IT DOESN'T really matter if you are a gun enduro racer or a weekend trail rider, Husaberg's FE 390 will step up to either plate.

The surprising thing is there are no real modifications needed to spec the bike up or dumb it down. The bike's inherent traits, light weight, flexible engine and extremely capable suspension, will appeal to riders at either end of the ability scale.

Why a Husaberg and why a 390?
Husaberg has been around since 1988, and then was purchased by KTM in 1995, but buying a Husaberg was pretty much left to riders who liked their dirt bikes a little left of centre. It didn't help that engine reliability problems hampered sales. In late 2008 the brand took a major leap forward with the new 70 degree engine which has proven to be a reliable and powerful motor in a variety of capacities.When first released the 70 degree engine came out in 450 and 570cc capacities only, with the 390cc engine first released for the 2010 model year. It seems to be a path a number of manufacturers are skipping down because many riders realise they will be smoother and faster on smaller bikes.

There's no doubt a 450 or 500cc enduro bike will take more out of the rider in the bush than a 350-400cc machine will, even if the weight difference between the bikes is negligible.
Of course how this all pans out depends on the rider's ability, fitness etc.
I think Husaberg has built a 390 for a couple of reasons, one it is a capacity which sets it apart from other brands. If someone says they have a 390 then you know it's a Husaberg. The other reason is the company has been able to use a shorter stroke crankshaft to reduce the capacity. This makes sense because the piston is the same as the 450's, and you get a quicker revving engine in the process, without designing a new powerplant.

Mechanically it might look like an oddball engine but the crankshaft sits very close to the centre of the bike, the idea being to give the bike as neutral a feel as possible.
Other than the obvious cylinder inclination the engine is much the same as others in the class; four valves, liquid cooling, electric start etc. Keihin EFI is fitted, and the engine has two oil pumps to keep it lubricated.

Back in the dark past a number of Euro four-stroke offroaders had no oil pumps. No wonder they had reliability issues.
The FE 390 uses a perimeter design steel frame, and is a mix of round and flat sections. There's no alloy rear subframe either, it's made from polyethylene which is not only strong it's very light too. Plus there's a number of electrical components embedded into the subframe which keeps them in place and out of danger – smart.

WP suspension is used front and rear. The forks are 48mm closed cartridge units which are fully adjustable, while the rear is fully adjustable too, including high and low speed compression damping.Fuel tank capacity is 8.5 litres but the tank design is all about getting the weight of the fuel as close to the centre of gravity as possible, much like the design ethos of the crankshaft. Looking at the bike with the seat and tank shrouds on you might not notice it that much but it's easy to see the tank extends back under the seat when they are taken off. It's clear too, so you can see how much fuel you have without needing to unscrew the tank cap.

It's not a new idea, but it's a good one all the same. With the seat off you get easy access to the air filter. Because of the the engine layout the filter sits above the top frame rail, just behind the fuel cap. Care will be needed though, to keep dirt particles out of the injection throttle body when cleaning the filter.Quality of finish is high, and even though our test bike obviously had some use it had been well looked after and still scrubbed up well.

In the bush
While the FE 390 feels very light pushing it around the shed it's on the trail where you appreciate it. It had been quite a while since I had been trail riding and even though I thought it might not be the case I quickly felt right at home on the 390. I really like this mid capacity style machine because you get somewhere near the feel of a 250 four-stroke enduro bike but with more power. It's still a very flickable machine but you don't need to keep the engine on the boil as much, you can actually be a bit lazy with it. You can crack open the throttle and have a blast without the frantic pace of a 450-plus machine in the same situation.

I guess it's the intimidation factor which the 390 doesn't have. Having said that, the 390 would be a very fast machine with the right pilot at the controls, and is still a very quick bike.The only thing on the ergo front I might change would be the handlebar bend. Neken tapered alloy ’bars are fitted standard, and they can be mounted in four different positions. Overall the riding position is fine, but like any bike you might need to change the setup if you have Orangutan arms or something.Suspension settings as tested were a little firm for me to begin with, even at my 95 kilos.

As expected the forks and shock felt better as I got faster during the day. And even though the tracks were quite rocky after our area had received lots of rain, neither the forks or shock displayed 'skittish' tendencies. On one rutted hilly section I played around with fork settings and had a few runs up and down the hill, and found I could easily dial in the feel I wanted from the front end.

Verdict
There's no reason to dismiss Husaberg as a boutique brand anymore. They are well built and well finished, and should gives years of service if looked after. The $12,495 FE 390 is a bike which would suit riders of many different levels. It didn't matter if it was tight single track or open stretches, I found the FE 390 a pure delight to ride.And if you don't think it looks the dogs bollocks there's something wrong.

RIDING GEAR: Vemar helmet, Scott nylons, Alpinestars boots.