Did he buy it?
I've got an '05 fse 450, Marzocchi forks, Scott steering stabilizer, custom fuel injection mapping. I'm 45 yrs old, been riding one year after taking 35 yrs off. I ride with all kinds of KTM's, and a couple Husabergs in tight, rocky, rooted, single track, quad track, and jeep trails. I keep up with most everyone, faster than some. On the occassion that i do get smoked, I'm pretty sure it's me that is the limiting factor, not the bike.
An above post states that the low end torque has been increased since the '05, but I feel like my bike is very forgiving on rooted boulder garden hillclimbs because of it's great low end grunt; it makes up for me getting off line.
I really like it.