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234
Joined
10/25/2008
Location
Bellevue, MI, USA
Fantasy
So who has picked one of these up? Any ride time yet?
26.5 factory editions
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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
My buddy just received his 26.5 Husky 250 FE...I will be riding it on Sunday. I will report back with my thoughts after I ride it.
I bought a Stark Varg MX 1.2 instead.
LBQT Is in a different forum.
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Lol...this thread took a turn! 🤣
The EV version of big-bore YZ250 guy…😂
Ya know…after watching them at WSX…I’ve re-realized that…
A bike’s a bike. I’ve ridden 2T, 4T, Turbo-Diesel (military) and Electric…
I’ve ridden bikes with one cylinder and bikes with 6 cylinders. Hell…recently rode a ridiculous hybrid!
They’ve all got 2 wheels and they’re all fun. Period.
Btw, the 2026 FEs are not 2026.5…the were released with the std production bikes…in 2025! 🤣
I own one and I still LOL when I read this response. Perfect 😂
You forgot the "Q" at the end
StarQ
Getting worse than vegans and crossfit bros at this point
Even at a dealer with less markup, these will be close to $13,750-$15,000 out the door in a state with sales tax, depending on 250 or 450.
I bought a leftover new 2024 350 SXF for literally half of that price out the door. For that extra $7K saved, could someone add all the same factory edition stuff with installation costs for a non DIY-er? Or would it be more or less $?
When compared to getting a 2026 regular 450SXF at around $13,000 OTD, it’s a no-brainer now to spend the extra $2000 and get the factory edition.
These bikes now raise a good question within me. If I had $15,000 burning a hole in my wallet, would I buy a 2026 Factory Edition, or would I buy TWO leftover new bikes for the same cost. One bike that theoretically should be easier to dial in, setup and get a comfy/luxury performance feel. Or two bikes that will need adjustments, but upping the chance that one works well for your body mechanics/style of riding and sell the other that works worst for you.
I just bought two. My kids and I have been riding them everyday at home on our track. We don’t have to consider the neighbors and their peace anymore. I love them! I haven’t even spoken the word air filter or oil change either.
I think about this while trying to fall asleep every night. There’s a few dealers the seem to have gotten their hands on leftover 25’s and the prices are great. For example, just over $8k OTD for a ‘25 450, or $10.5k for a 25 Factory Edition. The 26 has cone valves and I’m a sucker for the orange frame, but you’re right in that it’ll be $15k OTD. As a crappy C Vet rider, I know the upgrades mean nothing to me from a performance standpoint point…but the heart wants what it wants
Same exact thoughts here. I know there will be kids on 65’s faster than me, and a 2005 model bike would get me around just fine. But darn they are cool! And being package deal is awesome.
It would be cool to also take the saved money and build out a one-off bike tailored to myself. But I still don’t think I would ever get as many trick parts as the “stock” Factory Edition
Only reason I would even entertain the idea and just might pull the trigger. There fun and I do enjoy the ability to turn down the power to work technique and carrying speed better. But its just not the same type of fun to me.
They are just part of the quiver. I still have an MC 450 a 250f and a ES 500. I don’t have ajyn2 strokes right now but usually add and subtract those to the quiver here and there.
Isn't that awesome? I've only ridden mine once at MX13. Can't wait to ride again and for the tracks in valley to open up!
Pit Row
Ok, so I rode my buddies 2026 FC250 Factory Edition. For context, I currently own a 2022 YZ250F, 2023 YZ125X, 2023 Beta 300 Race Edition, 2024 KX450, 2024 Beta 450RX, 2024 KTM 350 SX-F, 2024.5 FC450 Factory Edition, 2025 Beta 430 X-Pro, and a 2025 YZ450F (amongst others that are not relative to this conversation). I was riding at Southfork MX and I had my 2024 Beta 450RX and my 2025 YZ450F (which had zero hours on it before the day). The track was much deeper than usual and got very techy, with some awesome ruts and braking/acceleration chop. The Beta is stock other than bars, grips, and suspension (RT Gold Valves) and my Yamaha is also stock other than bars/grips. I only rode one moto on the 2026 Factory Edition, which was only 12 laps. Anyway, first impression, I loved it. Full disclosure, I am a huge fan of the new generation Austrian chassis and how planted they feel...I think they are the best chassis for deep, east coast tracks. That was the first thing I noticed after coming off my Yamaha, just how planted and stuck to the ground the Husky felt. The suspension is close right out of the box, but honestly, I didn't think it was night and day better than my 2024 350 SX-F suspension with the air forks. I may be the only person here that actually likes the air forks, other than tending to them all day at the track. I'm 165 lbs, local A/B vet pace, and I could race the WP Pro component stuff as-is with just clickers...but I raced my KTM all last year with bone stock suspension and won both my classes. The bike handled like any new generation Austrian bike...a nice balance of turning vs. straight-line stability. This is the first Austrian 250 I've ridden, and I was overall impressed with the engine. I think my YZ250F is snappier off the bottom and overall more "exciting", but the longer I've owned my YZ250F, the more I've realized that feeling is a result of very short internal gearing. I have to shift a lot more on my Yamaha compared to this bike...I could come out of a corner in 3rd and slip the clutch a bit and then keep it in 3rd FOREVER. My Yahama would not require the slipping of the clutch, but it would be through 3rd gear SO FAST and I'd have to shift or bang off the rev limiter. Overall, the bike just felt very confidence inspiring and I could push right away. Riding this 250 reminded me why I will always have a 250 in the garage...they are incredibly fun and they feel 20 lbs. lighter than even my 350. Modern 250s are so impressive that I think most people would be faster on a 250 unless the track is super deep with big hills. Comparing the suspension to my Beta 450, I give the edge to the KYB with Gold Valves. It's just difficult to beat a properly tuned set of KYB forks, IMO. With all of this said, would I pay the extra money for the Factory Edition, well, that depends. Personally, I don't think it's worth it, because all the characteristics of the Austrian bikes that I like can be had with the standard editions. However, if I had the money, I'd buy it for the looks and cool factor alone 😁. Sorry for the rambling post...if anyone has specific questions that I didn't address, let me know!
Holy shit you own a lot of bikes
My dealer still has 2025 factory editions on the floor. I assume they would be thousands less than a 2026. If you just want the look that is the way to go. I was also told the valving on the 26fe is pretty much what comes on the pro component suspension and probably needs a revalve out of the box on the 250 as it is a 450 valving spec.
LOL, yes, I have admitted I have a problem many times, which is supposed to be the first step. However, the first step has also been the last step for me, and I continue to buy bikes indiscriminately.
Agreed...you would save thousands and get a great bike buying a leftover 2025. But the monetary value of the Pro components does make up for a lot of the added cost, IMO. Whether they "require" a revalve is probably not entirely objective. When someone says it requires a revalve, that to me means it's not rideable or raceable as-is...and the bike I rode is 100% raceable and rideable for most riders at my skill level and weight. It was nicely balanced and could safely be pushed hard without doing anything strange. Could it be made "better", sure, but it's only going to make it marginally better/more comfortable. Just my 2-cents after only 12 laps 🙂
I don’t think you mentioned it but could you tell if the new air filter/intake setup made a difference in the engine response?
Thanks for the review. I don't expect them to be perfect. The only reason i don't have one now was the air fork. Coming off a 19 450 sxf the one thing i didn't like were the forks. But after 2 years on a Yamaha I'm ready to get back to an easier to ride motor.
I'm glad you mentioned that. I was not aware that they changed the air filter cage...I was looking over the bike and noticed how different the air filter looked when I popped the cover off. My buddy said it's the same filter part number, but I found that hard to believe as the cage is larger and makes the filter much more "round" when installed..it protrudes out a lot further, if that makes sense. What else did they change other than the filter cage? Anyway, back to your original question...I cannot answer that as this is the first Austrian 250 I've ridden. What I can say is the throttle response was quite good, FWIW. My buddy had the engine braking turned all the way down and throttle response turned up on the CUO unit.
I really love the engine on the 2025 YZ450F, but I can see why you would want a more manageable engine. The Yamaha is exciting, snappy, and very free-reving, which can be a lot on rough tracks or when you are tired. I can confirm that my 2024.5 FC450 Rockstar has the best overall 450 engine I've ever ridden...it's an absolute monster of an engine but is supremely easy to ride. The power is just so linear and meaty...no abrupt surges of power like the Yamaha, just smooth, steady building power that never ends. It builds power so clean and smooth all the way to the rev limiter. Yamaha and KTM have the best 450 engines and they couldn't be more different.
I was told the velocity stack changed in addition to the air filter cage. The filter is definitely more round. At least on the 250 the exhaust outlet on the akrapovic slip on also changed. It looks like they made it a smaller diameter.
You also forgot the G for gay...🤣
Brother you are missing out. Bike is the most fun I've had (coming from a YZ250/2 stroke fan).
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