KX Riders
Maintenance & Technical => KX500 Original => Topic started by: Danger4u2 on September 24, 2007, 12:33:07 PM
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Ok. here I go with another project. I'm going to dual-sport my 04' KX 500. I think this will be a fun project and a blast to ride. I ordered all the stuff today but most of it has to be made and then shipped. Not the kind of stuff they have on the shelf.
I'm going with this speedo.
http://www.electrosport.com/electrosport_speedo_3900.html
And this dual sport kit.
http://www.electrosport.com/electrosport_dakar_intro.html
And this coil.
http://www.elineaccessories.com/Shop/LightingCoils.asp
http://www.elineaccessories.com/shop/Details.asp?ProdID=478&category=10&secondary=10&keywords=
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I am in the process of accumulating enough parts to do a restoration/dual sport conversion, so those links were helpful for me, especially the speedo one, that things looks sweet. One question i have is, the dual sport kit costs 519 bucks, but doesnt include a mirror?!?!?!?!? What kind of crap is that? :-o
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You might want to consider the ICO Dualsport VRL. It is a very durable, backlit odometer. I use their Check Mate enduro computers on my KX 250. They make some tough stuff! All their products can be sent back for repair also. Fast turn around. Ive been using ICO products since 86. I still have my original ICO odo and it still works! ICO Racing.com
http://www.icoracing.com/
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Yes, I will have to come up with mirrors. I went with the parts listed because the speedo is plug and play with the Dakar set up. It also has temp. sending unit and blinker indicators so you don't unknowingly drive around with the blinker on. If you see someone going slow in the fast lane with their left blinker on the tag will say Iowa, 9 out of ten times. Sorry if you are from Iowa. I think the equipment I am buying for this project is pricy. I have done allot of research and found cheaper items, but I feel you get what you pay for. Only time will tell if I bought the correct products. I like the fact that the ICO unit has a batt. backup. The plug and play feature on the wire harness is hard to turn away from. As quick as they get my parts together and UPS knocks on the door, I will post up pictures.
Danger
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Danger, is it a legal requirement to have mirrors were you live?
I didn't need them for my supermoto in the UK and even if I did fit any I doubt I would be able to see anything in them anyway.
Tell us how you get on with the Eline coil.
regards Scott.
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Yes, I will need to install mirrors.
Today I cut the spokes on my extra rear wheel and shipped it to
East Coast Wheels.
http://store.eastcoastwheels.com/index.html
They will lace up a 17x3.50 Silver Excell rim.
Rim..............$185
Spokes........$ 80
Labor..........$ 50
Shipping......$ 20
Total............$335.
I didn't shop prices so this might be more than somewhere else. With my credit card order they will drill my rim today and have it ready for the hub I will be sending today. Back in my hands in less than 1 week.
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I am following this project with enthusiasm! Please please keep us posted, i will soon enough be following in your footsteps with a street plated Su-Mo KX500.
I am curious as to why you are only doing the back rim but not the front? And why did you choose a 3.5 instead of the more usual 4.25?
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For now I will be using it more for dual sport purposes. The 6th Annual Clayton Okla. Dual Sport meet is Oct. 19 thru 21. Headlight assembly, speedo, and taillight assembly shipped yesterday, hope to have if Fri. but most likely Mon. Have not heard from E-line on the coil. They hand make them as needed, don't want to bug them. Last year I rode the K5 in MX trim on the highway between trail heads. I just stayed in the middle of the pack and kept my fingers crossed we didn't run into any Highway Patrol. This year even if I don't get the coil in time I will at least look street legal. More dual sport tires fit the 3.5 rim. Same with the 21" front wheel. Later down the road I will get another set of wheels for super moto. Here's a pic of the tires I run on KLR650. Continental TKC-80. I'll run the same tires on the K5 but the back will be wider. I think a 150/70 B17 will fit the K5. I know the 103/80 S17 will fit the KLR. Today when I change the KLR tire I will stick it in the KX swing arm and see how it fits. Then I can find out it the 150 will fit the KX. http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Continental/continental_tkc80.htm
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Here are the parts I have received so far.
Head light, wiring, subfender/tail light, blinkers and speedo from ElectroSport.
I was disappointed to find the speedo has a mechanical speed indicator instead of a magnetic pickup sensor.
E-line sent the coil mounted in the case. Well made trick setup I see why it cost so much. I like the rubber o-ring gasket on the outer cover. Now I just need the time to put it all together.
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UPS is my friend, this just showed up...............
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Called ElectroSport about the mechanical speed indicator. They sent me the Speedo for the XR650L Honda and it has a gear drive on the front wheel for the speed indicator. They apologized for the error. They will send me the correct unit and a shipping label to send back the wrong part. I also mentioned that I bought the upgraded blinkers (LED) but they installed the stock blinkers. She said she would tell them in the shop so the next customer won't have to go through taking the assembly apart to install the correct blinkers. Nothing like redo work. I think I'll leave the stock blinkers for the DMV inspection. Then I'll install the LED blinkers after I get the tag on the bike. I'm ready to put this project together but I have to go back to work.
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Very nice. KX500 on the road will be a hoot and a half!
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You might have to wire a resister in parallel with those LED indicators to get them to flash at the right rate.
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be sure to post pictures as you get the pieces on there, and ease or problems that you have.
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Those tires look gnarly, real tuff! Any progress?
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Going to House of Kawasaki to have the 2 front wheels trued. 1 for the sand tire and a wheel for the dual sport tire. Still need a back wheel for the sand tire. When I find another rear wheel (1997 and up is what I'm looking for) I'll have 3 sets of wheels. MX, Sand and Dual Sport. I'm working with Electrosport on getting the correct Speedo for the K5. I have a few mounting issues on the head light. Need to send them pictures of my fork clamps so they can make brackets. I don't want to start the project until I have all the parts in my hand. I still want to ride while the weather is so good.
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I'm still gathering parts for the dual sport conversion. I would like to point out how customer oriented Laura and Eric from ElectroSport ( http://www.electrosport.com/ ) have been in my quest for the ultimate dual sport bike. They have had a few issues with this project. Very minor in my option but they act like it's a big issue for them. The way they have treated me shows they value their customers. A happy customer is a return customer. I'm happy and I haven't turned a wrench yet. They sent the wrong speedo but immediately they sent a replacement and e-mailed a return shipping label. The head light uses the upper pinch bolts for the forks as the mounting point. On the KX the bolts go the wrong direction for the ElectroSport Dakar set up. Here again Eric stepped up to the plate and fab'ed up these cool brackets. To be continued........
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ok, it's been a few weeks......
Status?
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I've been waiting for the weather to turn sour, didn't want to quit riding yet. Today is the day, sleet mixed with freezing rain with thunder and lighting. When I flipped the K5 back in Dec. '04 it bent the sub frame. I did the best I could at getting it straight and it looks OK but with the tag/tail light assembly hanging down farther it looks real bent. So I am waiting for an after market sub frame from AC. I did truck the bike to the car wash and got it good and clean for the tear down. I don't think we will be open tomorrow, if that's the case I will start then. More to come soon..........
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Went to the Oklahoma Tax Commission to have the lien released from my K5 today and found that the creditor never filed it. Cool didn't cost me anything. Last summer I asked about getting my bike street legal and the guy told me I would have to set up the bike, in other words spend the money to make it street legal then bring in the receipts for all the parts (head light, blinkers, horn,tag light, stop light......) and they would decide if it could be tagged. Then it would have to be inspected. He threw in "There's no guarantee that I would be awarded a tag". He was a Jerk, you know the state worker type of Jerk. The Tax Commission has moved to a new building, I noticed that the Jerk is no longer there. I asked one of the ladies about "street'n" my bike and was referred to the lady in charge of that division. She told me to bring in my receipts and sign a document stating I have brought the bike up to home built street legal status and a new title and tag would be issued. I asked about the inspection and she said "Your signing a document stating you did all the work and if you didn't that's perjury". No inspection. If it's not street legal it becomes a law enforcement issue she said. The Jerk was lying through his teeth probably because it was close to quitting time and he didn't want to deal with me. Tomorrow I'm going to get it tagged and titled. I think I'll see if I can get OFF RD as a custom tag. Or transfer my DRTBIK tag from the KLR. Anyone have a good idea for a custom tag for a dual-sport KX500? I can have 6 numbers or letters. I could go with KX500.
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More tag ideas,
EATDRT
UNSAFE
MXRIDR
MOTOX
DANGER
WA2FST
LA8TER
2FAS4U
KPBACK
WCHOUT
THSWAY
It's late and I'm brain dead, help me out, I need a cool tag name, MX or dirt bike related.
Might just go with the one I've got.
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It already has an off-road title and she said no inspection. This is the Tax Commission not a tag agent. Tag agents call the Tax Commission when they have questions. You have to have a Vin. inspection when you have an out of state title and want to change to an Oklahoma title. I had to do that Monday when I titled the CR500R that I bought in Texas. Some Oklahoma laws are real lax .We didn't become a state until 1907. I take that back we do have the strongest anti-meth laws in the nation.
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Right away I knew the mighty K5 needed the wheels balanced. So I built a static wheel balancer shortly after I got my K5 in late '04. The rear rim lock weights 4 ounces, add another ounce for the valve stem.. I use spoke and stick on weights. It makes a big difference. I've been told a person does not need to balance dirt bike wheels because the ground is uneven and you can't tell the difference. I just agree with them knowing in my mind they are wrong. Put a dirt bike with unbalanced wheels on a stand and rev the engine up in 3 gear and see what happens. Then do it with balanced wheels. Unbalanced rotating mass equals vibration. They can try to argue with physics but they won't get far.
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Just like the lady said, I brought in my receipts for the dual-sport conversion with my title. Showed them the install instruction book for the dual-sport kit and that sealed the deal. They asked about speedo and odometer and I pointed out it's called the computer in the kit. She said I would have to go make copies if I wanted to keep my original receipts, at the same time we both looked at the clock and it was getting late. Said she would make copies for me. Came back about 5 minutes later with the paper work, went to the pay window gave them my insurance card w/ $93.50. I walked with a new tag and the registration. Where the reg. used to say MX now it says MC. I'll get the new title Wed. in the mail. The build process begins tomorrow.
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That is awesome!!!! and I sold my KX500 and got a KLR!!! Man I would have loved to make the mighty 5 street worthy. My only issue is I would want to be able to fill it at the pump, so the mixing became the factor. I sure miss the power though!
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I lucked out with the 02 that Im getting, its got a NJ title and reg. I may go the same route with a d/s kit. I was also thinking about swapping the motor into my titled 04 KX250.
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Hey Danger,
How about NEGEAR (Any Gear). My brother in law has always wanted to use that on a nasty street beetle. He's built a few but never got the plate for one.
Ralph D.
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More tag ideas,
EATDRT
UNSAFE
MXRIDR
MOTOX
DANGER
WA2FST
LA8TER
2FAS4U
KPBACK
WCHOUT
THSWAY
It's late and I'm brain dead, help me out, I need a cool tag name, MX or dirt bike related.
Might just go with the one I've got.
Hmmm.... let's see.
ENVYME
1WLRDR (1 Wheel Rider)
ABLUR (A Blur)
BADBOY
2SMOKE
KX4ROD (KX For the Road)
TKTMCH (Ticket Machine)
KXAV8R (KX Aviator) <--- personal fav
IVFALN (I've Fallen)
DIRTY
OLDSKL
VRYGRN (Very Green)
NO4STK (No 4-Stroke)
WOOHOO
GRNDMN (Green Demon)
How's that for starters?
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These were taken.
UNSAFE
MXRIDR
MOTOX
DANGER
LA8TER
I went with EATDRT. I have METRIC and DRTBIK on the KLR. I like 2SMOKE. Maybe EATRKS (eat rocks)?
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ADIOS or do you need 6 letters, How about adding another rim lock on the other side to balance the rim.
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Any combination 1 to 6. 6 letters max
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Progress? :lol:
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thats 8 letters, try(up d8)
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Danger,
I was just thinking of a possible solution to carrying oil for pre-mix. I used to street 2-stroke a roadrace bike I built that used premix. On that I used the old oil injection tank to hold oil and used a valve to meter it into a pre-measured cup (That I had to carry). Worked pretty good though. On the KX you could mount a KDX200 rad overflow tank and used it in the same way. Cam.
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we use to ride with a guy that used amsoil 100 to 1 for dual sport riding. seems like he had little 2oz bottles
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I used to ride a pre-mix two stroke bike on the street would carry extra plugs in the right pocket of my jacket and a little bottle in the left pocket.
I learned the hard way that while the bottles are sealed from the factory with a foil top, after a few refills from the quart bottle the threads and cap had a tendance loosen up and then ooze in my pocket.
The little 'travel' size containers have a much longer life span! The best one had a flip spout and I graduated it upside down. I would flip the top and let the correct amount of oil 'drain' into the tank.
Mark
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got any pics of the progress?? did you plan on changing your gearing at all?
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Ok, got off my A and started my dualsport project. Here are a few pic's. I'm hoping to have it done for this weekends 7th Annual Clayton Lake Ride 2008.
http://www.okdualsport.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=929&SID=468859598ace1151b5f4ec5dz8b7d9f2
I'm going to ride the K5 even if I don't have it all working. Last year I rode on the highway in full MX mode. At least this year I will have a tag, insurance and the bike will look legal. The dualsport wheel has a warped brake disk, so I put the MX wheel back on for this ride. I bought the wheel used, cut the spokes and had a new rim installed on the hub. I went to a 17" wheel and I will run a 50 tooth sprocket. I do have a problem with the tire rubbing the chain. I think I will take a grinder (7" grinding disk) to the tire as I have someone spin it. I only need to remove about 1/8th inch from the edge. That will get me up most hills. When I'm off road, once someone is close enough to read my tag it will make more sense to them.
I will keep you guys posted as I go.
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How did you jet your carb for the road ?? My local shop says if I rode mine on the road I would blow it..
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my kx500 has been on the road for years ,never blown up ..
and the jetting is 182 main 58 pilot airscrew 2 a 3 turns open
standard needle one clip before the bottom of the needle
slide 7
and off course good fuel and oil in 1:40 mixture
How did you jet your carb for the road ?? My local shop says if I rode mine on the rode I would blow it..
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thank you I have been thinkin of streeting mine.. What is the max distance from home you have ridden it on the road?
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I got everything hooked up except the speedo. I rode over to the neighbors house, came back to the house and loaded for the Clayton Okla. Dual Sport ride. I have not checked the mileage yet, but I can tell you my bike sucks the gas. I took a 2 gallon gas can strapped to the back fender. I also installed an IMS gas tank. My bike rejected the dual sport kit. I used blue lock tite and it still kicked off some of the screws. The fender can't handle the gas can even with it part way onto the seat. I learned allot on this trip. I should have gotten my act together and done the conversion 2 months ago so I could do the proper research and development. By the end of the day I had tie-wrapped the head light assembly to keep it on the bike. It still broke the brackets. I just got back and I'm worn out. I'll post pictures tomorrow. I need to unload and take a shower/go to bed.
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Danger where did you get that e-line coil?
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You. The new one I bought from E-Line had a nut to hold the magnet that had the wrong threads. Yours bolted up fine and works great. Thanks. I bought the new coil back in Sept of '07. Kevin at E-line said to send the nut to him to look at. On my side he sent the wrong stuff. On his side I bought this over a year ago and I could be scamming him. But I'm not. But he does not know me. One thing I have going for me. I also bought a pipe protector, it was in the correct package but the wrong protector. He sent me a new one with a return shipping slip. He seems to be a very stand up guy. I would be skeptical about someone complaining about a product I sold over a year ago also.
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Tie-wraps/zip ties (what ever you want to call them) and duct tape got me through the dual sport ride. My machinist friend said he would help me make some mounts that will work. The pounding the Kiamichi Mountains dishes out sure put the test to my dual sport kit. And you guys thought the K5 didn't have a reserve, it's on the rear fender. I didn't run out of gas this year. The kit was designed to run the wires on the right side of the bike. The FMF Gnarly says "no way". On the left side it looks like it was made for the wiring. I had to make a few of the wires longer to accommodate running on the left side.
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thank you I have been thinkin of streeting mine.. What is the max distance from home you have ridden it on the road?
max distance for me is 65 miles in one day on dutch roads ,
key to keep the bike alive is to not cruise it at a steady pace.
you need to shift up and then let it roll out a bit and repeat this constant,
this way the engine receives it,s nescessary lubrication .
also a bit of throttleplay while letting it roll out is good for the engine .
Tie-wraps/zip ties (what ever you want to call them) and duct tape got me through the dual sport ride. My machinist friend said he would help me make some mounts that will work. The pounding the Kiamichi Mountains dishes out sure put the test to my dual sport kit. And you guys thought the K5 didn't have a reserve, it's on the rear fender. I didn't run out of gas this year. The kit was designed to run the wires on the right side of the bike. The FMF Gnarly says "no way". On the left side it looks like it was made for the wiring. I had to make a few of the wires longer to accommodate running on the left side.
danger ,do i see a horn too :-o
you are one persistant figure ,doing what u do.
did you use the 17'' rim ?
on the poserpic :-) i can,t see clear
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I should have done the conversion 2 months ago. I went to put the 17" wheel on and the rotor was bent/warped. I bought it used and should have checked it for run out. I cut the spokes and sent the hub to http://store.eastcoastwheels.com/index.html and had them lace the 17" x 3.5 rim. I reinstalled the sprocket and disk. When I put it on the bike the rotor was bent so bad it would almost stop the wheel when I would spin it. Because I had to leave that night I just stuck the MX wheel back on for the ride. I bought an X-ring chain, it's about 1/16" more wide than a stock chain. The tire hits on the chain. I think I can take a large hand grinder (7") and remove the edge of the tire so it will clear the chain. I'll have someone spin the wheel as I hold the grinder that way I will grind it evenly.
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Dave
That is a peachy bike you've got there 8-)
Cool conversion - i remember reading about a SM conversion that ran an custom alloy auxilliary fuel tank as part of the rear fender - guess it could get away with it with reduced suspension travel, will try and look it out and post.
Ewan
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Danger,
I did the conversion in 2004 while California was still allowing conversions. I used a BD kit and a small Electrex coil that won't provide enough power to do much. But I've only gone about 10 miles at a stretch on pavement (between fire roads/trails) and KX500freak is right. You can't really cruise at a steady 70mph. My forearm cramped up from the vibes.
Speaking of vibes, in spite of balancing the crank, I wore out the BD headlight kit. The metal back bracket fatigued into two pcs, the horn worked for about 1/2 a ride, the flasher relay became a bottle of loose rattling parts, etc. Mirrors are useless except for passing any detailed inspection. Heck, even my rear license plate vibrated in half!
I have an 18" excel laced to a new hub with some Duro DS tires and tried them once, before putting them up on the shelf and just sticking with my knobby.
Good call on the wheel balancing, though. I have ALL my wheels dynamically balanced and dont' really want to add an extra rim lock, so it makes for a lot of spoke/stick-on weights. The balancing is a noticible difference, expecially at speed.
I enjoy riding this bike on all kinds of trails and fire roads along with my son's plated KDX. I carry a liter of Yamalube 2R and a turkey baster for precision oil measurement. It looks hokey, but works well. I have a small dual chamber oil mixing bottle for Sears weed trimmer that I would like to try sometime. You squeeze the oil into the upper chamber to the appropriate measurement, then pour from that chamber in your tank. Simple and compact. Hope it seals OK after I fill it with Yamalube.
I only get about 40 - 50 miles per tank, and I have an additional desert tank that I have not tried yet. After 1 tank, I'm ready for a break!
Barry
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kudos danger4u tough ride when you have to do it all last min. looks like fun . i bet it was all worth it and no one beat you .love the excell rims . should be factory stock on all bikes. you need a bigger horn . what did you have to do to honk at someone . shut the bike off and then honk so they could hear you :lol: :lol: or were they all behind you !!!!
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If my life depends on that horn I'm a goner.
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This is how the BD kit looks.
http://www.bajadesigns.com/
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very nice bike :-o
i run a kit without blinkers and horn,also don,t have mirrors,just look back a bit more.
about the vibration ,i don,t feel it that way ,mine,s exceptionel smooth i guess,it glides.
must say its on 17 sm wheels 8-)
my ride
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Danger,
Great shot of the bike on the DS ride. Do you have any more of the event? How about a ride report?
Did you get the brake fixed and the 17" wheels mounted yet?
I really like your radiator/tank shroud graphics. I'm going to order some of those if I can still get them. I think of all the aftermarket and OEM graphics, I like the stock Kaw 2004 shroud graphics the best.
With the 3 sets of tires, will you run 3 different sets of sprockets/chains, each with different ratios?
What's next on your project?
I'm going to look for a plain gripper seat, but NOT one of those flat sheets from that auction site. Something tailored and easier to fit.
KX500freak - If I pull in the clutch at speed and coast with the motor idling, I can separate the feel of the tire vibs from the motor. I think it's the motor at high RPM that's the killer. Do you have stock gearing/sprockets? I have stock sprockets /wheels and no idea what the engine RPMs are at 70 mph. If you just have 17" wheels, you should be running higher RPMs than stock at highway speeds.
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Yes I do run 2 sprockets and a chain for each wheel and brake pads for each rotor.. I ordered a rotor for the dual sport wheel and it has not come in yet. Yes the motor is the source of my vibration. My riding area is not as cool as yours. Yours looks like real mountains. I'm from Washington State so I know what real mountains are. Oklahoma calls them mountains but where I'm from we call them foothills.
1st picture is Kevin, this guy had never rode a motorcycle. Last spring he bought a KLR 650 rode about 300 miles around town and went on the Arkansas Hillbilly Dual Sport ride. He's got allot of heart.
2nd pic, my bike full of fuel and GPS'ed ready for the 2nd half of the day.
3rd is Gene on his 2008 KLR
4th is Terry on his XR400. Did not get a shot of Nate this go around. The 5 of us make a good riding group.
This riding area is privately owned and leased by the state from the timber companies. They upped the cost to the state and the state doubled the rates to $10 dollars for residents and $50 bucks for out of stater's for a 3 day permit. Last year there were 76 riders this year one out of state guy came, only 34 riders. Quite an impact to the economy of Clayton Oklahoma and the very small town we fill up at during the half way point.
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I think I might look into getting another kx500 to ride to the college and back. Looking at the frame on the kx500 I think I could put the engine on isolator mounts. It could be worth looking into, if I find another 500 I will experiment with it.
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barryadam, what year rear fender did you install on your KX? I have the BD LED taillight on my DRZ, its a nice unit.
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Nice bike - Thinking of doing the same to mine but not sure in Minnesota will issue a title and plate.
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Danger - I see you have the same kickstand as I do - Pro Moto Billet. I got mine in 2004, and had to wait for the development to be completed. One of the best investments on the bike, IMHO.
I see you have a RAM mount for your GPS. How is that working out? I studied the options and ended up fabricating my own mount that cradles my Garmin 76CS in foam. I was afraid the more rigid mounts would eventually end up being the demise of the GPS. What GPS are you using? Have you checked out GpsXchange.com for tracks in your state?
Is your rear light an LED?
Geez, you have the same skid plate as me, too. I had some special brackets machined and welded to the fram before powdercoating to mount the skid plate with some little rubber pads so it's about 3/16" below the fram rails. Doesn't trap water that way.
Hawaiian - the rear fender is a UFO p/n 116277 KA02746021 for a 1992-1993 KX125/250. $19.99 + $10 s&h back in 2004 off "the world's largest auction site". I learned about that conversion from the previous incarnation of the KX500 website. Really makes the bike look more like a current model style, and that BD LED fits nicely. :mrgreen:
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I had already bought my kit and then Baja Design came out with their cool L.E.D. tail light. I have a 250 rear fender, when I do the mod to the fender I will get the Baja Design led tail light.
http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php/topic,3277.0.html
Works very well, I change it from bike to bike. I have not had any problems. I like the mount, easy to adjust.
GPSMAP? 76CSx https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=351
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Danger - Thanks for making the fender mod a sticky.
I have really learned a lot about using the GPS lately and have made some maps of my own with trails and a transparent background to be used over the Garmin Maps. It's really kind of neat to log a ride, then edit it and send it to others in Google Earth.
Looks like you have a great group of riding buds. Where's your next adventure?