2001 K5 in South Africa

[Captain_Chaos]

Hi All,

Just got myself my first KX500 (2001) last Friday!
I was planning to transplant the motor into a different frame, but after riding it this weekend on fast sandy MX track I found the handling to way better than expected. So with some fine tuning, this frame should work for me as this is meant to be a play bike for out rides (I will stick with the RM250 for track riding).
I?m almost there with the jetting but still need to spend some time on the power valve. The motor is pulling strong and smooth, but it feels a bit boring as there is no big hit, and it is a bit slow to rev up.

There are not many K5?s here in South Africa so I should stick out a bit and it will be fun kicking some new 4T but on an 11 year old 2T.

PS it is kxriders.com?s fault I got one of these ? a great source of information!

[Captain_Chaos]

It looks like I found the reason why the bike is not pulling as strong as it should.
I striped down the motor after I found excessive float at the flywheel.
Found the following:
- Both mains have spun in the casings ? will need to sleeve them.
- Both main bearing journals on crank worn ? repair or replace?
- Cylinder worn ? nikasil
No wonder she was not running right!

[Motorrad]

howdy.. welcome to the site...       surprised our usual welcome party hasnt chimed in yet..

tuck where are you?

[sandblaster]

SA?
I'd love to see where you ride.
Welcome to the site.

[Captain_Chaos]

Thanks for the welcome.

Hi Motorrad,
I?ve been reading your post ?ROUND 2 jeff ward 1991 motor ROUND 2? with great interest.
Excellent advice on the Loctite ? it should work on my mains.
As the mains have spun on the crankshaft and in the housing I just need to find the right solution to make sure I can split the cases afterwards.
I?m looking at these options:
-Use 648 (4500PSI) on the crank & 641 (1700psi) for the case
-Use 648 on both & then cut out oil seal and heat the crank with a torch when it?s time disassemble
-Use 648 on the crank and sleeve the case (but I don?t quite trust the machine shop to get the bores in line)

Hi sandblaster,
Here in SA we are very spoilt for riding terrain (unregulated).
Based in Gauteng, it?s mainly rocks, fast single track and mine dumps but with a bit of travelling (4-5 Hours) Natal and Lesotho make for spectacular weekend rides.
Off-road bikes especially KTM?s outsell MX bikes here, as there are just so many opportunities for outriders.

Hopefully soon, as I learn more about the 500, I will be able to make some contributions to this forum.

BTW, my current bikes are:

KX500 ? My new (old) baby
KX85 ? Her?s for fun & racing
RM250 ? For the track
DRZ125 ? Her?s for the rocks
Bandit 1200 ? For the road
YZ450F ? Capable but a 4T ? looking for new home
KTM250EXC ? Good for the rocks, but needs to be put down ? parts anyone?