MXA RACE TEST: THE REAL TEST OF THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350

Q: FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350 BETTER THAN THE 2023 FC350?

A: Not really. It has a few minor changes but nothing that obsoletes the 2023 Husqvarna FC350. 

Q: AREN’T ALL THE 2024 HUSQVARNAS JUST BNG BIKES?

A: Guess what? So are the 2024 Yamaha YZ450F, 2024 Yamaha YZ125, 2024 Yamaha YZ250, 2024 Honda CRF450, 2024 Honda CRF250, 2024 Suzuki RM-Z450, 2024 Suzuki RM-Z250, 2024 Husqvarna FC450, 2024 KTM 450SXF, 2024 KTM 350SXF, 2024 KTM 250SXF and 2024 Kawasaki KX250. “Bold New Graphics” (BNG) is the theme of the 2024 model year. The only 2024 motocross bikes that are all-new are the Yamaha YZ250F, Kawasaki KX450, and all of the 2024 GasGas models. 

Q: DID THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350 GET ANY CHANGES FOR 2024?

A: Yes, but they are mostly minor suspension changes, and of course there was a price increase. The price jumped from $10,799 last year to $10,999 this year. What did the $200 upcharge buy? 

(1) Bold new graphics. Last year, the 2023 Husqvarna FC350 had a yellow “H” logo on the plain gray radiator shroud. For 2024, it has an updated Husqvarna “H” logo with a strobe effect graphic. Additionally, the 2023 front number plate is white with black winglets, while the 2024 front plate is white with yellow winglets. 

(2) Suspension. On the forks, WP made “minor refinements” to the compression shim stack to make the mid-valve damping feel more fluid and comfortable. On the shock, WP developed new high-speed compression damping settings that enable smaller adjustments per dial movement. How much smaller? Each incremental change was reduced by 50 percent. 

Q: HOW DOES THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350 RUN?

A: We can’t explain why, because there are no technical explanations, ECU updates or dimensional changes to account for it, but the 2024 Husqvarna FC350F pulls harder and longer in the middle than it did last year. It is more responsive down low, which helps the FC350 engine leapfrog into the midrange, where it continues to rev to its ultra-high peak. The 350 configuration delivers the best of both worlds. It picks up quickly down low, pulls steady through the middle, and revs to an amazingly high rev limiter. 

Why the concept of building a mid-sized four-stroke race bike hasn’t been embraced by every other manufacturer is a mystery. Even more mysterious is that Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki still haven’t gotten on-board, even though the 350 is a proven sales success. In the cutthroat business of selling motocross bikes, the three Austrian-built 350s have gotten a free pass ever since the first KTM 350SXF was introduced in 2011.

No other production bike in motocross history has been so noticeably improved from year to year as the Austrian 350. Since their rather mediocre introduction in 2011, the 350s have made dazzling yearly gains, winning converts with every technological leap.

On paper, the KTM 350SXF is illegal in the 250 class and down on power in the 450 class, so who would want to buy one? The answer is disgruntled Vet racers who didn’t like that their choice of weapons was limited to an under-powered 250 or an over-powered 450. Vets were the first consumers to recognize that the 350 KTM, Husky and GasGas could be revved like a 250 while pumping out 450-style horsepower. Riders of a certain age, who were racing in unregulated classes, embraced the two-in-one usability of the trio of 350s. They turned the 350s into a sales success of epic proportions.

The concept of a 350cc motocross bike may have looked like an unlikely success story when it was first introduced 13 years ago, but take it from the MXA wrecking crew, we have raced the three 350s back to back every weekend, and we know these bikes deserve your attention. They are all quite unique.

Q: WHAT’S NEW ON THE 2024 WP XACT SUSPENSION?

A: WP reworked the forks and shock for the 2024 FC350 with the goal of increasing comfort and adjustability at both ends. Both the shock and fork valving are slightly different from that of the 2023 production fork, but the changes are limited to specific segments of the stroke in places where WP felt they could make the suspension less sensitive to setup changes.

Forks. WP says they made “minor refinements” to the compression shim stack to make the mid-valve damping feel more fluid and comfortable. They did not touch the rebound side of the fork’s damping, nor are there any alterations to the suggested air pressure or clicker settings. Just note that the rider should be willing to fine-tune the feel by making clicker and air pressure adjustments based on track conditions.

Shock. The WP technicians developed new high-speed compression damping settings because they believed that the previous settings had gaps that were too large per adjustment. WP’s goal was to get the high-speed compression dial to make smaller adjustments per dial movement to reduce the damping effect per click by 50 percent. This change was achieved by increasing the number of shims in the high-speed stack from 15 to 23 shims. The increase in the shim stack made each adjustment smaller and offered the rider twice as many options.

Q: HOW GOOD ARE THE 2024 WP XACT AIR FORKS?

A: The 2024 Husqvarna FC350 forks are very good when set up properly. Do we believe that Yamaha’s Kayaba SSS forks are more absorbent and follow the ground better than the Husqvarna’s WP forks? Yes, and we have said so in every test since SSS forks were introduced back in 2006; but, perhaps the one thing that we should have said, is that the SSS forks are also more absorbent and follow the ground better than the coil spring forks on the Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki.

One fact that no one ever mentions is that the WP air forks save over 3 pounds on the front of the bike—and that is a benefit of epic proportions. MXA test riders know this intimately because we are constantly switching back and forth between stock WP air forks and expensive WP Cone Valve forks, which more than proves that WP is capable of spec’ing superior coil-spring forks if they wanted to. No matter how well the Cone Valves work, every test rider mentions the negative effect of the added weight.

Q: WHAT’S UP WITH THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350 WP REAR SHOCK?

A:  The WP shock is one of the easiest shocks to live with. It comes from the WP factory in Munderfing, Austria, ready to rock and roll. The stock clicker settings for compression and rebound are in the ballpark for every one from fast Pros to slow Vets (within a range of two to three clicks).

However, we must confess that MXA’s Pro test riders feel that the rear shock needs increased compression damping at the very end of the stroke where it delivers a last-second jolt on any hard landing (and often kicks in square-edged bumps). Vet and Novice test riders rarely complained about the shock bottoming on landings, but we tried a re-valve at the end of the stroke and stiffer heat-cured foam bumpers on the shock shaft. As it turned out, the best fixes were Pro Circuit, AEO/REP, Ride Engineering or Luxon MX shock linkages that made the WP shock softer initially and stiffer at the end of the stroke (the exact opposite of the stock WP shock linkage); however, we only run these aftermarket links on the KTM and GasGas 350s. On the Husqvarnas, we stick with the stock shock linkage.

Q: HOW DOES THE 2024 HUSQVARNA FC350 HANDLE?

A: Husky has an ace in the hole over every other bike on the starting line when it comes to handling. What is it? Husqvarna shortened its forks by 10mm internally, which means that the front of the Husqvarna can be as much as 15mm lower than any other bike on the track, especially when you combine the shortened forks with Husqvarna’s totally different rising-rate shock linkage, shorter shock and reduced stroke (to keep the rear tire from hitting the fender). This one-of-a-kind setup gives the rider a chassis that is 1 inch lower. You don’t need a degree in physics to realize that a lowered center of gravity is a major positive when it comes to handling.

Amazingly, the 2024 FC350 shock and fork valving are essentially the same as what is in the KTM 350SXF components, but the suspension feels plusher. The KTM forks ride a little higher in their stroke, which is good for faster riders willing to hit things harder, but the Husqvarna can run lower air pressures to smooth out the action of the fork, deliver a much more responsive feel, improve front tire contact and increase overall comfort. Best of all, riders with short legs can touch the ground when seated on the 2024 FC350, something they can’t do on a KTM 350SXF or GasGas MC350F.

Lowering the chassis makes the Husqvarna FC350 turn like it’s on rails. Every test rider felt that the Husky handled better than its competition, but mostly they raved about the fact that they could touch the ground on the starting line and in tight corners. 

When it comes to overall handing, not just cornering prowess or straight-line stability but the total envelope of motocross racing, the 2024 Husqvarna FC350 is the cat’s meow. After the required long break-in time for the frame, this bike can do anything. It can carve like a Suzuki RM-Z450 but without the head-shake at speed. It can cross rough ground at high speed like a pre-2023 Yamaha YZ450F but without the bulk. It can feel ergonomically perfect, like a Honda CRF450, but without the twitch.

Q: IS THE CHROMOLY FRAME A PLUS OR A MINUS?

A: It’s a plus—a big plus! Cast- and forged-aluminum frames are made out of a handful of major components, sometimes as few as 10 major pieces. Those pieces can be plugged together and robot-welded together lickety-split. Additionally, aluminum frames are much cheaper to build (once you amortize the casting costs). 

Chromoly steel frames need expensive steel tubing made from alloys containing chromium, molybdenum, iron and carbon in different ODs and lengths. That tubing must be cut, bent, mitered, gusseted, welded, heat treated, cold set and painted. As you can imagine, just the labor involved in making a chromoly steel frame is expensive, and the steps are time consuming.

But, chromoly steel frames are more resilient, responsive and lighter. Originally, aluminum frames were lighter than steel frames, but as questions arose about the durability of aluminum, the manufacturers started using more forged parts, which were heavier than the extrusions and cast parts they were replacing.

There are lots of market forces at work when it comes to choosing chromoly or aluminum, and it is no surprise that KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas would choose steel over aluminum despite its labor intensive construction, or that Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki would choose aluminum given its manufacturing simplicity and price benefits. 

Q: WHAT DID WE HATE?

A: The hate list:

(1) Finding neutral. Getting the transmission into neutral on the starting line is very hard. MXA test riders rev the engine with the clutch pulled in, and when the rpm peaks, we snick the shift lever into neutral as the rpm drops. 

(2) Gas/radiator caps. The gas cap sticks and the radiator cap is very hard to turn. Nihilo Concepts makes a removal tool to make getting the radiator cap loose easier.

(3) Start/stop buttons. If you don’t like having the kill button on the right side of handlebars, Nihilo Concepts makes separate start and stop buttons that retro fit so you can put the kill button wherever you want it.

(4) Weight. The new FC350 frame got heavier in 2023, and the slight suspension and graphic changes didn’t make it any lighter for 2024—228 pounds is heavy for a bike that used to weigh 220 pounds.

(5) Spokes. If you can’t check all the spokes, be sure to check the spokes closest to the rear rim lock. If those spokes are loose, you need to tighten all the spokes.

(6) Chain slack. Forget about three fingers under the chain at the rear of the swingarm buffer pad. The 2024 Husqvarnas need four fingers (approximately 70mm of slack). The chain is not right if it doesn’t look too loose. 

(7) Brake pedal tip. It gets crushed, bent, or broken in any crash or collision you have. There are much stronger aftermarket tips available.

(8)  Air vents. The 2024 KTM 350SXF has giant air vents on both sides of the airbox, but the Husqvarna FC350’s identical-looking air vents are molded shut. The closed-off airbox reduces low-end throttle response, but makes the FC350 easier to spray-wash.

Q: WHAT DID WE LIKE?

A: The like list:

(1) Gearing. If you want more low-to-mid thrust, add one tooth to the rear sprocket.

(2) No-tools clickers. You can adjust the WP shock and forks without ever using a tool. Low-speed compression, high-speed compression, shock rebound, fork rebound and fork compression are all adjusted by hand.

(3) Handlebars. The FC350 is spec’ed with excellent ProTaper handlebars.

(4) Air filter. Husqvarna’s air filter design, with its plug-and-play installation, no-tools airbox cover and no need to remove the seat, is the best design ever.

(5) Brembo brakes. The Brembo front brake is well-modulated, powerful and one-finger manageable.

(6) Quick Shift. It’s great for long, high-speed starts but can be quirky in half-throttle situations. 

(7) Shock collar. The new WP shock collar is much easier to use and more durable for setting sag.

(8) Air forks. The WP XACT air forks work great if you take the time to set them up for your weight and speed.

(9) Frame guards. It’s nice that Husqvarnas come with plastic frame guards, but MXA test riders often take them off to make the bike narrower at the footpegs.

(10) Center of gravity. The Husqvarna FC350 corners like a dream, thanks to its lower center of gravity.

Q: WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK?

A: This is the perfect Vet bike, which is good, because there is no Pro market for the FC350. But KTM, Husky and GasGas don’t need Pros or Novices. They have the Vet market lock, stock and barrel with a bike that is fast like a 450 but fun like a 250. The Husqvarna FC350’s big selling points are that it is more comfortable, sits much lower and has a powerband that is supremely manageable.

The MXA wrecking crew firmly believes that the 2024 Husqvarna FC350 is not only the best Vet motocross bike on the track today but the best all-around motocross bike made.