KX 500 Turning......

[jbehunin]

I am pretty new to the KX 500.
I was a CR 500 owner for many years, then I decided to change things up a bit and got a KX 500. I am extremely happy with the bike. It is big, roomy and powerful. But I have a problem getting comfortable turning. My old CR 500 would turn at any time. The KX 500 likes to go straight.
Are there any secrets how to make this bike turn better?
Thanks!!!

[kwakman]

raise the rear ride height or drop the clamps down the forks a few mm at a time till you get the responsitivity back.stability or turning prowess, the trade is up to you...keep your suspenders well serviced and chassis bearings too.K.

[Motorrad]

I turn mine with a liberal sprinkling of right hand...  


but seriously... proper set suspension makes worlds of differance (proper springs for you,   race sag etc)..     that is #1...

#2   play with fork hight

#3..   there was a thread on here a while back... old thread discussing this.. and it ame down to proper foot peg english.. ..

this bike was a Desert bike.. not ment for a tight track like the CR's... it will never turn like a CR... 

well there is one way..

a phone call to Emig Racing for a new set of clamps...

[81cr450]

The emig clamps & changing the rake will get you more in cr territory. Set up is a biggie though like the guys are saying. I'm like you coming over from the cr500, one little thing I just found last weekend was the bar mounts are offset & if you turn them to make the bars further away from you it helps. Also cr hi bends. Or go aluminum frame if you really want to make it turn.

[jbehunin]

I am a desert rider for sure. I like to go fast out in the desert, but when the trails strt to wind up and becomes single track, I notice it big time. I also have a hard time in sandy sections. I noticed the bike likes to drift. My CR would go straight.....

I have KX high bend bars and I have turned the clamps to give me more room, (since I am 6'6") and have the forks and shock set for my weight. The bikes suspention is sweet!

I will try lowering the fork height and see if that works. My buddy told me that a stabilizer helped the drift........

[Polar-Bus]

I am pretty new to the KX 500.
I was a CR 500 owner for many years, then I decided to change things up a bit and got a KX 500. I am extremely happy with the bike. It is big, roomy and powerful. But I have a problem getting comfortable turning. My old CR 500 would turn at any time. The KX 500 likes to go straight.
Are there any secrets how to make this bike turn better?
Thanks!!!

I've commented many times before, the issue with the infamous "KX500 push" is directly related to the steep, fat fuel tank.   This dis-allows the rider to be able to get forward on top of the tank and give the front end some bite.Remember Kawi engineered the 500 to be a high speed desert chassis, not a MX track carving tool. You can fiddle with fork ride height you can fiddle with optional offset clamps, but the bottom line is lack of weight transfer. Keep in mind every suspension adjustment "action" has "reaction" as well. Sometimes good, and sometimes not so good. Be careful about raising the fork tubes to lower the front end ride height, as the "reaction" will be a shaky front end at higher speeds. The KX500's have so much violent snap and torque right off the bottom, you are forever unloading front end bite when traveling through the apex's of corners. My personal "compromise" to get my KX500 to corner was slightly firmer fork springs, CR "high" bars, CEET tall seat, a Scott's steering stabilizer, and a very aggressively low front end ride height. (and a cup to protect my junk when sitting on the tank    )  . My KX corners pretty darn consistent now. 

[ELRUKO]

Unfortunately, the KX will never turn like a Honda...  But, I have raised the forks 2-lines in the clamps.  The steering stops have been trimed (Team Green) for a sharper radius.  The fork on the right side almost touches the rad cap.  I have a Scotts stabilizer and have never encountered headshake.  A good traction intermediate front tire is important. I have ridden k-5s since 93.  The dunlop 755 was great, gone now.  I have used the dunlop 773, not for hard pack, good for desert and loam.  Now, only recently I have tried the dunlop mx 51, works pretty good.  If your fork springs and fork dampning is too harsh its not going to turn, like my KX 450...   Going to have to work on that.

[81cr450]

Reading this tonight , buzzed of course , the best answer really is 2 bikes. My honda ,1986, for hard hitting track type action & massive bottom end. While the K5 is is power from bottom to top & all day long thats stable over 100mph. A cr that  will hit a 100mph is so pipey & nasty it makes a cr80 look like its tuned to perfection . Having it all Let me know if you figure it out

[kwakman]

kx5 lump in cr chassis?

[ThrottleJunky]

A month ago some friends informed me they was going riding for the weekend.   I was not going to be working but my KX450 was down for maintenance.   No problem, I moved the KX500 from deep in the corner of the garage to get it ready.  Third kick and she fired up.  She probably would have started sooner but my first two attempts was four stroke style,"no throttle"!

Got to the riding area, suited up and off we went.   Only thing, I just couldn't get the 500 to turn.  Never had this problem before.  Not until the 450 got into the mix. 

It took me half of the day to figure out what I wasn't doing right. 

For me, I have to put my weight on the pegs.  If I sit, like I do on the 450, it won't turn!

Just my two cents!

[greencannon]

1.   Forget about comparing it to a CR, it will never be one, the Honda is an MXer, the KX is an earth mover
2.   Learn to embrace the differences, they are not bad, just different ( better in some aspects)
3.   Tweak front suspension a bit like others have stated to help the front end to bite
4.   Let the revs come way down to initialize the turn and get the bike to lean over, the kx will lug waaayyy down....alot of people rev this bike to go
      fast, there is no need, its fast even when it doesnt sound it...
5.   Man Up !!  hit the weights and do some serious pushups and strengthen up so you are worthy of such a manly bike, riding this bike has allowed me to manhandle 250s and 450s like toys

i find this bike requires more adjusted input to turn, flick and to ride motocross style, but if you change your techniques to accomidate the bikes geometry and power traits you will find the K5 will carve the tightest ruts and berms with stability that not many other bikes can match

[kwakman]

weighting the outside peg helps too.K.

[thooker]

Last Summer I raced an tight indoor Arenacross on a 1989 K5 and a 2011 KX450, my laps times were 38.6 on the 450 and 38.7 on the K5.  I say man up a little.

[Polar-Bus]

Last Summer I raced an tight indoor Arenacross on a 1989 K5 and a 2011 KX450, my laps times were 38.6 on the 450 and 38.7 on the K5.  I say man up a little.

The dude on the KX450 needs to lean how to ride. Sorry but a k5 vs a 450F in an "arenacross" type track is like a Mack truck against a finely tuned stadium cross race truck...

[smithpa68]

5.   Man Up !!  hit the weights and do some serious pushups and strengthen up so you are worthy of such a manly bike, riding this bike has allowed me to manhandle 250s and 450s like toys

Funny you should say that.. I finally got in my first ride on my '01 KX500 two weeks ago.  I brought both my KTM450EXC and the 500 that day. After riding the park's vintage track for a while on the K5,  I hopped back on my 450 to go hit some nasty single track to end the day.   I was riding with a guy whom I can keep up with only on my best days (and his less than best days).   I was ALL OVER his back tire!!!    He even commented "d**n.. you are all over me today".   

I agree... after riding these, you can definately pick up the pace on your other bikes.   I felt really safe grabbing BIG handfuls of throttle on the singletrack after riding the big two stroke.