Stock vs Modified

[bigpower]

Now that I have gotten some seat time on the vitrually all stock '01, heres some of my thoughts between it and my modified 98, and some of the stuff that constantly comes up in the world we know as the CR500

Porting
Now there has always been alot of stuff hashed over and over on a now deceased board and the other, well, board, concerning porting. The big thing when I came on the scene back about '03 was the Gorr "Mo Betta" port job. It's supposed to be the best type of port job for all around riding. Smooth low end, with a smooth transition to the mid and a bit more top. In a nutshell, it is all its cracked up to be, but, I found out as time went on, and after riding a few stockers with gearing changes(a '95 with 15/45, my 01 with 15/47) that you can pretty much accomplish the same thing just with sprockets. The stock cylinder porting works very well with 15/47 on the singletrack, it'll pull the taller gears no problemo up some pretty wicked hills, so if I was a guy with a newly aquired 500 and it was stock, I'd go the cheap route and fiddle with the gearing first.

Reed Cages
Now I also fell into the hype about the reed cages. The RAD Valve and the V Force. A good buy on eBay if you ask me, but to go out and spend the full nut at wherever you get your bike stuff from, for what you gain, send SH the 15 bones plus shipping and stay stock. The best thing I ever did to the moded niner was put the stock cage and reeds back on. TDR laminateds are truly better, but they are unfortuanatly not availible anymore.

Carbs
No question about this one. The PWK is one of the best and most worthwhile changes you can make. Not that the PJ is a piece of shit, but the throttle response doesn't even compare to a well tuned PWK. The 39.5 is the most common, as they can be found on the Bay for reasonable prices, but a singletrcker like me is gonna change to a 38 AirStriker and see how that works out. Don't forget the DGN needle in either, or you might find yourself changin a few more plugs than normal(my experience)

Pipes
You like FMF, he likes PC, others say stock is best, christ, who the hell knows. The 01 has a PC on it(its only mod from stock, due to Danny crushing the dogshit outta the stocker a few yrs back) and it seems to work out pretty good, even with the stock(yes STOCK) silencer. I'll be changing to an FMF Turbine Core II, because I'm a fan of that style of sparky, and I'm trying to be as legal as possible

Other "Gimmicks"
That would be shit like iCats, Power Now valves and the like. Save your money, and spend it on consumables. Nothing against guys that are using these products, but I've been running an iCat on the niner for 2 seasons, and I really can't tell the difference. On our 200, it woke it up a bit, but we're talking about a bike thats 60% larger in the displacement department. It doesn't notice these kind of things, so I really couldn't say that something like that fancy schmancy Service Honda ignition kit thats been getting some hype would be a wise investment. Might just be another pain in the wallet. Couldn't tell ya.

So where did I go with this thread. Oh yea, Stock and Modified. I'll be honest with ya.
If I had to do it all over again, and we turned back the clock to May 2003, when I rolled that big blocker outta Terrys Honda in Grayling MI, I'd have left the bastard alone. I'd have changed the gearing, prolly put on the PC pipe, and a PWK.

It's your bike, do what you think you can handle, but that $200 port job, that RAD valve, and that other bullshit would buy more than a few cases of beer.

Just my thoughts................

[Ported&Polished]

I'll buy all that and add that stock is fine, when money allows and the ich needs scratching, put on a pc pipe, a pwk, and go flog it. Then, when the beast needs a top end, go for a port job if it seems like you could use a little more punch. And that's it. Sure, go with an alky carb and run the stuff for Glamis or Dumont, which means you might want a little longer swingarm. And maybe go with a nitrous kit for even more wicked punch. If you get a great deal on a rad valve, I'd say go for it, but as for other doo dads, it isn't needed. Suspension mods are great for riders that are very into techical stuff, but stock with clickers set correctly and fluids changed to suit works for me. A good replacement chain, a set of renthals, premium tires, gooey grips, wider foot pegs, are fun investments, and have merit. Custom powder coat, chromed parts, polished cases and jug, anodized wheels, and cryonized gears can always be added. Where was I going with this? Oh yea, stock vs. modified, I say you can't go wrong if you just stick with everything I mentioned.

[AlisoBob]

All bow towards Michigan....

[britincali]

Hell yea!!! Good honest post man

[100hp honda]

go ALL THE WAY, or leave the damn thing stock. took me a while of fiddly fucking around with half ass motor mods to finally figure this out. my .02

[britincali]

go ALL THE WAY, or leave the damn thing stock. took me a while of fiddly fucking around with half ass motor mods to finally figure this out. my .02

Thats always the way it works, take a lightning for example you can spend $2000 on little stuff and a badass tune to get it up to 400hp/500tq pushing way to much boost through the eaton or spend $2500 on a twin screw from the beginning and have a cooler much more reliable setup.

I went the nickle and dime way

[iggys-amsoil]

I agree with that accept the Suspension part.
Most of us weight more than 180-190 that the springs are rated at and you will never get the sag set right weighting more than that. Now you don't have spend the $ for the new revalve. Instead find someone compedent to rework the exsisting valve and change the shim stack for your riding conditions. By compedent I mean someone who actually races, prefferably outdoor MX.

This is one area that should be modded first instead of tickering with motor mods.

I tell ya, the last couple of races and the Dove springs ride really proved having the boingers set properly was money well spent.

[pstoffers]

I agree with that accept the Suspension part.
Most of us weight more than 180-190 that the springs are rated at and you will never get the sag set right weighting more than that. Now you don't have spend the $ for the new revalve. Instead find someone compedent to rework the exsisting valve and change the shim stack for your riding conditions. By compedent I mean someone who actually races, prefferably outdoor MX.

This is one area that should be modded first instead of tickering with motor mods.

I tell ya, the last couple of races and the Dove springs ride really proved having the boingers set properly was money well spent.

[ou812]

Doesn't make Gorr look very good

[bigpower]

I left the suspension out of it for the reason that changing springs and all that are just a given. Chains/sprockets fall under the consumables, though the gearing change is a big part of what I like about a stock motor. 15/47 is just a good number for my style of riding, and the stock motor seems to work real well with that set.

This post wasn't about knocking anybody elses set up, just my thoughts on it. like I say, do what you think you can handle, and it is your bike.
And no, this wasn't meant to make Mr Gorr look bad, either. I like the Mo Betta, but I guess the point I tried to make was that if I'd have just geared it, the original bigblocker would have been just about right from the get go.
Racers are gonna want that balls out power, hillclimbers, too, but the average Joe trail nut probably would be best served with the basics.

Hey ride em kids, thats what theys there for. And pat yourself on the back, because you're an individual that still has enough balls to mount what most others in the riding world wouldn't dream of...
A 2 stroke 500

[AlisoBob]

The 3 "B's"....

Boingers, Brakes, and Baloney rings

are the way to go fast...

[britincali]

The 3 "B's"....

Boingers, Brakes, and Baloney rings

are the way to go fast...

4 "B's"

Balls, Boingers, Brakes, Baloney rings

[AlisoBob]

I stand corrected

[MojoScojo]

Baloney rings?

[AlisoBob]