What killed the 500?

MX558
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MX558 3/19/2025 6:27pm
3/19/2025 6:27pm Edited Date/Time 3/19/2025 6:30pm
BornA'Lil2Slow wrote:
what killed the 500 is the same thing that killed the 2 stroke..... us, the consumer. period. you can blame the AMA, but thats like blaming...
what killed the 500 is the same thing that killed the 2 stroke..... us, the consumer. period. you can blame the AMA, but thats like blaming the government for the buggy whip industry collapsing when cars hit the scene. there was no class for them because 2 of the 4 manufacturers stopped making them basically and the other 2 had quit developing them and just bold new graphic'ed them for 5 years. The consumer interest wasnt there, so the manufacturers stopped.

500's where hard to ride, had more motor than the frame at the time could handle, had light switch motors that would hit like a ton of bricks, and where extremely niche in a sport that was already niche. Consumer demand for them was VERY low.

then the manufacturers, namely Suzuki first, stopped building them because they werent selling them. Yamaha had the 490, but it went 5 or 7 years without any developement because interest was low. People bought 250's and 125's in droves. Us, we did it.

True story. I've been riding 50 years and only 2 people I know owned a 500 and only for a short time . I rode a 500 once  back in my 03 yz250 days and hated that vibrating pile of shit . If the other manufacturers built a 350 the 450 would be gone soon as well 

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ShipLap
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ShipLap 3/19/2025 7:25pm
3/19/2025 7:25pm

The stopwatch killed the 500 class.  They weren't faster than 250's in most races and on some tracks, a tad slower.

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Gravel
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Gravel 3/19/2025 8:59pm
3/19/2025 8:59pm
ShipLap wrote:

The stopwatch killed the 500 class.  They weren't faster than 250's in most races and on some tracks, a tad slower.

Agree that 500s usually don’t turn the fastest laps, but they are a lot of fun once you know how to ride them. 

I didn’t set out to be a 500 guy, but riding/racing on an invisible budget through the 80s/90s made big bores attractive. I had 3 KX500s, they all were really good prices for the time. These last two both had 15-20 hours on them, with the original rear tires worn flat in the middle. My 88 was $1100, my 92 was $1200. Also had an 86 that was $650.. cheap racing, and fun for desert and dunes. A guy could do the same thing today by carefully shopping for a 3-5 year old 450. 

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Bobby Barracuda 3/19/2025 9:04pm
3/19/2025 9:04pm

What killed the 500? The fact that they’re pieces of shit perhaps 

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Village Idiot
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Village Idiot 3/21/2025 9:51pm
3/21/2025 9:51pm
backinthesaddleagain wrote:

https://motocrossactionmag.com/flashback-friday-why-the-ama-500-nationa…

Saw that earlier today and considered posting it here since it seemed timely; I just wish I knew how many times they've recycled that article. Guess I'd have to dig through my back issues to find the original publishing date... and that might take a minute.

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backinthesaddleagain 3/21/2025 10:41pm
3/21/2025 10:41pm
Village Idiot wrote:
Saw that earlier today and considered posting it here since it seemed timely; I just wish I knew how many times they've recycled that article. Guess...

Saw that earlier today and considered posting it here since it seemed timely; I just wish I knew how many times they've recycled that article. Guess I'd have to dig through my back issues to find the original publishing date... and that might take a minute.

Many times. I feel like I read the same article maybe 2-3 times in about less than 2 years.  Like the real story of let Broc bye

SEEMEFIRST
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SEEMEFIRST 3/21/2025 11:03pm
3/21/2025 11:03pm
Nairb#70 wrote:

Too much bike for 90% of the population, people learned quickly after trying one.

That's how I got my first 500. 84 CR500.

Great woods bike. I did some flywheel work, crank balance. Killer bike. 

Acquired an 89 KX 500, and it so much easier to ride at my age, but all told, if in my prime... I'd take the CR for it's manuverabillity.

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