Ever since Pierer Mobility Group acquired the rights to Husqvarna Motorcycles, the company has drawn from the brand’s legendary lineage while also adopting contemporary design. The Svartpilen and Vitpilen models are the most extreme examples of this approach, and the Husqvarna FS 450 supermoto follows suit, embracing a trendy new colorway in 2023.
Since hitting the track in 2016, the closed-course model favored Husqvarna’s iconic blue/yellow color scheme. However, the 2023 FS 450’s distinctive white and gray graphics forge a new identity for the supple supermoto. That facelift isn’t the only refresh the Husky earns in the new year, though.
Gallery: 2023 Husqvarna FS 450
Similar to its 2023 KTM 450 SMR relative, the FS 450 touts a hydro-formed chromium molybdenum frame. The new aluminum-polyamide hybrid subframe increases both durability and rigidity, while updated bodywork enhances ergonomics and the rider’s range of motion. Inside that hydro-formed frame, the repositioned SOHC, 450cc, single-cylinder engine centralizes mass. Exploiting that thumper’s potent power out of a corner is even easier thanks to the frame’s adjusted swingarm mounting point and resulting anti-squat behavior.
Of course, the WP XACT rear shock’s CFD-optimized main piston helps with those efforts, while the AER-equipped WP XACT 48mm fork provides progressive damping on corner approach. The Brembo hydraulic clutch system, Suter anti-hopping clutch, and high-performance Brembo braking system maintain the FS 450’s stability heading into those slow-speed turns, while an updated quickshifter sensor ensures seamless upshifts at corner exit.
On the tech front, a revised handlebar-mounted map selector switch adapts not only the engine’s character to aggressive riding, but also automatically engages the supermoto’s launch control, quickshifter, and traction control. The lithium-ion 2.0 Ah battery lightens the load for an advantageous weight-to-ratio figure, and the Metzeler slick-shod Alpina wheels transfer all that performance potential to the road.
Husqvarna hasn’t listed the 2023 FS 450’s MSRP yet, but the track-only supermoto will hit dealerships in the coming weeks.
