Husqvarna
FC 450

Flagship power

Engine

449.9 cm³, 26.8 kg. Everything about this engine is built to put its mass where the chassis wants it — low and central — which is why a 450 this fast turns the way it does, and why the rear squats less under power. 95 mm bore, 63.4 mm stroke, 13.6:1 compression, five speeds. The most power in the range, delivered where you can use it.

• 449.9cm³
• 26.8 kgengine
• 103.3 kgwithout fuel

Low and compact

SOHC cylinder head

A compact single-cam head with the camshaft as close to the centre of gravity as it will go, for a 450 that changes direction like a smaller bike. A fine-punched cam chain runs on low-friction guides and a single oil spray jet keeps it cool — simple, efficient, and built for long intervals.

327 grams of piston

Cylinder and piston

Aluminium cylinder, 95 mm bore, 63.4 mm stroke. The CP bridged-box piston weighs 327 g and carries anodised ring grooves for durability and longer service intervals. Compression is 13.6:1 — that is the number behind the peak power, and it is best in class.

Mass where it helps

Crankshaft

The crank sits where its rotating mass helps rather than hurts: right at the centre of gravity, for a light, agile feel from a big four-stroke. Its inertia is calculated for traction and rideability, not just for peak numbers, and a plain big-end bearing on two force-fitted shells is good for 90-hour service intervals.

Thin walls, strong case

Crankcases

High-pressure die-cast cases that put every shaft exactly where mass centralisation wants it, for the best possible handling. Thin walls, high strength, lowest possible weight — the crankcase is part of how the bike handles and how much of it you have to lift out of a rut, not just a box for the gears.

Hook up, hold on

DDS clutch

A dampened diaphragm steel clutch: one diaphragm pressure plate instead of a set of coil springs, with a damping system built in for traction and durability. The basket is a single CNC-machined steel piece with thin steel liners, which is what keeps the engine as narrow as it is.

Five, by Pankl

Gearbox

Pankl Racing Systems five-speed with motocross ratios and a 29:72 primary that have been proven rather than guessed. Light and durable, with a quickshifter sensor integrated into the shift drum — press QS on the map switch and upshifts go through clean under full load.

Grip it with your knees

Bodywork

Bodywork built for the length of a moto, not a photo shoot. Smooth contact points in the rider triangle let you squeeze the bike with your legs instead of fighting it, which is where fatigue goes. The radiator shrouds carry in-mould graphics that do not peel, the seat is tall and wide for movement, and the high-grip cover keeps you forward under acceleration.

Breathe in deep

Airbox

One-piece airbox, stiff enough not to deform under load, so the intake tract keeps the shape it was designed in and the engine gets an unrestricted feed without exposing the filter. The Twin Air filter comes out without tools — pull the left side panel, check, replace, done.

Same bite, every lap

Brembo hydraulic clutch

Brembo hydraulic clutch. Free play is compensated automatically, so the bite point is in the same place cold, hot and after twenty hard laps, and the plates wear evenly. Near maintenance-free — and one less thing to fiddle with on the line.

260 up front

Brembo brakes

Brembo callipers machined from single pieces of aluminium front and rear, on a 260 mm front disc and a 220 mm rear, both cut to shed mud rather than pack it. Strong, consistent stopping in every condition, and a rear pedal built to survive being dragged through ruts.

An exclusive bend

ProTaper handlebar

ProTaper aluminium bar in a bend developed with Husqvarna Motorcycles and used on nothing else. Ø 28/22 mm tapered, light, class-leading strength, and built to resist fatigue — the bar's and yours. Comfort at the bars is not a luxury; it is where the last five minutes of a moto are won or lost.

No glue

ODI grips

ODI lock-on grips with the throttle mechanism built in, fitted without glue or safety wire — a grip change between motos is a two-minute job. Free play is adjusted at the throttle assembly, and you can swap cams for a quicker or slower throttle action to suit the rider and the track.

Boot hold

Footrests

CFD-shaped footrests, extra wide for control when standing, on a narrower mounting in the frame layout. Less to catch on a deep rut, a take-off when scrubbing, or a trackside barrier — and a little less weight while it is at it. Boots stay where you put them, in the wet as well as the dry.

One switch

Map Select Switch

One handlebar switch runs the electronics: two engine maps, traction control, the quickshifter, and launch control. Set the bike up for the track in front of you, race by race, without a laptop or a trip back to the van.

Clutchless upshifts

Quickshifter

Press QS on the map switch and the engine cuts the ignition for a fraction of a second on every upshift. A sensor on the shift drum reads the force on the lever and tells the ECU — clutchless, full-throttle changes without a hiccup. Active from second gear up, so no false neutrals off the line.

Spin into drive

Traction control

Press TC and the EMS compares your throttle input with how fast the revs rise. If the rpm climbs faster than the rear wheel can use, it registers a loss of grip and trims the power until it hooks up again. In the wet, in mud, or on a hard-pack start straight, it turns wheelspin into drive.

First to the turn

Launch control

At idle, press TC and QS together. The symbols flash, and the ECU limits power to the rear wheel until you change gear — enough to keep the front down and the rear driving through the first thirty metres. The quickshifter is disabled while launch control is active, so nothing surprises you before the first turn.

White or green

Mapping

Two maps built in: Map 1 (white) is linear and predictable, Map 2 (green) is sharper and more explosive. Neither is a compromise — one suits a slick, hard track, the other suits sand and deep loam. Switch on the bars.

Small, light, fast

EMS

The engine management unit is small, light and quick at processing what the sensors tell it. Built in is a rollover sensor: go down hard and the ignition is cut and the engine stopped, so the bike is not running away from you on its side.

Count the hours

Hour meter

An hour meter with a fuel-level indicator built in, shown on the FI status LED. It counts the hours the service schedule is written in — so a team knows exactly where every bike is — and it warns you when the tank is getting low before the engine does.

Thumb it

Start/stop switch

One combined start/stop switch on the right of the bar, thumb-operated. No separate kill button to break off in a crash or hit by accident when you are up on the pegs — start it, stop it, same switch. Simpler for the rider, and one less part on the bars to replace.

Press and go

Electric start

Electric start with a lithium-ion 2.0 Ah battery that weighs roughly a kilo less than a lead battery. Stall on the exit of a corner and you are going again before the rider behind knows it, with no weight penalty for the convenience.