need some info on kx500

[KTMEXC125]

ok im new to this site and the kx500.  im 17 and ride a KTM 125 exc two stroke. its perfect for tight woods and has plenty of top end speed for a 125.  i have a chance at buying a 2003 KX500 for 2200. its in perfect condition and has a fmf gnarly pipe and silencer, skidplate, and desert tank. its my friends dads bike and ive rode it before. so much POWER! what i wanna know is, is it a good idea for a kid like me to be on such a beast. im 6' 3" and 230lbs so size isnt an issue. im a farm boy so im pretty strong and i dont get tired riding all day. we ride in open hay fields and deer trails that arent too tight, in dried creek beds and my favorite is going up and down steep hills.  would a 500 be good for that? and at a price of 2200 if i dont like it i could easily sell it for more. i was also planning on adding flywheel weight to it to calm the bark. what do you guys think? thanks for any help

[Hillclimb#42]

Actually, the 500 is easy to ride in those conditions. The little twisty thing on the right is what gets you in trouble. Its never age its maturity for me, and obviously size won't be an issue. I'm 5' 10" and 165lbs, on 97 500. Its an awesome bike and I have alot more in my 97 than $2200, I promise. Unfortunately 2200 is often the price tag. Generally cheaper than 250's and 125's somehow.
 There are a few other things you can do to "calm the bark" Lots of effort has been spent on detuning (making it more ridable), and also equal time making it faster( making it even more "barky"). Mods like the Reed Spacer, a thicker head gasket, that Flywheel weight, a stock pipe, and a lower gear ratio all would help the bike more ridable. Buy it to keep it.

[dsrtrider]

also dont try and ride it like a 125.  you have to use more upper gears and roll on throttle.  if you try and stuff and run like a 125 you will wear yourself out

[KTMEXC125]

i dont tend to whack open the throttle on my 125 or even use the powerband.  i like upshifting and lugging the gears. i rode that way old 2000 honda cr125 and went through spark plugs like crazy. it was either stop or wide open. my ktm is a breeze to ride through anything and i plan on keeping it so if a 500 is too crazy i will still have an easy bike to ride

i dont really like the kawys though. had bad experience with them. my 1999 kx125 locked up (ruined the cylinder and bottom end)after 30 min of riding but that was probably from a lack of maintence the previous owner gave it. i would like a cr500 but i heard the most recent ones made dont have power valves and i think they look old. i like the style of the kx500. too bad its not orange!

also what would it take to make a kx5 street legal? a baja lighting kit? and what about emissions. i live in kansas. a street legal two stroke would be the best!!!

[KTMEXC125]

and one more question. how would a ktm 300 exc or 380 exc compare to the kx500? i dont care about suspension or turning ability. ive heard the power delivery on a 300exc is very smooth and easy to manage. whats the power delivery like on a kx500....? (when u dont just crack the throttle wide open)

[dsrtrider]

kx5's have good reliablility.  they won tons of baja and desert races before they stopped making them.

i have a 2007 ktm 300 xc-w.  its lighter and easier to whip around but doesnt come near the power of k5.  suspension on k5 are better than ktms.  took forever to get my ktm setup right

ktm xc-w or xc's dont tire you out and are fast and good for offroad.  depends on type of riding yo are doing.  nothing beat a 500 at the sand dunes or wide open thru the desert IMO.

as far as street legal depends on your state.  i dont think any 2stroke is legal in calif

[dsrtrider]

one other thing.  when i switched to my 300 i missed having the power when needed like my 500.  when you appraoch an obsticle you crack the throttle and wheely over it.  ktm may or maynot wheely depending on revs at the moment.

[turtle22]

i ride my k5 all over. i live in northern california,we have mountains w/tight wooded trails. crazy steep hill climbs and wide open deserts. im 6'1" 175lbs and i ride that bad mother all over them all. the only thing i would like better is fuel mileage(going to try a new carb system). the bike was great power and if u learn how to feather the cluch u can lug the k5 just fine.

[Icerider]

I ride a 500 in everything from puttin around with my daughters to wide open trying to pull 6th gear. I love the flywheel weight. The only time you notice any loss is when dragin with another 500 or a highly modified 250 (race gas). 4th and 5th gear wheelies are a little harder. Thats the down side. The upside is it acts like a thumper, will lug like a tractor, starts easier, no feathering of the clutch just dump it and go, sooooo much easier to ride and less tiring. If you want to drag, it only takes a couple of minutes to pull off. Best mod to make, $100 to have two bikes, a ripper and poker....

[KTMEXC125]

i live in kansas and the bike has a title. how hard would it be to convert it to street legal? what all would it need? has anyone on this site made their 500 into a street legal one? ive seen pics and videos of street legal 500's

[jdcowboy]

I dont know about it being a 'good idea' for any of us to own one of these beast.  Chances are adrenaline will overpower the brain at some point and you will find yourself compromised.  Seriously it sounds to me, by your very question that you respect the power the k5 has and that is a good start.  Never disrespect the power or you will end up eating it.  I would not detune it personally, that is what makes it the bike that we all covet.  The k5 is really pretty easy to ride slow on, it has a ton of torque.  You may not be able to just rip on the throttle.  You must develop throttle control that you dont need on the smaller machines.  Also speed is very deceptive on the k5.  It will go faster in 4th gear than most motocross bikes will do in high gear.  Top speed depending on gearing is around 100mph.  My experience has been that a stock Cr500 will not touch a stock Kx500.  I actually leaned that way as well, but then my brother in law corrected me and now I love that k5.  Also the CR has a much newer design to it. The k5's have not changed since the mid 90's and really very little before that as I understand it.
I also have a KTM 300 MXC, and as anyone who has both will tell ya, the k5 in a drag race overpowers the 300, but once you hit the technical stuff the 300 will walk away from the k5.  The ktm 300 is the best all around bike period!!!! Great power, and awesome suspension, handling, ect...  The KX 500 is all about pure adrenaline.  As far as reliability the KX 500 is very reliable.  It will eat your chain though, but we call that maintnence. 

[KTMEXC125]

alright guys i bought the k5 last night! what a beast! it was 2 cold and dark to ride it though. i cant wait to take it out this weekend. i think i already have a little green runnin in my veins now

[Sofus]

Congrats! 

Now, be careful with that right handle

[KTMEXC125]

so much for reliability. i locked it up earlier today. im guessing it has never had a new top end put in it ever. o well. looks like i got a project on my hands for now. im gonna need a new piston and the cylinder replated. would a sleeve be cheaper? or would that hurt reliability

[Hillclimb#42]

Sleevin it would hurt reliability. You want the nikasil. Check out the thread on piston reading. You should be able to determine the cause. It gets real expensive when you blow up a new one. Somethin' definately happened that you should try to figure out. That sucks, man. Search around on here, its happened to many of us. Max Power is good There's another thread going with other recommendations too for platers. Check the plug, should tell you something. Rod could be junk too. Take your time with it.