The Husaberg FE 600 was the 600 cc four-stroke enduro of the Swedish brand, produced from 1992 to 2000 according to the Italian Wikipedia. It spanned the takeover by KTM in 1995 and the years in which Husaberg cured the reliability problems of its earliest engines.
Husaberg FE 600 at a glance
| Maker | Husaberg Motor AB, Sweden; KTM from 1995 |
|---|---|
| Built in | Askersund and Laxå, Sweden |
| Class | four-stroke enduro |
| Displacement | 600 cc |
| Production | 1992–2000 |
| Engine | single-cylinder four-stroke |
| Early engines | no oil pump; oil delivered by the timing chain (1989–1996) |
| From 1997 | reliability comparable with established brands |
| Name | F for four-stroke, E for enduro |
| Followed by | the 650 cc enduro from 2001 |
No Wikipedia article covers the FE 600 on its own: the facts here come from the Husaberg brand articles in English, German, Swedish and Italian, which are in effect a single source.
History of the Husaberg FE 600
1992: the biggest single
The 600 cc engine appeared in the Husaberg range in 1992, four years after the company had been founded in a woodshed at Husabergs Udde by engineers who stayed in Sweden when Husqvarna’s motorcycle division was sold to Cagiva. The Italian Wikipedia gives 1992 to 2000 as its production period, and English Wikipedia lists 600 cc among the displacements in which the brand built enduros. The model used the two-letter naming of the range: F for four-stroke, E for enduro.
1989–1996: the oil pump problem
The earliest Husaberg engines, built between 1989 and 1996, had no oil pump and relied on oil delivery from the timing chain. English Wikipedia records that this led to known premature engine failures. Reliability and quality improved over the years, and from 1997 the engines were comparable with those of more established brands, which covers the last four years of the FE 600.
1995–2000: under KTM
Good results could not compensate for slow sales, and in 1995 Husaberg was bought by the Austrian manufacturer KTM. Production had started at Husabergs Udde, moved into Askersund and was for a period based in Laxå. The 600 cc engine was built until 2000; from 2001 the largest four-stroke enduro of the range was the 650, which stayed in production until 2008.
Design and features
- Big single: a 600 cc four-stroke, the largest displacement of the Swedish period.
- Early weakness: the 1989–1996 engines had no oil pump and were known for premature failures.
- Later reliability: from 1997 the engines were comparable with established brands.
- Ownership: the model spanned the KTM takeover of 1995.
- Naming: F for four-stroke, E for enduro, with the displacement in the name.
Husaberg FE 600 versions
- FE 600 (1992–1996): the first years, with timing-chain oil delivery.
- FE 600 (1997–2000): the improved engine of the later production.
- The 600 cc class: English Wikipedia lists 600 cc four-strokes among the brand’s enduro displacements.
- The successor: the 650 cc four-stroke, produced from 2001 to 2008.
The FE 600 was the largest single of its time, above the FE 501; the 650 that followed it is described under the Husaberg FE 650, and the later 550 is the FE 550. All models are in the Husaberg collection.
Sources
- Husaberg, English Wikipedia: reliability, history, displacements
- Husaberg, German Wikipedia: founding, first factory, KTM takeover
- Husaberg, Swedish Wikipedia: factory locations in Askersund and Laxå
- Husaberg, Italian Wikipedia: production years by displacement
