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Learning to ride (well) on a KX500...can you?

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Zombie:
I went straight to a 500 after around a year and a half on a 125, and other than getting used to a little extra weight, I was soon riding the 500 like my 125!  One thing I have noticed though, is the smaller the engine, the harder the power hits, so while I was spinning and sliding on my RM, I was hooking up and hauling on the KX, with the same throttle openings! True, the RM was a little easier to throw around, but since Im fairly tall (6' 4") it as easy to adjust to the weight and learn to throw it around. Id say after a week af adjusting (riding every day for at least an hour or two) I was doing jumps, wheelies, stoppies and in general, having a blast! So I guess my advice is practice as much as possible, and keep pushing as far as you feel comfortable with, then go just a hair further. Once you do something properly, youll be able to repeat it over and over, and youll get faster.

-Z

ShanMan:
Just wanted to thank all of you who replied. I think all the responses were right on the mark, and just make me feel that much surer that my butt belongs on the seat of a KX500. I have a 10 paddle on my bike, which I am told is ultimate traction for a 500 at Glamis. Despite a few bigginer type get-offs here and there, have not yet looped it or thrown it away do to a lack of throttle control. That isn't to say i haven't scared myself a few times. I do know this however, when we ride in areas where the sand is not as deep, or there is more dirt than sand, I immediately feel more comfortable. I can't wait to get this bike on some hardpack so I can feel how it will hook up and how it will commit to the line I have chosen.

I also think you're all absolutely right about learning to ride the 500 on it's own merits. I am learning to dirt ride on THIS bike, I do not have another to compare it against. Because of that, I will only continue to become a better rider based on the characteristics of the 500. I suspect that in time I will not even have much curiousity about other, slower bikes, or one's with less grunt that require more work to ride at a similar pace.

Obviously, the most important thing I can do now is to sort out the suspension for my build, and then just ride, ride, ride!

One question though...how DO you clear the Olds double again??? :?

Paul:
I have to admit it is the strangest looking thing, all these duners and mx'ers and here come the full-on desert sled :lol:

--- Quote from: ShanMan ---
One question though...how DO you clear the Olds double again??? :?
--- End quote ---

From the top of the dune, I head down the right side - north face I believe, don't qoute me though ;) - and swing it into the bowl, by the time I'm at the bottom of the bowl and start making my climb I've just pulled it into 4th and moving at a good clip. From there it's just smooth sailing.

Watching other people clear the double will help you gage your speed. My nephew cleared it by counting the seconds between one rider leaving and take off and then just made sure he was that fast or faster.

ShanMan:
Well, we intended to get out to Glamis again this past weekend, but the forecast was for wind, wind and more wind. If you have ever been to any dunes while its windy, you know how much that sucks! Instead, we went up to Pismo Beach. Its a much smaller place, but with dunes, bowls, hills and a drag course, it was fun just the same. Riding right up on the water line of the ocean didn't stink either. The weather was post card perfect and the place was hoppin'!

Anyway, with another weekend of riding and learning, I thought I might give you guys a report on my progress aboard the mighty K-reX! I learned how to rail through the woops. leanning back and letting the front skip front tip to tip of each woop allowed me to really hammer. I took several passes through the section, eventually I got to to where I could go through in thirg gear tapped. It seemed as though the fester i dared go, the smoother things got. Sound right?

I also dabbled in some drag racing! I think I may have found one area where even my 16 year old bike is nearly unbeatable. I went up against new 450's (Hondas and Yamahas) as well as a YZ490, a CR500 and a whole slew of tricked out 250's. It took me a while to dial the starts, but as my starts got better, I started seeing fewer and fewer bikes in my periferial vision. By the end of the weekend, the only thing I couldn't catch or beat was the alcohol burning Banshees. I was getting to fourth gear tapped before I shut down, and that was about 65-70 mph I was told. Those guys are getting like 125 hp and on this track (read: short) they could still get 90 mph! (Those speeds were verified with a guy who had a Juggs radar detector)

So, after an agressive weekend of riding with no spills, I think I am becoming very comfortable with the speed and handling of my bike. We will be riding Goreman in two weeks. That will be my first time with this bike on a surface other than sand. It should be interesting to feel the differences. Any suggestions from those of you personally have ridden both sand and hardpack? Thanks.

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