KX500 For trails?

[wenative]

Do any of you ride a kx500 for trails? I did most of my riding in southern cal. where a big 2 stroke was awsome, since I have been up here(washington state) I find that riding the little xr250 is way easier, for the trail riding we do, am I just becoming an old wimpy man, or is the kawi like riding a bull up here, did any of you guys detune them, or do you ride them at all....should I just stay with it or sell it for a larger 4 stroke, I love the bike, but when a 250 is more fun, something is wrong.....any Ideas from other big bike riders would be great. by the way the motor in the kx is mostly stock, procircuit pipe, rejetted, 50 tooth rear sprocket, blah blah...thanks!

[wickedsprint]

I have mine, it is a little overkill, but it also has a throttle, just take it easy..or don't..you know how to ride yours ?, I think itis managable and now get bored on anything else. I don't have much skill so I only seem to be able to have fun with brute power ?

[MXbob60]

You can detune and retune it all you want, it's never going to be a great woods bike. Keep the 500 for riding at the desert 100 or in Spokane (or OMT's green dot roads near Vantage!). Keep the XR for the rides in Manastash or in western WA. Problem solved! Maybe talk the little lady into letting you have a motocross bike too! A garage with at least 3 bikes in it is a happy garage.

[SC_Spode]

I have a 97 that I keep around for occasions when people tell me how fast the new bikes are. ?

I've owned several through the years and this is the best yet. I could always get them jetted cleanly but could never get rid of the rough low-end response.

I sent the jug and head to Eric Gorr with instructions to make it into a 2-stroke XR. It cost me $140 last year but I see his prices have gone up significantly ($200) since then. I also put a Boyesen RAD valve and heavy FWW on it. The engine is now clean running and smooth to the point of being electric (but a very fast electric!).

A PC pipe, stock silencer with a Sparky (to keep the rangers happy) round it out.

It's big fun and very controlable in the woods. The suspension works well (stock) and the handling is very neutral.

Is it the same bike in the woods as my CRFX? No, but the 250 doesn't have that big handle, either! They're just different animals that shine in different applications.

If you want another opinion, another TT'er (BigIvyI) has ridden it and loves it. He currently races 4-Stroke A in Hare Scrambles and Enduros.

?

[HalfNutz]

Most of our tight NW woods riding does not really fit the profile of the big KX. I'd say keep the KX for the desert rides but also get a smaller two-stroke. There really is no better bike for the tight woods than the 200 EXC. ?

[Camstyn]

I'd have to agree with these guys. I had a KX500 for 3 years and it's WAY out of its element when you take it into the woods of the pacific northwest. An XR200 would be a better woods bike for the trails around here! ?

[PumpkinHumper]

Ive talked to several people in the past that love the big bores in the woods. You can put the bike in 1 gear and run it like that all day. They are tractors down low and will rip your arms off if you twist the loud handle hard. I ride with a 50something year old guy that rides a KX500 in the woods and loves it. I have only rode one in the woods. Aside from the mind numbing engine vibrations that it dished out to me I thought it was fine in the woods. But the vibration... I thought it was gonna rattle my fillings out. And this was a 2000 KX500.

[Crabtree426]

You could throw a heavy flywheel on it to make it more usable. My buddy is a 2-stroke die hard and has a 1999 CR500. He does alright in the woods but he was always pretty damn good on a 125 and 250.

[brrpr]

what?

bore that KX out, take 4 ounces off the flywheel, shorten the swing arm,

open up the airbox, add mud guards, get it plated, and ride it to work!

XR250?

My dog wouldnt be caught on a XR2 fiddy... ?

[Brien]

I've ride with a guy who's got an early 90's KX, he's about 5'6" and 150 all wet, it takes everything he's got to start it. It's the only bike he's got, had it since new and won't buy a new one, he loves it. We ride NW Oregon slop and tight twisties, he thinks it's a tractor but he has awesome throttle control. You get used to what you've got and learn to ride it wherever you are, he also has a paddle with a little sprocket on it for the dunes. He's ridden my 300 EXC and loves it also but he's tight and will keep the KX, I've ridden his a bunch and want one, not for every ride but they sure are fun once in a while!