KX 500 AF for desert racing

[azracer19]

After looking thru this site and finding alot of articles and members buillding the Aluminum framed KX 500, I am amazed at the beautifil machines they have produced. I am very close to making a decision on building one myself. I have raced the deserts of CA at the ripe old age of 11 racing a few times at the old bay mar TT track also ( that really dates me ). The first bike I raced was a bike my dad built out of many parts. van-tech frame, bridgestone rotary valve 100 cc engine with leading link front suspension. Of coasre I have raced and owned many bikes since moving to 250 by the age of 14 I finally setteled years later on a KX 250..bored to a 285 with race tech suspension. I fell in love with that bike, however I got tired of eating dust for 100 miles and bought a new 86 KX 500 and found a new love, after owning just about every year 500 after that I now have settled on my 2002 KX 500. When a guy learns to ride this bike with a gearing change of a 43 tooth rear sproket and a 15 tooth front sproket a pipe and a few engine mods, and suspension revalving, there isnt a bike alive that this bike wont chase, catch down , pass and leave a cloud of dust in its wake leaving whatever bike it passed in a dense cloud of dust which would resemble a nucleur bomb expolosion. I have never riddin anything that can even come close to handling the desert terrain as a well tuned KX 500. Although this bike is very hard to ride on a motorcross track in my opinion its the best desert bike made, however this leaves me thinking. Would a KX 500 AF do the same? Better? if anyone has an opinion please let me know. oh I forgot by bike does have a steering stabalizer set at 10 when doing over 100 miles an hour..very scary with out it.. Seriously any idead on how the AF would compare, I would love to hear

[jfabmotorsports.com]

I have never raced desert before. I have been racing motocross sense 1978 and in 1979 I started racing the open class on a RM400. Back then I weighed 145 lbs and as it is today most open class riders weigh a LOT more than that. I did real well and if your ability is equal to the other guys it boils down to HP to weight. I now race a KX500AF with the Stewart treatment. Long story short...Im older and fatter and dont fly like I used too but the hole shots are just a good as they used to be. If the starting line is 100 yards long I will be 3 bikes ahead of the next guy to the first corner. Of course it goes down hill from there. I can only imagin those 100 yard hole shots stretched out to 500-1000 miles. I also race an KX450f. The AF doesn't handle any better than the 450. The Af's that I build is 5 lbs lighter on the front end but I cant tell the differance by seat of the pants. My lap times are a lot faster on the AF and sense it flys and corners the same as the 450 I have to contribute the time difference to all the little "drag races" between the corners.
    Well a 450 even run a 100 mph in the sand? I dont know the answer to that...its a real question???

[azracer19]

Thanks for the quick reply, the reason I was interested in a AF so brilliantly built as yours is 1) parts such as plastic...graphics and other parts are hard to come by and I am sure in time will only become worse and the simple truth as it is a beautiful bike. I am concerned of the stability of the bike at very high speeds..yes 100 miles per hour. I dont ride much motorcross but when I do I ride a little KX 125 which keeps me in shape and is very fun to throw around. I havent looked into the difference of rake and trail along with wheel base differences of the 450f versus the 500. But all things being considered equal...mosty the riders abiility I am really considering doing the AF swap. Naturaly I would need lots of help. DO you sell the engine cradle? and other parts I would need to do this. I plan on in the near future of riding a 450 across the desert at full speed to see if it handles good. Just thought someone might have some knowledge on that. Since I have a spare 500 engine I could always build a super-moto out of my beloved 500 and sell it.

[jfabmotorsports.com]

Yes...I will sell every custom part that you need.

JFAB

[azracer19]

Promise it wil look like yours?  just kidding
Parts list
Price

[AJ]

It is  a very good desert bike.

[azracer19]

AJ
where do you live and what desert do you ride in? are you on a 450 or a 500AF?
Thanks for your input

[AJ]

az-

I design build all the Service Honda /Service Kawasaki bikes.,
i live in indiana,
but do a good deal of testing and riding in my "home" state of Cal.
grew up there , and was a dez rat most of my youth.

so out in jawbone, dove canyon,, red mountain ..
ocitillo wells.. superstition mtn..areas..

[jfabmotorsports.com]

Promise it wil look like yours?  just kidding
Parts list
Price

It could. I will even set you up with the graphics....except for the number.

JFAB

[cr37]

If you what to know the 450 works in the desert just ask Destry Abbott thats what he rides and does good! I built a AF and love IT!

[azracer19]

AJ>...... I may know you  not sure but raced with a guy that was in my brothers class racing desert with DRA..it was in the late 70s? His name was AJ,,,and was very fast rode a Honda my brother rode a husky

[AJ]

hmm not sure?
could be?
 
I was racing in socal in the late 70's..early 80's then moved to the midwest in '84.
and started MX'ing. (and a small bit of east coast GNCC)

[azracer19]

AJ, sounds like we might no each other or atleast been in the same races. for sure traveled the same trails. I grew up in The SF valley, moved to palmdale CA, raced the DRA thing along with D-37. raced against jeff ward at saddleback...on true mini bikes, I rode a taco my dad built that actuall blew flames out the exhaust ( no Kidding ) drag raced a 750 honda my dad built into a chooper for a neighboir friend, and my ittle taco actuall took him. Also raced at Indian dunes and later at LACR I took some time off from riding after breaking my back but begin the journey again in 87. Those were the good old days in Ca riding. Well I am interested very much in the KX 500 AF, just a few concerns still hamper my deccision to go thru with it. I am happy with my 01 500 in the desert. As i get older I find it harder to hang onto after a couple hours of riding hard. The Af and its light weight im sure would help me alot. And the work stewart is doing would benifit my cause as well. Concerns of mine or still bugging me the biggest concern is staright line stability ( we know it turns ). Maybe being here in AZ i might run into dusty rabbit and he will let me ride his 450f... ( A guy could dream ). What are your true feeling on this bike in the dez? Im pretty sure if i asked desrty he would tell me the 450F....... as he gets paid to ride that bike

[Good]

dusty rabbit

[AJ]

Sounds like we may have crossed paths.
i was in escondido/san marcos,, back then,,(with a short stint up in Sac)
 and most always on Honda's at that time..
then moved to the midwest,in 84ish ,but to this day still visit socal often..


If looking for straight line stabilty i would go with the 06 thru 08 KX500AF (as far as Service models) as they were built on the 450 chassis..

(or build your own on a 450 chassis )

The Service 2009 model is on the 250F chassis and is very stable,,
but if straight line was a concern, i would go with the 450..
and yes they are rock stable in my opinion!! 

i'm sure Dusty Rabbit  would dig the 500AF's ,
as he still is a fan of the old KX500's, and i' msure still has a few of them around in fact..