So I learned how to ride a 500 yesterday....

AMA714 · Post by **AMA714** » March 11th, 2011, 6:19 am

Went to Cycle Ranch with a hoon I met here. After turning some laps on my 450 I thought I would try Tony's 2000 steelie.

HOLY CRAP.... I was not prepared.
Let me give you a little back story. Tony and I are both in the process of building Gen 4 CRF250A/F's. Tony has a couple steelies as well and offered me a ride. Anyway, I still get around the track pretty good (+30 expert) on my CRF 450 but have only ever ridden a 500 ice racing back in Canada.

First I had to learn how to start it. Im 6'0 200lb and struggled. Tony might weigh 160 wet and kicks it once..lol Thanks for the lesson Tony. So after I get it going I head to the track and start cranking on it. WRONG!! I learned very quickly that I cannot ride this bike WFO. I dont think I have ever experience a more violent, explosive,fast, and down right rude bike. It makes so much power and when you ride it like a 250 it tries to kill you!

So I start riding it a gear, sometimes 2 higher. Its sounds slow, it kinda feels slow, but Im alive. Im thinking this is the only way to survive, but it cant be that fast.... But I notice that im pulling 450's up the big uphill?? And i mean mowing them down! This thing gathers up ground like nothing I have ever ridden. Im chugging along, hardly working and letting the big 5 do its thing. What an experience... Thanks Tony

Cant wait to try this engine in a modern frame with ergo's Im used to, good brakes and better suspension....

http://www.youtube.com/user/500bigbore · Post by **Roostius_Maximus** » March 11th, 2011, 7:58 am

wait til you get into the motor

Tharrell · Post by **Tharrell** » March 11th, 2011, 11:24 am

Well Well Well, sounds like a very familiar story don't it fellas?
Welcome to the fold my friend and spread the word.
Too bad those sphincters at the FIM don't actually ride bikes.
If they did, they wouldn't look like a bunch of polish sausages.
I don't know for sure (yet) but I think my 480 will pull a stock 450.
I know my 500 will, been there and done that.
Crap, they won't even let me race my 250 with the 4t 250's.
In todays paradigm 250's are the old 125's and 450's are the old 250's.
FIM MX3 is the only OPEN class and they are the redheaded stepchildren.
Piss on 'em.
We're keepn' it alive AND a lot of wizards on here are advancing it!

Rhino89523 · Post by **Rhino89523** » March 11th, 2011, 12:38 pm

Man I am not sure I want the word spread...price goes up.

If we thought we could convince the big Jap companies to bring back the 500's spread away but I think these things are dead as far as their concerned.

In that case....500's suck, they are very hard to ride, suck in single track, can't be ridden on an MX track and I don't know why anyone would want one with the new 4 strokes putting the power down so smooth and tractable....How much did you say you were asking for it? well.... maybe I will give one of those dinosaurs a try...thats just always what I have heard about the abrupt hit of a CR500...so we going with that old addage $1 per CC...O.K. here is your 500 bucks hope I don't lose my ass on this thing

87CR500Rider · Post by **87CR500Rider** » March 11th, 2011, 3:06 pm

Super day of riding the "new" 2000 CR500 I recently picked up! Don't sweat it, you'll figure out how to crank them. That being said, I've bought more CR500s from guys that couldn't crank them than you can imagine, this 2000 being one of them. I couldn't own a bike I couldn't crank in a couple of kicks (CRF450).

AMA714 · Post by **AMA714** » March 11th, 2011, 4:07 pm

Thanks again Tony, was a great day at the track. Now lets get these A/F's done.

redrocket190 · Post by **redrocket190** » March 11th, 2011, 4:58 pm

Tharrell wrote:... but I think my 480 will pull a stock 450..

True.

KE 336 · Post by **KE 336** » March 14th, 2011, 6:09 am

Funny story.

I found the same thing you describe when I first got my donor a couple of years ago. Throttle control is your friend otherwise you'll find your ass on the ground in a hurry.

Like you, you start riding a gear high and the motor doesn't feel or sound like it is working at all but you start to realize "this thing is hauling ass"!

Tharrell · Post by **Tharrell** » March 14th, 2011, 2:44 pm

Ha Ha Ha!
I use the clutch lever as a throttle control/brake.
It's sorta like an emergency brake for me.

Most of the guys racing don't use the clutch after they leave the starting gate.
You'll see me oldschool with fingers on the clutch and front brake pretty much all the time.
Couple all that power with DRUM brakes on my 480 and it's easily an "E" ticket ride at Disney.

supermotoflunkie · Post by **supermotoflunkie** » March 15th, 2011, 7:01 am

Iv been riding my gen1 for a couple months. I feel I'm an intermediate. been riding (in general) for a while. No probs... MX and SM

So last week I'm practising dirt starts. 3rd gear is best and it just haul ass. No wheeling just a rocket ship.

New tires sat night. Sunday i ride some laps and practise starts again. 3rd gear bogs this time and I get a little wheelie...so I try 2nd and it came out from under me and almost does a backflip...broke the radiator and blows coolant everywhere and broke the brake lever when it fell

I guess ill modulate the clutch a little next time.

BannedCR500Riders.com

So I learned how to ride a 500 yesterday....

So I learned how to ride a 500 yesterday....