Photo: Husqvarna
With the incredibly popular GTA VI trailer hit fresh in our minds, it's understandable how the simple mention of the name Rockstar might have one twitching in anticipation of something perhaps even cooler. Especially when the name is tied to two-wheeled vehicles.
Rockstar is a name that, despite being used by several companies, will probably forever be associated with the New York-based video game publisher. But moving past the GTA trailer-induced confusion, we'll tell you this story is about another kind of Rockstar.
That would be the one that makes energy drinks, and even more specifically its involvement with Austrian motorcycle maker Husqvarna in motocross. The two entities run joint teams in the sport, called Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, and it is them the new Rockstar Edition bikes are meant to honor.
With so little time left in the year Husqvarna announced the availability of two race team-inspired motocross bikes for the 2024 model year, the FC 250 Rockstar Edition and the FC 450 Rockstar Edition.
Although not new to the market, the two bikes in this configuration come with a series of improvements over what came before, the most important of which is the fitting of a new frame and the revision of the suspension system.
More to the point, the molybdenum steel frame that holds the two bikes together has been reworked to provide better cornering capabilities, while the upgrades made to the rear shock linkage reduce its rigidity.
The suspension system on both bikes continues to rely on WP XACT gear, with the 48 mm forks up front featuring more progressive end-of-stroke damping, and the rear shock coming with optimized main piston and tool-free adjusters.
The bikes ride on Excel wheels, the same ones used by the racing team's motorcycles, with stopping power ensured by Brembo hardware.
Just like we've seen happening with the 2024 KTM SX-F Factory Edition bikes, the two FC machines now feature the Connectivity Unit Offroad (CUO) system. Installed on the fork leg and working in conjunction with the Husqvarna Motorcycles app, it allows riders to modify the engines' maps based on track conditions, play around with launch and traction control settings, and even customize the sensibility of the quick-shifter.
The Austrians make no reference to the bikes' four-stroke engines having been modified in any way, except for the fitting of racing silencers on the tips of the exhaust system.
To make sure the two machines can be differentiated from their normal siblings, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing graphics have been devised for both of them.
The Rockstar Edition Husqvarna FC 250 and FC 450 bikes don't seem to be listed yet on the bike maker's configurator. For reference, the starting price for the 250 is set at $10,949, while the 450 sells from $11,849.
That would be the one that makes energy drinks, and even more specifically its involvement with Austrian motorcycle maker Husqvarna in motocross. The two entities run joint teams in the sport, called Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, and it is them the new Rockstar Edition bikes are meant to honor.
With so little time left in the year Husqvarna announced the availability of two race team-inspired motocross bikes for the 2024 model year, the FC 250 Rockstar Edition and the FC 450 Rockstar Edition.
Although not new to the market, the two bikes in this configuration come with a series of improvements over what came before, the most important of which is the fitting of a new frame and the revision of the suspension system.
More to the point, the molybdenum steel frame that holds the two bikes together has been reworked to provide better cornering capabilities, while the upgrades made to the rear shock linkage reduce its rigidity.
The suspension system on both bikes continues to rely on WP XACT gear, with the 48 mm forks up front featuring more progressive end-of-stroke damping, and the rear shock coming with optimized main piston and tool-free adjusters.
The bikes ride on Excel wheels, the same ones used by the racing team's motorcycles, with stopping power ensured by Brembo hardware.
Just like we've seen happening with the 2024 KTM SX-F Factory Edition bikes, the two FC machines now feature the Connectivity Unit Offroad (CUO) system. Installed on the fork leg and working in conjunction with the Husqvarna Motorcycles app, it allows riders to modify the engines' maps based on track conditions, play around with launch and traction control settings, and even customize the sensibility of the quick-shifter.
The Austrians make no reference to the bikes' four-stroke engines having been modified in any way, except for the fitting of racing silencers on the tips of the exhaust system.
To make sure the two machines can be differentiated from their normal siblings, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing graphics have been devised for both of them.
The Rockstar Edition Husqvarna FC 250 and FC 450 bikes don't seem to be listed yet on the bike maker's configurator. For reference, the starting price for the 250 is set at $10,949, while the 450 sells from $11,849.
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