My First CR 500 AFC

[mxdogger]

Thanks hoons, im hoping to get her to the track friday. it's been raining here in illinois, tracks are closed.

what do you think of this color combo? never mind the cheesy plate #, its there for mock up

[mxdogger]

today is another good day, i scored a complete 2000 cr250 ignition system from ebay, it will be here friday guarunteed
now i can clean up that mess on the side of my frame.






Anyone want to by a cr 250 1997-98 complete working ignition system for $150 ?

[mxdogger]

Any thoughts on color?

[speedway501]

MX, I sent you a PM about ignition mate.

[mxdogger]

Here's some pics of the headstay im using, idea was found on this site but the print is all mine

[2strokekyle]

That headstay is F-in SWEET!!

[CR500R7]

SWEET! well done on stealing the idea from here.

[mxdogger]

here's some updated pics of my build with PC works pipe, Twinring rear sprocket, ultralite front, 2000 cr250 ignition installed and the color combo im going to go with.

Future updates will include new plastics and my own custom design graphics by De Cal works.

[AlisoBob]

I like it.....

[mxdogger]

Thanks AlisoBob, thats a big superbowl touchdown

[bearorso]

A description of a 'Black & Red' AF would have not done much for me, but, a picture is worth a thousand words, And that really looks good.

I think the clincher is the black rims and the subtlety of the red Showa decals. Just a little more black along the forward / lower edge of the rad shrouds would perfect it, plus perhaps a red worded decal on the swing arm.

Of course, this comes from a bloke with 2 stickers on a bike with gouges out of every square inch of plastic on it.........................

[mxdogger]

bearorso thanks, i was thinking the same thing about needing more black in the graphics. will try to achive that when i have the graphics made, i have a pic of my other bike with the colors opposite of this one since i swapped the colors between the two.
it looks good also, decisions,decisions
Hoons don't cut me up for a pic of a 4t, its for color only

[hoofarted]

Looks pretty good man! So how does she ride?!!

And why'd you swap the FMF Fatty for the PC? Still have the fatty?

[mxdogger]

Thanks hoofarted,
i swapped them out cause i didn't want to cut on the plating on the new chrome pc pipe i had and you have to put a dent in that pipe to clear the front waterpump hose. also if i crash and probably will heating up the pipe to get dents out won't look pretty but with the works pipe it won't matter.

I'm keeping the fatty, i might try it on different tracks to see the difference but most of the tracks i ride are wide open with few tight turns.

The bike feels great around the yard, lay it over in turns no problem. Will probably have to wait till this weekend to get it to a track.

Can't wait to shred some berms with this monster and see how she feels airbourn

[racein01]

Bike looks great.... top job

hows the ride pics/review.

[mxdogger]

Here's the lowdown on the first ride.
This thing is hairy ! the track was to be groomed for practice, it was i half assed job. most corners were hardpacked and most of the track was also hard. this didn't help the 500 out at all, i could barely open the throttle any where without lighting up the tire. every time i went off a jump the bike was front end high, dailed the suspension in some but i need heavier front springs to match the back spring. this motor just comes on to fast, to hard. im thinking of trying a 500 flywheel with the cr250 ignition to tame it down, it is just to hard to get it around that tight track.
some of the other tracks i ride are more open with some big bowl or banked turns with loamy soil and big jumps with soft landings, the bike should be better there with more room to actually use the throttle. I'm still having starting issues, never know when it will start sometimes 1 kick or 12. starting to think the reeds are really old and weak cause she runs awesome once running and the carb seems to be dailed in pretty good.

As far as my welds, they where tested several times on the new 80 ft. table top that i came up short on many times. got the scrub marks inside my fenders to prove it checked all welds and especially the downtube to the y weld, no cracks,no flaws, this is good

My first race is this weekend and sadly i will not be racing the 500, her and i need more time together and some tuning to make her ridable at pace.
I am sure some of my problems with the bike are me not ever having a 500, this thing has a lot of untamed power and finicky starting, traits i need to adjust to, strength i need to gain.

[AlisoBob]

Maybe go up a tooth on the countershaft to try to tone the bike down?

Starting my 500 is all about throttle position.

Closed when its cold, cracked alittle when hot.

Find your throttle "happy spot"... and starting will be a non issue.

[nmdesertrider]

When you start get it between the two compression 'bumps', bring it back and give it sharp kick it will start every time.

[Roostius_Maximus]

what made you change fromt he fatty to PC?

[mxdogger]

Roostius i wanted a new pipe on my bike, i got i good deal on a chrome pc then i didn't want to bend and cut on it so i sold it to buy the works pc.
i probably should of used the fatty at my local track but sealing the pipe up on this thing is a bitch. right now i have black rtv in there, tried the stove rope, it is to thick to use. any suggestions ?

[dannygraves]

do not use a 250 ign to tame it, it has the opposite effect.
You need to get the starting drill down. on a 500 you don't just pull out the kicker and kick. you find TDC, slowly push on the kicker until the end of the compression stroke, as soon as it feels easy again, ratchet the kicker back to the top and kick it all the way through and hard, you'll have to put your weight and leg muscles into it, with the throttle partially open, it should fire 1 kick every time
I have actually found the opposite of what bob suggested, if you go lower on gearing it tames the hit by giving you more rpm and more room in the lower gears. the 500 puts out most of its power right off idle, then it tapers down from there, the taller you gear it, the more time youll be spending in the uncontrolable torque range, it you gear it lower, you'll spend more time in the much more controlable rpm range.

[dannygraves]

maybe I should explain my gearing theory a little more. lets just say there is a corner you would feel comfortable entering an exiting in 3rd gear and about 2000 rpm, but when you accelerate out of the corner the wheel spins, the bike wheelies and tries to loop out on you. this has just cost you time trying to regain control of the bike. If you entered the same corner in 2nd at 5000rpm, it might feel weird, but when you roll on the throttle exiting the corner the motors air and fuel demands at that rpm will me higher meaning subtle throttle movements will have a minimal effect. So the 2nd gear run, you could snap the throttle all the way back to say 3/4 and while the motor is playing catchup it will have a much more linear power delivery. if you snap it all the way to 3/4 at 2000rpm in 3rd, it would turn on like a light switch and now your at the rodeo counting 8 seconds instead of winning races.
The 500 is a fast bike, but if you keep it in its peak torque range you'll be slower and wear yourself out trying to control it, rev it clean outside peak tq in into peak hp and it will perform much better for you. If you are spending a lot of time in 1st at lower rpms, gear it lower.

[dannygraves]

Roostius i wanted a new pipe on my bike, i got i good deal on a chrome pc then i didn't want to bend and cut on it so i sold it to buy the works pc.
i probably should of used the fatty at my local track but sealing the pipe up on this thing is a bitch. right now i have black rtv in there, tried the stove rope, it is to thick to use. any suggestions ?

I use ultra copper rtv

[AlisoBob]

i could barely open the throttle any where without lighting up the tire. every time i went off a jump the bike was front end high,

Danny, not sure how gearing it lower is going to help these two issues....

[mxdogger]

Danny i bought the 250 ignition for my build because i was starting from nothing and read they worked good. i think it works to goood I never had a 5oo before so maybe i over built this beast, i wanted what seemed to be the best stock hop ups for it.
really would like to have a controllable and tractable motor, if that is possible with the 500 ! so it's testing time, im going to buy a 500 flywheel and see if that slows it down some. if need be i will get the 500 cdi too.

After riding this bike sunday i relized why i got faster when i jumped to a fourstroke a few years ago, they offer up better traction, easier to control power and the engine breaking really helps. downside is why im here,
they cost to much to maintain and you don't know when there going to blow.
what im really saying is i need to make the 500 have some of the characteristics of the 4t so it is effectively ridable.
I want to beat those guys on the 4t with this monster, just need to calm it down some