Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Aluminum Frame Conversion (AFC)

Service Honda built....

(1/4) > >>

greencannon:
Ok, So it sems everybody has some sort of KX500 AF copy. But does anybody have a $ 10,000.00 Service Honda KX500AF.
I made the mistake of going to the website, then searching various forums, then searched videos.....Even started wondering if I should start putting some $$ aside for the rainy day....
Needless to say my wife has had to repeatedly smack me upside the head to regain my attention due to constant deep daydreaming.
Lots of talk about - demanding respect, modern handling, updated ergo's, insane power, ect.ect... Much of what I expected
 But what I really want to know is how does everything else hold up on the new chassis seeing how it wasn't really designed for a 60+ HP beast of a 2smoke motor ??? nuts, bolts, bushings,bearings....and especially that really ridgid "modified" aluminum frame.I've seen some pretty nasty cracks on other aluminum framed bikes. Anybody who owns a KX500 loves them, but has to admit high maintainance on lots of small things(nuts, bolts, brackets, kickstarters, vibration wear, ect.)

Any long term service reports out there ??

kxpegger:
I've had mine almost 2 years now. So far so good. I ride Nevada desert and the suspension and welds have withstood a brutal pounding so far! I'm getting ready for my third set of rims if that gives you any idea! The stock DID's were crap! If it weren't for the DID's I'd only be on my second set of rims.

Danger4u2:
I have an 08 KXF450 Service Honda KX500AF.  Heavily modified with aftermarket add on parts.  Stock motor but it's at Stewarts getting a mostly stock over haul.  Didn't have any motor problems just wanted to freshen.  I do most of my riding on wooded trails but I get into very rocky mountainous riding every once in a while.  I should say Oklahoma mountains.  People out west would say there the size of western foothills.  I've had 2 get off's in the rocks, both high sided down the hill.  Once on each side, bike didn't roll just landed on it's side kind of hard.  E-line carbon fiber pipe protector did it's job on the right side get off.  Looped it once coming out of a dry creek bed.  Just enough to touch and break the rear fender before it fell to the left side.  No other damage.  I have 43 hours on the bike and never lost a nut or bolt.  Last ride it was dark when I washed the bike and the next day I was looking the bike over and noticed the left fork was leaking oil.  Decided to remove the forks and shock for a rebuild/respring.  I chose Factory Connection to do the work.  One day service, picked them up on the way home.  They tore them down before I got done BS'n with the manager and found I had broken a plastic part in one of the forks.  I don't know what it's called but it cost me $120 bucks.  They have a shop in Muskogee Okla., that's about half way to Stewarts so I pulled the motor and did the day trip, 8 1/2 hours on the road.

I'm very happy with my purchase.  It was allot of money but you gota pay to play, right?
Once you own one,  5 words roll off your lips with ease, NO! you can't ride it.

greencannon:
Great replies guy's, I'm actually considering this option. I know it's expensive but in contrast, compare it to a new 450 MX bike and the really high maintaiance costs. My 01 KX500 motorwise is lowest costing bike in the garage. I really like thumper power characteristics I know i could get used to it. But I've really grown to love the 500 motor and feel really at home with it and dont want to change there. I guess i want better ergos and suspension options for some occasional MX style riding ( I mostly ride GNCC style riding with some occasional sand pit and MX track riding)
to sum it up - I guess I want the best of all worlds...
One more question though. We all know the KX frame is considered very dated. But you gotta agree It's ledgendary stability at ridiculous speeds is spectacular. How does the new frame compare ??? I've ridden plenty of aluminum framed MXers and love the light feel and turning but really hate the twitchy behavior at high speed.

Danger4u2:
A better rider could open up my AF bike where I ride.  I've never gone past half of 4th gear off road.  I have opened it up on pavement and it felt really loose.  That was with unbalanced knobbies.  Since that run I have had the wheels off and balanced them.  Need to do another run to check it out.
I have a 2004 mostly stock street legal KX500 with Continental TKC80 tires.  D.O.T. 60% off road and 40% on.  At highway speed it tracks very well.  http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Continental/continental_tkc80.htm
It feels loose at the forks if you wiggle the handle bars, like my KLR650 felt before I put a fork brace on it.
I went to a 52 tooth rear sprocket on the AF and it made me a much better rider in the woods.  It corners much better than stock K5's.
It feels lighter but I think stock and AF weigh close to the same.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page