Well I couldn't help myself - 1983 500 XC

[Motosportz]

If You are considering a front Fork swap its really pretty easy. If You look at my Picture this bike has a 97-99 KTM conventional fork set up with its Brembo Brake. There are many Fork options the Suzuki and Yamaha are popular options to. Assuming You want to stay with conventional Forks ( which You don't need to ) just find the latest and newest one you can. The late 90's had some of the best, and the early 2000's brought the up side down and harsh ones until they got them figured out. Since these are just old parts for modern bikes they don't sell for much. Want to race Vintage, sure You can. You can even use the modern forks in vintage right up to the point where you start winning. Once that happens you might get some flak. Keep in mind that a Fork Swap back to Your old ones should only take about an hour, just leave the old set up all together wheel and all. Slip off the master cylinder off the bars so that You don't need to bleed the brake. I'm in Seattle by the way.

I've already done one fork swap on a vintage husky. Going to leave this one stock I think.

 

[Motosportz]

Kelly, looking forward to your impressions once you get her out and ride her hard (heh heh...)!! I will have to live vicariously through you.

Almost took it out yesterday but need to address a few items before I feel it is reliable and up to a full reliable day. Going to be interesting. I had a great day on my CR250 (husky) but many times was wondering how the big 500 would do on many sections. We rode some really gnarly stuff (I'm sore everywhere) and in my mind was a toss up how the beast would do. Should have it ready for a real ride in about a week if all my cables and stuff show up.

from yesterdays ride, this is a huge hill called back to back (two hill climbs) and the 500 and a real man would be the ticket here.

 

[suprize]

on the 500 you would just ride the walls and avoid all those ruts completely!

 

[justintendo]

on the 500 you would just ride the walls and avoid all those ruts completely!

the big bores do let you make new lines sometimes

 

[Huskynoobee]

I've seen a 430 create entirely new lines up nasty stuff. Almost bought a local 500 a few months back, but decided I'd rather be able to walk in my garage.

 

[Motosportz]

the big bores do let you make new lines sometimes

I was just commenting on this to a fellow rider. The combo of super low RPM grunt and super soft suspension make it crawl up anything and riding out of the line is EZ on this bike. Got some parts in and hope to have it well adjusted and reliable enough to take it for a real ride some day soon. Will be interesting to see how I do on it with my normal ride crew on our regular trails.

 

[Motosportz]

I've seen a 430 create entirely new lines up nasty stuff. Almost bought a local 500 a few months back, but decided I'd rather be able to walk in my garage.

Ha ha ha I have to roll bikes out to get to other ones.

 

[suprize]

things you will notice... the seat is plusho comfy. you will have more power than anyone else. you will ride over and through things everyone else picks there way through. no brakes. keep some room in front on down hills.

everyone will laugh until the ride starts...

you will be keen to go more at the end of the day. some of the 4/ boys will want to go home.

enjoy

 

[Motosportz]

things you will notice... the seat is plusho comfy. you will have more power than anyone else. you will ride over and through things everyone else picks there way through. no brakes. keep some room in front on down hills.

everyone will laugh until the ride starts...

you will be keen to go more at the end of the day. some of the 4/ boys will want to go home.

enjoy

I have ridden it a few times and your right on. Not sure it is faster than my uncorked TE511 though. Maybe, they are so different it is hard to tell.

installed these last night in hopes of not killing myself, Hope they seat in quickly.

Also found this in my garage from my WR400 and installed it...

 

[Huskynoobee]

My uncles 87 430xc would try and rip your arms out of the sockets. At full throttle in 6th it ceased to be a land machine and rode on a cushion of high speed air. Never had my eyes stream tears like that inside goggles before or since. I imagine the 5hunny is even more beastly.

 

[justintendo]

the part about people laughing at you is maybe the best part...the laughing usually turns into questions after the ride...stuff like "how many gears does that thing have? or "how are you sitting so much? i have to stand my ass hurts!"...priceless....

 

[Kartwheel68]

There used to be a race near me called the Runnin' Brand GP, it was an all natural terrain race on a cattle ranch. They did regular motos, but the first race was the GP, a 45min race. I always raced my '79 Maico 440, last one they did in Dec '09 I got 2nd in the 45min GP. There was a section where we went across the dam for his retention pond, probably 1/3rd of a mile after you went across the spillway onto the dam in 2nd. I got a bad start so I was moving up the whole race, and at least 10 times I went through the spillway onto the dam bar to bar with a modern 450 and the same thing happened every time. We would stay bar to bar through the gears, then I would hear them hit the rev limiter in top gear, at which point I would click the big May-go into 5th and just motor away from them ending up with a 5-8 bike length gap at the end of the dam. After the race I had 3-4 guys come over and ask "WTF is that thing, and how big is it?!?". One guy even said "When we crossed the spillway, I looked over and saw that old bike and thought 'Oh, I'll pull this guy easily' but you stayed bar to bar, then you pulled away like I dropped an anchor!!". It was pretty funny, but it happens all the time, I have a couple modern bikes to practice on, but I never race them, I always race a vintage bike even in modern races because I like to show people how good old air cooled twin shock bikes really are.

 

[Motosportz]

Well I got her out of a real ride. 70 plus miles of slick deep woods trails with buddy Blake on his 165. I ride with Blake a lot so this was a good speed marker. Happy to report that I can do about the same speed I do on modern bikes. It is a much different ride and riding style but once you understand it and dont fight it you can haul some ass on these old machines. The motor is very good, boat loads of low end. Works great in the slick mud and loose rocks which seems odd for a beast like this. Front end sticks like mad and never deflects, thats a big key to going fast on this bike. Brakes are the limiting factor. I learned to kinda ride it like a 4 stroke and use compression braking and this works well. This was all steep mountains so your going up or going down, not much is flat. Handling is surprisingly very good. Turns nice, sticks like crazy and is planted everywhere even in slick clay. About 20 plus miles into the ride I raised the forks about 3/4 inch and rotated the bars forward slightly, made a nice difference. I am slightly faster than Blake on my regular bikes and this was a good measuring stick. In the end, once I sorted out how to ride, it I found I could still gap him slightly. We talked about it and he said I was hauling ass on it and he had to work hard to keep me in sight. It basically shaked out about like it does when I am on my CR250 or WR165. Shocking? Not really, I knew from riding my 86 WR400 that I can carry about the same speed on these vintage bikes as new ones. Not sure what this means as far as evolution of the motorcycle. The bike goes about things very differently but in the end brings the speed. I need to address a few things that will help make me even quicker on it. The pegs need addressed as they are slick and saggy greatly limiting my standing. This is an EZ fix. The mid range of the motor is blubbery and you have to gargle your way through it. Bottom is smooth and powerful and top rips but stumbles and gargles through the mid. My shiny new Lectron should be here Friday and hope to ride this beast with it on there Saturday. Not looking for more power but would love improved response and running and thats what I am hoping for. Need to fix the gas cap as it leaked fuel all day and was irritating. Shocks probably need rebuilt, they work well but are loose and could use some more rebound and overall control. That said this bike goes through rock gardens like nothing else. The motor will pull from 4 rpm and pull clean and hard. Amazing how low RPM it will run and pull at and is a big reason it is so good in slick and loose hills etc. Shift up a gear or two high and lug it around. Even with a 15 year old checking and bald hard pack tire in slick clay it was hooking up like mad. It has that super traction-full low end and I cont even imagine what this thing will be like with a new and correct for the terrain tire on it. Trans is super flexible from crawling up a tree to ridiculous top end. I dont think I ever found 6th gear on the gravel roads cuz lugging along in 5th was to fast already. Look forward to more sorting and riding this beast. Shes a keeper and going to be fun to take to rides and watch people in horror as they cant shake the old guy on the old bike. FUN. Same reason I like the 125 class bikes, underdog status at the parking lot. :>)

Pros:
- Motor has endless tractionful low end power
- Handles amazingly well and sticks like glue
- Stable as they come and feels like you cant crash the bike (yet still turns EZ and nice)
- Big crazy soft suspension keeps the bike tracking and wheels follow the trail and put power down nicely
- Seat is a lazyboy
- crazy flexible transmission
- Start EZ (yeah you read that right :>) 3 kicks cold 1-2 hot
- Low comfy seat

Cons

- Brakes kinda suck but are passable
- Saggy footpegs
- Mid range carburetion is messy
- Leaking gas cap is irritating
- Shocks could use a refresh
- Vibrates a lot but got used to it and was fine after almost 75 miles so workable

Next mods:

- Fit saggy footpegs
- Install Lectron
- Fix gas cap
- Install new clutch cable and lever
- Get shocks serviced

Really looking forward to my next outing on this lovable beast of a machine.

Buddy Blake hoping it starts and nothing falls of or explodes so we can actually ride. I was making jokes about "bring a tow rope" and "I hope it starts" before the ride.

Come on girl, don't let me down...

did not get a ton of trail shots but this was not to be missed. As you can see was wet and slick out. Oh, brakes did not really fade when wet as i figured they would. Grooved EBC's seemed to work well in that regard.

This bike seems to love the NW riding...

ying and yang of motorcycles. Both good but VERY different

 

[Motosportz]

Oh, I see Blake posted some pix on FB. As you can see his new 165 got broke in the hard way, like I said very slick...

Nice clay goo, was ether this or rocks covered in it. SLICK.

 

[WayneL]

Kelly
Throw some gold valves in the front end as well to balance out the re-worked rear shocks, they handle pretty good then.
Grab one of those fancy wound front brake cables to help with the front braking.

Nice looking riding country, except for the clay!

Wayne

 

[justintendo]

awesome you are getting used to it....you say it pulls clean but its gargles and blubbers in the mid? try leaning the needle a shim or clip? i know you are putting the lectron on but maybe try to get it right before the lectron and then you will maybe see what exactly improved by adding the lectron?
im not doubting the lectron at all, im sure it will be an improvement...

 

[Motosportz]

Kelly Throw some gold valves in the front end as well to balance out the re-worked rear shocks, they handle pretty good then.

funny, was just looking into those gold valves. The forks work OK but those would be nice. Might just do that. Going to slowly modify as I go and where I see it needs it.

 

[Motosportz]

awesome you are getting used to it....you say it pulls clean but its gargles and blubbers in the mid? try leaning the needle a shim or clip? i know you are putting the lectron on but maybe try to get it right before the lectron and then you will maybe see what exactly improved by adding the lectron?
im not doubting the lectron at all, im sure it will be an improvement...

I am leaning out the needle before next ride. Would have done it yesterday but it was wet and muddy so did not want to open that can of worms. Then will install the Lectron. Thanks.

 

[Kartwheel68]

I am in the clear minority, but I think Race Tech Emulators (not Gold valves) area scam, dont waste your money on them. I have ridden 15-20 different kinds of bikes with Emulators in the forks, and not one did I think performed better than stock damper rod forks. Add to that, the quality of the Emulators themselves is suspect, I have seen more than half broken when removed for a fork seal change. I think people say they work because of the Placebo Effect, and they also just dont want to admit they spent $150 on something that didnt work.

 

[justintendo]

very interesting kartwheel...i have not heard that before and MANY sing their praise...they certainly arent cheap, and some are pretty difficult to install