stock for now. I like the tip that you put on but I’m trying to stay as quite as I can. Thanks for the info. Let me know if you do any mods. I’d be curious to have your opinion.
Keyless for the clueless- I forgot a few times to turn off the ignition and it would drain the battery. Keyless solved my problem and I nobody has taken advantage of me yet, by driving off with my bike. (I usually don’t leave it parked in sketch areas) Big bike- funny; Chris birch is leading Silver class at Romaniacs on a KTM 500- that’s Big!
Hello and great vid! I was wondering if you happened to consider a FE 450 with say a sicass dual sport kit vs the FE501s? It’s the situation I’m currently in and cannot make my mind up, my dealer is ready to kill me haha. Thanks
Thanks, I wanted to have the plated version fe 501s and then turn it into more dirt bike with remapped ECU. I'd go with fe 450 if racing it was my goal.
Thanks for the reply. I understand completely. Would you still pick the 501s, if your dealer had a 501s, and an FE450 with sicass kit sitting on the floor?
Curious about your opinion now that you've had the 501 for a year. Looking to pick up this or the 350 for single/double to add to my 701e and 1190r. I love the 701 for adv and doubles, but find it a little hard to manage on single track. Rode a 350xcf last week and it was tons of fun. @ 6'4" and 230 is still was enough to climb well.
@@BigRing That would be great. With the number of changes KTM/Husky does, the old reviews can be dated though the general concensus stays the same on the comparison.
Very helpful video! I can’t decide between the 350s or 501s for a solid dual purpose. Any big difference on the weight / balance between the two? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Thanks, weight and balance are very similar. Both are great bikes- I have a few thoughts depending on what terrain you ride. I’ll try to get a video comparing them.
@@BigRing Thanks for the reply! I’m leaning towards the 501 because you don’t seem to give up much on weight and I would like to ride on roads to get to the trails. Have you noticed a lot of vibration with the 501? I read that was a concern as well?
My wife and I were brand new riders. We wanted to dual sport/enduro so we saved and saved and bought the '22 350s and 501s. As Mr. Reuss says, "both are great bikes". I am 6' 2" 185 and my wife is tall as well. I was worried about too much power on the 501 and although you need to be careful, the power band on both bikes is very smooth and controllable. The 350 has tons of power as well but just a tiny less snappier if you are a bigger person. Both vibrate a lot on the highway and although we enjoy riding around town or connecting trails, we typically don't plan on riding these for more than an hour strictly on the highway when we plan our adventures. We will ride into the mountains on trails (Oregon) and then take the highway back for an hour or so. Very enjoyable and why we got these kinds of bikes. However, I would not plan a long distance highway trip on these without some type of handlebar/grip dampeners. One more thing, the 350 has no problem reaching highway speeds at all. If you are a bigger person then the 501 will better absorb that extra size. We have not made very many modifications other than double take mirrors, fastway handguards, goldentyres with tubliss, and a seat concepts seat for my wife (lowers 1"). The tires make a huge difference on the trails. The stock ones we rode all last summer and were good to start getting the hang of things but everything changes with better tires. The only downside is the goldentyres are a little louder on the highway and feel not as good as the stock on pavement but thats minor. I have heard many people talk about the ecu/pipe upgrade. I could not imagine having MORE power than is already there. Maybe when we get better but there is more than enough with stock. These bikes can really do it all. No regrets whatsoever. Hope this account is helpful for someone.
@@daniellavoie9662 yes and no. It depends on the tires, the stock tkc 80’s were really smooth on the road, but not the best on the dirt. I’ve got more dirt knobbies and they do vibrate more on the road. I try not to ride too much road though.
Hey Bill, just watched this again as I'm selling the 300L Rally today and want to move to something lighter and more focused on off-road. I'm considering this bike, the KTM 500, the Beta 430, or there's currently barely use FE350S for sale for a good price. You mentioned having a 350 before -- any regrets going to the 501? I'm 6'1" 220 lbs. Most of my street riding would just be to get out there. Appreciate any feedback you might have. Thanks and hope to see you out there again some time!
Great Questions. I loved my 2018 FE 350 (still have it and planning to let it go sometime), but I really like the 501. The newer 22 feels really good with the change in chasis, I can get both feet on the ground-which you'll have no problem. 501 is much better on the road with its power, feels as light as the 350 in the single track, and seems to be as good/better in the gnar. I need some more time on the 501 to make that single track/gnar call. I may do a 350/501 comparison video if there is interest. See you out on the trails!
@@BigRing Thanks Bill, I appreciate the feedback. I stopped in Fator's today and had a good luck at them as well as the KTM equivalent. It's very tempting, if I can get past spending that much on something I will surely drop in the dirt and rocks. That first drop is going to hurt lol. Going to sleep on it. Thanks again!
@@BigRing would love to see this comparison. I’m coming from a YZ250F dirt bike and am concerned with the extra weight of the 501 for the raw dirt bike performance
4th mod to consider IMO would be a Rekluse clutch…..put one on my 701e a few years back and never looked back!
What did it do for you?
Just got a 2022 FE 501s and have about 300 miles so far. So glad I didn't get the 350, these things are so de-tuned to be quiet. The FE 501s has just the right amount of power on the road and very controllable and predictable off-road. before purchasing, I thought I would send the front end up with just a blip of the throttle (like a 125 2-stroke or something) but it takes some work to launch the front end by accident. I read a lot about the vibration, but it's just expected dirt bike vibration typical while riding a dirt bike on a smooth, paved road. My previous bikes were KLR250, KDX200 and Honda NX250, all very smooth, soft feeling, comfortable bikes. The seat on this bike is hard and the suspension is my biggest complaint, very firm even on comfort settings. It does NOT comfortably soak up the bumps on rocks like previous bikes I mentioned, especially if you are a seat rider! I've been riding about 30 years now so blowing 13.5k out the door on a bike doesn't bother me, but not an efficient use of money when it comes to an off road bike unless for competition or just "what the hell, I deserve it" kind of thing. It is a race bike meant for competition and high maintenance.
Thanks for the thorough comment and interesting thoughts on your experience with these bikes. Keep riding!
Nice - Let the good times begin !
Not for the faint of heart in performance, or for upkeep in replacement parts.
Congrats! I have a 2021 FE501S and love it. I did the big 3 upgrade that made it come alive.
1) Euro Airbox
2) Vortex ECU
3) Yoshimura pipe
You have to do all 3 at the same time.
I also had the stock suspension internals upgraded. Way smoother.
Did all those mods to my 18' FE450 - Vortex rocks !
Nice set up on the 501!
I recognize these trails! Great video, I'm considering one of these myself. Might see you out there someday!
For sure, look for the husky 🐺
I added heavier springs and shocks, Enduro engineer skid plate, Enduro engineer tall seat, bar risers, upgraded headlight. Love my 22FE501S got it on the first allotment at the end of July
Right on! These new huskies are fun. How does it feel with heavier springs?
@@BigRing It’s fantastic with the heavy Springs I didn’t even have to set the SAG it was perfect!
I'm curious. I did that to my ktm 690 and regretted it badly. I'm 195. And now I have the 2022 and will avoid stiffer springs to save the bike. How's it going as far as plush? How much did u add and how much ya weigh? Thank u
@@Bowiehair With riding gear and boots I weigh about 245 I’m 6 foot 2 1/2 inches the bike is super comfortable even with the heavier springs it’s the perfect set up
@@RoscoRide oh yeah that's a lot for that soft set that come w em. I'm good I think at my weight. I do love this 501. Gotta say. I'm getting pressure to uncork it buy see little need to do so. It's a tractor.
Great views & territory, nice share
First comment. At least you didn't complain about dropping a freshy.... menat to be used and abused. Just bought my 501s and waiting to pick it up in a week or two. Can't wait. Looked back at a few of your other vids and it looks like you guys go to some really cool places. I live in Carmel Valley. Let me know if you're ever headed up North and want someone to tag along. Always looking for somebody to ride with. Great vid. Thanks for sharing
Congrats on the 501-you’ll love it and don’t worry about getting it scratched. Definitely will have to ride the Carmel Valley-sounds expensive, but fun. Enjoy your Husky!
I love the bike and I'm dying to get one
I know those trails too well!
Nice bike 👍 cool riding area ...
Hi , beautiful bike , I got a question, do you use this bike in road ? , if so , how does this bike behave in road ? I really want a bike like this just because I like it , used to do downhill in mountain bikes hence my interest in this bikes , does it worth it use this in road ? I won’t use it to commute, just to hang out from time to time , I aware that it need to be serviced in hours , do you this it will be a wasted to use this bike as I planing to use it , thank you
Where is this? Looks sick😮🤟 im guessing cali or ut
Stock muffler already has spark arrestor
Nice bike have one myself
Thanks for clarification
Can't wait to get mine next week. Thanks for the video! Did your GL bag come with the gray logo or did you color it in some how? The only one I could find has a bright orange and white logo so I'll have to color it in or cover it up.
Thanks for watching and the comments. It’s a really fun bike-you’ll love it. Good eyes on the GL, funny. I’m pretty sure it was orange and it got rubbed off to grey, but since you asked-I’m not really sure. I didn’t do anything custom to it. But GL is Great! I took it off my FE 350 that had a few hours on it, like over 500.
@@BigRing maybe the sun fade will work on that logo lol. I’m having the shop put on the vortex ecu and 450 air boot but I’m leaving the exhaust stock for now. I like the tip that you put on but I’m trying to stay as quite as I can. Thanks for the info. Let me know if you do any mods. I’d be curious to have your opinion.
This thing has keyless ignition? that seems like a very unusual feature for a big dirt bike.
Keyless for the clueless- I forgot a few times to turn off the ignition and it would drain the battery. Keyless solved my problem and I nobody has taken advantage of me yet, by driving off with my bike. (I usually don’t leave it parked in sketch areas) Big bike- funny; Chris birch is leading Silver class at Romaniacs on a KTM 500- that’s Big!
Hello and great vid! I was wondering if you happened to consider a FE 450 with say a sicass dual sport kit vs the FE501s? It’s the situation I’m currently in and cannot make my mind up, my dealer is ready to kill me haha. Thanks
Thanks, I wanted to have the plated version fe 501s and then turn it into more dirt bike with remapped ECU. I'd go with fe 450 if racing it was my goal.
Thanks for the reply. I understand completely. Would you still pick the 501s, if your dealer had a 501s, and an FE450 with sicass kit sitting on the floor?
Curious about your opinion now that you've had the 501 for a year. Looking to pick up this or the 350 for single/double to add to my 701e and 1190r. I love the 701 for adv and doubles, but find it a little hard to manage on single track. Rode a 350xcf last week and it was tons of fun. @ 6'4" and 230 is still was enough to climb well.
Great bikes you have. For single track the fe 350 is great. I’m going to do a 350 vs 501 video soon, since I’ve had some requests.
@@BigRing That would be great. With the number of changes KTM/Husky does, the old reviews can be dated though the general concensus stays the same on the comparison.
@awesome ride. may get this bike. what specific trail was the single track? would like to research that area. thanks
The single track was at the Shasta Dam Ohv, lots of good trails.
The keyless ignition does it mean someone can turn it in and ride it on the street parked ?
Yes, but I watch it like a hawk when parked. I did it since I burned thru a few lithium ion battery’s when the key was left on my fe 350.
Great. You're well on your way to messing yourself up. Make sure you have good insurance.
Very helpful video! I can’t decide between the 350s or 501s for a solid dual purpose. Any big difference on the weight / balance between the two? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Thanks, weight and balance are very similar. Both are great bikes- I have a few thoughts depending on what terrain you ride. I’ll try to get a video comparing them.
@@BigRing Thanks for the reply! I’m leaning towards the 501 because you don’t seem to give up much on weight and I would like to ride on roads to get to the trails. Have you noticed a lot of vibration with the 501? I read that was a concern as well?
My wife and I were brand new riders. We wanted to dual sport/enduro so we saved and saved and bought the '22 350s and 501s. As Mr. Reuss says, "both are great bikes". I am 6' 2" 185 and my wife is tall as well. I was worried about too much power on the 501 and although you need to be careful, the power band on both bikes is very smooth and controllable. The 350 has tons of power as well but just a tiny less snappier if you are a bigger person. Both vibrate a lot on the highway and although we enjoy riding around town or connecting trails, we typically don't plan on riding these for more than an hour strictly on the highway when we plan our adventures. We will ride into the mountains on trails (Oregon) and then take the highway back for an hour or so. Very enjoyable and why we got these kinds of bikes. However, I would not plan a long distance highway trip on these without some type of handlebar/grip dampeners. One more thing, the 350 has no problem reaching highway speeds at all. If you are a bigger person then the 501 will better absorb that extra size.
We have not made very many modifications other than double take mirrors, fastway handguards, goldentyres with tubliss, and a seat concepts seat for my wife (lowers 1"). The tires make a huge difference on the trails. The stock ones we rode all last summer and were good to start getting the hang of things but everything changes with better tires. The only downside is the goldentyres are a little louder on the highway and feel not as good as the stock on pavement but thats minor.
I have heard many people talk about the ecu/pipe upgrade. I could not imagine having MORE power than is already there. Maybe when we get better but there is more than enough with stock. These bikes can really do it all. No regrets whatsoever. Hope this account is helpful for someone.
The 501 weighs 2 pounds more, and only costs a few hundred more dollars. Might as well got the bigger motor.
@@daniellavoie9662 yes and no. It depends on the tires, the stock tkc 80’s were really smooth on the road, but not the best on the dirt. I’ve got more dirt knobbies and they do vibrate more on the road. I try not to ride too much road though.
Hey Bill, just watched this again as I'm selling the 300L Rally today and want to move to something lighter and more focused on off-road. I'm considering this bike, the KTM 500, the Beta 430, or there's currently barely use FE350S for sale for a good price. You mentioned having a 350 before -- any regrets going to the 501? I'm 6'1" 220 lbs. Most of my street riding would just be to get out there. Appreciate any feedback you might have. Thanks and hope to see you out there again some time!
Great Questions. I loved my 2018 FE 350 (still have it and planning to let it go sometime), but I really like the 501. The newer 22 feels really good with the change in chasis, I can get both feet on the ground-which you'll have no problem. 501 is much better on the road with its power, feels as light as the 350 in the single track, and seems to be as good/better in the gnar. I need some more time on the 501 to make that single track/gnar call. I may do a 350/501 comparison video if there is interest. See you out on the trails!
@@BigRing Thanks Bill, I appreciate the feedback. I stopped in Fator's today and had a good luck at them as well as the KTM equivalent. It's very tempting, if I can get past spending that much on something I will surely drop in the dirt and rocks. That first drop is going to hurt lol. Going to sleep on it. Thanks again!
@@BigRing would love to see this comparison. I’m coming from a YZ250F dirt bike and am concerned with the extra weight of the 501 for the raw dirt bike performance
@@pabz06 I had the same question you did about the weight issue. I'll try to do a comparison of the 501 and 350.
You need new tires.
Great bike! Cool vid
Thanks for comment!