I live in New England. The land of rocks, trees and mud. Not a suitable zone for flogging a KX500. Until I went up to a place on Moosehead Lake, Maine called Kokadjo. It's sparsely populated, and has been incramentally opening up old logging roads, and snowmobile trails for legal use of ATV's and dirtbikes. These roads are wide, rolling, and FAST (if you have the balz). I took my YZ450, and my KX500, and just beat those two bikes for all they were worth, and I can't begin to explain the $hit-eatin' grin I had on my face all day long !! Now I have a good feel for the true power a KX500 can put to the dirt when traction is excellent, and wow the top end is brutal. My fuel economy was very respectable, and per my GPS I think I was getting about 24 mpg? The KX500 spanked my YZ450 in all aspects of high speed power. However, like I anticipated, the KX500 eventually really starts to wear the rider down from all the constant power. The YZ450 is less powerfull, and definately more foregiving of a ride (much lighter feeling). I hadn't ridden my KX500 all year, I pulled it out from storage, cleaned the air filter, slapped in a new plug, and the bike ran absolutely perfect all weekend! I did however loose a subframe bolt, a numberplate bolt, but I always carry a selection of bolts in my tools! So I always envied you western sand guys, but now I had my chance to "feel the rush" as well and LOVED IT !!! Cheers!
Rich