97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Questions and comments about converting to beefier forks..
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MCKDX220
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97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

Hello fellow KDX'ers,

I have gone through about 100 posts and due to the search engine being down, I can not locate a solid answer.

Have just (3) questions and I have a 2000 KDX 220;

1) 1997 KX500 completely compatible ??? From what I have read yes, but there always seems to be question, or the thread dead ends, without saying yes, it worked great, no problems, ie, will post my results after install and they never do.

2) What parts will fit from the KDX in the conversion ???

3) I could not find anything on the brake line routing, which I would want to change to the typical Honda routing, how to ???

BTW, if someone developed a worksheet of what is compatible with what, it would save a lot of questions.

I would be more than happy to put one together, if anyone is interested.

Many Thanks in Advance !!!

Michael C
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by Julien D »

Search is back up for now, happy searching.

Yes, 97 KX5 front end will bolt on, but you'll need the complete front end.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by CoronasAndChips »

I have 1997 kx 250 front end and had RB do the stem swap. Researching this particular year there is a "mid valve" that most are recomending to be removed for enduro/woods riding. I haven't done this yet as I learned to adapt to the harshness. But having said that I am saving my loot to get it resprung and revaled for off track riding. Lowering the oil to the minimum level (150 mm) did make a small improvement on small square edged bumps.

The brake caliper was a direct swap from my 2002 which is a bonus. You may or may not have to grind the nipple off the bottom end of the brake line to get it to bolt up if you keep the kx line. Also the 97 forks are longer and I recommend get the "spacer" from RB if you need to swap the stem.

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

CoronasAndChips wrote:... there is a "mid valve" that most are recomending to be removed for enduro/woods riding. ...

Who / where was recommending this?

Yes, you need proper spring rate and valving, just like with any other fork.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by CoronasAndChips »

When I get home from work I'll see if I can find the articles again. I think one was out of EG's book, another was a pdf on KYB fork rebuilding for that year and a woods rider blog or dirt rider blog. Again it was only for the 97 KX 250. The factory pdf I have shows 94-98 being identical except 97.

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

1 thing I did want to share from my research, although the 97 KX500 front end would be a direct swap, one of the mods the KX500 Guys do is get 96 - 02 KX125 or KX250 set of upper and lower clamps due to a more desirable offset, so although they share the same 46mm forks, the KX125 & KX250 do have a different offset. I am making the educated guess that Kawasaki thought the KX500 would be ridden more in the desert vs. the race track were straight line stability is more important than turning ability. The KX500 riders that ride track seem to like the offset much better with the KX125/250 upper and lowers. They do the same thing we do and send there stem to Ron Black to have them pressed out and then back into the KX125/250 lowers. If it has not been mentioned before, I hope that is useful information to someone considering the swap.

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

Maybe someone is talking about "replacing" the midvalve with a check valve. I'll pass on going backwards in time and technology. :razz:

1998 - 2002 won't be the correct size for the KX500 forks. Someone must be swapping out forks, too.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

You could be correct, perhaps the "whole" front end, needs to come with it, but it does not seem very cost effective for Kawasaki to have different forks from the KX125/250/500. The upper and lower's I can see as the 500 is a totally different animal to the 125 & 250.

Any rate, here is a URL showing the rake angles for 1999, when they all shared the 46mm forks;

http://www.motorsports-network.com/kawa ... c/99kx.htm

You'll notice that the KX 500 is 27 degrees vs. 125/250 being 26 degrees, I believe the H series KDX is 26.5 degrees.

Michael
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

Here is the URL link, in case anyone wants to read the thread, but below is what I got out of it, like most things on the internet, use your own judgement on what to be true and not true.

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/892641 ... 00-for-mx/

Alpha1_SX said:

I also found a thread the other day after this post (can't find it right now) where someone took the triple clamps from a KX250 and swappped them onto the KX500. I guess the rake is different on the 250 triple clamps and makes the K5 better for tight woods and tracks. I will see if I can find that thread again as it envolved transplanting the stem and making some kind of a bushing for the upper clamp.
It's the same conversion as used by KDX owners when converting to KX forks. All the steps are the same so you can follow the steps from any KDX conversion to do the swap on a KX500. Ron Black (RB Designs) can press the stem and supply the spacer for you for $67 or just the spacer for $36. He did mine and his work is top notch and turnaround was less than a week.

Just a side note, this is only for 96-02 KX125/250 & the 97-04 KX500.

This is why I wanted to create a chart, one can go through all this data and get somewhat frustrated. :hmm:

Michael
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

Is someone confusing rake with offset?? :neutral:
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97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by rbates9 »

I off set my rake by the barn when I got done with the leaves.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

Attached URL Rake, offset, trail, are all related, basic geometry.

http://bikearama.com/theory/motorcycle- ... explained/

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

Jason wrote:Is someone confusing rake with offset?? :neutral:
From the link you provided: "Aftermarket yokes/ triple trees – alter the offset to then alter the trail without affecting rake"

Unless you are saying that the various clamps are at different angles than 90 degrees, I don't see "rake" being affected by clamp changes. I have about 30 different types of KX and KDX clamps. I think they are all around the same rough 90 degrees. Am I missing something? Thanks.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

Hi Jason,

Yes, I am with you, the more I think about it, the rake should be determined by the steering head angle period, as the clamps are running parallel to the steering head. The offset can only effect the trail #'s. I am speculating that the clamping area is closer to the rider, hence reducing the trail and making it carve a little better with the KX125/KX250 clamps vs. the KX500 clamps.

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

Not to throw fuel on the fire, but take a look at Eric Gorr's book, or this link and go to the section on 1990-2004 KX 500 section.

It references that Terry Cable made a clamp set that changed the rake angle by 2 degrees, which Ty Davis helped with. Any rate, I guess it is possible.

http://books.google.com/books?id=4MealM ... 00&f=false

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

The link does not go to the specific page.

Anyway, I assume it is a set of clamps bored at a different angle than 90 degrees. I have seen a set or two over the years on the web, but definitely not stock.
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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

http://www.eric-gorr.com/incl/pdfs/mode ... wasaki.pdf Page 193, or Page 14 of 16

Yes, I would agree that it is "not" 90 degrees and would be made of thicker than normal billet aluminum vs. cast for additional strength.

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97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by MCKDX220 »

On the removal of the mid valve reference;

Interesting post from Mark aka MX Tuner back in 06;

http://georgiaoffroad.com/forums/viewto ... 0&start=15

I have tried them both. I've set them up- I've installed Gold Valves in a number of KDX's and KX's. To make the KX forks work in the woods, they *need* to be revalved, plain and simple, as well as disabling the midvalves.

I sell Gold Valves for $125 and that doesn't detract from the resale value of the bike.

I've been a Race Tech dealer for going on 13 years now. I've installed other companies aftermarket pistons searching for a better result than Gold Valves provide. I revalve using the stock pistons and using Gold Valves. The GV's give a far superior result than anything I've found, not just in a KDX but most every bike I've used them in. I think I'm qualified to give a fairly accurate and educated opinion. I work on a "couple" bikes other than my own. If the KX forks were a viable option, I'd be the first one to suggest the changeover.

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Re: 97 KX 500 Front End - 100% Direct Fit ???;

Post by KDXGarage »

Any aftermarket clamp is going to be billet, not cast. :shock: Can you imagine the cost of the molds for such a short production run?! :rolleyes:

I have seen a picture of aset of clamps with inserts to adjust geometry, but again, this is way beyond the scope of some guys riding a KDX for fun and the main jist of this website.

As best I remember, Race Tech used to strongly recommend disabling the midvalve by way of the check valve included in their Gold Valve kits for some models. It appears to me that they have backed off their hard line stand over the seven years since that post.

Anyway, to wind down this thread / our two-person conversation :mrgreen: , almost anyone who has bought or will buy a KX front end for his KDX could care less about offset options, or what offset even means. I'd bet that out of the 4,000 people that have signed up here that maybe four have ever laid a set of calipers on a triple clamp to measure offset. When I said four, I may have over-estimated. :hmm: :busted:
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