KDXRIDER.NET

anyone know if a KX 500 would make a good trail bike???
Ive herd and seen articles [praising the beaste, saying it is a Good bike, if set up properly....suspension, gearing etc.

Yes, I do know.

The answer is, 'Yes.'

canyncarvr wrote:Yes, I do know.

The answer is, 'Yes.'

Wow, That surprises me!

What's the surprise part?

I'm sure there is all sorts of 'setup properly' that matters.

Ski rides with a guy (Doug) that had a KX500. Doug isn't your average rider, and likely that applys too.

That's where the short input above came from. Just that I know of someone that rode one and rode it well.

It wasn't an 'off-the-floor' MX/track bike.

I doubt a lot of folks would ride a DR600 (or whatever that thing is) up Golden Stair Mr. Wibbens.

All anecdotal and all...but someone recently asked me about that trail, having heard from some macho super-duper hot-rod MX guy that had fairly crapped his pants when he got to that rock ridge on top.

It's (whatever you choose 'it' to be) fairly subjective, 'eh?

I know and ride with several guys with KX5's. They will handle trail duty but can be a real handfull in tight technical stuff. Not that they don't turn well...quite opposite actually. It's that throttle control thing. Even the most mellow KX5 will zing you off trail with the slightest inopportune blip of the throttle.

I'd love to have one...for sand wash and jeep roads stuff. They are a blast to ride. I'll stick with the small bore bikes for the tight stuff.

Later

I've gotten soo used to you saying "you can't ride that thing up here "

I was a lil surprised by your answer

I agree with the comments that KX500 can be great off road bikes. Use to have friends that rode them regulary on single track but that was like 10 years ago. While the riders grew older and maybe their passion for the sport, or their will to live to see grandchildren may have factored in: the real reason (in my mind anyway) is the smaller bore bikes got sooooo much better.

Low end torque was the primary reason the CR500 and KX500 were such great trail bikes in their day plus the fact they did not run out of power due to altitude at 10000 feet and they lasted about 3-4 years between top ends. Plus they were cheaper than their MX little brothers.

Requirements for ownership/surviorship - You do need to have good throttle control capabilities even when riding in the survival mode: You must have the capability to kick the beast over repetively without giving yourself a heart attack.

Best use for these bikes IMO is sand dune riding or open desert riding for the really fast guys.

My Take - They are a fun bike to ride and play on for a limited time but a just toooo much for all day trail rides.

IdahoCharley wrote:Best use for these bikes IMO is sand dune riding...

I've often thought it would be fun to pick one up and build it specifically for that purpose. Then I wouldn’t have to swap tires, rejet, regear, etc, to go ride my KDX in the dunes!

More useless anecdotal information:

Doug (the rider with the KX500) is an excellent rider. Fact is, when he was up here for a ride he did hang his bike in a tree.

I don't mean he hit one..I mean he launched the bike off the trail and literally hung it in a tree!

Maybe 'properly set up' means a throttle control clamp that limits movement to 25%.

Any 'you can't ride that thing up here' was a reference to spark arresters being required to ride in the woods.

IMO they are kind'a stupid-big to ride in the woods. But...that wasn't the question.

I rode a KX500 for 4 years as a trail bike and when I got rid of it and got a 250 MX bike it was a day to celebrate!

The 500 has way to much power for any normal human and trying to control it is a full time job. At the end of the day all my buddies make it back to the truck....no matter what they ride. If you wanna climb cliffs or desert race it's for you. Getting it to "trail ride" good persents problems. The "big block" of two strokes doesn’t like to turn no matter what you do to it. It also has a nasty tendency to stand up and leave the helpless rider rolling around on the ground as it walks away on the back wheel. It’s also very loud....and it kicks hard compared to say...a KDX which you can practically start with your hand. If it should ever "kick back" you might have the KX 500 "limp" for the next few days...try starting a KDX about ten times in a row with your bare foot to obtain the sensation. I loved my 500 for hill climbing but especially in a KDX forum...the KDX is the pefect trail bike. Thats why I bought one.

Blah blah and further blah...

Another anecdotal piece of junk for 'ya.

NOT a KX, but I ride quite often with a guy on a CR500. I have never seen him have any throttle control problems, and he gets to places that most others just can't get to.

AND he is probably 6'3" and weighs in likely around 290#. He's a big guy!

He is also rarely over partial throttle, but his steady speed (that is higher than 'average' and probably only somewhat less than most's 'scoot' speed) will likely get him there afore most others. He gets traction AND moves forward where I simply slide backwards..wheel spinning in a forward direction when it's slick..and when it's just plain steep, he will move forward while I fail to keep the front wheel down.

Yet another 'setup properly' idea...be BIG enough to 'fit' the 1/2 liter size of the bike!

Since CC brought it up ---this was very close to what the local Honda Dealer told me a few years ago (2001 to be exact the last year of the CR500 BTW) "...the CR500 is for big fat lazy guys the CR250 is for riders....."

I was taken back buy his statement and told him so - he back pedaled some but basically said if your big enough maybe you need a 500 but if you normal size the cr 250 will get you there and back with a lot less work. We still routinely see a few CR and KX 500 out on the trails usually being ridden by wippersnappers climbing the off limit hill adjacent to camping spots. St Anthony Sand Dunes also has CR/KX500 present the couple times a year I go there.