KNOX Enduro

Hi there and welcome to NOX. That's this Husqvarna FE 350. Sounds pretty naughty. So for those of you who are new to the NOX channel or new subscribers, you should know that we run our own fleet of motorcycles. That's consisting of the BSB Superstock GSXR 1000 that you can see in the corner here. We've got a road and track GSXR 1000. We've got heavily modified GSXR 750 Suzuki and we've got a Yamaha WR250F Enduro bike. Obviously, this is the latest addition to that. We run this fleet of motorcycles, well, partly because we absolutely love riding, but it also really helps us to develop our own products, put them through their paces on a more extreme side, whether that's riding on track or on just high quality motorcycles. Obviously, the Enduro side of it as well really helps us put our products through their paces and provide great content for Now recently, we tested the GasGas EC350F and I said that was the best Enduro bike I've ever ridden from the engine to the suspension just to the overall package of the bike. Well, we didn't go out and buy a GasGas, but ultimately we did put our money where our mouth is and we've gone with the Husqvarna version. So why a Husqvarna FE 350, you might ask? Well, I'm not going to beat about the bush here. I'm a massive Husqvarna fan and I'm a real fan of pretty much every product that the KTM group are currently producing. They always perform great. They put a massive grin on your face and whether it's a bike like the Norden 901 or the 701 Enduro or the FE350, they're just at that point where I mean, they're at the point you don't even need to test ride them. They just do what they're meant to do. There's very little compromise with them. For me, they're just really exciting bikes that I just get on every time and pretty much guarantee that I'll love it. So I really omdineared between buying the 250 four stroke and the 350 four stroke. The reality is that, And I've test ridden a 250 four stroke KTM and it was more than enough for what we're doing. Bit of trail riding, more of the hardened Enduro stuff. They're fantastic bikes, but at the end of the day, when I test ride the Gas EC350F, that just had a bit more. Do we need it? Probably not. Do we want it? And the fact that it'll pull a fifth gear clutch up wheelie, it's quite nice to have and you only live once. So went with the 350. So in order to make space for this bike, we actually had to get rid of the 701 Enduro. That bike was absolutely unbelievable. And you'll have probably seen some of our content on that machine. We loved it from start to finish. While it crashes quite well, it's never going to be a competition Enduro bike. These things are designed to, They're tougher, they're lighter, and they're just more suitable for the type of riding that we're currently starting to do, basically. That being said, I've got some really cool accessories that are going to transfer over from the 701 Enduro onto this one. So I've got some nice handlebar accessories. I've got a really nice luggage set that is the Husqvarna luggage set that'll fit nicely onto this bike. I've got some fairing parts that I'm pretty sure will transfer from one to the other. And we've also got a really cool graphics kit that we're going to be fitting and revealing pretty soon as well. So it kind of goes without saying, but when we start to put some hours onto this and get some experience with it, we'll be coming back with more and more content on it over the next year or two, basically. But I just thought before we'd ridden it, while it's really clean It'd be a good opportunity to have a little look inside, see what's what, and share some of the details. So first looking at the cockpit area, notice quite a big difference between this and the GasGas model. First thing you notice is it's got genuine ProTaper handlebars, so a really high end set handlebars on them. You wouldn't need to replace them in the future. They've got really nice ODI grips with And it's also got a billet al And next up, I've noticed that the bike has a carbon composite subframe. Now, obviously this is different to a traditional enduro bike that may have a steel or al This one is lighter, claims to be quite strong. Bl But I think it's quite a cool thing. It's lightweight and what it also does is provide a really great handle for when you're lifting it up into different ruts and that kind of stuff. So that's pretty cool. We've also got a really nice looking exhaust end can. Personally, I really Sounds pretty mint, especially when it's laden as well. Next up, we've got a DID anodised rims. Massive fan of these. These are going to be just premi I really And because again, it's the premi That's great. I mean, basically it means we will have to change the tires, which you would possibly normally consider if you're buying a stock bike, although we will be installing moses because basically I've experienced that having really low pressures is way better for traction. So we'll be putting moses in these combined with the Michelin medi Next up, we can see on the handlebar, there's a map and traction control switch here basically. So the bike gives you two different maps. One is standard and the n So that's more of a snappy power, I think. You've also got the option to add traction control in there as well, which is not sort of It's the traction control that's designed for off-road riding and I don't even think it exists on many other bikes. So it's quite innovative and I'm looking forward to trying that one out. We've also weighed the bike and with a full tank of fuel, it came in at 111 kilos. Now I was really surprised about this because I thought it was going to be a bit heavier than that and we have installed quite a few accessories that I'll come on to as well. They've probably added another kilo or two onto the weight of the bike so I was surprised that 111 kilos seems really lightweight to me. Of course, they're going to be four or five kilos heavier than the two stroke models but overall, I'm really impressed with that. As it's a Husqvarna model, of course, it has really premi In comparison to the GasGas we tested, it does feel firmer. I don't know whether it's got a stiffer stock setting but it feels firmer, it feels really well damped and it's very well balanced front to rear un This feels balanced front to rear but as a stock bike, So another cool thing that I've noticed, just So initially, it feels a little bit tight but actually it's got this bolt here that you can either screw in or screw out or take out entirely to improve your turning circle. Clearly, if you're doing really technical stuff, maybe we'll take it right out but if we're doing more road stuff or, I think that's a cool level of adjustability that you don't normally see on an Enduro bike. So we bought the bike from Appliard Husvana and I have to say they've been really helpful and efficient with us throughout this whole purchasing process and have given us great advice and service along the way as well. So they'really recommended if you're looking for a bike At the time, they actually asked us, Normally, that'something that I would put off for the future and then subsequently regret it because I'd be dropping the bike and smacking something and thinking, oh god, I wish I'd have done that. So let me just take you over some of the things that they've installed for me and they've done a much better job than what I could have done. First thing is a front disc guard here. Now we're doing quite a lot more riding in thicker ruts and in roots and with rocks that are coming up sort of around this sort of level. So to have a bit of a disc guard here, I'm sure it's going to pay for itself in not very long. We've also got engine guards to protect the engine cover and clutch cover as well. The stock Husqvarna engine covers are beautiful. What I really didn't want to do is just put a massive gouge in it so we've covered them up. The other thing that we've done is put the full skid plate on it and that's got the linkage protection in as well. I believe that's an a service product and that's just going to mean our linkage is protected and the bottom of our engine as well which is obviously very important. Next thing what we've got is swing arm covers. Again they're just going to provide protection, I was going to protect the investment basically, stop it getting all chipped and knocked. Last thing, we've gone with a genuine Husqvarna rear disc guard here. This feels, this thing feels like it's made out of adamanti It is absolutely bulletproof and I'm pretty sure that if we get any knocks, Last thing, now I really undenied about whether I should do this or not and originally I didn't decide to put the sort of full wrap round hand guards on but I was out the last couple of weekends and dropped my bike quite a lot and I just thought, ah, do So I've got on order the official Husqvarna wrap round hand guards, the al So a couple of years ago, we did a review on the Knox channel of the Husqvarna TE150 and 250 two strokes that we had for a couple of weeks and that was when I was brand new fresh into enduro riding and I didn't know But one of the comments that I made is that I didn't really understand how people were practically using these things on trail riding and stuff Well, very interestingly enough, that seems to have changed now somewhat. So let me just share a couple of things. First one that I think is so cool is the fact that this bike now comes with a steering lock that's actually built into the frame. So, Anyone could just steal it anytime basically. And, Well, now you've actually got this steering lock. There you go. So that is my steering locked now. And, I've never seen it on an enduro bike before and the fact that it's built into the frame means that, It's not really going to add any hassle. But what it will mean, and typically when we're going out enduro riding and with the lads and stuff, we go for our ride and then we stop off at a pub on the way home and have a bite to eat, have a bit of a beer and stuff. And we just leave our bikes outside. Ultimately, they're dead vulnerable and someone literally could just whip them away, put a new plastic kit on them and you'd never ever see them again. Well, now I've got the steering lock. Which one are the nicking? Well, it won't be this one because I'll only just be able to turn it around in a circle. So I think that is a really cool feature and added bit of road functionality that these FE's and probably the whole of the Husky enduro models come with now. The next thing is also massively interesting as well. And it doesn't really matter whether it came on the back of our review or not. But I think this is just really smart. When you buy the bike now, they also come with mirrors. So if you want to turn this into something And you've also got indicators. So you've got all of the wiring stuff that you need to attach indicators onto your handlebar. You've got all the wiring limbs for it. And you've got the blinkers themselves. So there's four of these and they clearly go in here. To make this bike a bit more functional on the road, clearly that is not really useful to the guys who are going to ride competition enduro. We're not even putting a wedge plate on at that point. But for guys who are doing trail riding and stuff and perhaps going a bit further field on their enduro bike, Hussfahner have answered a lot of questions for me with this. And I think this is really, really forward thinking. And certainly when you're comparing it to bikes Well now, Hussfahner, not only is it road registered and comes with a wedge plate, but they're providing you with indicators and a lock that you can use or not use. And I think that is really top-notch thinking and puts them quite a leap forward in front of the competition. So it's a big th So that was our first look. What is the master plan? Well, as I said before, we're going to have to put some hours on it. We're going to go off and do some enduros. We're going to do some practice days. We're going to do some riding about here in the Lake District and probably some trail riding as well. And share the experience with you. So please stay tuned for more content on this FV350. I'm pretty sure it's going to be awesome. So thanks very much for watching. Please Thanks very much and we'll