The one bike to ride before you die [Archive]

sugilite

28th April 2016, 20:34

Dont think Im brave enough to ride one. :confused:

Took me years to learn how to ride mine. They sound so slow, does not match the speed of which the scenery is flying past lol
The thing with it - they do not really let you know your on the knife edge like most dirt bikes do. Often your on the deck before you know anythings up :lol:
I motarded mine and won plenty of races, but also crashed it in most of the ones I did not win - yikes.
It is going back to standard trim, and it needs work. Might sell off my motard gear (wheels, brakes, suspension mods etc) to get it all done.

Ocean1

28th April 2016, 20:53

Never ridden one. Keen, but would probably be a bad idea nowadays.

What do they sell for in half decent nick?

F5 Dave

2nd May 2016, 19:36

Flettner

2nd May 2016, 20:07

The one bike to ride before you die? I rode one once, only once, as I thought it might hasten death. Good fun though.

husaberg

2nd May 2016, 20:09

A mate was building one for years as a motard cum roadbike. I gave him a brake disc and was promised a go one day. It never got finished, hastily put back to stdish and sold.
Can't see me being offered a ride on one again.
Not sure if that makes me immortal or not.

I still have a CR500 and have had others as well but not a KX500, a KtM300 or similar is a much better bike all around bike, I bet I could lap faster on a 250 (probably on a 125 as well if I am being honest)
As much as it pains me to say my 4T berg is a much better off road bike, likely lighter certainly feels lighter, has a 6 speed, hardly vibrates, starts when its hot, or cold and I wager its more powerful to boot.

That said the Cr500 is on mega tall gearing in Motard trim and it will still easily lift the front on the throttle in third (5th std gearing) so its not without its charms. It also of course makes two stoke noises.
I also have a admittedly have a permanently disfigured finger as a result of over optimistic use of the throttle on the Cr though. something I doubt the Berg could do.
It will also not force me to mortgage my kids if it blows a top end.

Stylo

3rd May 2016, 16:59

I still have a CR500 and have had others as well but not a KX500, a KtM300 or similar is a much better bike all around bike, I bet I could lap faster on a 250 (probably on a 125 as well if I am being honest)
As much as it pains me to say my 4T berg is a much better off road bike, likely lighter certainly feels lighter, has a 6 speed, hardly vibrates, starts when its hot, or cold and I wager its more powerful to boot.

That said the Cr500 is on mega tall gearing in Motard trim and it will still easily lift the front on the throttle in third (5th std gearing) so its not without its charms. It also of course makes two stoke noises.
I also have a admittedly have a permanently disfigured finger as a result of over optimistic use of the throttle on the Cr though. something I doubt the Berg could do.
It will also not force me to mortgage my kids if it blows a top end.

'I still have a CR500 and have had others as well but not a KX500' quote

I've got one of each mate, new house smaller garage sold some bikes but had to keep those two.

husaberg

3rd May 2016, 17:02

'I still have a CR500 and have had others as well but not a KX500' quote

I've got one of each mate, new house smaller garage sold some bikes but had to keep those two.

How do they compare to each other? The bikes not the garages:msn-wink:

scott411

4th May 2016, 06:50

Took me years to learn how to ride mine. They sound so slow, does not match the speed of which the scenery is flying past lol
The thing with it - they do not really let you know your on the knife edge like most dirt bikes do. Often your on the deck before you know anythings up :lol:
I motarded mine and won plenty of races, but also crashed it in most of the ones I did not win - yikes.
It is going back to standard trim, and it needs work. Might sell off my motard gear (wheels, brakes, suspension mods etc) to get it all done.

you have to ride them a certain way, i used to put flywheel weights on the ones i races, to smooth the power,

3rd gear starts with the norm, to stop the wheel stands, and if you had the room, nothing would beat you to the first corner, but on a packed line good guys on 250's would get the initial jump on you and could close you out,

when riding them well, you dont feel that fast, but things just fly past you, in the std frame the riding position is a bit different, but man are they fast in a straight line, I dont think anything sounds as sweet as a KX500 hooking up out of a corner,

you can still get them under 5K if you look, not a lot come up for sale, and there has been some of the later model stuff be advertised over 12K, but never heard of many selling that high, like most things that are not made anymore, they are worth what someone else will pay for them, there still a heap of them in southern california, although after Sean Collier and Fasthouse made them popular again they are going up in value,

takitimu

4th May 2016, 08:58

you have to ride them a certain way, i used to put flywheel weights on the ones i races, to smooth the power,

3rd gear starts with the norm, to stop the wheel stands, and if you had the room, nothing would beat you to the first corner, but on a packed line good guys on 250's would get the initial jump on you and could close you out,

when riding them well, you dont feel that fast, but things just fly past you, in the std frame the riding position is a bit different, but man are they fast in a straight line, I dont think anything sounds as sweet as a KX500 hooking up out of a corner,

you can still get them under 5K if you look, not a lot come up for sale, and there has been some of the later model stuff be advertised over 12K, but never heard of many selling that high, like most things that are not made anymore, they are worth what someone else will pay for them, there still a heap of them in southern california, although after Sean Collier and Fasthouse made them popular again they are going up in value,

If I get it this right, you have ( within ~10% ) the same peak HP as a 450/350, less that 1/2 the rev range, a power band & unbelievable torque. What could possibly go wrong with that combination :).

Drew

4th May 2016, 10:18

george formby

4th May 2016, 10:44

Dunno how it compares to the CR 500 I've ridden. But that thing was good for fuck all except gravel roads for someone like me with no dirt experience.

Even in top it's lifting the wheel as the tyre hooks up. Mental.

The only time I dipped a toe into the world of big bore 2t's was a quick shot on a CR500E belonging to the, at the time, Honda sponsored British Enduro champ. I got as far as 3rd gear, turned around and handed it back. Scared the shit out of me.
Watching him ride it flat out in the fire breaks and on forestry roads is something I will never forget. Fastest, angriest, thing I've ever seen. Ugh. Not for me but cool to watch.

scott411

9th May 2016, 12:23

Dunno how it compares to the CR 500 I've ridden. But that thing was good for fuck all except gravel roads for someone like me with no dirt experience.

Even in top it's lifting the wheel as the tyre hooks up. Mental.

your right, a KX500 or a CR500 is fuck all good to anyone without a fair bit of dirt expereince,

sort of like and early ZX10, or any 1000cc sports bike before traction control,

Crasherfromwayback

9th May 2016, 12:47

your right, a KX500 or a CR500 is fuck all good to anyone without a fair bit of dirt expereince,

,

I prefer modern 450's now, but I'd still like another KX500 just because. Think my SR will be as close as I get to one now.

scott411

10th May 2016, 13:21

I prefer modern 450's now, but I'd still like another KX500 just because. Think my SR will be as close as I get to one now.

same, i would like to have a 500 in the shed, infact i would love get my 2000 model back that i raced,

Stylo

10th May 2016, 18:46

same, i would like to have a 500 in the shed, infact i would love get my 2000 model back that i raced,

Look around for a good one and buy it then ...

Boo

10th May 2016, 20:54

I prefer modern 450's now, but I'd still like another KX500 just because. Think my SR will be as close as I get to one now.

Thats because there easier to ride and your getting to old Pete LOL!

Crasherfromwayback

10th May 2016, 22:06

Thats because there easier to ride and your getting to old Pete LOL!

Shuddup you! Truth is hurtful! :weep:

Boo

10th May 2016, 22:42

Crasherfromwayback

10th May 2016, 22:52

4t is for the young guys smooth, predictable and a longer ride and the women can prepare for the inevitable, when they cross the line and its all over.
2t is for the old guys intense and out of control, the women just hangs on for the ride, and when its over she's got a grin on there face.

Lol. That's a nice fantasy and all...but the stopwatch doesn't lie. I was nearly 2 secs a lap quicker at Wanganui on my RMZ450 (the first of them, a 4 speed) than I was on the last of my KX500's.

Sad but true.

Boo

10th May 2016, 23:06

Crasherfromwayback

10th May 2016, 23:13

Your living in a fantasy, theirs no way you or I are going to get the chance to have a 25 yr old women , more like a 50 yr old women, probably with saggy tits as well. LOL!!! Good to here your still riding Pete take care and if you ever get the chance to............ go for it

Lol. My last GF...was 19 years my junior mate. So yeah, I've ridden a 25 year old. Like all good dreams...it's not all it's cracked up to be. Reality is the way to go. :msn-wink:

Boo

11th May 2016, 01:45

Would make her about 60 then Pete LOL!!!!!

Drew

11th May 2016, 13:23

Would make her about 60 then Pete LOL!!!!!

She was fucken easy on the eyes for 60!

Drew

13th May 2016, 21:42

Isn't there a PM option available for this shit ?

KX500 owner.

The thread has run its course. Shit talking is all that's left.

Crasherfromwayback

13th May 2016, 21:45

The thread has run its course. Shit talking is all that's left.

Correct. KX500's aren't all they're cracked up to be. Great in the day, but so was an H1. Time to move on.

Drew

14th May 2016, 09:08

Correct. KX500's aren't all they're cracked up to be. Great in the day, but so was an H1. Time to move on.

The RGV Jimmy had that was powered by a KX500 was an absolute pig. Pretty sure lap times would have been much better with a well tuned RGV round any track in the country.

Crasherfromwayback

14th May 2016, 10:16

The RGV Jimmy had that was powered by a KX500 was an absolute pig. Pretty sure lap times would have been much better with a well tuned RGV round any track in the country.

Wasn't that an old air cooled dunga? They were not a very nice engine at all. Wasn't until the first liquid cooled one in 85 things started going well for the big K's big bore.

Drew

14th May 2016, 10:20

Wasn't that an old air cooled dunga? They were not a very nice engine at all. Wasn't until the first liquid cooled one in 85 things started going well for the big K's big bore.

Yeah, think it was air cooled. I should have a clear memory since I had to replace the top end at the track for him.

When we sent him back out it was running rich as fuck. He liked the torque.

Crasherfromwayback

14th May 2016, 10:22

Yeah, think it was air cooled. I should have a clear memory since I had to replace the top end at the track for him.

When we sent him back out it was running rich as fuck. He liked the torque.

Dog of an engine. Great looking bike (the 83 and 84 KX500), but a dog for sure.

sugilite

14th May 2016, 11:43

The RGV Jimmy had that was powered by a KX500 was an absolute pig. Pretty sure lap times would have been much better with a well tuned RGV round any track in the country.

Interesting you should bring that up. that is likely the bike I had built up. Got Damon at Cycleworks to put that air cooled engine in a rolling chassis I picked up from AK. It absolutely had to have the airbox Richard Leong built for it to run properly. We took it to Ruapuna national round just weeks after the initial build. Richard built the airbox on the Friday night from a sheet of aluminum. It went from being a back of mid pack bike on Friday to me putting on 2nd on the grid of F3 in qualifying on saturday - just a split second behind Tony McMurdo. Then it lost third gear for the races dammit. I then totally ran out of money from 2 prior seasons of senior production and one of superbike. To this day I felt if that bike had been developed further in the right direction it could have been a class winner.

In 93 I did a flat 1.17 around Manfield on the water cooled Kx500 I got from Pete, and it took something like 7 or 8 years before a 4 stroke finally beat that time, and the motor was not even at it's best that day. Pete is right, 450 four stokes are faster and easier to ride. I'll not forget the day I came up against Pete riding a RMZ450 at a tar based supermoto race at a new suburb in the making at Upper Hutt. I ended up on my arse twice on the same bloody off camber corner and Pete rode stylishly off into the distance for the race wins.

However, everything that most riders dislike about KX500's - being abrupt (even with extra flywheel weight added) cantankerous, wildly vibrating beasts of a bike is everything I personally "LOVE" about them.
The feeling I get from it while ascending the local gravel road "The Rising sun" with it "on the pipe" fully sideways, yet with it somehow wheel standing at the same time - for me is an unparalleled experience on a dirt bike :niceone:

Crasherfromwayback

14th May 2016, 11:49

However, everything that most riders dislike about KX500's - being abrupt (even with extra flywheel weight added) cantankerous, wildly vibrating beasts of a bike is everything I personally "LOVE" about them.
The feeling I get from it while ascending the local gravel road "The Rising sun" with it on "the pipe" fully sideways, yet with it somehow wheel standing at the same time - for me is an unparalleled experience on a dirt bike :niceone:

Yeah. I still love 'em for the same reasons. Fuck, I love my RM400T race bike, and it's a pile of shit compared to a KX500 of any year. Amazing what you can get your jollies from eh!? But the RM will still wheelstand in any gear given enough traction. Pity it has no brakes etc etc...oh the *charm* of it...

321518

sugilite

14th May 2016, 16:24

Yeah. I still love 'em for the same reasons. Fuck, I love my RM400T race bike, and it's a pile of shit compared to a KX500 of any year. Amazing what you can get your jollies from eh!? But the RM will still wheelstand in any gear given enough traction. Pity it has no brakes etc etc...oh the *charm* of it...

Wow, your RM400T is one sweet machine Pete, awesome!
I can remember as a 14 year old pedaling my Mongoose bmx bike up wrights hill watching in amazement as a mighty PE400T went past. RM400's were mythical entities until I saw one being ridden up there. The earth shook and I was in complete awe!

Crasherfromwayback

14th May 2016, 16:32

Wow, your RM400T is one sweet machine Pete, awesome!
I can remember as a 14 year old pedaling my Mongoose bmx bike up wrights hill watching in amazement as a mighty PE400T went past. RM400's were mythical entities until I saw one being ridden up there. The earth shook and I was in complete awe!

Hahahaha...cheers mate! I had a 400C as a kid, but always wanted an N or a T. Had several now and just love them. Prob goes like a modern 250 2T but with more torque. Pity last time I raced it I fucked myself good and proper. Still waiting on shoulder surgery, and to top it all off, I tore the bicep clean off the bone on my bad side about three weeks ago. And they tell me they won't ever re-attach it. Fucking over it all I must say. Been a very long and painful 8 months I must say.

321546

F5 Dave

14th May 2016, 18:59

Wow, your RM400T is one sweet machine Pete, awesome!
I can remember as a 14 year old pedaling my Mongoose bmx bike up wrights hill watching in amazement as a mighty PE400T went past. RM400's were mythical entities until I saw one being ridden up there. The earth shook and I was in complete awe!
Rich barstard, only ever had an HMX500 to pedal through the mud puddles in the Arena. That and the dreaded suspension bike.
My brother had a mad dutch mate Rob Vink who used to show up on a RM250 on his way to wrights hill, think might have been a T, and he lived in Thorndon or somewhere. Ahh the 80s.

That race in upper hutt, was that the one mixed with buckets? Drove through there today.

Drew

14th May 2016, 22:40

Interesting you should bring that up. that is likely the bike I had built up. Got Damon at Cycleworks to put that air cooled engine in a rolling chassis I picked up from AK. It absolutely had to have the airbox Richard Leong built for it to run properly. We took it to Ruapuna national round just weeks after the initial build. Richard built the airbox on the Friday night from a sheet of aluminum. It went from being a back of mid pack bike on Friday to me putting on 2nd on the grid of F3 in qualifying on saturday - just a split second behind Tony McMurdo. Then it lost third gear for the races dammit. I then totally ran out of money from 2 prior seasons of senior production and one of superbike. To this day I felt if that bike had been developed further in the right direction it could have been a class winner.

In 93 I did a flat 1.17 around Manfield on the water cooled Kx500 I got from Pete, and it took something like 7 or 8 years before a 4 stroke finally beat that time, and the motor was not even at it's best that day. Pete is right, 450 four stokes are faster and easier to ride. I'll not forget the day I came up against Pete riding a RMZ450 at a tar based supermoto race at a new suburb in the making at Upper Hutt. I ended up on my arse twice on the same bloody off camber corner and Pete rode stylishly off into the distance for the race wins.

However, everything that most riders dislike about KX500's - being abrupt (even with extra flywheel weight added) cantankerous, wildly vibrating beasts of a bike is everything I personally "LOVE" about them.
The feeling I get from it while ascending the local gravel road "The Rising sun" with it "on the pipe" fully sideways, yet with it somehow wheel standing at the same time - for me is an unparalleled experience on a dirt bike :niceone:

Yip, that's the bike. Never had an air box when Jimmy Got It.

Fucken pig of a thing.

sugilite

15th May 2016, 00:30

Rich barstard, only ever had an HMX500 to pedal through the mud puddles in the Arena. That and the dreaded suspension bike.

That race in upper hutt, was that the one mixed with buckets? Drove through there today.

Not quite what it seems. I had a panther, and snapped the frame, they replaced under warranty, and I snapped another, then had all the usual panther daily punctures due to shit design mag wheels. My being obsessed with doing jumps on it "may" have had something to do with it :lol:
My father had a friend coming from the States, who put a Mongoose Super Goose frame and one piece crank, which I then married up to a set of Tuff 2 wheels. No more breakages after that. :yes:
The Mongoose frame was a good price direct from the States, not anything like what the NZ shops were selling them for. Days before the internet eh!
Yes, I think it was combined with buckets that day in Upper Hutt, though I did not get a great view spending half the day lying about on the track :facepalm:

sugilite

15th May 2016, 00:32

Yip, that's the bike. Never had an air box when Jimmy Got It.

Fucken pig of a thing.

If it came with fitted that shit crescent carb that had been bored out with a round hole, would of knee capped it too. When I put my 38mm KX250 carb on it made a great difference as well.

roogazza

15th May 2016, 08:17

Still waiting on shoulder surgery, and to top it all off, I tore the bicep clean off the bone on my bad side about three weeks ago. And they tell me they won't ever re-attach it. Fucking over it all I must say. Been a very long and painful 8 months I must say.

321546

Jeeezus pete ! Thought I'd mention my experience. I biffed a Bandit 1200 about 10 years ago.
Picked it up at an awkward uphill angle and ripped the bicep off the elbow joint.
(brain was stronger than the bicep lol). No pain at all either !
Wgton Surgeon said, what do you want me to do,we sometimes leave those,what do you do for a job ????!!!!! I was amazed. ( I was still a policeman so that may have helped ?) But he agreed to fix it (ACC). I had to push for it tho.
Jump up and down a bit mate,you only get one body! :laugh:

Drew

15th May 2016, 09:20

If it came with fitted that shit crescent carb that had been bored out with a round hole, would of knee capped it too. When I put my 38mm KX250 carb on it made a great difference as well.

The things ya find out. Always wondered why the slide didn't go to the bottom of the bore in the carb. I was about 15 when we took it to the track. Had no clue about anything other than lefty loosey, righty tighty.

Crasherfromwayback

15th May 2016, 09:36

Jump up and down a bit mate,you only get one body! :laugh:

Prob is mate, they can't re-attach it at the big head end (top). The tendon goes right through the actual shoulder joint, so they can at best, anchor it to the top of the humerus, which they all seem very reluctant to do. Looks like I'll have a tiny Popeye Bicep for ever!

roogazza

15th May 2016, 10:13

Prob is mate, they can't re-attach it at the big head end (top). The tendon goes right through the actual shoulder joint, so they can at best, anchor it to the top of the humerus, which they all seem very reluctant to do. Looks like I'll have a tiny Popeye Bicep for ever!

Bugger, you've done a great job of it this time huh ?

One of my wide eyed granddaughters looked very concerned recently when i showed her the scars from all the years of riding motorcycles. We'd do it all again tho,wouldn't we ? :crazy::yes:

Drew

15th May 2016, 10:31

Bugger, you've done a great job of it this time huh ?

One of my wide eyed granddaughters looked very concerned recently when i showed her the scars from all the years of riding motorcycles. We'd do it all again tho,wouldn't we ? :crazy::yes:
I might have gone about things a bit differently...but the outcome would likely be the same half fucked body I've got now.

roogazza

15th May 2016, 15:59

I might have gone about things a bit differently...but the outcome would likely be the same half fucked body I've got now.

haha, yeah, but wait a bit, Pete's about what 45 ???? You are younger ?
Try 67 , it gets worse! :rolleyes:

Drew

15th May 2016, 16:42

haha, yeah, but wait a bit, Pete's about what 45 ???? You are younger ?
Try 67 , it gets worse! :rolleyes:
I think I'll be pain killer dependant by your age mate.

Pete might have beaten 45 already methinks.

F5 Dave

15th May 2016, 19:11

I think I'll be pain killer dependant by your age mate.
. . . .
So, . . still?. . ,.

Crasherfromwayback

16th May 2016, 13:01

We'd do it all again tho,wouldn't we ? :crazy::yes:

More than likely mate! I consider myself pretty lucky really though. A munted ankle and now a shoulder. Not too bad for racing on and off for over 30 years.

Crasherfromwayback

16th May 2016, 13:01

Pete might have beaten 45 already methinks.

Fuck me, I'm turning 50 this year! :crazy:

Drew

16th May 2016, 17:35

Fuck me, I'm turning 50 this year! :crazy:

That's what I thought.

Crasherfromwayback

16th May 2016, 18:50

That's what I thought.

There's a fair few peeps out that that are surprised I've (almost) made it. :msn-wink:

Drew

16th May 2016, 18:52

There's a fair few peeps out that that are surprised I've (almost) made it. :msn-wink:

I'm about 18 years older than I expected to ever be.

Stylo

17th May 2016, 18:01

Turn your sound up, just a tad ...

Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nczqcKfLiCk

sugilite

17th May 2016, 20:10

Turn your sound up, just a tad ...

Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nczqcKfLiCk
I have that pipe and muffler combo - That sounds EXACTLY like my bike! Cheers :cool:

Stylo

17th May 2016, 20:18

I have that pipe and muffler combo - That sounds EXACTLY like my bike! Cheers :cool:

Ditto mate, running the same on mine, Cheers and hang on to those bars :-)

Crasherfromwayback

17th May 2016, 22:47

There's no mistaking the sound of the old girls that's for sure.

FlangMasterJ

19th May 2016, 14:31

I'll not forget the day I came up against Pete riding a RMZ450 at a tar based supermoto race at a new suburb in the making at Upper Hutt. I ended up on my arse twice on the same bloody off camber corner and Pete rode stylishly off into the distance for the race wins.

I remember that day. I think I've maybe been to three motard events and that was one of them.

The bike my friend was riding.

http://i.imgur.com/ElAzq5j.jpg