Sean Collier "project KX500"

Sidecar
Posts
1725
Joined
1/29/2015
Location
GB
9/8/2016 10:27am
As promised some nice KX500s from the Farleigh Castle VMXDN last weekend....













PTshox
Posts
1350
Joined
10/1/2011
Location
Highland Village, TX US
9/8/2016 11:56am
Curious about that grove in the case where the oil hole is for the main bearings... Did you folks create that to allow more oil to drain down to the main bearings or is that stock?
Stuntman949
Posts
2849
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA US
9/8/2016 1:13pm Edited Date/Time 9/8/2016 1:13pm
KX500s from the Farleigh Castle? I think they call that "Heaven"

The Shop

a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/12/2016 4:33pm Edited Date/Time 9/12/2016 4:36pm
KX500s from the Farleigh Castle? I think they call that "Heaven"
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet!
Edit... Even if it rains!

Never made it this year myself unfortunately.
Stuntman949
Posts
2849
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA US
9/13/2016 8:29am
KX500s from the Farleigh Castle? I think they call that "Heaven"
a22 wrote:
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet! Edit... Even if it rains! Never made it this year myself...
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet!
Edit... Even if it rains!

Never made it this year myself unfortunately.
I'm ready coach! Laughing
mx_563
Posts
2063
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
CA US
9/13/2016 10:29am Edited Date/Time 9/13/2016 10:33am
The key to a nice KX500 is the 88' KX250 gas tank. Without it, KX500s don't look nearly as cool.

(compare the one with no numbers above, and the #7 bike also above)
a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 10:38am
KX500s from the Farleigh Castle? I think they call that "Heaven"
a22 wrote:
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet! Edit... Even if it rains! Never made it this year myself...
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet!
Edit... Even if it rains!

Never made it this year myself unfortunately.
I'm ready coach! Laughing
Think we're gonna be able to take you and the 'Zilla all the way to the top! Cheerful
a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 10:50am
Few years back came across a KX500- had quite a few parts of legend Georges Jobe actual GP bike.. was genuine.
I thought about buying it... thought abit too long and when I rang back to finally buy it- it had gone!
Wasn't really that expensive either, expect some of the parts would be pretty desirable now and probably worth more than the whole bike would have cost! Think I lost out on that one ..... haahah Angry
Stuntman949
Posts
2849
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA US
9/13/2016 10:51am
mx_563 wrote:
The key to a nice KX500 is the 88' KX250 gas tank. Without it, KX500s don't look nearly as cool. (compare the one with no numbers...
The key to a nice KX500 is the 88' KX250 gas tank. Without it, KX500s don't look nearly as cool.

(compare the one with no numbers above, and the #7 bike also above)
Meh...
Stuntman949
Posts
2849
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA US
9/13/2016 10:52am
a22 wrote:
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet! Edit... Even if it rains! Never made it this year myself...
Get yourself and your 'Zilla over there sometime Stuntman, you'd have a ball I bet!
Edit... Even if it rains!

Never made it this year myself unfortunately.
I'm ready coach! Laughing
a22 wrote:
Think we're gonna be able to take you and the 'Zilla all the way to the top! Cheerful
I'm from Southern California, so you're going to need to give me a crash course in mud riding! Especially biblical rain mud riding..
a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 10:59am
I'm from Southern California, so you're going to need to give me a crash course in mud riding! Especially biblical rain mud riding..
Can probably give you a really good crash course (teach you how to crash) but maybe not how to ride!!
I was top notch at crashing, maybe one of the best going! SadDry
mx_563
Posts
2063
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
CA US
9/13/2016 11:21am
mx_563 wrote:
The key to a nice KX500 is the 88' KX250 gas tank. Without it, KX500s don't look nearly as cool. (compare the one with no numbers...
The key to a nice KX500 is the 88' KX250 gas tank. Without it, KX500s don't look nearly as cool.

(compare the one with no numbers above, and the #7 bike also above)
Meh...
I guess it's personal preference.

The stock tank seems so tall to me.

The 250 tank give the bike an ever so slightly flatter look IMO.
a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 12:41pm Edited Date/Time 9/13/2016 1:17pm
mx_563 wrote:
I guess it's personal preference.

The stock tank seems so tall to me.

The 250 tank give the bike an ever so slightly flatter look IMO.
Certainly not as tall as this one though!

An ex. David Thorpe works tanks 1990 ish time, pretty sort of ugly and tall - this bike was for sale recently here also- Is one of his works tank off Works SR500 (1990 therabouts) fitted to a sort of standard 1992 KX500. Think somehow the seller acquired it and fitted it to his '92. Nice really but high.... Is Ally as one may expect.


a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 9/13/2016 12:52pm
Yea- me too- reckon the 250 flatter tanks look loads better on examining the pictures.
a22
Posts
866
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
London GB
9/13/2016 1:01pm Edited Date/Time 9/13/2016 1:02pm
Think Kurt Nicoll (top GP rider back in the day) and also Jobe used the flatter type tanks on their works bikes 1986-1989 odd. The 250 tank sort of makes the 500 look like the works bikes they had back in the day which IMO are some of the best looking KX500's ever.
Sandblaster
Posts
414
Joined
8/11/2016
Location
Eugene, OR US
10/18/2016 7:56am Edited Date/Time 10/18/2016 7:56am
Here's a quick update.
We only have about 5 weeks left before Day in the Dirt... And... It's getting ugly.
We still need to get the drive train treated, the cylinder needs to be ported, the head needs to be cut, and a multitude of other details need to be attended too...

Sandblaster
Posts
414
Joined
8/11/2016
Location
Eugene, OR US
2/11/2017 1:30am
I want to thank all the KX Guru Racing team, Daryl Ecklund at Motocross Action Magazine, Sean Collier and his family, and all those that donated to help Sean get a much needed upgrade on his new KX500.
THANK YOU!!!!
roninho
Posts
1622
Joined
7/14/2015
Location
IT
2/11/2017 3:00am
Looks great.

Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to come with newly build 500cc engines (which you could put in a 2017 4stroke or 250 2 stroke frame).

A decade ago i used to race karts and there were a bunch of engine builders (TM, pavesi, crs, vortex, maxter, seven, sgm, etc. etc.) who all (except for TM obviouslyl) focused solely on building 125cc kart engines. Basically there were dozens of kart chassis builders and then you'd buy one of these engines, put them together and raced. I wonder if there would be a market for a new 500cc engine.
Mx286
Posts
481
Joined
9/5/2011
Location
Owensboro, KY US
2/11/2017 5:22am
Dang guys you think if I set up a go fund me you all could help me get a new 450? And it would only be 8k?
kott0n
Posts
673
Joined
10/4/2016
Location
Vancouver, WA US
Fantasy
3769th
2/11/2017 7:32am
roninho wrote:
Looks great. Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to...
Looks great.

Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to come with newly build 500cc engines (which you could put in a 2017 4stroke or 250 2 stroke frame).

A decade ago i used to race karts and there were a bunch of engine builders (TM, pavesi, crs, vortex, maxter, seven, sgm, etc. etc.) who all (except for TM obviouslyl) focused solely on building 125cc kart engines. Basically there were dozens of kart chassis builders and then you'd buy one of these engines, put them together and raced. I wonder if there would be a market for a new 500cc engine.
I've heard several times that Service Honda could get all the parts brand new from Honda to assemble the 1998 CR500 motor they used in all their builds.
Sandblaster
Posts
414
Joined
8/11/2016
Location
Eugene, OR US
2/11/2017 8:10am
roninho wrote:
Looks great. Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to...
Looks great.

Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to come with newly build 500cc engines (which you could put in a 2017 4stroke or 250 2 stroke frame).

A decade ago i used to race karts and there were a bunch of engine builders (TM, pavesi, crs, vortex, maxter, seven, sgm, etc. etc.) who all (except for TM obviouslyl) focused solely on building 125cc kart engines. Basically there were dozens of kart chassis builders and then you'd buy one of these engines, put them together and raced. I wonder if there would be a market for a new 500cc engine.
No doubt you would sell some engines.
The biggest issue is getting all new parts as Kawasaki is slowly discontinuing parts.
I know for a fact that you can't get a few of the gears including the kick idler gear.
Service Kawasaki was buying all new parts to build their engines.
I have heard through the grapevine that they are getting some of the gears made for them.
It's something that myself and a few other builders are talking about.
Who knows, we may end up buying some from Service Kawasaki.
On a positive note, Wossner is making high quality low cost piston and rod kits that we use exclusively in our KX500 and CR500 builds.





Sandblaster
Posts
414
Joined
8/11/2016
Location
Eugene, OR US
2/11/2017 8:11am
Mx286 wrote:
Dang guys you think if I set up a go fund me you all could help me get a new 450? And it would only be...
Dang guys you think if I set up a go fund me you all could help me get a new 450? And it would only be 8k?
If you can ride like Sean Collier I'm sure we could figure something out :-)
Sandblaster
Posts
414
Joined
8/11/2016
Location
Eugene, OR US
2/11/2017 8:20am
roninho wrote:
Looks great. Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to...
Looks great.

Kind of of topic, but with all the AF conversions i wonder if there wouldn't be a decent niche market for engine builders to come with newly build 500cc engines (which you could put in a 2017 4stroke or 250 2 stroke frame).

A decade ago i used to race karts and there were a bunch of engine builders (TM, pavesi, crs, vortex, maxter, seven, sgm, etc. etc.) who all (except for TM obviouslyl) focused solely on building 125cc kart engines. Basically there were dozens of kart chassis builders and then you'd buy one of these engines, put them together and raced. I wonder if there would be a market for a new 500cc engine.
No doubt you would sell some engines. The biggest issue is getting all new parts as Kawasaki is slowly discontinuing parts. I know for a fact...
No doubt you would sell some engines.
The biggest issue is getting all new parts as Kawasaki is slowly discontinuing parts.
I know for a fact that you can't get a few of the gears including the kick idler gear.
Service Kawasaki was buying all new parts to build their engines.
I have heard through the grapevine that they are getting some of the gears made for them.
It's something that myself and a few other builders are talking about.
Who knows, we may end up buying some from Service Kawasaki.
On a positive note, Wossner is making high quality low cost piston and rod kits that we use exclusively in our KX500 and CR500 builds.





Yes, they were.
Unfortunately Honda, like Kawasaki has discontinued many parts including the left engine case and some gears.
Because of this you can now buy billet cases for about 1600 a set.
I'm not sure about the gears but I think that Service Honda is having some custom gears made.
AJ at Service Honda and Adam Millar at MRE has bought a few used gears from me for the CR500.
Most gears can be rebuilt unless the teeth are junk.

On a side note, if you want to build a crazy nice engine that shifts smooth as butter we used WPC Treatments micro shot peening on Sean's engine and it is amazing.
Here is a link to our testing of some WPC treated products

Click here for WPC Treatments testing

You can read the final results here:

Click here to view the results of the WPC Treatment test

Post a reply to: Sean Collier "project KX500"

The Latest