I took my new (to me) KX500 for the first ride on Sunday to the dunes in Florence, Oregon. I was so anxious. I had gone through everything I could to get it ready for the trip. New paddle tire, rebuilt rear shock, jetted the carb for the elevation, and since I had to check the needle setting, I pulled the whole carb and made sure everything there was clean and operational(except for the floats). I went through and made sure everything else on the bike was clean and tight. Also took out the airbox and cleaned all the caked on dirt and grime from the previous owner out and cleaned and oiled the airfilter. I went and bought some PJ1 Filterskins and ran a dry one over the freshly oiled filter and changed the gear oil. By the way, if you buy a paddle tire for your 19 inch rim, I HIGHLY recommend taking it to a shop and having them mount it because its the biggest pain in the ass I have ever encountered. I figured it would be no problem since I had done it on my last bike, which had an 18" rear wheel, but it was MUCH MUCH harder. I wont put myself through that again! Anyways, I was so anxious to ride this bike. It was building and building the closer it got to Sunday. We got there at 9 AM and unloaded the three quads and my bike. I was so anxious that I forgot to use the choke when I started it! It started FINE even without the choke! So we headed out to the sand. Now is a good time to mention that this is the first time I have been on a bike in 2 years. Also, its only the 2nd time I have ever ridden a bike in the sand. Also only the second time I have ever ridden a 500. Needless to say, the bike and the sand kicked my ass for quite some time, but I eventually got used to both. It was a BLAST! I just follewed my friends for most of the day, but when we got to a flat area and they started to open their bikes up, one was a new Honda Fourtax 450R, and the other was an '86 250R, neither of which is stock or slow, I would twist the throttle and slam gears and fly past them like they were standing still!!! What a rush! This bike is BAD... I was by far the fastest thing on the dunes, and I was taking it easy! I hadnt ridden in over 2 years, and by the end of the day I was jumping over 60' on 4th gear jumps. The power was endless and was there whenever I wanted it. All I had to do in any gear was give a little clutch action and bring up the RPMs and the front wheel was being carried effortlessly, sometimes even a little TOO effortlessly and even without warning! Anyways, I had the greatest time I have ever had on a bike that day. I love this bike! I honestly think that this could be the last bike I ever own as long as parts stay available for it. Thank you all for helping me make the best decision on this purchase. After all, this website is what helped me decide on a KX500. THANK YOU! I will be a proud member of Pitbull-Racing as long as the site exists!
