KX Riders
Maintenance & Technical => KX500 Original => Topic started by: JohnJr on November 29, 2009, 05:02:23 PM
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Im in the process of getting my parts for the REBIRTH of my 500, Im just a reg. rider, just rips it sometimes and tease the LOWER CC bikes. Question the connecting rods Im looking at are The Hot Rod, The Versah, The Wiesco, Feedback is apprieciated,thanks
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Oem rod is the only way to go.
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I installed a Prox they are made in Japan and they get oem manufacturers to make their products
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Im in the process of getting my parts for the REBIRTH of my 500, Im just a reg. rider, just rips it sometimes and tease the LOWER CC bikes. Question the connecting rods Im looking at are The Hot Rod, The Versah, The Wiesco, Feedback is apprieciated,thanks
Why not the good ol' tried and true OEM rod kit?
As you can tell, I am NO fan of aftermarket "bling" parts. Never heard of a OEM Kawasaki rod failing other than under operator negligent circumstances. (Just strictly my opinions) I've been using OEM Kawasaki for the past 26 years, had 2 parts fail and they were both a result of my own stupidity not the part..
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oem is the way to go here
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Thank-You family,OEM it shall be,John
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I would go oem or Vesrah. Vesrah is in Japan and makes most of the stuff for the oems.
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Here's one company you can stay away from in my opinion. They used to be very well respected until they started outsourcing their crankshaft parts and crankshaft assembly manufacture to China. I believe their pistons and clutch components may still be made here but for how long?
http://www.wiseco.com/Recalls/CPSC09-142.aspx
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Wow that is bad! Shame on Wiseco for that stunt but seems thats the way businesses are headed these days. I have had far better luck with oem than the aftermarket crap that is pushed these days.
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thats true about there after market rods but they still build the best pistond
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I like the Wiseco piston for the KX500, LT500, or a custom banshee setup with ALOT of mods. It depends on the bike but for most stock to mild mod bikes I prefer a oem cast piston because you can set the tolerances closer and when maintained properly you get more life out of them over forged.
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I like the Wiseco piston for the KX500, LT500, or a custom banshee setup with ALOT of mods. It depends on the bike but for most stock to mild mod bikes I prefer a oem cast piston because you can set the tolerances closer and when maintained properly you get more life out of them over forged.
My only experience with Wiseco was negitive. I had a '82 RM125, bought it used with an overbored Wiseco piston, blew the piston,overbored 2nd over, blew that piston after about 20 hrs. Broken skirt both times. Since then I insist on OEM cast. Theres NO reason to run a forged piston under most circumstances for the average rider.
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Polar,
I had similar issues back in the late 70's with my RMs, but know that they are NOT the problem they used to be with their pistons & have been using them since 89 with good success. I am new to the K5 but every nasty grenaded motor that I have seen had a cast piston (which was neglected) but yet to see a forged piston like that.
You posted you have a shifter kart? I would love to here more about it & what it is like to drive.
DoldGuy
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the wiseco piston is the best piston i have seen for the kx 500 ,,,,,cast pistons are not on the same level ..
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Pro X/Vesrah/OEM rods, Wiseco or even Wossner pistons. Forged is stronger than cast, plain and simple.
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I never claimed cast pistons were stronger than forged. I commented that the "average" rider, with a "stock" engine does not need a Forged piston. Cast pistons have the advantage of being more stable from a cold, to hot warm up expansion standpoint. Wiseco forged pistons expand in a different manner than cast. Forged pistons have to be set up with a looser piston at wall tolerence, so adequate engine warmup is critical. I am by no means telling folks that forged pistons are no good, they are in hi-performance applications, i'm simply stating they are not necessary...
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Oke i want to hook up in this topic. That's easier than making a new one. And i hope it's oke with the topic starter.
My main question in this is,why ore when is it wise to change the connecting rod? Are there things to look for? Are the rods known to snap? (weak spot)
Or is it better to be safe than sorry?
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Yes thats fine,when my motor exploded,I dont know if it was a piston failure(Cast) Pro-X type or if the rod snapped the bottom bearings are still good no upwards play little side to side play, rod was OEM top end was about 4 months old, overrev ?
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Oke i want to hook up in this topic. That's easier than making a new one. And i hope it's oke with the topic starter.
My main question in this is,why ore when is it wise to change the connecting rod? Are there things to look for? Are the rods known to snap? (weak spot)
Or is it better to be safe than sorry?
It is wise to change the connecting rod kit when there is too much play/clearance between rod/thrust washers/crank wheels, and when there is up and down play from the lower bearing/lower rod hole I.D. The bearing and lower rod ID could be worn and the side to side play could be from wear, or the rod kit was assembled with too much clearance. Too much or too little clearance is asking for trouble.
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Oke. I know that with to much clearance you should change the bearing. Atleast that is what i alway's do.
But why putting a new connection rod in? I think it's the bearing that's couses the play..
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Most of our engines are built for racing, so why not change the rod also. Heat ,stress, wear. Better to be safe than sorry. If you had all the inspection equipment to fully inspect the rod when it was new, record the numbers, and then inspected it again after disassembling to change the bearing, and it turns out that the rod did not physically change at all, then ok might as well reuse it.
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WOSSNER WOSSNER WOSSNER!!!
Did I mention Wossner???
Yeah, best KX500 rod on the planet...
I spin them up hard... Yes, over 11K RPM
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Wossner the go , i use wossner on nearly every bike we have and what they do i notice is they improve on stock , like in some areas there slightly thicker where they have breakage on oem stuff , especially around the big end and beam side of things, they might be a smidge heavier but who wants a broken rod and cases.