KX500 - Jesus Christ, they're HOW FAST?

[IridiumRed]

Hey Guys.  I posted this on dirtrider.net     but i wanted to share, so hey

Just bought a 1997 KX500.  jesus christ, why didn't anyone ever tell me what monsters these were??

I've been riding for about 10 years.  Owned.... 20, 30 bikes?  Have some racetrack (roadrace) doing trackdays.  Been to a couple race schools.

Owned some big fast sportbikes (modified 95 GSXR1100, fairly stock 01 GSXR1000, supersport prepped 2K GSXR750, heavily modified 94/96 GSXR7/11.... still own the last two)

The King Of The Hill?  Was a 1997 GSXR750 with a TURBOCHARGER!!   Made 190 rwhp (had a decompression plate, ran 10 lbs intercooled).  ATS (american turbo systems) setup.  This bike made a couple of national magazine covers a few years ago.

I thought that bike was vicious, and it was.  It would try to flip over in 3rd gear at 110.  And thats me, flat on the tank, rolling into the gas....   It powerwheelied in third gear like my GSXR1000 did in first.  It would pull to about 185 on the speedo (which was probably about 170 actual, due to speedo error/ gearing), but it hit that HARD.... it just ran out of gearing on the top end, pulled to redline

I'm a little guy, 5'4, 155 lbs, so i could put a girl on the back, and we could chase down Busa's, one up, at over 120.....that bike was just scary to ride.  My buddies with GSXR1000's and Busa's, they were scared of it, they would ride it and come back and not want to ride it again

Anyways, sorry to ramble, but what i was getting to was that I just bought a 97 KX500.  I'm amazed at how hard it runs!!!

Now, you can't ride along at 120 and punch it up to 160 or anything like that, but d**n, i'm amazed at how .... VICIOUS this bike is!!  Just hopping on it to run around the block, it snarls and snaps, it seems like anything above 1/4 throttle in the first three gears and it wants to wheelie

There doesn't seem to be a "powerband" really.  From idle to redline/over-rev, from 0 throttle up there is just tons of power

Now, the former owner of my 500 said that it had been ported, made a decent amount more than stock.  I can't prove that, but i believe that it is true given the jetting that its running.  So it might be 5-10 hp on stock, but still, i'm flat shocked by this bike

Fellow sportbikers teased me about getting a dirtbike, saying they "might be fast in the dirt, but they'd be slow on the street".... well they need to ride a 500

I used to have a 190 rwhp turbo crotchrocket, but now my KX500 is officially "the meanest bike i've owned"

but, oh yeah, I LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT  

"KX500 - SATANS CHAINSAW"

Perhaps my KX500 was abused when it was young, because now it dont like people

[mikesmith]

Have fun,or I guess you allready are!

[IridiumRed]

The KX500 has to be one of the best kept secrets in motorcycling

[Timbowe]

They are just the all round good guy of off road aye?

[gowen]

A few mods and your KX will out run most GSXRs. The power to weight is about the same as your old gsxr1k, so, in all honesty, your KX is not running good if it is not running on par with the power. (KX5 = 63hp @ 220 lbs. GSXR1K = 130hp @ 4
I have run my KX (bigbore, ported, PVL system, Rad, FMF Rev, ect. ect. top-end revver big HP) aginst my heavily modifed R1 and it out ran it to 100 by about two bike lengths, after it toped out, it was no game. While you have to remember the KX is running short ratio gears (e.g. 15mph in first) and the R1 runs long ratio (e.g. 75mph in first).  While your general 1k Rocket makes 140hp roughly at 420+ pounds roughly, the KX is running 60hp at 220 pounds and makes the power twice as fast (two stroke).

The KX is an awesome bike! I doubt you will get bored of the power. The modifications are around to put a smile back to that frowning (power) face.

[BrianSM]

Put some 17's/sticky tires and brakes on that bad girl...welcome to my world !!!