Author Topic: "1997" KX500 Alaska backwoods wonder (Read 4430 times)

ddashb · « **on:** March 20, 2017, 12:14:39 PM »

Last June I was driving the 3 or so hours down to Kenia AK to race an "Alaska State" motocross track and I came across this wonder chained to a light pole out side of an old repair shop straight off the set of the Walking dead.

It was a heap. BALD tires, rust, booger welded sidestand, huge oversized tank and plenty of oil/dirt crud all over everything. Wanted $2000. Called and texted the Alaskan bush person and remember talking to the guy and he was pretty firm on it and was really playing the salesman game. Was broke and was no way spending that much so the pics stayed in my phone until a few days ago. My KX500 steel frame build has dead cases so my eyes lit up when I can across the pics a few days ago.

Of course the dude didn't answer the phone or a text for a day but he called em up kind of excited acting? He was real talkative and just asked me how much I would give him for it when I was hesitant. Wouldn't do a hot $500 but was all about $800 AND he's driving up the 3 hours ice road trucker style up today! Said it ran but has a worn out starter ratchet mechanism thingamabob. SCORE!

We'll see how it looks after 8 months of sitting in the Alaska bush people's front yard.

Foxx4Beaver · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2017, 01:53:46 PM »

Nice score!!
I'm skeptical on it being a '97 though...as it's got blue forks...only the '91, '92 and '93 KX's had blue forks.

Once you get it...you can verify it's real year easily by looking up the 10th digit on the VIN#...located on the frame neck...

here's a breakdown of VIN#'s and years...

http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php/topic,6492.0.html

ddashb · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2017, 03:04:35 PM »

yeah the the blue forks put up the quotations but I see it all the time at the shop fighting with what year their bike is.

ddashb · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2017, 05:38:03 PM »

A few pics from picking the bike up. Turns out the guy comes to the shop and has bought parts from my gf in the parts department. It is for sure a 1991 and even has an old title with it. She's definitely seen better days and looks like it was owned by Trevor Piranha.

The kickstart ratchet is way rounded and it took the standard light foot play to get it to catch but it does have compression.

[imghttp://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i397/dirtbiker500/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0553.jpg]http://[/img]
old school Clarke tank. size?

good thing I have a good clutchcover...

lol worse tire yet

shin murderer

only in Alaska

[imghttp://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i397/dirtbiker500/Mobile%20Uploads/DSC_0548.jpg]http://[/img]
someone wheelie this out once or twice?

JB weld and sae bolt

and this... needless to say the brakes do not work

sandblaster · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2017, 02:41:17 AM »

It's a good start...
Engines are basically the same from 89-04.
The chassis can be updated with the latest forks and brakes.
Basically, your bike can do this if set up correctly..

ddashb · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2017, 04:26:48 AM »

Well I got it mainly for a donor engine that my KX5 steel frame project is now needing. I'll start posting back on that thread once I get this thing torn down. I'd normally feel bad about stripping down a complete bike like this but it is pretty haggard and there is a guy here that might put the parts to good use on the resto he is STILL working on.

Thanks again for all the resources guys.

ddashb · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2017, 07:15:24 PM »

tore into the bike and robbed the engine out of it. Really not a terrible frame but nothing worth restoring. Has a few weird welds and cuts going on. On the bright side it did have good spark and at least rolls.