Having Fun w/ my KX500

[toddwunsch]

I'm having fun with my '04 KX-500.  I've been on this project for about 6 months now, modifying this bike in everyway that I can.  I love this bike.  Tons of power, and I've learned quite a bit adding things, testing, adding more things, testing, removing things, etc...  Here's what I have so far.

2004 KX 500
Mods..

1.) Zip Ty Racing KX KIT includes 3.7 gal tank, Flow pipe, Flow silencer.
2.) Zip Ty Racing air screw (Adjustable by hand)
3.) Homemade Power-Now air intake device.  Made w/ scrap aluminum from Tru-Value hardware.
4.) Pro Taper black CR High Bend.
5.) Scott's Oversized bar clamps with dampner mount.
6.) Scott's steering dampner.
7.) V-Force reed.
8.) Steahly 14 oz. flywheel weight.  (Removed it after one test.  Robbed too much power.)
9.) Boyseen Factory Racing ignition cover.
10.) Pro-Circuit billet oil fill plug.
11.) Pro-Curcut billet rear brake reservoir.
12.) Various plastics / shrouds from Dennis Kirk. (See Pics Below).
13.) ASV Unbreakable clutch lever with adjustable perch.
14.) ASV Unbreakable brake lever with additional nylong sleeve and mounting bracket.
15.) Scott's billet rear brake rotor protector.
16.) Moose torque spacer.
17.) DID 520 Gold Chain
18.) Renthal 47 Rear sprocket.
19.) Kawasaki 15 Primary sprocket.

Total OTD for the bike... $5,300
Estimated total for Mods.... $3,000

Still on my wish list....
1.) Excel wheels / Talon hubs (black & gold).
2.) Pipe protector for flow pipe. (Rocks are beating it up..)
3.) Billet gas cap for IMS tank.
4.) Pro-Circuit or Factory Connection suspension Mods ($$$$)
5.) Talon Gold sprocket set (front / rear).

This bike has never seen pump gas.  Only VP 110 Racing gas.  I run platinum plugs.  Jetting is easy with this config.  The ZipTy hand adjustable air screw helps.

As far as looks go, I have had some fun since the ZipTy tank mod uses KX-250 shrouds.  That opens the door for many options with graphics.  Currently, I can get Green, Black and White plastics from Dennis Kirk.  I have (3) three different plastics configs as of now.  Pictures are posted below in this order...   (1) Zip Ty Racing green.  (2) GraphicMX Chrome Skull (black/green) and (3) XGX Racing Fire skull (red/yellow)...  I am currently working on a USA theme using white plastics and XGX American Flag theme on the shrouds.  Will post pics when that is complete..

Zip Ty Racing Green


GraphicMX Chrome Skull


XGXRacing Fire Skull


Comments are welcome !!

[DanH1]

Looks good.     Nice and clean.   [Except for that Free Style yellow rear tire.]
  I like the ability to change a bikes looks. I've got the Zip Ty kit also, so I go back to the stock tank every so often so I can run different pipes etc.

Nice Bike!!!


Dan

[Ramski]

Awesome!!! The KX in different colors is kinda neat but I still prefer green. Good luck with the bike!

[mikesmith]

I like the traditional green and the green one looks awesome!The other two arent my type,but still cool and differnt looking,good job!

[demographic]

Like the green one myself but the other two sets of plastics and graphics are a bit gothic for my tastes .

I am a bit of a traditionalists on this one, KXs should be green

Like the tank and pipe though

[toddwunsch]

I like all of the colors.  I'm not partial to one or the other.  However, if you look closely at the chrome skull graphic, it is outlined in Kawasaki green and I took off the stock white mud guard and replaced it with a Kawasaki green one.  So my intentions are good right ?  As far as the yellow / red theme goes, I just got plain old crazy.  I'm not very hip on it myself.  The truth is, I'm not really a huge fan of Kawasaki or any other bike mfg for that matter.  I just really love the KX500.  I'd ride it if it were brown with orange pokadots...

[demographic]

I like all of the colors.  I'm not partial to one or the other.  However, if you look closely at the chrome skull graphic, it is outlined in Kawasaki green and I took off the stock white mud guard and replaced it with a Kawasaki green one.  So my intentions are good right ?  As far as the yellow / red theme goes, I just got plain old crazy.  I'm not very hip on it myself.  The truth is, I'm not really a huge fan of Kawasaki or any other bike mfg for that matter.  I just really love the KX500.  I'd ride it if it were brown with orange pokadots...

Aye, the point is that plastics are cheap enough that you can do what you want with it without costing an arm and a leg

Try doing that with a sportsbike

BTW I bought myself Talon/Excel wheels direct from Talon in England (where I live) but mine have silver rims with black hubs and the sizes are 3.5" by 17" front and 4.25" by 17" rear (Supermoto sizes) so cost a bit more than MX wheels, I think that minus the discs and sprocket it came to ?485

[teamgreen500]

Straight off d' Hizzle!

[jtorresiii]

I just rescently purchased an 04 kx500 and the only thing I did is added an reed vlave spacer and a 93 kx250 rear fender to change the looks of the bike. Your second picture of your bike in black looks good however, if you can get a 93kx250 rear fender in black, that would really make it stand out.

[toddwunsch]

Yep, I've got both green and black in the KX-250 fender.  For some reason, I just can't let go of the original KX-500 look.  Regarding the wheels, if a colored rim is all you're looking for, I ran into some guys out at Beaumont the other day and this guy had a KTM with orange wheels.  He had them both anodized for $100.  I got some video, I'll try to post here in a bit.

[mikesmith]

Theres a place at www.wheellacing.com that does anodizing for $150.00,or anodize and lacing/truing for $250.00.Do you know who did it for $100.00?Thats a fair price.I agree on the stock rear fender,it seems to help with "BIG/BAD 500" look!When I get some extra cash I want to get my 500 looking as good as yours (the one you did in green is killer!),its that Ty-Davis kit that I cant seem to ever get the $$$ for!

[toddwunsch]

Well, I had a $8000 budget when I went into the motorcycle shop with a CRF or YZF in mind.  Keep in mind, I currently own a Husaberg FX600 four stroke which to this day is still the most powerful (overall) dirt bike I have ever ridden.  The problem is that I am having much difficulty maintaining that bike.  So I realized going into the shop that I was going to have to trade off some power for some possible performance benefits by purchasing the CRF / YZF.  Well, there it was.  In all it's green glory.  One (1) 2004 KX500.  Of course I asked, and everyone in the shop agreed that if I was looking for something that would behave similar to my FX600, it would be the KX500 in the power department.  Then I looked at the price..  $4999  WOW!!  The bike was in my truck 30 minutes later and I still had $2700 in my pocket.  So I with minimal arguments with my wife, I was able to keep the $2700 and used that to do anything and everything I could to that bike, within reason.  I was like a kid in a candy store and coming from searching the globe for simple parts like a fender for my Husaberg, to actually shopping for virtually any part I need and having it at my front door within a few days for the KX500, it has been a pleasure owning this bike.  And in the power department...  Well let's just say, the Husaberg will still run away from the KX500 on a very, very long straight away (the Husaberg has 6 gears), I think the fact that I continue to take the KX500 out every weekend probably speaks for itself.  It has more power than I could ever need or want..

[mikesmith]

Got to love the BIG KX!