Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Original
newer 500 vs. older 500
bleeding green:
i currently have a nice strong running 1987 kx 500. i have recently toyed around with idea of selling it to get a newer kx 500. outside of getting inverted front forks, what would i really be gaining if anything? any and all thoughts or comments please. thanks!
kxpegger:
Some of the "87" stuff is obsolete and no longer supported by the factory. Exhaust valves for example. You can still find the obsoleted parts but it's getting harder!
Polar-Bus:
--- Quote from: bleeding green on June 03, 2011, 01:58:15 PM ---i currently have a nice strong running 1987 kx 500. i have recently toyed around with idea of selling it to get a newer kx 500. outside of getting inverted front forks, what would i really be gaining if anything? any and all thoughts or comments please. thanks!
--- End quote ---
The '87 "C" model was only made for one year, thus finding parts is extremly difficult. In '88 Kawi made major changes to the chassis and body design. In 89' they added a 19" rear wheel. From '89 to '04 there isn't much difference but suspension upgrades. At minimum try to find and '89 or newer, and better yet go for a '94 and up to get the better 2nd gen USD forks.
kwakman:
dont expect the newer bike to be any quicker.the suspension will be improved but you could retrofit later suspenders to yours as long as you get the clamps with the forks, and maybe a later 39mm pwk carb, as 86 k5 was 40mm but 87 got a 38mm carb.87 k5's seem to be the rarest.I even see more 85 and 86 k5's than i do the 87 model.be sure before you get rid....
Friar-Tuck:
Hey Green,
I sold an '85 CR5 I had refreshed, the cool factor in my case outweighed all the negatives.
I was riding singletrack,fireroads and basically plunking around with the kids or whomever I could scare up to go riding.
You never get out what you have in a bike like that, the parts were hard to find and expensive. Retro fitting newer parts was a challenge. It was paid for and only took up space in the garage.
I probably would have never sold the bike except the previous owner, (#2 in the bikes history), caught up with me and saw the progress on the bike. I fired it up and he took it for a spin. Needless to say he just had to have it back, and I had already put together my KX. So I sold it back to him for a song and figured it was where it belonged..
Moral of the story,
the newer KX is alot nicer to ride,(altough) I certainly wasn't any faster and I miss the old CR.
The guy I sold it back too swore he would never sell it (since he had it from age sixteen) traded it off for a '03 YZ 250 three months after he took it back home. :oops:
So, Are you the Sentimental type who gets attached to the stuff he works on ? or is it just a piece of equipment.
Tuck\o/
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