2020 Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition

Having first hit the market in 2018, the 2020 Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition is the Austrian manufacturer’s third iteration of the limited-edition machine. The mechanical changes the FC 450 Rockstar Edition receives each year usually serve as a preview of what the following year’s motocross models will come with in terms of updates. The FC 450 Rockstar Edition always features a number of aftermarket components and Husqvarna Technical Accessories such as a factory triple clamp, FMF Factory 4.1 RCT muffler, and a Rekluse clutch cover just to name a few.

We rode the 2020 Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino for the introduction of the special-edition machine. Off-Road Editor Andrew Oldar was impressed with the bike’s stronger power delivery and firmer suspension settings in comparison to the standard FC 450 model. “The 2020 FC 450 Rockstar Edition’s updated maps give it a more aggressive power delivery, yet the bike still maintains its easy-to-ride and controllable nature. The bike’s suspension is more of a race setting than what the standard 2020 FC 450 model offered, and is more of a well-rounded setup for a variety of different tracks.”

There are two other special-edition motocross bikes each year that serve as competition for the 2020 Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition including the 2020 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition and the 2020 Honda CRF450RWE. At $11,199, the FC 450 Rockstar Edition is the most expensive of the three; it’s $100 more than the 450 SX-F Factory Edition and $1,800 pricier than the CRF450RWE.

For 2020, Husqvarna updated its FC 450 Rockstar Edition with suspension changes and new ECU mapping. The WP Xact air fork has a new oil bypass in the outer tube of the damping leg, a 10mm longer bypass in the air leg, a smaller rebound spacer to increase the air volume in the negative chamber, a new mid-valve damping system, a new adjuster for the rebound on the bottom of the fork, a new elastomer end stop, and a new air piston. The WP Xact shock also received changes in the form of a higher spring rate, a new O-ring in the link piston, and new low-friction linkage seals.