Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original

500 vs 450 article

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greencannon:
although I agree that to put the K5 into a deep berm at any speed requires a bit of muscle and skill, once you get it there and lay on the throttle the stability and line holding  is second to none. I feel the transitions from lean angle to lean angle is quite abit more work than a 450 or 250 2t but those MX ers stay twitchy through the turn.The immense tourque at super low rpm makes up for the lack of flickability. get the revs down and it becomes real light...  Ive been carving for so long on the 500. that I actualy struggle to go fast thru turns on 250s and 450s. Sometimes  I find that schooling my 450 buddies at the local track proves to me that the K5 is still way competative and even advantage in the right hands. and it sure makes for a great coversation piece at the end of the day.
now i know this is getting a little off subject but -
I still dream of the day Kawaski actually builds an aluminum frame around the 500 motor (which also goes factory fuel injection) and tunes modern suspension to it as well.....not stuff the 500 into chassis that was R&D'd for a modern 4 stroke.......I know keep dreaming....

I actualy had a chance to ride a 500af recently and was somewhat disappointed by the handling.  it didnt seem properly  suited to the power charactaristics of the 500 motor. making it more of a handful to ride than my old school standard framed bike. Maybe the suspension setup was really off or something. can someonewho owns one elaborate ?

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