2024 HUSQVARNA FE350S DUAL-SPORT: FULL TEST

Traditionally, there’s no middle ground in the world of dual-sport bikes. It’s a realm occupied either by half-liter heavyweights or by bumper-rack campground transportation. So, why has the Husqvarna FE350s become a dual-sport mainstay? Simple, it’s not really a dual-sport bike. Yes, it’s fully street-legal and passes all the mandatory equipment tests, but that’s just a front. No one ever purchased an FE350s for its street capabilities. It’s a pure-blooded dirt bike to the core. As long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. For 2024, the FE350s has undergone its first major remake in years. It has a redesigned frame, a reconfigured motor and new bodywork. The suspension is new and much more closely related to the FC350 motocross bike. The new FE350s has more racing in its blood than ever before.

Husqvarna’s dual-sport bikes maintain a higher price than comparable KTMs. The FE350s sells for $12,599.
THE MAKEOVER CONTINUES

In 2022, Husqvarna put the wheels in motion for a complete makeover of every model in its lineup. That started with the 2022 Rockstar Editions, and now with the 2024 FE350s, it’s complete. The 350 actually got a more extensive list of new parts than most of the others, starting with a more compact motor. The bore and stroke are unchanged, but the compression ratio is slightly lower. Every gear in the 6-speed gearbox is different, as well as the primary and final ratios. The overall gear ratios are still similar to those of the previous model; although, if you’re super sensitive, you might notice that the gap from second to third is tighter and sixth is slightly lower. The clutch is new, too, but it’s still the DDS design with a Belleville spring and hydraulic actuation. Those hydraulics are still made by Braktec.

If you want to ride a national enduro with a dual-sport bike, the FE350s is a great place to start.
The frame makeover is virtually identical to what the motocross bikes got last year. Unlike KTM’s dual-sport bikes, which use PDS no-link suspension, the Husky uses a linkage-driven design that is, again, just like the motocross bikes. There are also changes to engine position and frame rigidity that follow the course set by Husky’s motocross bikes. Even the fork comes from the motocross world. The Xplor fork is no more for this model and is replaced by a new version of the WP Xact fork. In this incarnation, the Xact fork has two coil springs; the constant attention required by the air forks used for MX was deemed inappropriate for a dual-sport application.

There are, of course, major differences in setup between the MX and dual-sport models. The FE350s’s suspension and power delivery are much softer. In both cases, that’s appropriate given the FE’s role as an off-road bike rather than a racer. In the motor department, Husqvarna also had to jump through formidable hoops to get through the various tests for emissions and noise. There’s a reed valve in the intake boot, and the exhaust system is very restrictive. The mapping is very lean, and there is no map switch on the handlebar. The approved map is what it is. Even the tires were chosen with sound level in mind. The Continental TKC80s have very little rolling noise.

LET’S RIDE
To confess, we didn’t ride this bike with the stock tires. We had plenty of experience with the Contis on the KTM 500EXC tested in this issue. They truly are 50/50 street versus dirt, and we did most of our testing in the dirt. We installed full knobbies with rim locks, and we were delighted that we could go anywhere and do anything that the most serious dirt bikes could do.

The most striking aspect of the Husky 350 is how light it feels. On our scale, it’s 248 pounds without fuel. It actually gained 3 pounds since last year, but you would never know it. The 350 handles like a Husky TE150. You can toss it around and generally manhandle it at any speed. This goes to further prove what we have said again and again about horsepower being the sworn enemy of handling. Half the reason the FE350s handles so well is because it makes unremarkable peak power. It handles like a 150 because it makes only a little more power than a 150. To be fair, the 350 is much less demanding to ride. It carries its peak power forever—from about 6,000 rpm to 11,000 rpm. A small-bore two-stroke hits its peak and immediately signs off. That’s what makes the 350 so good as an off-road bike. It’s preposterously easy to ride. The power is always there when you need it. Less displacement means less engine braking, too, so the FE350s is less jerky than the big bikes.

The 2024 motor gained power across the board, but it’s still not especially fast. You can’t expect too much more from a bike this quiet.

Like any certified dual-sport bike, the mapping is lean and the exhaust note is ultra-quiet. Husqvarna did a good job of making it work within the required parameters, but it’s delicately balanced. The bike takes a long time to warm up and can, on occasion, flame out. The smaller-displacement motor makes this much less of an issue than it is with a 500, but you still have to be mindful of using too much throttle too suddenly.

All of Husqvarna’s off-road and dual-sport bikes use Braktec hydraulics. That includes the brakes.

Also, like any other dual-sport bike, it’s difficult to go searching for more power. Changes to the airbox or exhaust will throw that delicate fuel mapping out of whack. Flame-outs, stalls and hesitations will become the norm. There are several ways to address this, but all will make the bike a closed-course competition bike in the eyes of the government. JD Jetting has the easiest and most affordable solution with its piggyback fuel-injection tuners. They sell for about $250 and allow you to make changes to the mixture. Coober, Athena/GET and Vortex all have more sophisticated systems that allow changes to the mixture and ignition mapping, mostly in the $800 range. The guys at Slavens Racing, Twisted Development and Taco Moto all have some expertise in this matter, and will be happy to offer advice.

The Continental TKC80 tires truly are 50/50 street versus dirt. Most riders will want full knobs.
FRAMED AGAIN
Husqvarna has a philosophy of offering one frame with very few alterations for virtually all its dirt bikes. This generation of the FE350s frame, as we mentioned, was first seen on the 2022 Rockstar Edition. It was considered to be a little stiff, even by motocross standards, so the 2024 Rockstar Edition has a new-generation frame already—one that’s a little less rigid in certain planes of motion.

The 2024 Husqvarna dual-sport and off-road bikes have just gotten on the same page as the 2022 Rockstar Edition, so it’s unlikely that they will change any time soon. That’s okay. The issues that the motocross guys faced are completely different from those experienced by dual-sport riders. The suspension for the FE350s is so much softer that frame flex plays a far lesser role. Having said that, the FE’s suspension is stiffer than it was last year. The rear shock went up from a 42 N/mm spring rate to 45. In front, the springs are unchanged, but the fork is now a closed-cartridge system with much more precise valving. It rides higher in its travel and has less dive. Overall, the new suspension setup repositions the bike as a more serious off-road machine. The fact that it has linkage instead of PDS like KTM’s dual-sport bikes gives it even more of a MX-like disposition. PDS guys will continue to be steadfast in their resolve that the linkage-less design is better for tight terrain and has a big advantage in ground clearance. All true, but the Husky’s design feels more conventional and stable at speed. It’s a debate that will go on forever in off-road circles.

When you sum it all up, there’s no doubt that the 2024 Husky FE350s is more dirt-oriented than ever. Beyond that, it’s aimed at more aggressive, more hard-core riders this year. That’s fine with us. This is a bike that sells for $12,599. It would be senseless to spend that kind of money to ride around the neighborhood or campground. The FE350s is a state-of-the-art dirt bike. The fact that it can have a license plate is just a bonus.