1991 Kawasaki KX500 Two Stroke Project Build - Motocross Action Magazine
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
- #motocross #dirtbike #racing #offroad
Motocross Action Magazine has tested a plethora of 500 two strokes over the years. Some good and some we are fine with forgetting. Many of the rougher rides are due to the builder using an older engine with a modern chassis. The modern chassis weren't built to have a 500cc two stroke engine slammed inside of it. This 1991 Kawasaki KX500 was a garage find and complete mess when it first got started. Tom Morgan did the engine and Jay Clark put the bike together. An FMF exhaust, Race Tech suspension, Hinson clutches, ODI handlebars, Dunlop tires, Supersprox sprockets, UNI air filter, and Motoseat seat cover were just some of the parts mounted to this old bike. The KX GURU racing crew used some of their own techniques to massage the suspension department and reinforce areas they know are weak on this model. Our managing editor Daryl Ecklund returned to the video side for the day and got to test the KX500 at Glen Helen Raceway. Check out what the Motocross Action Wrecking Crew thought about this unique build.
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Got 9th overall in the intermediate open class on my uncles '91 kx500 at a gutbuster 250 in yurington, nv. That was in 2001. I was 14. They were clocking people's speed on this long sandy straight section. On my 2nd loop, i clicked into 5th, and held it wide. They got me at 93 mph. Crazy thing is, the wind was damn near ripping my helmet off and choking the shit outta me so, i rested my left arm across the gas tank, got tucked so my chest was on top of my arm, and held the front of my helmet down. They took a picture of it too. It still hangs in RMS(reno motor sport) today. 93 mph on sand one handed holding my helmet on at 14 years old on a kx500.
To me, this is the ultimate dirt bike. The pinnacle. Beautifully done!
Vhbgbbgvhbgvhbgvhbgv
This is bringing back old memories. The year was 1991, I was an 11 year old and one day my dad came home with a brand new kx80 for me and a new kx500 for himself. I’ll never forget the sound of that 500 or trying to kick start that beast. Thank god for that decompression switch, otherwise trying to start that monster was damn near impossible
That's a Day You'll Never Forget! 👍🍻
I had a similar experience. In 92, my dad came back from our local Kawi dealer (about 100 miles away) with 2 brand new bikes. A 500 for him and an 80 for me. I'll never forget either one of those bikes. I'll remember the 80 because it was my prized possession and first new bike, and I'll remember the 500 because my dad still has it. Thru my early years, he always told me "once you can start it, you can race it."🤣 That became a goal. (A few slow kicks followed by getting it to TDC let it start on the first or second kick nearly every time) I have a lot of great memories around that particular bike. My dad raced it for a few years before buying another KX 500 in 98. He traded that one in to get new bikes for my younger brother but the 92 has stayed thru it all. Dad used to race it at our local national which is Washougal. Nowadays, my brother takes the same bike to Washougal to run it in The Dream Race and in the holeshot competition that they do that weekend. (It does pretty well at holeshots) They also take the same bike, bolt homemade swing arm extensions on it, add a paddle tire or a cut-knobby tire, and then my brother runs it at the hillclimbs.
Tom Morgan is my uncle🤘🏻 I got to see some badass prototype stuff when I was a kid. I remember he had a bunch of Blackfoot Honda’s in his shop he was doing up back in like 2000.
That brings back some memories. I went from racing a KX105 to the KX500 in 91'. My first big bike!
Wow that's quite a jump in displacement!
Best looking KX500 I've seen so far... They really brought it back with the original styled number plate and those shrouds had a huge hand in how it looks like a early 2000's bike, minus the Chevy bowtie logos.
Best looking KX500's imo are the Ransom and Dark Knight editions w/ modern frames. Check those out.
Black rims look SHIT.
The olde bikes were far better looking than what they are today!
yes self todays bike lost style seat to flat
Best looking kx500 i have ever seen
Really lovely looking kx500 mother cross bike like the green fantastic 👍😅
What a terrific build! Wardy - if he watched this video - must have one big smile. Bummer you didn't dyno this baby, nor did you do a start vs. a 450 four stroke on Glenn Helen's long start - that would have been very interesting.
Yeah everyone wants to say that 450 4 strokes can make 60 horsepower from the factory, and perhaps some do, but its not the horsepower, but the arm ripping torque that a 2 stroke 500cc has over a 450 4 stroke. Even if the 4 stroke holeshots (which I highly doubt) and has a faster lap time its because of the modern frame matched with the 4 stroke lugger power delivery. The 500cc 2 stroke is explosive and wants to spin and wheelie at times instead of hooking. Its like racing a Dodge Demon or Corvette ZR1 against a car with less power, but which hooks and therefore has a quicker 1/8th or 1/4 mile. Spinning ain't winning, pin it to win it etc.. Remove the traction advantage though by putting both cars (or motorcycles) in a roll race the one with the more ferocious power delivery will kill the other. So beware 4 stroke 450s, when that 500 2 stroke missile hooks up, take a picture of its rear end 'cause that's all you'll see lol. Long live the 2 stroke!
Great looking bike kx 500 cc like the green guy's thanks for great content guy's 👍😅
a real beauty....Green and Black in waves
A beautiful bike!
Excellent job on the Video guys! Thanks for taking the time to share all the important specific details that all of us Moto Guys are thirsting for.
Super vidéo 💚💚💚
Omg this bike is bad ass, so pretty I'm in love 💚
Awesome video, thanks guys!!
Look's really stable,nice build 👍
This is truly a beautiful bike
Awesome build guys im in love🚀🔥😍😍
Spectacular action🤘🏾
Perfection!! Also great video
I had one in 1990 and fitted 2 base gaskets to redue=ce the compression worked a treat and smoothed it right out👍
We just finished 1 too! Let's do a 500 shootout at the national track mx338!
fantastic bike!!!!👌👌👌
It's beautiful! The seat has that big dip that takes some getting used to. If you gear one 16-42 she will go 116 MPH.
Why would you tho? I want to go quicker on the track not faster top speed
JoJo Keller still ripping out there!!!
Oh my those sweet Two Strokin sounds. Nothing is better......
Awesome bike 🍻👍🇦🇺
Damn that's looks so cool 😎😎 and perfect
Great video..I miss the 500 2 strokes..the smell of race gas&bean oil is the best!!
It looks cool
"Bolts fly out at regular intervals". This man ones a KX5!
Baddest open class bikes
top demais👍👍
Nice Cerakote on the cases
and calipers
I like that color
I’m already tryna buy it!
I used to have one of these, I miss it. However, it's not really any better than a KTM 450 is now frankly. If you ride WFO all the time then you will need LOTS of blue Locktight and need to weld, repair, replace lots of brackets, and the sub frame etc. I would not ride one of these until I had checked ALL the frame welds with a sharp pic. Back in the day most dirt bikes ran about 68 mph top speed I think it was, this thing would do 90mph. People always wanted me to blow by them out on the strait away at top speed LOL. Go down about halfway and wait I would say. It was a cool bike then, and its still cool today.
Man can he rip on that thing! I have a 91 kx500 also and I never let the rear end get loose... too scared. 😅
i love it ❤❤❤
I want one!
500 FOREVER!
KX 500, rule's them all.
A lot of people seem to be scared of these bikes and I never understood it. I own 2 and they are amazing to ride with almost no effort to ride fast
Imagine being roosted by that thing
Long live the 500s
I can only imagine what TMR thinks after seeing this video. They spend tons of time and money building a vintage bike immaculately and then give it to a magazine testers
to ride it for free only for the guy to talk horrible about it the whole time and wasn't even the one riding the bike. It's just really disrespectful. If it was a brand new bike in a shootout that had issues thats different but this is a one off project that alot of work went into.
Couldnt agree more. But i think he actually rode it
@@constantelevation_ Yep. I bought a 1990, brand new back then. I was 140lbs and it always start fine, you gotta stand-up on the kick, all your weight on it and show who's the boss... Awesome bike. Jetting had to be fine tuned tho.
wtf are you talking about? who's your drug dealer i want his number you are having a great time obviously
@@ronbradshaw7404 the 87 had a 40mm Mukuni carb that was kind of hard to dial in.
@@jimmadonna1436 I had the venerable Keihin PWK 39! Loooved it!
God bless America
i love the hideous look of the kx500! it looks like a face-stretching holeshot to me!
Solamente repare una motocicleta de esas y me encanto el modelo soy mecánico de motocicleta
How did you guys do the conversion for the newer front number plate and front fender ?
LETS GO BRANDON!
Who did your graphics and seat?
So how many clutches does he burn thru in a weekend on that bike? At least the upside is that it sounds fast to ride 500's like that.
Now throw Jason Anderson on it as a Kawi debut ride
So it's official, Anderson turned green?
"The modern chassis weren't built to have a 500cc two stroke engine slammed inside of it".....
Well then....the consumer accomodation driven R+D Team at the KHI subdivision designated "Kawasaki Motors Limited" had best get crackin` on a KX500 Two Stroke,...I`m not wrong. They can make it at the KMX plant,...maybe limited is the wrong industry jargon when the only limits in life are those self-imposed,....
Indeed, KHI needs to own up to their words and deliver what we consumers want... That's called accountability and everyone needs some nowadays.
Like to see it ridin in the Red Bull Strait rhythm by someone.
lets just hope they dont cancel it next year
@@Strasky_96 Right on
Hello m’y brother very big Monster❤️❤️🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷
They should allow these to race against 450s since no one can actually ride a 500 to its fullest it would even out
OK... I Had Ty Davis's 96 - bad ass bike. Tranny broke, had Tom Morgan rebuild it... Best thing ever! - I like your comment about stuffing one of these into a modern frame. Let see a test between one of AJ's KX500AF and this bike, and see where what you guys think!? - - - ADDITIONALLY, I didnt hear you comment if you would actually race this against the modern 450's Otherwise, doesnt this make this just a bad ass build for fun???... which IS THE POINT in the 1st place? GREAT ARTICLE! Thanks!
i bought a new 2022 KTM350SXf and put the engine into an Aprilia RS125 chassis, i have a 94' KX500 engine to put back into the KTM chassis...i built an alloy framed CR500 but never liked it, i hate the stiff alloy frames.
how it
Long live the 500's... all 2 strokes 4 that matter
Ugly ? LOL..... Looks better than half the current models
Hey I thought we are going electric, this bike will be band in lower 48, by 2024. Will maybe just California.
jeff ward/mike kiedrowski/mike larocco never raced them on supercross tracks
🥵😍😍
The reason why open class got ruled out is because there's no pill on the market that can make you handle a open class 500 two stroke
The kx500 is older than Josh
You gotta shift gears dudes..
I'd pay 15 Grand for it, Hell, you couldn't build it for that.
fuera d liga el poder y como lucian mejor q las d hoy dia
What is the price?
Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Honda are Japanese companies. Like anime and manga, these companies focus on sales. If nothing sells from these companies, they will cancel the series and products. If two-stroke motorbikes are selling, Kawasaki might bring them back.
Kawasaki is focused on all Electric bike's by 2035.
@@jeffdarkness666 I red that article to.
KX500並のトルク型エンジンで排気デバイスって必要なのか？たしかCR500の開発でエリックゲボスが中低速が使い辛いから排気デバイスつけなくて良いってホンダ側にクレーム入れたらしいが。
Is the clutch slipping on that thing or is itvgeared to the moon? Seems pretty lame on top.
Too top heavy in that configuration. Needs a lower center of gravity to really make it competitive. Put that 500cc engine in a modern 450 frame and test it against 450's with a variety of pro riders.
the day you guys awake up and realize that electric makes this look like a pw 50 will be late. I raced this bikes, I still have My yz 490. I really don't know whats the drama w this bike's you have to work a lot more on a 125
Better than the Honda but not as good as the Suzuki
Монстр 500 ка редкий гость .....злая пушка !!!!
What bad reputation? You high?
An electric motocross bike would be far more charismatic than this thing, don't you think? 🙄
🙈
No.
We don't.
why ride it like a 125, shift up for fuk sake
I was gonna say sounds like he's ripping but not moving.. definitely needs to give the thing a break in the right gear lol
For who/what? I didn't know a fuk had a sake!!! 😂 Just messin' don't hate me!
KX500s look so dated.