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9/11/2009
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Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 7:58pm
Most can't handle a 450 4 stroke, let alone a 500cc 2 stroke.
Why not detune a 500 down to 450 CC, and have a Mag like MXA or TWMX test that.........say a Service Honda/Kawasaki, CR 450?
TWMX already had faster lap times on a 500 compared to 450...would they improve with a 450 2 stroke being a bit more tame?
Kinda like how the Dunes and sand Mellow a CR/KX 500.
Or has someone tested a 300 2 stroke/350 2 stroke against a 450 4 stroke? If they have, I haven't seen it.
Why not detune a 500 down to 450 CC, and have a Mag like MXA or TWMX test that.........say a Service Honda/Kawasaki, CR 450?
TWMX already had faster lap times on a 500 compared to 450...would they improve with a 450 2 stroke being a bit more tame?
Kinda like how the Dunes and sand Mellow a CR/KX 500.
Or has someone tested a 300 2 stroke/350 2 stroke against a 450 4 stroke? If they have, I haven't seen it.
A race engine, not an enduro bike hopped up to be a race bike.
I've seen tests where they ported a enduro bike etc, but this is like trying to turn a KDX into a KX.
I'd be all for a 368 2 stroke race bike.
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Sounds like a factory bike with healthy grunt.
No conspiracy - just no demand.
The 500's on the other hand were up against 250's when it came to marketing and demographics. Of course 99% bought 250's, the technology and performance was 16 years newer and the MSRP was about equal. Hell, I bet they would have sold a lot more 500s if they had even just updated the plastics so that a new, $5500 2004 KX500 didn't look and feel like a 1988.
People are willing to pay $13,000 for a new Service Honda 500, with essentially an engine design that dates back 20 years. Imagine how good and popular that bike would be if Honda had continued to refine the engine over the last 20 years, and the MSRP was between that of a 250f and 450f?
People stopped buying 500s because they were dinosaurs. People stopped buying 250s because the 450s were blowing their doors off. Put 2 and 2 together and I think they'd have a pretty hot selling bike.
There is a guy on here that built one and has it in his avatar.
Pit Row
In 99 when I bought my CR250 I looked at the 500. I have to say along with the vibration and antiquated chassis design those two elements put me off. Had it been in an aluminum frame I would have jumped at buying one. Even if it was good or bad. When you buy new, you do not want to pay full price for something that is about to become obsolete.
It was these issues that made the thumpers appealing and provided selling value. New technology, controllable to all, jack knife bikes - work well in all aspects and werent going to be phased out anytime soon.
Open cc racing seems to work fine in the age-group classes.
The bike handles great though. It turns better than a 450. Maybe not as good as the 250f the chassis got taken from but still better than a 450. It's lighter than a 450 and has way more power.
I'm thinking of doing the balance and smooth porting trick next time I get a few bucks burning a hole in my pocket.
83 Maico 320
86 Maico M-star 500
2011 KTM 380 sx
2011 KTM 570 sxf "E85"
I would love to ride the new KTM 350 as well, I have found memories of a KLX300
It weeded out the throttle happy guys real quick when the 500 hit and augered them into the ground.
I remember racing what is now the Moose Run in IL and after the first lap, I broke the case, so just to finish the race, I grabbed my dad's 500 and finish the other 3+ hours of the event that was left (if anyone is familiar, they are pretty technical events)
I actually had a really great time racing it for the remainder of the day - it was so ridiculously fast, but in a deceiving way. I never really noticed until I had to slow down from a wide open field into a tight woods section - that made it really obvious I was going way faster than I realized (and I probably weighed 120lbs which nearly gave me the rag-doll effect at high speeds).
It was so much fun I almost sold my 250 and bought that when he was ready to sell it (he was pretty much over it and wanted a 250 again).
But it just wasn't practical and had way more power than I even remotely needed. That, and I had to jump off a building to start it.
I do agree that the dated technology is what killed it, not the lack of demand so much. The 250s were definitely more popular of course, but there were always those guys that ONLY rode 500s. They had their niche. Now with the 450s, that niche is even smaller though.
Post a reply to: De-Tuned CR/KX 500 2 stroke