Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
posted June 10, 2003 02:49 AM
Edited By: worm~hole on 10 Jun 2003 03:49
and for my next trick ...a KX500 ...
____________ “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
posted June 10, 2003 11:04 AM
Edited By: worm~hole on 10 Jun 2003 12:05
uh oh...Zhoo...tell me about 'Christine'...it won't happen this year...I just wanna get some feedback on the bike before I really get the urge...maybe the Yamaha 4-stroke WR/YZ 426/450 are 'better' choices for play-fun in tghe desert?
____________ “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
posted June 10, 2003 01:26 PM
Oh yeah! Get that med insurance paid up. That thing will even hurt you trying to START it! If a motorcycle could turn around grab you by the wrist and whip you around and down onto the ground WHAP! It's a KX 500. I know 'cause I been whapped!
Doug
posted June 10, 2003 02:19 PM
If you like 60mph...throw you off in an instant wheelies....go for it.
Local dealer sells them $600 cheaper than the 250s...NOBODY WANTS THEM. (Except sickos and masochists)
Ive already been bitten by a CR500...not gonna let the KX do the same.
posted June 10, 2003 02:22 PM
Edited By: Kirk on 10 Jun 2003 15:29
220lbs, 65hp (before you pipe it and jet it), won the Baja 1000 nine times straight. What's not to like.
I'd like to lace up a set of 17" wheels to mount my Rennsports. You can license anything for street use here in Oregon.
OMRRA puts the KX500 in Lightweight Superbike, racing against bikes like the EX500.
posted June 10, 2003 05:18 PM
Actuallty Worm Christine was an XR600. That is another story. The KX500 is an animal. probably 2 or 3 men in the world that can actually ride one and use all the power. I had one, and of course did all the mods as well as suspension etc.
Those that have not owned one and or ridden one balls out have little idea what they are like. Absolute brutes and cabale of issuing a killing blow at a moments notice or in many cases it will issue the notice after killing you. If you actually check used 500's out you will find one of the biggest replacement items on the 500 is grips. Most people find it necesary to hang on for dear life. I descibe it as nothing quite like having the grips ooze through your fingers as you squeexe!
The KX needs room. The reason besides the fact that the best rider(s) in the world raced it in Baja that it does well at Baja is there is room to open it up.
I have won probably 100 moto-cross races on a KX500. But I can tell you that I worked my ass off doing it. I can also say I won more races on my KX250 and won the National / International over 40 Championship on my 250 and not the 500.
My advice is reconsider your thoughts abought the KX500. It is not the bike for you. Based on what I have read in your posts it is especially not for you. And that is not an insult it is only concern. It would be the bike you wish you had not purshased. Look around at one of the big fourstrokes instead. The KTM 520 is awesome and is not near the beast of the 500KX. And frankly the 450 Honda and or Yamaha are ass kickers.
TurboBlew's comments about putting a pipe on to mellow the KX500 is a true comment. In many cases a pipe on the KX500 or CR500 actually put out less HP but made them somewhat ridable. A pipe and flywheel weights ie a Moose Flywheel help.
As for Christine, she was a of course built XR600. In her tenure with me she hurt everyone seriously that road her. I blew my knee up on her in a full throttle 4th gear power slide that she stop running in and highsided me into the next universe, she wasted another friends knee on a trail ride, broke a collarbone and dislocated the shoulder of another friend, broke the collarbone of my best friend, broke bones in the feet of 5 other riding buddies that experienced her temperment in cold morning starts and on the night before trading her in I looped her and dislocated my shoulder, took a few days to fix her up before I could take her to the dealer. At the dealer the mechanic assigned to look her over before they took her on trade swung a leg over her to start her. I offered to give him information on how to start her cold. He proceeded to tell me that he was an expert with XRs and didn't need advice from amatuers. He kicked she kicked and he broke numerous bones in his foot. He now walks with a permanent limp. The guy's still an asshole too!
Needless to say most all of my friends that road Christine set off the metal detectors in Airports!!
____________
To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
has touched them in the past and how much it can hold in the
future; -- Youth is forever.
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
posted June 10, 2003 07:41 PM
...hmmm...this all sounds like a ZX-12R for the dirt ...thanks guys, I've been warned ...I've never experienced a lightweight dirtbike, let alone a hi-hp 2-stroke dirtbike and I wanna 'try' one before all of my reflexes and huevos go south ...
...so, you mean to tell me that if I install an aftermarket pipe, it'll 'tame' it?...WHEW!...that's real nasty...I can't even imagine...of course, I couldn't have imagined the brute force of the 12R, either..
...the 400cc class 4-strokes are lookin' better everytime I read about it (and warnings such as these )
____________ “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
posted June 10, 2003 08:53 PM
The Yamaha WR450 is a pretty cool unit. It os essentially a detuned YZ450 with Electric start. For less then a grand you can convert it back (carb work, transmission, pipe and ignition) to being a YZ450 with electric start. Believe me the new 4 stroke motocrosser are a kick but when your tired and kill it it can be a pain to start. So the electric start comes in handy big time!
____________
To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
has touched them in the past and how much it can hold in the
future; -- Youth is forever.
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
posted June 10, 2003 09:52 PM
We had a KX 500 in the stable of our enduro team. We had a company called "SuperFly" add 17 OUNCES to the beast's flywheel. Just to make it half way managable in the woods. It worked... kinda. The thing was still a man killer.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
posted June 11, 2003 09:09 AM
Superfly made a living off of KX500's!! ____________
To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
has touched them in the past and how much it can hold in the
future; -- Youth is forever.
posted June 11, 2003 09:53 AM
Funny thing.................I just bought a KX 65 for my 6 year old and was actually considering a KX500 just to go ridin in the dirt with him (I like HP anyway etc, too much is never enough), Thanks I think I will reconsider that idea!!!!!!!!! Now I know why they are cheaper than the KX250. I hate 4 stroke dirt bikes. Any ideas out there? I'm an old 49 year old fart.
____________
"Ya Gotta Have Big Ones!"
posted June 11, 2003 02:07 PM
If you hate the four strokes then look at the KDX I believe it is 250 Kawi. I have heard only good things about it. And frankly the KDX200 seems a little underpowered at first but the truth is many a man has won an ISDE Gold medal on them. The other option is to go with the KTM. They come with all of the trick stuff already and they have been a premier dirt and woods bike company for just about ever.
The truth is in the woods when the smoke clears and riders being equal, the XR400 four stroke will be the winner of every section. They turn, they stop, they stop they do everything you can do only better! They are very deceptive. BUt the Kawi and KTM are very lightweight in comparison.
Nothing like riding the woods with the kid, and they never forget it either. Good luck dad.
____________
To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
has touched them in the past and how much it can hold in the
future; -- Youth is forever.
posted June 11, 2003 03:47 PM
Thanks Zoo! I see that it's a KDX 220 now ............... must be still good . I'll probably go that route as I remember reading even many years go that the KDX 200 (at that time) was a great trail bike etc. Actually they talked me outta that KX 65 for my kid and talked me into a KTM 50 junior LC.
____________
"Ya Gotta Have Big Ones!"
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
posted June 11, 2003 04:04 PM
...what about the KLX400...any feedback about this sexy lookin' bike?...and its more expensive than the KLR!!!!
____________ “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
posted June 11, 2003 06:58 PM
Edited By: redelk on 11 Jun 2003 20:03
My '90 KDX200 has been raced in over 100 enduros and hare scrambles, used to set up thousands of miles of trails for such event, dumped, dropped, sunk in mud holes, creeks and just plain wrecked more times then I will ever admit. It's still bulletproof and even took first place 250 B class in a hare scramble, two years ago (obviously, I was not the one riding the bike in the event).
It a cheap (not inexpensive... CHEAP!) bike even at a MSRP of under $4K (MSRP $4,400 for the KDX220R). I paid $2800 new for my '90 model. OEM and aftermarket parts are cheap and easy to get. Super easy and simple to work on. Very rarely fouls plugs and basically can be completely abused and will still run when other bikes are being pushed bike to the trailer (no bike breaks down next to the trailer... only when your 10 or more miles away from your trailer).
It's no KX500 by any stretch of the imagination. It's also doesn't have anywhere close to the stump pulling torque of a four stroke, either. Having less HP then a KX and less torque the a four stroke will kinda suck on those steep and long hill climbs. Especially after the second or third try, but then again, you are riding with you kid and you shouldn't be trying to ride up cliffs that he couldn't make it up... now should you?
The nice part is that you can completely submerge a KDX in water, suck a gallon of water into the engine and all you have to do is turn the bike upside down (not too hard with a dry weight under 225), yank the plug, crank the bike over to get the water out, put the plug back in and ride off. I've seen it done several times, but for reasons I won't get in to, I will not say if I have done it myself or not. Let's just say that I'll do anything to keep from walking back to my trailer.
Okay, you migh have to wringe out the water soaked air filter, but try doing that with a four stroke. That is after you try to bend back those valves that got tweaked when that cold pond water hit 'em.
Other manufacturers have tried to make a two stroke dirt bike like the KDX and no one has every got close. Well, a KTM comes close, but at twice the price. The DR and WR are really nice and the 4 strokes have really come a long way since the early 90's. Still, it's hard to beat the bulletproof reliability and ease of working on a KDX. Not to mention all the Fredette Racing and Moose parts you can get with the money you'll save.
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posted June 10, 2003 02:49 AM
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