Service Honda built....

[greencannon]

Ok, So it sems everybody has some sort of KX500 AF copy. But does anybody have a $ 10,000.00 Service Honda KX500AF.
I made the mistake of going to the website, then searching various forums, then searched videos.....Even started wondering if I should start putting some $$ aside for the rainy day....
Needless to say my wife has had to repeatedly smack me upside the head to regain my attention due to constant deep daydreaming.
Lots of talk about - demanding respect, modern handling, updated ergo's, insane power, ect.ect... Much of what I expected
 But what I really want to know is how does everything else hold up on the new chassis seeing how it wasn't really designed for a 60+ HP beast of a 2smoke motor nuts, bolts, bushings,bearings....and especially that really ridgid "modified" aluminum frame.I've seen some pretty nasty cracks on other aluminum framed bikes. Anybody who owns a KX500 loves them, but has to admit high maintainance on lots of small things(nuts, bolts, brackets, kickstarters, vibration wear, ect.)

Any long term service reports out there ??

[kxpegger]

I've had mine almost 2 years now. So far so good. I ride Nevada desert and the suspension and welds have withstood a brutal pounding so far! I'm getting ready for my third set of rims if that gives you any idea! The stock DID's were crap! If it weren't for the DID's I'd only be on my second set of rims.

[Danger4u2]

I have an 08 KXF450 Service Honda KX500AF.  Heavily modified with aftermarket add on parts.  Stock motor but it's at Stewarts getting a mostly stock over haul.  Didn't have any motor problems just wanted to freshen.  I do most of my riding on wooded trails but I get into very rocky mountainous riding every once in a while.  I should say Oklahoma mountains.  People out west would say there the size of western foothills.  I've had 2 get off's in the rocks, both high sided down the hill.  Once on each side, bike didn't roll just landed on it's side kind of hard.  E-line carbon fiber pipe protector did it's job on the right side get off.  Looped it once coming out of a dry creek bed.  Just enough to touch and break the rear fender before it fell to the left side.  No other damage.  I have 43 hours on the bike and never lost a nut or bolt.  Last ride it was dark when I washed the bike and the next day I was looking the bike over and noticed the left fork was leaking oil.  Decided to remove the forks and shock for a rebuild/respring.  I chose Factory Connection to do the work.  One day service, picked them up on the way home.  They tore them down before I got done BS'n with the manager and found I had broken a plastic part in one of the forks.  I don't know what it's called but it cost me $120 bucks.  They have a shop in Muskogee Okla., that's about half way to Stewarts so I pulled the motor and did the day trip, 8 1/2 hours on the road.

I'm very happy with my purchase.  It was allot of money but you gota pay to play, right?
Once you own one,  5 words roll off your lips with ease, NO! you can't ride it.

[greencannon]

Great replies guy's, I'm actually considering this option. I know it's expensive but in contrast, compare it to a new 450 MX bike and the really high maintaiance costs. My 01 KX500 motorwise is lowest costing bike in the garage. I really like thumper power characteristics I know i could get used to it. But I've really grown to love the 500 motor and feel really at home with it and dont want to change there. I guess i want better ergos and suspension options for some occasional MX style riding ( I mostly ride GNCC style riding with some occasional sand pit and MX track riding)
to sum it up - I guess I want the best of all worlds...
One more question though. We all know the KX frame is considered very dated. But you gotta agree It's ledgendary stability at ridiculous speeds is spectacular. How does the new frame compare I've ridden plenty of aluminum framed MXers and love the light feel and turning but really hate the twitchy behavior at high speed.

[Danger4u2]

A better rider could open up my AF bike where I ride.  I've never gone past half of 4th gear off road.  I have opened it up on pavement and it felt really loose.  That was with unbalanced knobbies.  Since that run I have had the wheels off and balanced them.  Need to do another run to check it out.
I have a 2004 mostly stock street legal KX500 with Continental TKC80 tires.  D.O.T. 60% off road and 40% on.  At highway speed it tracks very well.  http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Continental/continental_tkc80.htm
It feels loose at the forks if you wiggle the handle bars, like my KLR650 felt before I put a fork brace on it.
I went to a 52 tooth rear sprocket on the AF and it made me a much better rider in the woods.  It corners much better than stock K5's.
It feels lighter but I think stock and AF weigh close to the same.

[kxpegger]

Depends on what gear I'm in and how much throttle. It's either a tractor that can do a full pull or riding a bolt of lightning.

I don't know for sure but I ran across a post somewhere that said the aluminum frame was actually heavier by 4 to 6 pounds. The advantage was design capabilty where as you can only bend steel tubing in so many directions at once vs a cast piece of aluminum. I only have one steel frame bike which is an RM250. It does seem to be a little more forgiving as far as road feel goes. Manufacturers are now making the newer AF's with more flex in the frames and swingarms as they are finding out it helps handling.

I think the main advantage to my AF is that the suspension alone is better than the older steel frames. The other reason I bought the AF was I wanted something new in a big bore 2 stroke and they're only a couple grand more than a new $Dollar$ stroke!

[azracer19]

I am also in a delima....the KX 500 with good suspension mods , i feel cant be beat in the wide open desert races of he west. I owned a KX 450 until it was stolen a couple months ago. Im worried the AF will not have the stability at very high speeds (the 450 never hit wide open speeds of the 500).. Therefore why do the conversion? Kawasaki frames have been known to crack either steel or aluminum so thats not an issue. Vibration is bad on a KX 500 and if anyone has raced one for 3 or 4 hours knows this becomes tiresoeme, causing forearm pump. Myself I seldom use the clutch 2 hours into a wooped out high speed desert race. The reason is I cant pull the lever in after hanging on the beast for that long. For motorcross the 500 is just way to fast especialy for the tracks of today. The 450 for a non pro will be easier to ride anyday of the week on a motocross track. The problem with the KX 500 and the riding/racing I do is its hard to find parts for them. Plastic/ graphics are a pain in the can to find. I had to replace the rear sprocket as i run 1 44 tooth in the rear it took me 10 days to get it off ebay. So ya parts are hard to come by and will get even worse. So whats a guy to do? KX500 AF with high speed wobbles   no thanks. owning a bike you cant get parts for? that sucks....maybe time to go orange and buy a KTM 300?

[ktmdude]

I have a 09 300xc. Love it. Lots of parts for it. But its ktm so the #^%& is costly. It has plenty of getty up but its no k5, af or no. I have a buddy with a 92 cr 5 that can't ride it anymore. (bad back and shoulder) My uncle has a 91 k5, he rips on it, but it hearts his knee to start. (old skiing accents and age) He is thinking about a newer bike with better suppention and a button and maybe a plate. (ktm 530?) With these two possibilitys I have some wheels turning. I love my 300 (with a button) its a beast, but its no monster. It would be cool to have a big bro for the big bore lites bike. If I can score one of the bikes for cheep, I would like to start my own af project. After joining this site I am really inspired. Thanks guys.

[PowerFiend]

I have a 09 300xc. Love it. Lots of parts for it. But its ktm so the #^%& is costly. It has plenty of getty up but its no k5, af or no. I have a buddy with a 92 cr 5 that can't ride it anymore. (bad back and shoulder) My uncle has a 91 k5, he rips on it, but it hearts his knee to start. (old skiing accents and age) He is thinking about a newer bike with better suppention and a button and maybe a plate. (ktm 530?) With these two possibilitys I have some wheels turning. I love my 300 (with a button) its a beast, but its no monster. It would be cool to have a big bro for the big bore lites bike. If I can score one of the bikes for cheep, I would like to start my own af project. After joining this site I am really inspired. Thanks guys.

Your uncle should spring for the decompression mod. Check out the vendor section.

[Dutch-K5 Fan]

I have a 09 300xc. Love it. Lots of parts for it. But its ktm so the #^%& is costly. It has plenty of getty up but its no k5, af or no. I have a buddy with a 92 cr 5 that can't ride it anymore. (bad back and shoulder) My uncle has a 91 k5, he rips on it, but it hearts his knee to start. (old skiing accents and age) He is thinking about a newer bike with better suppention and a button and maybe a plate. (ktm 530?) With these two possibilitys I have some wheels turning. I love my 300 (with a button) its a beast, but its no monster. It would be cool to have a big bro for the big bore lites bike. If I can score one of the bikes for cheep, I would like to start my own af project. After joining this site I am really inspired. Thanks guys.

Have you already checked if a 380 cylinder and maybe a crank would fit???
My collega has a SX380 and it rips! Just like a 500.
I know we are a KX site and fan( me included).

Dutchie

[ktmdude]

I'll let him know about the decomp.

No I have not thought about a 380. I have a High compression head on back order. Should be here in a few weeks. Don't get me wrong its a great bike with a lot of power. More than I can use most of the time. I think that it would be cool to get a big bore and put it in an af. I see a lot of you guys have done it, and it sounds like fun. I like to build custom stuff like that.

[dirtjunkie85]

I don't think the 380 cylinder or crank will fit in the 300 cases. 300's are a big bore of ktm's 250 motor so they aren't made for the bigger 380 parts. that's why you don't see big bore kits for the 300's, because they are already a 250 with a bigger jug.

[bigbellybob]

the 380 was just a big bore stroker 300. the old 380 jug bolts on to the 08 style case easily with just small amount of work to match the transfers to the new case, but bolt pattern is the same. the power valve rod requires a small amount of attention to work properly with the 380 PV. you need to get creative to seal up the PV cover also as it wont match perfectly with the new cases. it takes some good machining to fit the 380 crank into the new case but its not only doable its already ben done.




its easyer just to put the 380 motor into the new frame vs the 380 parts into the new case. its actualy very very easy to put the 380 motor in the newer frame

[ktmdude]

The gears are turning, but with 40 hrs its just to new to mess with. I wonder if the e-start would kick over a 380?

[bigbellybob]

99 - 02 380s had a decompression hole above the exhaust port and kick over pretty easily. the 98 is a B to kick.


greencannon sorry for the hijack.