Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original

98 KX 500 HELP NEEDED ON GEARING/ETC. FOR WOODS/TRAIL RIDING

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98kaw5oo:
just bought 98 kx 500 nice clean looking and running bike,supposedly has wiseco piston,has a procircuit works pipe,and stock 14/47 sprockets.i was on another forum and searched and found out a few things but was told to come here.i do mostly trail riding,sometimes theres some tight stuff and sometimes you can get on it for a little while.i havent taken the bike up north yet but i can tell my driving it down my street that it needs to be really geared down.i feel like 1st gear winds out so long like i could probably do 40 miles per hour easily like it seems to wind out like a 250 in 2nd gear!.i know it will be constant pulling in the clutch and on and off the gas in some of the trails,i know its a 500 and its more of as desert bike but i love the insane power and want to keep it,i was told a 14 oz flywheel weight and go to a 13on the front sprocket then try it out then see if you want to go up a few teeth in the rear to make it even more geared down.as far as money the bike set me back a few bucks and i am limited on funds but want to do a few things before i head up to ride.am i ok with leaving the procircuit works pipe on or i do i have to get an fmf gnarley? should i go right off the bat and change the gearing to 13/50 or should i try it first with the 13 in front?.i was hoping just for now to get the healey 14oz.flywheel weight and 13 tooth front sprocket and leave it at that or will i be sorry i didnt do more? how many miles on the stock 2.6 gallon tank? thanks for your  responses.

Danger4u2:
I built my 04 K5 to be more trail friendly.  Stealy flywheel weight, a reed spacer, and FMF Gnarly pipe, gave mine more low end.  I added them all at one time so I can't say which one helped the most.  Probably the weight.  The weight made it easier to start.  First gear is tall, it winds out so far for getting the hole shot in races.  I haven't played with changing the sprockets yet.  When I wear them out I may go a few teeth bigger in the rear.  The gas issue comes down to how much you gas it.  Each bike is different.  Environment plays big in the gas use.  Next time I go riding I'll carry my GPS and do a mileage check.

98kaw5oo:
thanks danger for the reply.i think ill go with the steahly f.w.w. 13 front sprocket and see how it works,down the road get a gnarly(seems like everyone who rides woods has one) although i heard the procircuit is the best for the kx 500(maybe thats for desert riding),i also heard these bikes run hot and need to get air through the radiators and need to be moving unlike any other bike,i had mine on a stand the other day maybe for a good minute revving it up here and there nothing too crazy and noticed just a little bit of coolant come out of the overflow.hopefully it was because the bike was at a standstill.it seems some people like these bikes for woods/trail riding and some dont.im know a 250 will be more trail friendly but i would think the 500 would make up for it if you got some room to move it and when you get to open it up a bit and just to know you have that wicked power when you need it.ive heard from all different people these bikes to have anywhere between 50-65 horsepower,i though a stock had 59 or 60? let me know about that gps reading for the mileage when you do,thanks.

stewart:
try a new radiator cap from the parts store for a toyota or nissian.. that will  work  just match cap psi  ,,its like 16  psi

Hillclimb#42:
Keep the pro circuit. 13 tooth front steel sprocket is good and cheap. Keep that 14, you'll be puttin it back on in a year or two. I'm not a big fan of the flywheel weights. Look into Magura hydraulic clutch, best investment for the k5.

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