Chris Denison on the Husa...
Chris Denison on the Husaberg.
The Aprilia worked better than I thought it would. The suspension sucked up chop almost as well as any other bike I rode, plus it was really stable. It had a planted feel, so much so that I felt no need to complain about the hiccup off idle. The smile on my face was huge when I got on the gas, from the mid on up the smooth power delivery with lots of rpm kills it!
The Husaberg gets a really busy feel on the gas and on the brakes because it felt light to me. It isn't as planted as I like, and I think it needs a steering stabilizer more than other bikes. I'm pretty sure they were trying to hide the brake pedal from me but I found it after about 30 minutes!
Jesse Ziegler on the Gas ...
Jesse Ziegler on the Gas Gas.
The Beta's smooth power delivery was great, but more for the trail than the GP course. Its suspension was too active and soft for moto, plus the turning was difficult to come to terms with. I just couldn't trust the front end. The seating position felt strange, like sitting deep in the foam.
Long live the two-stroke because it gave me lots of power, good stout suspension, a light feel and, typical for a Gas Gas, nice strong brakes. This thing definitely rides like a race bike more than a trailbike, and since we're looking at more of a race angle, for me it's between the Gas Gas and the Husaberg.
-Dave Donatoni 5'8"/165 lb/Senior A
Drew Ruiz on the Husaberg....
Drew Ruiz on the Husaberg. Bling!
What I always tell people about exotic bikes is this: you have to come at them with absolutely no expectations. If you were to jump on an Aprilia and compare the brakes to a Honda, you'll be disappointed. If you expect a Husaberg to corner like a Suzuki, it'll be a sure letdown. But if you drop the comparisons and evaluate an exotic bike with a clear, open mind, the benefits will become much more obvious and you'll soon see what they do well. Many people would look at a Gas Gas and say, "Sure, the motor is pretty fast, but it doesn't hold a candle to my CRF450X."
That's the wrong way to think. The guy who bought the Gas Gas isn't worried about your 450X, he's thinking about how usable his bike will be for his trails. In truth, none of the exotic bikes are outright "bad" motorcycles. Weird? Yes. Different? Absolutely. But anyone who says that the Exotics aren't good simply hasn't gotten his own preconceived notions out of the way enough to see what they are capable of. We can sit here and bag on the suspension or crack at the funny-looking plastic, but the fact is that each exotic machine has been designed and constructed without the support of (and also in spite of) the largest manufacturers and their deep, deep pockets. Could you or I do any better if we tried? I doubt it.
-Chris Denison: 5'10" /155lbs/Intermediate
Chris Barrett on the Apri...
Chris Barrett on the Aprilia.
Karel Kramer on the Gas G...
Karel Kramer on the Gas Gas.
Karel Kramer on the Beta....
Karel Kramer on the Beta.