Making a 500 turn

[JustinSB]

My 500 doesn't like to turn. Has anyone had success making them turn? I'm not going AF, but looking for some reasonable things to change to make it turn at all. She loves to go straight, and to haul ass, but I got killed at the races this weekend because I couldn't hang in the turns.

[Friar-Tuck]

Hey Justin,
 Have you ever set up your suspension for yourself, race sag , spring weights etc?
   The other thing you may consider is raising your forks in your triple clamps.  You would be surprised what 5mm difference makes.  Just be careful, raising the forks will give you quicker steering however you will start to lose high speed stability.
 
 Here's a link to another members page that has been sorting out maintenance tips etc.  This article is on suspension.
http://dirthammers.com/blog/?p=536

Tuck\o/

[kx5rider]

Setting sag is a good start.
I have also put aftermarket tripple clamps and pro circuit dogbones which raise the back slightly and both those seemed to help a bit.

[JustinSB]

Thanks guys. I have the bike set up to go fast and straight right now, but that's not what I need anymore.

What adjustments do you guys like for sag and fork height?

[Friar-Tuck]

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jfuRSiCCdY&feature=related

http://www.tootechracing.com/suspension_tips.htm

http://www.off-road.gr/article11.html

 Tuck\o/

[2-Stroke Tom]

Does anyone know when to get the aftermarket dog bones? The Pro Circuit ones are no longer available.

[ELRUKO]

Hey Justin:  For desert riding like you do, you need a great front tire that tracks in the sand.  I have used for years D 755, but there arent't many left.  I have a D 733 on now, but they are discontinued also...  I have used on my 450f a B M59  lots of guys in the desert use them.  Great turning, weak sidewall, use a HD tube.  The forks should be slid up in the clamps to the 2nd ring, about 1/4"  My forks are plush, so the front end settles in the turns.  I have ridden my kx500 on Tecate single track for 10 yrs.  It has PC valving and rides like it has ground effects.  It hugs the trail.  If the front end is up in the air, it will never turn.  My 450 has stiff forks and doesn't like to turn, the 500 will dive in deeper!   ELRUKO

[kx5rider]

Tom, I found a set of the pro circuits on ebay new in the package...they pop up from time to time.

[KXcam22]

I found two things tha both made a huge improvement in how the K5 turns.  First is the the K5 love to steer with weight on the pegs.  Try cornering with all your weight focused on the inside peg.  You might be surprised.  For me front tire choice was key.  I went through 3 or 4 front tires before I found one that worked they way I wanted.  It might be accidental but the best combo ended up being a matched front/rear pair.  But face it, the K5 is an old chassis that does not turn as well as the new bikes, so to beat them in the corners it will require more effort from the rider.  Cam.

[JustinSB]

Thanks guys. I've got two races in three weeks so hopefully I'll get it taken care of by them and maybe teach my self not to be a pussy and turn that big ol sumbitch.

[barryadam]

I found two things tha both made a huge improvement in how the K5 turns.  First is the the K5 love to steer with weight on the pegs.  Try cornering with all your weight focused on the inside peg.  You might be surprised. 

But face it, the K5 is an old chassis that does not turn as well as the new bikes, so to beat them in the corners it will require more effort from the rider.  Cam.

I tried Cam's weighting and it helps.  I was also advised that the KX500 turns better with application of throttle.  I've found it's a lot of work, but combining the peg weighting and application of power has worked well.  Relatively.  It's still not as nimble as some other bikes.
I know suspension technology improves a lot over time, but the fact that the chassis is "old" isn't really the issue.  Although the 500 was sold as a "motocross bike", the basic geometry indicates it was always designed for stability at speed, not quick, light turning and flickability.

Barry

[ToomanyKaws]

In the past,  didn't ride my 500 much.  Just never got the bike to handle the way I felt comfortable with.   My friends kept urging me to bring the 500 out everytime we rode.   Finally I spent some time with sag, fork height, springs, valving.  But most of all riding position.   Now would rather ride the 500 than any of the other bikes.   Weighting the peg on the side you are turning works well for me.   Standing alot on single track and keep weight over the front of the bike helps me also.   Took me awhile to adapt.  Like to steer with the throttle.   Use the rear brake a lot and rarely the front.  Yet on my 250 or 200 use the front brakes often.   Every person is going to find a different technique that works for their height and weight.   Just takes a some testing.   Helps to have some fast guys to ride with that you can try and keep up with.   

[Polar-Bus]

My 500 doesn't like to turn. Has anyone had success making them turn? I'm not going AF, but looking for some reasonable things to change to make it turn at all. She loves to go straight, and to haul ass, but I got killed at the races this weekend because I couldn't hang in the turns.

Remember we're talking late 80's desert chassis technology. You can't polish a terd. A  few things that can help is bar risers, tall seat foam, and slightly soft front fork compression. The limiting factor is you can't transition yourself over the front end on a KX500.