The Husaberg FE 650 was the largest four-stroke enduro of the Swedish brand, produced from 2001 to 2008 according to the Italian Wikipedia. English Wikipedia uses the FE 650e as its example of the electric-start suffix, and lists 650 cc models among the enduros, motocross and supermoto machines the company built.
Husaberg FE 650 at a glance
| Maker | Husaberg Motor AB, Sweden; KTM from 1995 |
|---|---|
| Built in | Sweden until 2003, then Mattighofen, Austria |
| Class | four-stroke enduro |
| Displacement | 650 cc |
| Production | 2001–2008 |
| Engine | single-cylinder four-stroke |
| Electric start | marked by an ‘e’ suffix: FE 650e |
| Position in the range | the largest four-stroke enduro of its period |
| After 2008 | the largest enduro was the 570, at 565 cc |
| Successor brand | Husqvarna |
No Wikipedia article covers the FE 650 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 650
2001: the biggest Husaberg
The 650 cc four-stroke arrived in 2001 and became the largest engine in the Husaberg enduro range. The Italian Wikipedia gives 2001 to 2008 as its production period. In the brand’s naming the first letter gave the engine type, F for four-stroke, and the second the purpose, E for enduro; the number gave the displacement, and a lower-case ‘e’ after it marked an electric starter.
2003: the move to Austria
Production and the development department moved to the KTM factory in Mattighofen, Austria, in 2003, eight years after KTM had bought Husaberg. The 650 was built through that change, and by then the engines had left behind the oil-pump problems of the 1989–1996 generation, which had no pump and used oil delivery from the timing chain.
2008: the end of the 650
The 650 cc engine was built until 2008. For 2009 Husaberg presented a new generation with a laid-down engine in the FE 390, FE 450 and FE 570, and the 570 of 565 cc, produced from 2009 to 2012, became the largest enduro in the range. The 2011 line-up listed the FE 570 rather than a 650, and by 2014, the brand’s last year, only enduro models remained, with the FE 501 as the biggest four-stroke.
Design and features
- Largest engine: the 650 cc single was the biggest four-stroke enduro of its period.
- Electric start: the ‘e’ suffix in FE 650e identified the electric-start version.
- Naming: F for four-stroke, E for enduro, then the displacement.
- Body styles: English Wikipedia lists 650 cc models among the enduros, motocross and supermoto machines.
- Handover: replaced at the top of the range by the 570 of 565 cc in 2009.
Husaberg FE 650 versions
- FE 650 (2001–2003): the Swedish-built years of the model.
- FE 650 (2003–2008): the same model built at Mattighofen in Austria.
- FE 650e: the electric-start version, with the lower-case ‘e’ in the name.
- The successor: the FE 570 of 565 cc, in the 2009 generation with a laid-down engine.
The 650 was the top of a range that ran from the FE 501 through the FE 550; the model that replaced it at the top was the 570 of the FE 450 generation. More models are in the Husaberg collection.
Video: Fast Ride ’05 Husaberg FE650E Testing Enduro
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Husaberg, English Wikipedia: naming, electric-start suffix, 2009 and 2011 ranges
- Husaberg, German Wikipedia: KTM takeover, Mattighofen production
- Husaberg, Swedish Wikipedia: 2009 laid-down-engine generation
- Husaberg, Italian Wikipedia: production years by displacement
