To this day, I'm the only guy I know of that cleared the massive stepdown /downhill triple, at Meadowlarks. It's really just a short table top that drops down to another step in the hill. Then there's a sweeping right hander that takes you back up the hill. Nobody ever even tries to tie it all together. It was an accident. It was my first time taking my 93 KX500 there and I was just trying to blip passed my friend. The really surprising part was that I made the right hander, after the landing, because I had to land on the gas, for fear of destroying something. It was pure glory, and my buddy said he could here me screaming in laughter as I sailed over his head. I thought I was going through the fence. But the beast did what the beast does: It ripped, railed and roared!
i owned over a 100 bikes,some 15 to 20 at one time and raced district 7 vintage for years.im 41 years old and best bike i ever had is my 1998 kx 500.i bought it new in 1998 and its still with me in my living room on display.i love her and she is family.ill be 60 years old riding this death rocket c 12 burning beauty.ride hard brothers and love your bike.
And I have a 2004 KX500 45hrs as well as a 2001 CR500 I bought new. Still new and in my shed. Ps The KX500 is not a death rocket. They're a great bike to ride , lots of fun...200 hours later I'm still alive and smiling.
Once when I was 16 in 1990 I was riding a 50cc moped (all you're allowed to ride on the road in the UK at that age) around some local woods when a bunch of guys rocked up with motocrossers, one of which was an '83 KX500 exactly the same as the one in this vid. For a joke I asked the owner if I could ride it and he unhesitatingly said yes, so I went from a 50cc bike straight onto a 500. Despite working in the motorcycle industry for 15 years after this and riding all manner of FireBlades, R1s etc this still ranks as the scariest motorcycle I've ever ridden; on a short stretch of tarmac where everyone parked it was spinning the back wheel and lifting the front at the same time and on dirt it was just crazy. I actually owned an '89 RM125 at the same time and this bike made even that feel slow!
I had a 75 KX250 did a lot of riding with friends in North Alabama. I switched to the KX400 and did not tell any of my friends that I was on a different bike. The look on their face when that 400 bolted ahead of the pack and pelted them with what the rear 520 was roosterin at all who followed was priceless. Good times!
man, you brought back some memories with those 92-95's. I always liked those shroud graphics on the kawasaki's during those years, back when I was 11-14. Right about when I got a subscription to Dirt Rider magazine. man, those were good times...
Regarding the original 73-74 KX450: I borrowed one from a friend back then that was a sumu wrestler/desert racer. It was by far and away the easiest bike to wheelie I've ever rode. Though it would have trouble staying with a decent 250 of the time, this particular m/c had the most electric of any powerband ever, bar none. I was no Doug Domokos but honest to God, I could still rip off quarter mile long wheelies within minutes of getting on it. I've never forgot that torque monster!
Thanks for making this video to bring back memories of past torrent love affair with my 81 kx420 4 speed rocket which would hit 0 to top speed in about 3 seconds. best quick ride adrenalin rush ever.
Always remember Jeff Ward banging bars with Jeff Stanton on his big CR when I was a kid. Never had the strength to ride one of these on the track myself. Hell of a machine.
Agree, the green & Black w Gold rims Set the 1983 the off! Especially with the rear number plate integrated into the rear fender. The 1985 looks kinda sharp too
big C I've got a 94 + 97 cr500 and a 2008 cr500 AF with a 2000 cr500 engine I built myself. The 97 is bored out to 91.00 mm. Dam awesome power simple u don't need any more power than that. BIG C.
I raced a 1986 KX 500. The dogbone unit-trak rear suspension was the weak link. I broke the upper linkage connecting the dogbone to the shock twice and I eventually had to buy a new shock as well. And no, it wasn't because i was heavy, just fast!. I was only about 175 lb at the time. It was a good bike otherwise.
All are very nice 👍, when kid and I went to the hills to ride mi kx 80 , and seing this mammoths , pffff amazing i rode 2 of them in the 90s woooow , you have to respect,,and then ok 👍 little faster
As if any kx500 wasn't bad ass an fast as fk but the had to make a afkx500 she looks wicked fast just sitting there that's the only machine I would trade up to notice how long the kx500 engine is unchanged kawasaki obviously found something good and I've gotta agree
David Peters i was going to put an 82 air cooled on my 87 kx 250. yours is more involved i wouldnt to much work. u need radiators; places to mount them. clutch cover water pump, hoses etc. diffucult not impossible. let me know how it goes.
Wyatt Wagner amen brother. I had an 85 tecate a couple years ago it was nasty. I have an 88 kx500 now. My dream bike is the tecate 500 swap. Always wanted to do one. And not tell anyone it was a 500 and let em figure it out by the roost in there teeth.
No documentary or comments about the suttle differences between each of the years? Come on dude.... Watch the "History of the CR500" if you wanna see a good video. If you do you'll notice that it doesnt have any stupid background music either!
nothing from 85 till 2oo2 changed other than the ugly color and from 98 on looked like they were getting OLDER like back to the stone age just witch radiators a the fuckin plastics never changed or those ugly pipes my God who was helping with the manufacturing of the look of the Kawasaki? but they say that Kawasaki hold's its value what values does it have?
To this day, I'm the only guy I know of that cleared the massive stepdown /downhill triple, at Meadowlarks. It's really just a short table top that drops down to another step in the hill. Then there's a sweeping right hander that takes you back up the hill. Nobody ever even tries to tie it all together. It was an accident. It was my first time taking my 93 KX500 there and I was just trying to blip passed my friend.
The really surprising part was that I made the right hander, after the landing, because I had to land on the gas, for fear of destroying something. It was pure glory, and my buddy said he could here me screaming in laughter as I sailed over his head. I thought I was going through the fence. But the beast did what the beast does:
It ripped, railed and roared!
I miss all the 500s they should bring them back
Yeah me too i have a kx500 and kx400
i owned over a 100 bikes,some 15 to 20 at one time and raced district 7 vintage for years.im 41 years old and best bike i ever had is my 1998 kx 500.i bought it new in 1998 and its still with me in my living room on display.i love her and she is family.ill be 60 years old riding this death rocket c 12 burning beauty.ride hard brothers and love your bike.
fuck yeah mate
Amen brother 1987 CR500R here same age as yours
And I have a 2004 KX500 45hrs as well as a 2001 CR500 I bought new. Still new and in my shed. Ps The KX500 is not a death rocket. They're a great bike to ride , lots of fun...200 hours later I'm still alive and smiling.
Once when I was 16 in 1990 I was riding a 50cc moped (all you're allowed to ride on the road in the UK at that age) around some local woods when a bunch of guys rocked up with motocrossers, one of which was an '83 KX500 exactly the same as the one in this vid. For a joke I asked the owner if I could ride it and he unhesitatingly said yes, so I went from a 50cc bike straight onto a 500. Despite working in the motorcycle industry for 15 years after this and riding all manner of FireBlades, R1s etc this still ranks as the scariest motorcycle I've ever ridden; on a short stretch of tarmac where everyone parked it was spinning the back wheel and lifting the front at the same time and on dirt it was just crazy. I actually owned an '89 RM125 at the same time and this bike made even that feel slow!
The 1985 looks light years ahead of all previous years...massive change. These bikes were so powerful, they scared me....I'll admit it.
I had a 75 KX250 did a lot of riding with friends in North Alabama. I switched to the KX400 and did not tell any of my friends that I was on a different bike. The look on their face when that 400 bolted ahead of the pack and pelted them with what the rear 520 was roosterin at all who followed was priceless.
Good times!
The A10 Warthog of MX bikes. Loved it!
man, you brought back some memories with those 92-95's. I always liked those shroud graphics on the kawasaki's during those years, back when I was 11-14. Right about when I got a subscription to Dirt Rider magazine. man, those were good times...
What a beast, love these bikes..
I owned a new 1989 CR500 and being 6'4" 210 back then the bike was a BEAST!
Regarding the original 73-74 KX450: I borrowed one from a friend back then that was a sumu wrestler/desert racer. It was by far and away the easiest bike to wheelie I've ever rode. Though it would have trouble staying with a decent 250 of the time, this particular m/c had the most electric of any powerband ever, bar none. I was no Doug Domokos but honest to God, I could still rip off quarter mile long wheelies within minutes of getting on it. I've never forgot that torque monster!
Thanks for making this video to bring back memories of past torrent love affair with my 81 kx420 4 speed rocket which would hit 0 to top speed in about 3 seconds. best quick ride adrenalin rush ever.
Damn 2012 kx500af looks so damn clean
one of the best bikes ever built, m 1998 kx500
Always remember Jeff Ward banging bars with Jeff Stanton on his big CR when I was a kid. Never had the strength to ride one of these on the track myself. Hell of a machine.
I bought a 87 kx500 new, everyone who rode it said it was an EVIL BEAST!
Gerri god bless for your
Kawasaki
Great tune
the 83 looks fucking sick!
I'd have to agree. That 83 is rad!
Agree, the green & Black w Gold rims Set the 1983 the off! Especially with the rear number plate integrated into the rear fender. The 1985 looks kinda sharp too
as a KX 500 owner, let me say one thing about the latest wave of (turd popper) 450 cc 4 strokes: YYYYYAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNN!
Raced 1987, 1986, and 3 different 1989 KX500s.
I love this bike its my dreaming...
I owned an 87 model. Did a back flip on accident.. That one hurt!
My favourite bike
big C
I've got a 94 + 97 cr500 and a 2008 cr500 AF with a 2000 cr500 engine I built myself. The 97 is bored out to 91.00 mm. Dam awesome power simple u don't need any more power than that.
BIG C.
I raced a 1986 KX 500. The dogbone unit-trak rear suspension was the weak link. I broke the upper linkage connecting the dogbone to the shock twice and I eventually had to buy a new shock as well. And no, it wasn't because i was heavy, just fast!. I was only about 175 lb at the time. It was a good bike otherwise.
awesome vid !! ... the 1990 is my fav
I have -90, these are insane beast dirtbikes :)
I'm subscribed to you and your brothers channel haha. And yes, you have an awesome 500
Danny Trimarco thanks a lot. funniest & scary bike i have..:D brutal power
With the exception of the forks, the bike is pretty much unchanged from 1988 except for BNGs and plastic/seat color changes.
All are very nice 👍, when kid and I went to the hills to ride mi kx 80 , and seing this mammoths , pffff amazing i rode 2 of them in the 90s woooow , you have to respect,,and then ok 👍 little faster
it was a death machine
As if any kx500 wasn't bad ass an fast as fk but the had to make a afkx500 she looks wicked fast just sitting there that's the only machine I would trade up to notice how long the kx500 engine is unchanged kawasaki obviously found something good and I've gotta agree
с 1989 года ни каких изменений не притерпел.
2003 and 2004 use the same picture, but 2004 is the only year with the black fuel tank
had a 92 it would fly
2012 is the fucking best!
Buying my uncles kx 500 next ye
notice the person that posted this has a Honda picture . and it also has zero dislikes!
KX500 the exact same bike for almost 20 years, just select the graphics you prefer.
Suspension changed over the years
lindas hermoso ese color verde, salvajes.
widow maker
Widow Maker was Originally the H2 750 Triple 2 Stroke street racer :) i loved my 1974 Green H2 , yes she almost killed me !
Just bought 1986 kx500
que linda la kawa
enter the beast again!
What's the name of the song?
Who's the artist of the song??? And what's the name of the of this song?
The name of this song is Change and it is by Staind
Change by Staind
1989 Did not come with upside down forks. image must be a works bike or someones mod.
TNT Moto yeah. by the looks of the rear number plate it doesn't look fully stock.
Whats with the 2012 being called "service" just like the 2012 "Service Honda" Cr500?
service honda make them
Sorta,. more like assembles them
song ?
Lowe this video :)
the only one that I would consider is that 2012!
shit....the last 2stroke 500ccm could pull your arms straight off......
what is a service KX500 AF ?
Its a KX500 with an aluminium frame just like the Service Honda CR500
Yup, kx500's & cr500's are still sold and manufactured by Service Honda but expensive,. Theres also do it urself kit.
Hi I have a kx500 motor the bottom end it says its a 86 but the top end is air cooled can someone please tell me what it is??
i believe 83 was air cooled.
Kevin Stearns can you put a water cooled top end on air cooled?
David Peters i was going to put an 82 air cooled on my 87 kx 250. yours is more involved i wouldnt to much work. u need radiators; places to mount them. clutch cover water pump, hoses etc. diffucult not impossible. let me know how it goes.
What's the best year kx 500
1990
From 88 to 2011 or whatever hasn't changed just graphics
89 kx500 my person death machine right next to the tecate
yeah I had a 87 Tecate 4 what a beast.
Wyatt Wagner amen brother. I had an 85 tecate a couple years ago it was nasty. I have an 88 kx500 now. My dream bike is the tecate 500 swap. Always wanted to do one. And not tell anyone it was a 500 and let em figure it out by the roost in there teeth.
2001 onwards ugly. Prefer the earlier models 88 to 95
Awesome Bikes,.........Crap Music !!!
No documentary or comments about the suttle differences between each of the years? Come on dude....
Watch the "History of the CR500" if you wanna see a good video. If you do you'll notice that it doesnt have any stupid background music either!
ugh the ones with the number plate on the back fender are soo gross...
I have heart burn overreact much
nothing from 85 till 2oo2 changed other than the ugly color and from 98 on looked like they were getting OLDER like back to the stone age just witch radiators a the fuckin plastics never changed or those ugly pipes my God who was helping with the manufacturing of the look of the Kawasaki? but they say that Kawasaki hold's its value what values does it have?
Horrible song for video. Everything else is awesome