The Monkey’s Paw taught us well. When you make a wish, you have to phrase your request very carefully. A long time ago, we all wished for a dual-sport bike that was a true dirt bike; one that was capable of riding to the racetrack, competing and then getting home. Poof! Suddenly, the Husqvarna FE501s is a reality. It’s an incredible machine that, at its core, isn’t that far removed from the bike that Malcolm Stewart just used to win the Tampa Supercross. There are only a couple of problems: First, we forgot to include the word “affordable” somewhere in the wish. Two, we forgot to wish for a less stringent set of federal requirements that regulate all dual-sport bikes.
Both of those wish addenda are probably outlawed in the fine print of the three-wish handbook. The 2025 Husqvarna FE501s Heritage sells for $13,499. It is unofficially the most expensive off-road bike that Husqvarna offers. On top of that, if you want to unlock its true potential, you have to spend more—way more.
HERITAGE AND MORE
Don’t get us wrong, we love the fact that the Husky Heritage 501s exists and wouldn’t want any part of a world where it didn’t. It’s simply a frustrating reality that dual-sport bikes of this level aren’t more accessible. What makes it the Heritage edition is a blue cosmetic treatment that adds $300 to the price of the standard FE501s, which is the second-most-expensive Husky in the off-road line. There are no mechanical differences. The FE501s got a major change last year. The frame was redesigned, the angle of the motor was altered and a long list of other changes brought it to the same page as the 2024 motocross bike. When we say this bike isn’t that different from the one that Malcolm Stewart rides, that’s not just hyperbole. It’s perfectly conceivable that the Rockstar Husqvarna team could use an FE501s as the platform for a Supercross bike. A lot of parts would need to be swapped out, but that’s true of any race bike used by a factory team. The stock parts that must be retained are the frame and engine cases, as per AMA rules, and the frame on the 501 was, in fact, inspired by the 2022 Rockstar Edition.
The federal government has a long list of specs that are required of any street-legal motorcycle, starting with noise and emissions. The FE501s has a well-hidden charcoal canister, a reed valve in the intake boot and EPA-approved mapping (with no map switch). The Continental TKC 80 tires were chosen because they are less noisy in the drive-by sound test. Aside from DOT equipment like the horn, reflectors and lights, the FE has items you would want on any off-road bike, like a six-speed gearbox, hand guards, engine guards, a radiator fan, and, of course, a kickstand. It has a key ignition and a fork lock that have a distinct afterthought look.
Weird fact: the FE501s dual-sport bike has more rear-suspension travel and a taller seat height than the FC450 motocross bike. Why is that? The motocross bikes in Husqvarna’s line carry the distinction of having reduced suspension travel compared to KTM and GasGas MX models. This was done to lower the seat height and provide brand differentiation. That distinction does not extend beyond the motocross models. The Husky has the same suspension travel and seat height as the GasGas EC450F dual-sport. To confuse matters a little more, the KTM 500EXC has a dramatically taller seat height than any of them because it has PDS rear suspension without linkage.
Up front, the FE has a WP Xact coil-spring fork. This replaces the earlier Xplor fork and is a hit. Many riders even prefer it to the Xact air fork that comes on the FC450 motocross bike. It is, of course, set up for off-road riding. Also, the Braktec brakes and hydraulics that came on earlier Husqvarna dual-sport bikes have been replaced with Brembo components.
OUT OF THE CRATE
If you transported the current FE501s a few years back in time, it would make a great race bike. Heck, even today, you could take it right out of the crate and be competitive in a National Enduro with nothing more than a change of tires. It’s a phenomenal bike. It’s actually lighter than a first-generation YZ400F—mirrors, lights and all. On our scale, it’s 253 pounds without fuel. Dual-sport riders of 15 years ago wouldn’t believe this was possible. The biggest advancement is in fuel injection. Even with EPA mapping, the FE runs clean and crisp. There’s no backfiring, no hesitation and very few of the glitches that define bikes with U.S. emissions equipment. It will occasionally cough if you run the motor too low for too long, but it’s otherwise very smooth.
The only real penalty for EPA blessing is outright horsepower. For a bike with 511cc of displacement, the 501 isn’t especially powerful. A 250 four-stroke will take it down in a drag race. The 501 peaks around 40 horsepower, whereas a 450 race bike approaches 60 horsepower. On the trail, of course, no one wants a full-blown motocross bike with that kind of output; it would be unrideable. The 501 is sweet, smooth and friendly. It all boils down to the kind of riding that’s on the agenda. If you take the Husky trail riding in the woods, it has all you need. If you go hill-climbing or desert riding, it could use more steam.
Husqvarna was wise to set up the suspension the same way. The fork and shock are perfect for brisk trail riding at moderate speed. The previous generation was far too soft, particularly in the front. It was good for plonking through rocks in first gear, but beyond that, it would dive and bottom. The new coil-spring Xact fork is still pretty good at the low-speed stuff, but its true calling is apparent when the pace picks up and you start play racing with your buddies. The current chassis compliments the suspension by providing a very level platform. Among the changes that came last year was the repositioning of the countershaft sprocket relative to the swingarm pivot. This reduces the seesawing that comes with acceleration and braking.
Another characteristic of that chassis is increased vertical rigidity. That doesn’t sound like something you need for a dual-sport bike, but if you compare the new 501 to the previous one, the increase in overall stability is undeniable. Is it too stiff? That’s impossible to say, because the new suspension is so much better that the chassis rigidity is effectively hidden. The production motocross chassis has actually been altered once more since this generation to offer a little more flex. Husqvarna says they won’t update the FE until the next major model change, which is years away. For now, this FE501 has a far better chassis/suspension setup than any previous generation.
THE NEXT MOVE
Since the beginning of time, dual-sport bikes have been the subject of intense modification. Nowadays, it’s a little weird because the government pays attention to such things. The state of California, in particular, can punish dealers and aftermarket manufacturers who encourage any changes that affect noise or emissions. That stops absolutely no one at home. The very first thing that most owners do in the privacy of their own garage is swap out the street-oriented stock tires. Full knobbies (DOT approved or not) make for a dramatic improvement in off-road performance, but the stock wheels do not have rim locks. They must be installed, or the increase in traction will tear off the valve stem. A single rim lock in each wheel will throw the wheel balance way off, so you have to use wheel weights to counteract bouncing on the pavement.
It gets a little more complicated if you want to increase motor output. There’s almost 20 more horsepower locked up in that motor design depending on how far you want to go. Riders often make a change in the exhaust system and/or remove the reed valve from the intake, and find that it just throws the mapping out of balance. There are several ways to alter the mapping. One is to install a piggyback fuel modifier from JD Jetting. That can alter fuel mixture but not spark advance. Replacing the entire ignition with a Vortex or Athena product can alter both mixture and advance, which can provide a little more performance. Or, if you don’t mind diving into the dual-sport underground, it’s possible to remap the stock ignition, but you have to find a technician who really knows what he’s doing. They don’t advertise. All of these methods are frowned upon by the government and technically turn the bike into a closed-course competition vehicle.
THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE
The real danger in attempting to build the ultimate Husqvarna FE501s isn’t the Feds. It will be your family and loved ones when they learn you started with a $14K motorcycle and then spent thousands more in modifications. There are, however, some secrets that make for a better relationship. Our first line of advice is to save up for a Husky FE501s, leave it as stock as possible, and be content knowing that it is a far better dual-sport bike than anything that came before it. But, if you absolutely must take it to the next level, our second line of advice is to burn all the receipts, go riding and don’t overthink it.