How old are you?

[ShanMan]

I know I am way late to reply, but seeing as how I just found this site a few days ago, I thought I might chime in. I am 35. I rode dirt quite a bit on 80's and 125's as a kid. I quickly lost interest in dirt as soon as I could legally swing a leg over a sportbike. I rode street for years...raced some too. After I graduated college, the real world settled in and I gave up on bikes. Since that time I ignored the voice in my head. It nagged me every day! I got involved in other hobbies thinking they would satisfy me. Nope. A few times last year I went out with my friends to the high desert, and baby-sat camp while they rode off on their bikes. It was painful. I decided I WASN'T too old to get one. Still, I waited.

A few weeks ago I went out to Glamis for the first time. I was lucky enough to ride a few nice bikes. A vintage 125, a new CR250...all fun. Then I start talking to a friend and he says he knows of THE bike I need to try. It was his bike...he knows the history...blah blah blah. So I go take a look. It turns out to be a '87 KX500. I have heard the stories of how KX500's rape and pilage. How they rip men limb from limb! I buy it anyway. I have ridden long enough to know that a little self-control goes a long way.

I got to take the bike to Glamis last weekend. Holy $hit! This thing is a rocket. I am in love! 35 years old, 230 lbs. and the skills of a novice. Perfect! I agree that having more than enough power will get you out of more trouble than put you in, IF you are smart. So that is my plan...to ride smart.

[Zombie]

Well, I started riding when I was about 14, on a totally trashed Suzuki TS 185 (that lasted about a half hour untill the piston shattered!!) with a gaping hole in the headpipe. My little brother got that and another non-running bike off a friend for $50 bucks. My first bike I bought with my own money was a Hodaka Ace 100 (that I still have, and have for sale by the way...) that I got out of the backroom of a Harley dealership. Not long after that, I acquired an 82 RM 125, although I really wanted a 500 at that point (Ive always been a power junkie) and I finally traded the RM and $600 for a beat 85 KX 500. While it was a bit shabby, it ran like a fuel dragster. Then it was stolen out of my garage. That sucked.  

-Z

[kmac]

New member today! Ride in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Great mix of treed, single-track & open riding, love my '91 KX5. First bike was an '82 Yamaha IT465 which I also thought was great, although a bit of a handful for a rank novice. Started riding in '88 @ age 29, now 44 and going strong. I think alot of these kids who think 500 2-smokes are junk are pussies. Dirt Bike mag had a lot of good things to say about this supposedly dated bike in their Feb. or March?? issue.  6'5", +/- 260lbs., I like big bikes.

[mercenary]

Hey Kmac!  Good to see another BC person here.  Im up near Prince George.  Havent been riding in the 'Loops' area yet but I heard that its alot of fun.

As for the rest of the topic, I agree that alot of kids these days are worried and scared about just how much power these beasties can produce.  My buddy on his CR500 was climbing hills around here that he wouldnt even consider touching with his CR250!

Its good to see that these bikes are being used in real world off road situations.  I was a little concerned that if I bought one it wouldnt be suitable for trail duties.

[jtorresiii]

Well, thought I jump in on this topic. I recently bought my 98 kx500 after selling my 2002 harley. The way I figured, I wanted something with power after riding my harley so, I knew I wanted the kx500.  Even though I had to rebuilt the bottom half when I bought it, I knew it was the right choice.  Oh by the way, I ride alot of trails here in beautiful hawaii and I'm 39 also. My saying is, go big or go home.

[vmxguy25]

Guys, I just have to chime in on this one since I may be the youngest on this forum at 25!  I have had my 1990 KX since 1994 when I was 17.  All the guys I rode with were in their late 20's to late 30's and were all cross country madmen on CR 500's.  I knew when I got a newer bike, it needed to be a 500 to tame the Wyoming hills!  I guess I have always been into big bikes though.  I started on a Suzuki RM80, then straight to an RM 250, then to an RM 400.  All these Suzuki's were 1980 models!  When all my high school friends were still riding 125's, I was riding a 500 that was light years ahead of my previous bikes and laughing at hills they were scared to try.  Now, at age 25, this forum has convinced me to upgrade the  big KX5 and get serious about riding again.  With a V-Force reed cage, and some new Moose flex bars, the bike is as fun as ever and can still make any hill I can point it at.

   Also, anyone from the West?(Not California!  Its technically in the West, but not part of the REAL West....LOL)

  If so, contact me at: gconner77@yahoo.com

     Gary

[MarkNZ]

'How old are you?' is a Question a lot of people used to ask me, mainly after my performing some Inane prank or passing a Comment in a situation that I thought suited my Dry sense of Humour but evidently not others. No Problem and I dare to be different. That goes for my reason to own a KX 5'er and the reasons are Clear. Horsepower, reliabilty and Exclusivity, Being maybe the only Correspondent on this Site from the Southern hemisphere is interesting, I know the Big KX was never a Popular Bike in Australia, Why ?, I have no Idea, But there are Countless Cr500's over there. here in New Zealand, 1200 miles east of Oz there are'nt that many either but the balance is certainly better. At 41 I still get a few comments about my Choice of ride but thats cool. best thing was the other W/E at the Bike park before a Hare & Hound a Dad had his 5 year old perched on my seat and asked if it was OK to take a Pic. I asked him why my Bike ?? ( the only KX500 in about 130 Bikes) and he said " Fundamentally, its the Best Bike here, by a Mile...and one day when he's older I'll show him the pic explain to him that he was sitting on the Most powerful DirtBike money can Buy, cos they won't be around when hes Big enough to ride one of these.. a KX500!!' He thanked me and wandered off, the Kid was laughing , wondering what the fuss was, I was pumped. Then I was pissed off Because I got a front wheel Flat 30 min in , Left my Repair kit in the car and had to DNF, Then it started raining........The I got a Speeding Ticket going Home..........

[kx100pro]

Yes! I am the youngest at 22!. I got my first 500 when I was 19. Sold it, but I am getting another one very soon. Hopefully by the end of the month. And kids may try to talk $hit about the 500, but lets see them keep up in the trails.

[kxtaz]

im 72 years old.

[91kx]

I'm 31 and bought my 91kx500 about 6 months ago.The list of bikes I've owned goes like this:81mx80,82rm80,83yz80,84kx80,83cr125,86cr500,91kx250,88cr250,94cr250,94xr650l,92cr250 and now the big kx.I don't remember owning a bike that I looked forward to riding more than this one.I live in abbotsford,b.c.,canada where there is nothing resembling a desert but alot of tight single track and alot of logging roads.Neither one is tough on the kx but that clutch pull can be tough on tight trails.Anyway, I really like it.

[mikesmith]

Hey 91KX,you can lighten up the clutch pull by extending your clutch arm 8mm,reroutting the cable in a direct line from lever to arm instead of the long way its routed stock,using a works connection clutch lever and perch or Fly Racing,ect.  that has a bearing in the lever(uses a Honda type bend for best leverage) ,and keeping it well lubed(Rick has a good write up on lubing the cable).And positioning the lever so you pull on the end of the lever for the most leverage,I did all these mods to my bike and have a lighter pull than my friends bikes,even the ones on 125's.Hope this helps you out.

[n2682]

 im only 25 all my friends get mad i mean mad when i get the big kx5 out to hit the trails i think there just mad they cant ride it no one wants to ride it witch to me is good no lawsuits and no fixing the bike. i ride the kx5 for one reason and one reason only it scares me literally im nuts what can i say if you do it on a trail or up a hill im goign to fallow with no reguard to what will happen to me if you can i can well i hurt myself really bad when i was 20 on a cr500 couldnt walk for almost a year gained some weight but will never stop riding on 2 wheels im 6'1 280 i need the power i have to have the power the kx5 delivers it to me when i want it when i need it your all right about self controll and the kx 5 is my self controll and puts me in controll when i need the power behind me that a 250 just wont deliver.
 nick from michigan

[Damwabbit]

I'm now 33 years old and I've been riding since I was about 10 years old. I've got a ton of experience on the 250 2 strokes and some amount of time spent on the 500's before I got my current KX. I weigh only 157 lbs and I find the 500's to be very easy to ride as long as I don't constantly full throttle the dang thing everywhere I go. Too much power is a lame excuse for those with no self control, I love having all that power on hand when I need it. I've been able to race the same tracks as those on the 250's or 450's and I can do it just as easily, but it takes some control and discipline. The 500's do however require a whole new style of riding technique, they behave a little differently than the other bikes, but getting use to them takes practice and time and before you know it you'll be just as good as anyone else on a bike.
On another note... I have a buddy who just bought a Suzuki quad that now has a CR500 motor in it, holly cow that thing is crazy fast. The 500's are the best to go in my oppinion.

[ericac]

HAH! i win. im only 18. and most kids my age are scared of my bike, which is fine with me cuz im not about to let em' ride it!

[Kawasakinut]

   i'm 33. sometimes i feel like i'm 19 and sometimes i feel like i'm 100. years of (abuse to the body) from my military service are catching up with me. i've probably logged more miles walking in my 9 year military career than i've put on a motorcycle in 28 years. had to do 25 mile road marches every month and 1/2 for the last 5  years of service go  infantry (forward observer) hoooooooooah!!!