2024–2026 · Enduro · Buyer's Guide
Full Race Kit, Street Plates
The FE 250 is a competition enduro that also carries road equipment like an LED headlight, and that dual identity is the whole point of it. The liquid-cooled single makes 47 hp from 250 cc, though delivery matters more than the number here: clean pull from low rpm, a genuinely meaty midrange, and over-rev that keeps going well past where you expect it to sign off. The frame is light chromium-molybdenum steel with the engine positioned to centralize mass, and WP's XACT closed-cartridge fork and XACT shock ride high in the stroke. Traction control, ride modes, an up-shift quickshifter and adjustable suspension at both ends are standard.
On the trail it behaves like exactly what it is: firm, tall, and happiest when you ride it with intent, paying back a committed rider with real grip at both ends. Back it down to a wandering trail pace and it stays manageable, which is why it works for an ambitious rider stepping up from something smaller as much as for someone chasing a result. It is built to survive a hard season, and the aftermarket catalog behind it is enormous. The honest caveats: a 37.4 in (950 mm) seat rules a lot of riders out, there is no ABS, and 2.1 gal (8 L) of fuel disappears fast.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 47 hp (34 kW) |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 250 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 260 mm |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 140/80-18 |
| Wheelbase | 58.7 in (1490 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 13.5 in (343 mm) |
| Front travel | 11.8 in (300 mm) |
| Rear travel | 11.8 in (300 mm) |
| Seat height | 37.4 in (950 mm) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.1 gal (8 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Lighting
Safety
Pick it up off the stand and it barely leans on you. There is almost nothing to the thing. You sit in a narrow, flat cockpit that lets you slide forward and back without thinking about it, and the bar and peg relationship is laid out for standing, so hours on your feet do not wreck your lower back. The single has a hard, dry bark down low and smooths out as it spins up, and the vibration reaching your hands stays low enough that you quit noticing it. The Braktec clutch is light at the lever and easy to feather with one finger. The gearbox shifts short and clean, and the up-shifter lets you keep both hands where they are. At a relaxed pace it never feels like it is straining to be somewhere faster.
Over the years I've collected what owners say about this bike in the paddock, over coffee at club nights, and in the messages riders send me directly. On the FE 250 the picture is this: the praise centers on suspension that holds up when you ride hard, and the complaints land on the exhaust, the bodywork and the bill.
Riders who charge hard say both ends resist bottoming very well, and that the bike stays composed when the ground turns to high-speed chop. Some owners also point to a quiet exhaust note that keeps things low-key when the pace drops.
The most specific gripe is the stock muffler. Owners feel the engine wants to spin up harder at high rpm, and some report that a motocross-style silencer frees up more over-rev and sharper throttle response. The firm setup that hard chargers like can feel harsh to lighter riders or anyone after a plusher trail ride, and revalving comes up for casual use. Plastics scuff faster than owners expected, and the price sits at the top of the enduro class.
Front brake caliper may crack
A recall was issued (CPSC / NHTSA) for certain 2024 Husqvarna enduro models due to a potential front brake caliper cracking. This can lead to brake fluid loss and reduced braking performance, posing a crash hazard. Affected units should be inspected and rectified by an authorised dealer.
Where this Husqvarna FE 250 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Displacement
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the FE 250 is actually built for.
This is the right tool for slickrock and technical desert, and it will carry you up things a heavier bike simply will not. Plan your day around 2.1 gal (8 L), because range is the one thing it won't give you.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
It is quick enough for your local track and the suspension takes real hits, but it is tuned for trail traction and carries lights and a six-speed. A capable second bike, not a dedicated motocrosser.
Made for Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area · Fox Raceway at Pala · Glen Helen Raceway
It will eat the hardest miles of any BDR route. There is no luggage system, no cruise control, no wind protection and only 2.1 gal (8 L), so the transfer days will be work.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route