I had a 1982 Suzuki RM465Z, I bought it brand new in 1982 for $2,495. And it was a beast, ran perfect right from the dealer, no jetting issues or anything. It would start 2nd kick when cold and the choke on, every single time I rode it, and 1st kick every time when it was warm. It would run a little ratty for a minute or so, then clear out and pull the front wheel in every gear at half throttle. The motor was stock, except for a White Bros Works airbox, and boyseen reeds. It had the 38mm flat side mikuni carb, and it ran like a top. I had it for 8 years from 1982 to 1990, and it never broke down on me one time. I rode it every weekend at a big sand and gravel pit, and I went through 4 to 5 gallons of gas a day at 40:1 with premium gas and Bel-Ray Mc-1 racing oil. The biggest problems were keeping the front wheel on the ground, hanging on to it, and arm pump from all that power. I never had all that ratty running in 1st or 2nd gear, after I started it from cold and ran through the gears 2 or 3 times it cleaned out and ran perfect, pulling the front wheel every time you touch the throttle. I had about 6 mx bikes from Hodaka to Suzuki, and it was the best bike I ever had. And all I did was put a fresh top end on it over the winter in Illinois, and I rode all summer on one top end, with no engine problems at all. The thing was a beats, and if you give it over half throttle in any gear but 5th, you risk flipping the bike, because that front wheel came up fast and often. At time I almost thought the front wheel was barely ever on the ground, it pulled the front wheel up so easy it was scary, but fun as hell.
i mean i think he learned from all the banshee he had and other stuff that had prices that went thru the roof.. so he is playing it smart with them 2 stroke bikes and quads list them for crazy prices and just store them till someone pays that price (like his tecate quad those are rare)
@@reggiexp69 tecate quads are dogshit. they are rare because no one wanted them 20 years ago. old 2 strokes are not the investment item you dumb ass kids believe them to be. No one is paying these insane prices for old 2 strokes. Look at banshee's..you cant give those fuckers away right now. seen several CR500's gone from 8500 asking to 4500 asking and still no movement. You can ASK whatever you want, but youll never find a buyer at those prices.
@dieselramcharger 2Strokes are not going to loose their value they are only increasing as they become more rare. Especially the Honda CR500's they are rare 2stroke beast's that have more power than most 4stroke dirt bikes. Trying to find a CR500 for less than $5000 in good condition is almost impossible and these bikes are 30+ years old. There is nothing better than the smell and sound of a 2stroke and the power band that only 2strokes have is addicting. ❤️2strokes 🤓💯
I had this bike. Honestly, I think my 83 CR480 had the more usable motor (for motocross). I rode the 480. The 500 was always trying to ride me... For play-riding it was a blast... that mid-high rev hit in 3rd gear....I still feel the eyeballs flattening.
Great on you for cranking out content lately. On a different note. Thank you for your Yamaha Breeze video like 4 years ago. Helped me fix my wife's Breeze this week.
I'm a huge fan of big 2 strokes. If you have a yz 490 and a cr 500 you can blast anything! Thanks for you videos. You have done real well keeping us up to date
A better point to make is to check the reed cage and see if it still has the plastic reeds if it does see if you can get some carbon force or vee force reeds for it the stock reeds will oscillate and blow fuel back through the carb at higher revs if the bike seems like it sort of stumbles a bit top end it's definitely reeds. I changed the reeds first thing in any 2 stroke machine I've ever had and immediately it felt like there was unlimited top end and acceleration was scary as hell any of them would blow through 1st and second gear so fast it was unreal
As I remember around 1970's the big three Yam, Suzy and Kwaka were always dominating the motocross scene. Competitor makers with their four stoke engines (eg. Honda) had some difficulty keeping up in this field. Soichiro Honda with his four stoke engine (sick of loosing races) who never really liked the two stroke engines as he found them dirty, noisy and smokey also knew somehow that he had to try and keep up with the rest so reluctantly was forced into building his very first and only two stroke engine. And so he made one, a damn bloody good one. He was also well aware that he had only one crack at getting this right... PS. If I've got any information wrong in this post, please feel free to correct me... Cheers.... 🙂
They also made other models, unfortunately Honda stopped engineering the CR 85, 125, 250cc 2stroke in 2008 and the CR 500 in 2001. They are awesome bikes!
I had a 1990 CR 500. It had a fmf knarly pipe. It was an awesome bike and I had years of great fun with it. I finally sold it because I started riding mostly in the sand dunes and a quad and my homebuilt sand rail were much easier to ride. Loved the bike though. Yours looks very similar, but in a bit better shape.
Easier starting tip, lean the bike way down sideways to let a little gas come out of the bowl and into the intake a bit before you start kicking and she will start faster and easier everytime.
The plastics being made in Italy tell me they are Acerbis. Prices for these things keep climbing it'd be smart to do the frame and make it as OEM as possible and stash it away. I've seen a few with a hefty price tag.
The most power economic asset is a persons ability to educate, train, gain wisdom in their field, this gentleman’s wisdom in transforming problematic dirt bikes is brilliant.
Nice find PS, same carb setup on my RM. It's a booger to get the carb off without unbolting the sub frame piece so the air box can be pushed back away from the carb.
Dude when that thing is jetted and running like it should the front tire is just a suggestion.. you really have a gem 💎 of a bike ... That bike will never lose it's value .. get it tuned in and evertime you go through the gears the smile will be endless.. take care man and stay healthy...
That "pink" gas is more than likely Klotz...good stuff for sure...smells amazing too...klotz r50 smells the best and klotz benol does too but benol don't mix well in colder weather...it seperates
I'm surprised you didn't take jets with you to the ride. 5 minute swap out. You are taking a pretty big swing with the 170 to the lean side. I would have dropped to a 178 and see where it's at but it did sound pretty fat. Also, make 1 jetting change at a time so you know what's doing what.
93’ I got my first dirt bike, KX65 then 85 and so on. Dad got a modded ‘93 YZ 250. We motoxed raced Bithlo/Christmas FL. Anyway, I remember that CR 500. I saw a lot of people jump on it thinking they were hot 🔥 and got hurt. Awesome bike, great vid
Selecting the right jetting is based on air density and altitude where the bike is ridden the most. High altitude has less air, therefore needs to run leaner and richer closer to sea level. I hope that helps.
His main issue commonly is that he is always trying to change jetting on 2 strokes that need top end rebuilds first off. The majority of his videos with 2 strokes are bikes with low compression needing top ends. He should be having a much harder time kicking a 500cc 2 stroke. Trust me I know as I've become a master at tuning and starting my 500's. When they are tuned properly and have optimum compression they are harder to kick than old kick start Harley's! They literally have more compression than most any dirt or street bikes ever built in history!
Now your talking a bike !! I just ran a couple motos on my 92 ktm mx 500 !! I absolutely love 2 stroke 500s , I have 6 of them , and they are great !! Nice touch with compression release, takes a lot of pressure off cases !! Great find Joe 👏
Ok Joe , seriously when you said listen to some tunes , what music do you like ? Whe I get fired up for a race 🏁 I listen to Iron maiden, merciful fate , KIX , wasp , and motley crue to mellow out !!! Great video A ++ big bores for life 92 ktm 500 , 84 yz490, 84 can-am 500 , 87 can-am 406 , 83 Husqvarna 500CR, 77 yz400, 86 ktm 350
These things were king back in the 90’s in Pennsylvania when the huge slate and boney piles were still around from the coal mines. Those piles were nothing but big jumps and hill climbs. There were always more YZ 490s around here than CR or KX 500s though.
I had a 94 cr500. Bought it in 1999-2000. I never got comfortable on any track or trials!!! But it sure was fun to ride on the back roads. I had to put a flywheel weight on her when I first got her. It help keep that front wheel on the ground till I was ready for a that torque. That and tilting it on its side till I saw gas come through drain line was mandatory for easy quick start-ups. It nice to the hear the little stumble through the gears till their warm upon cold starts. But after that that wake-up……watch-out!!!!!
That pure power thing is why there were 500cc MX bikes built. I think the KX 500s were a bit more choppy. The RM and CR 500s were insanity on 2 wheels. Enjoy your monster, I'm jealous. Great find, man!
Nice kickstarting there dude. Those 500s really need a high and hard kick to get it started. Bet it felt great kicking it over. Certainly need a strong kicking leg.
Easy way to get to the carb on the 92 CR500 is to loosen the airbox clamp on the carb. Take out the two bottom subframe bolts, loosen the top subframe bolt and then just tip up the subframe with everything attached.
Are you set on a CR500? I’m in Sacramento and have a 99 KX500 for sale. I’ve had it about 6 years, starts first or second kick and I’ve got less than 20 hours on it since I bought it.
You have to remember that fmf's recommended jetting and needle potion is based off their elevation joe just like all aftermarket pipe manufacturers.. and I do believe fmf is based off 0 elevation due to them being out of California..I have tried their recommended settings for alot of my bikes but I just use it as a start point and go from there.. I'm also way up in Northern bc Canada so my elevation is anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 feet of elevation so it to be expected
You have said it perfectly 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 The jetting will only work at the planned place it's going to be ridden, never have I bought a bike and just trusted the jets it has in it , I've always set that myself 🤷🏻♂️ I start with a new plug ( but have a couple of extras ) and new/oiled filter and I clean the carb and tank , and use castrol XR77 , Castro A747 or motel 800 Then buy the jets in & around the sizes that are in the carb . I would then use the xr77 first, it's easier to get a new plug white, black or chocolate colour and tell what it's doing easer/quicker, And then go on from there 👌🏼💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 But like you wrote never set up a bike for just the pipe! It's your location and the time of year, & then the pipe 👌🏼👍🏼 Never use just any cheep 2 stroke oils and the filter it came with! 👍🏼👍🏼
@@bossmonkey1126 what? If you are 20,000' or more then you are almost at the summit of Denali (the highest mountain in North America) I'm guessing most people have no clue what elevation they are at... Most of Alaskans live near sea level
I know those are the leaat desirable graphics but they are my personal favorite in the whole CR lineup honestly. Kawasaki had a similar graphic on their KX bikes around the same time. Looked incredible. The 90s were a great time to be alive lol.
So excited to see the big old CR500 on your channel! Looks like a really nice well looked after bike and is going to sound nasty when the jetting is dialed. Please restore this and the YZ490, can't wait for the next video keep up the great content!
Hello Joe, its your Aussie fan. Great video. Mate, you need to get rid of shifting spanners in your videos, If a jobs worth filming, then its worth getting a real spanner. Nothing worst than burred bolts and nuts from a sloppy shifting spanner. On my bikes I replace bolts with Allen screws. I love your videos, hopefully you have noticed my pet hate when I see you do this. Great story though mate, your doing a great job. Shifting spanners are for working on competitors bikes :)
Should've done a plug chop before jetting changes and in your excitement (understandably) forgot the compression test. You can buy aftermarket billet engine cases, but they're not cheap!
To be honest man the stock engine is way better than that aftermarket swap. Power and reliability speaking, but I respect the time and work you put into it💪🏽
Great find. These bikes are becoming increasingly rare to find in this shape. Tons of rolling chassis out he because Kart guys are scooping CR500 motors like crazy apparently
Awesome video! I always wanted to ride one, never mine own one. I cant imagine the power of that thing. I had a 98 cr250 and that thing left like a rocket ship, it would pick up every gear. Hold on tight for that second right man!!
Loved this vid, reminded me of when I used to ride a Cr500 many years ago , loved all the power it had, getting too old now unfortunately, dont think I could use all the power off road now . Re jetting all I did was change to a175 main jet for the aftermarket pipe
Awesome video! I look forward to seeing more of the CR500. I have the a 1995 CR250 that I restored. It looks just like this since I went with the 1993 color scheme. I would love to have a CR500.
MAN!!.. what a great find at a great price... around here about 7 months ago (near Dallas, Tx), someone was wanting $6200 for the same exact bike that looked A LOT worse.. lol.. hardcore passed that "deal".. geez.. lol.. had original yet scuffed and cracked panels and a huge rip in the seat.. guy was on crack asking that much.. lol.. I mean, I'm all for "asking more and settling for less" approach but he was way WAY too high.. (good pun, huh?... lol) p.s. LOVE THE HOUSE!! I wonder if the neighbor(s) are tired of hearing you rip around the property yet.. LOL.. I can't wait to see what you build on the new property and the dirt track... you know, for testing purposes.. create an LLC and then build it all... AND it'll all be tax deductible.. NICE!!.. 50 acres??.. insane, dude.. good for you guys!!.. next stop, 2M subs!!.. lol.. doing what you love to do as a job is the best thing anyone could ever hope for and you're well on your way.. living the dream!!.. anywho.. great content!!.. CHEERS!!!
I owned that bike new in 1992. It would pull a wheelie in every gear. I rode MX and it was just absolutely ridiculous power. Wanted a CR250, but they were sold out nationwide, so I grabbed a 500. LOL! Sold it a few years later. Wish I would have kept it.
What a beast a proper thumper enjoyed the vid especially the ride along on the land took me back to that awesome feeling butterfly's in the stomach and rattling teeth would be great if you done a full resto and maybe do update videos from teardown to build-up anyways really enjoyed, wishing you the best Joe
I bought that bike bike in 1993 offthe showroom floor it was a left over1992.great bike very fast.yahthose swing arm stickers on that bike look cheesy for sure.
Put rubber mounted bar clamps aswell as bar inserts, it'll help more with vibration... and they do have cases available, infact, they make aftermarket cases that come with a counterbalance and everything needed for E-Start. Everything else used come with the donor engine. It's basically just cases, or you can get their cylinder and head. You can get their head with their own dome/porting, or one multiple dome inserts and they even sell a Vortex ignition with different maps on a switch.. the smart carb company is escaping me and I'm not sure if it's come to market just yet, but they now have a smart carb specifically for the big bore 2 strokes... They'll work for 300-500, you just tell them the CC size and where you're located and it'll be set up perfectly.. I've heard amazing things from people who've got to test them. The company I mentioned that has the cases, they make complete kits (with custom cone pipes) to turn YZ, KX, SX, etc that turn the 250s into 500s that bolt right into the frame. They use a CR500 crank and piston for easy replacement, then the donor bikes transmission/bottom end/clutch outside of the crank.. they all come with a counter balance shaft/gear. if you need a cylinder or head they have replacements... they'll also be offering with it either the correct carb or smart carb that comes with the kit. If there's anything needed for the intake for particular bike you're buying the kit for to get it to fit, like the airbox, or airboot, the kit will come with it... Oh, and perhaps the coolest part... the kit includes a custom hand made cone pipe for their engine spec. It's not one of those that looks like a cone pipe, it is a cone pipe. The only thing, I'm not sure what Reed cage it uses, but I swear I saw a few bikes that had Vforce Reeds on the bikes... I don't know if Vforce makes any for the 500s, or if they use the 250s Reed block... that company may have a deal with Moto Tassanari to get custom V-Force Reeds for those kits, I don't know... or they come with CR500 stock Reeds and I imagined the Vforce. The new EFI ktm 500 kits come with everything needed for the fuel injection, including Vortex ECU mapped for the 500.. the other kits come with Vortex ignitions. The custom decompression release for kickstarters make it as easy to start as a 250 believe it or not with that particular work.. the cone pipe, cases, head, and cylinder are amazing, they're handmade not mass produced. It's like art. BTW bud, you need to re-jet that bike and check what clip the needle is at...as well as seeing if theres any leaks around the reed block or if the reeds are worn or chipped, id go ahead and replace them.. Vforce if they have it.. i think its jetting though, due to the bogging on bottom and starts to clear out on top, i dont hear any detonation when in the higher RPM, seems like its running rich getting too much fuel. Otherwise, she looks and sounds great at idle, not perfect up top but sounds better than down low... Ah, never mind, you just changed it and checked the needle lol. I'm not erasing it 🤣 I'm weird, I dont like my 2 strokes to idle, at all.. I'd also go ahead and go in and replace the fork and shock seals, put in fresh fluid, and revalve and put the correct spring rate in it... let them know you're using a newer CRF-R forks and a stock shock so they valve the rear shock properly to balance the bike out, then set sag.. I like Factory Connection because I prefere a stiffer set up, their work tends to be on the stiffer side than most other companies.
I watched Ricky Johnson race one of the CR500s at Budds Creek. Racing against Jeff Ward on his KX500. Fierce competitors. They were faster than everyone else in their races - a lot like James Stewart vs Ricky Carmichael.
You had empty the motor oil plus you did good work on motor carburetor. It's possible the Bar's oil leak sealing will stop the smoke of CR500. The motorcycle is my model 2020 and it doesn't smoke out of 4 stroke type engine 240cc exhaust pipe. The back pressure of CR500 exhaust is 4 PSI in custom fat bulbous exhaust header runner at 500 RPM in the CR 500. The header for the dirt moped with 21 inch front and 18 inch Shinko had to be about 100 Note per second with the 110 DB. 100 note/sec equals 400 rpm from the 4 stroke type. Then I put back the suppressor tailpipe and a muffle in the middle color black oxide. The performance was about the same in 1/8 mile race so the decibel reduce from 110 DB down to around 40 Decibels. The worn out valve in the bike was like 50,000 miles but most moped didn't have odometer. The motorcycle do have odometer. The moped is 100 MPG CR. When I had met a guy in California, he rode the racer dirt bike to about 55 MPH in the escape trail away from the police car that was chasing him. But the CR equals crazy racer had escape. So, it's legal because we are the racers with police badges so all men are created equal. The policeman cannot be the boss period, because we are equals. The word boss means authoritarian.
I had a pre-1990 model without the luxury of a decompression valve , used to bump start the thing a lot of times as there was a slope leading to the fields i used to ride on, one of the best dirt bikes i ever owned.
For jetting I know you say they reccomend 170 but you dont know what the ice racers did if they did custom porting or what... ide try a 175 or so keep it on the richer side untill you see forsure
I appreciate all you do and thank you for your teaching new subscriber and enjoy your content always a good thing to do engine basics first no one does it anymore they just replace parts
I absolutely LOVE the 91-95 cr500’s. the retro graphics are sick ❤ I could put them next to the latest whatever bike I could think of but they’ll always be the one that makes my hands clammy and the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I’d love one but they’re up to $30k where I’m from for a clean one 😞
Okay, just hear me out: me and a friend with a rental van and this bike. We take turns DESTROYING golf-course after golf-course, while the other one waits with a ramp into the getaway rental van. This would make the ultimate youtube series and the bike would quickly pay for itself.
The 170 main jet is good but try the 55 pilot. The 50 pilot jet is not the standard pilot for that carb and the 55 pilot will make it a little easier to start. Make sure the needle shows 1369 needle. 2 turns out on the fuel air screw. Super crisp guaranteed. 32:1 Maxima Formula K2 make sure it’s the purple label bottle or pro honda hp2 is really good stuff as well.
Had a thought.. After you get "established" with, possibly, an LLC and building, etc on the new property, you'll not only do "will it start" videos but also, complete restores, etc for your clientele for extra content, etc.. I mean, all the way down to repainting the frame and building back up to working order.. so cool.. envious?? me??.. yea.. I think so.. lol.. CHEERS!!
I had a 1982 Suzuki RM465Z, I bought it brand new in 1982 for $2,495. And it was a beast, ran perfect right from the dealer, no jetting issues or anything. It would start 2nd kick when cold and the choke on, every single time I rode it, and 1st kick every time when it was warm.
It would run a little ratty for a minute or so, then clear out and pull the front wheel in every gear at half throttle. The motor was stock, except for a White Bros Works airbox, and boyseen reeds. It had the 38mm flat side mikuni carb, and it ran like a top. I had it for 8 years from 1982 to 1990, and it never broke down on me one time.
I rode it every weekend at a big sand and gravel pit, and I went through 4 to 5 gallons of gas a day at 40:1 with premium gas and Bel-Ray Mc-1 racing oil. The biggest problems were keeping the front wheel on the ground, hanging on to it, and arm pump from all that power. I never had all that ratty running in 1st or 2nd gear, after I started it from cold and ran through the gears 2 or 3 times it cleaned out and ran perfect, pulling the front wheel every time you touch the throttle.
I had about 6 mx bikes from Hodaka to Suzuki, and it was the best bike I ever had. And all I did was put a fresh top end on it over the winter in Illinois, and I rode all summer on one top end, with no engine problems at all. The thing was a beats, and if you give it over half throttle in any gear but 5th, you risk flipping the bike, because that front wheel came up fast and often. At time I almost thought the front wheel was barely ever on the ground, it pulled the front wheel up so easy it was scary, but fun as hell.
Nothing like an old school RM, especially an 82
Dude this makes me so happy, please restore this bike to show room and keep it for your retirement plan, or sell it to me I'll gladly buy it :) .
what retirement plan? its a 2 stroke dirt bike.......the value will soon be zero. Just enjoy the fucking thing. Ride It.
i mean i think he learned from all the banshee he had and other stuff that had prices that went thru the roof.. so he is playing it smart with them 2 stroke bikes and quads list them for crazy prices and just store them till someone pays that price (like his tecate quad those are rare)
@@reggiexp69 tecate quads are dogshit. they are rare because no one wanted them 20 years ago. old 2 strokes are not the investment item you dumb ass kids believe them to be. No one is paying these insane prices for old 2 strokes. Look at banshee's..you cant give those fuckers away right now. seen several CR500's gone from 8500 asking to 4500 asking and still no movement. You can ASK whatever you want, but youll never find a buyer at those prices.
@dieselramcharger 2Strokes are not going to loose their value they are only increasing as they become more rare. Especially the Honda CR500's they are rare 2stroke beast's that have more power than most 4stroke dirt bikes. Trying to find a CR500 for less than $5000 in good condition is almost impossible and these bikes are 30+ years old. There is nothing better than the smell and sound of a 2stroke and the power band that only 2strokes have is addicting. ❤️2strokes 🤓💯
@@nicholassousa lose not loose
Had one in the early 90's. This is one bike that deserves all the respect from a rider.
I had this bike. Honestly, I think my 83 CR480 had the more usable motor (for motocross). I rode the 480. The 500 was always trying to ride me... For play-riding it was a blast... that mid-high rev hit in 3rd gear....I still feel the eyeballs flattening.
I've always loved the sound of the exhaust puff of smoke and that smell of 2 stroke engines.
It's marvelous.
Great on you for cranking out content lately. On a different note. Thank you for your Yamaha Breeze video like 4 years ago. Helped me fix my wife's Breeze this week.
The front end swap is actually really cool
Looked to me like there was no axle nut.
Dang... vintage CR500 in good condition, lots of extra parts, from an honest seller. You really went big with this one!
I’d love to see a restoration series on that bike
wrong channel
The fire breathing asskicking grass flicking king of pinggg nothing beats the cr500
Kx 500 is better
@@johnpeters5987 you wish lol
@@johnpeters5987ya know what’s better than that? A Yamaha sc500
I'm a huge fan of big 2 strokes. If you have a yz 490 and a cr 500 you can blast anything! Thanks for you videos. You have done real well keeping us up to date
None of the 500 that guy ever had would beat a 125 because shit jetting
Got a 490. Sure need a strong kicking leg to get it started. Gotta really jump high and hard when your kicking it over.
I had one and sold it, I’ll never forgive myself!!! These bikes are wild in the sand pits with a nice paddle tire
Get the piston to top dead center and then let the kicker come back up and kick from there! It'll make it way easier to start that thing
One notch down then kicker to top?
@@1176hambone past the tough click, back up, then kapow
That bike sounds like a Beast at idle,can't wait to see it run with the re-jet Nice bike👍🏼👍🏼
Definitely needs rejetting
He doesnt know how to ride a 500. Trying to ride it like a 125. Short shift a 500.
@@4thdimensiontravels855 it’s his bike, he can ride it anyway he wants.
@@4thdimensiontravels855 I mean does it matter, did you buy the bike
A better point to make is to check the reed cage and see if it still has the plastic reeds if it does see if you can get some carbon force or vee force reeds for it the stock reeds will oscillate and blow fuel back through the carb at higher revs if the bike seems like it sort of stumbles a bit top end it's definitely reeds. I changed the reeds first thing in any 2 stroke machine I've ever had and immediately it felt like there was unlimited top end and acceleration was scary as hell any of them would blow through 1st and second gear so fast it was unreal
You didn't do a compression test grrr
Thanks for making me miss my 1989 CR 500 sure had a lot of great memories paddled up at Glamis sand dunes
It does. I had the 88.
As I remember around 1970's the big three Yam, Suzy and Kwaka were always dominating the motocross scene. Competitor makers with their four stoke engines (eg. Honda) had some difficulty keeping up in this field. Soichiro Honda with his four stoke engine (sick of loosing races) who never really liked the two stroke engines as he found them dirty, noisy and smokey also knew somehow that he had to try and keep up with the rest so reluctantly was forced into building his very first and only two stroke engine. And so he made one, a damn bloody good one. He was also well aware that he had only one crack at getting this right...
PS. If I've got any information wrong in this post, please feel free to correct me... Cheers.... 🙂
They also made other models, unfortunately Honda stopped engineering the CR 85, 125, 250cc 2stroke in 2008 and the CR 500 in 2001. They are awesome bikes!
I had a 1990 CR 500. It had a fmf knarly pipe. It was an awesome bike and I had years of great fun with it. I finally sold it because I started riding mostly in the sand dunes and a quad and my homebuilt sand rail were much easier to ride. Loved the bike though. Yours looks very similar, but in a bit better shape.
The whole rear fender and air filter assembly can be pivoted up making carb removal and installation easy ! Try it .
DUH !!
Over here in United Kingdom England you'll pay 10k up for one. Little tip for you undo the bottom sub frame bolts and lift it up to remove carb
Easier starting tip, lean the bike way down sideways to let a little gas come out of the bowl and into the intake a bit before you start kicking and she will start faster and easier everytime.
The plastics being made in Italy tell me they are Acerbis. Prices for these things keep climbing it'd be smart to do the frame and make it as OEM as possible and stash it away. I've seen a few with a hefty price tag.
The most power economic asset is a persons ability to educate, train, gain wisdom in their field, this gentleman’s wisdom in transforming problematic dirt bikes is brilliant.
Nice find
PS, same carb setup on my RM. It's a booger to get the carb off without unbolting the sub frame piece so the air box can be pushed back away from the carb.
Dude when that thing is jetted and running like it should the front tire is just a suggestion.. you really have a gem 💎 of a bike ... That bike will never lose it's value .. get it tuned in and evertime you go through the gears the smile will be endless.. take care man and stay healthy...
Joe pour hot lead into the bars,makes a world of difference
Joe I like that mower cover your buddy made that's cool , bet he could make a bigger version so you could go ice fishing or camp in 👍
I think the comments are all saying a full restore and then one to keep hold of and add to your collection. A bike like this deserves it. 👏
WOW JOE ANOTHER CLIFF HANGER HUH? Lol can’t wait until the next video my brother 👍🏾
That "pink" gas is more than likely Klotz...good stuff for sure...smells amazing too...klotz r50 smells the best and klotz benol does too but benol don't mix well in colder weather...it seperates
I’m a klots927 no better smell
I would run the 55 pilot like fmf suggested, and the 170 main. It will really open up
Man thats a hell of a bike i hope the carb work makes her run right thanks for sharing!
I'm surprised you didn't take jets with you to the ride. 5 minute swap out. You are taking a pretty big swing with the 170 to the lean side. I would have dropped to a 178 and see where it's at but it did sound pretty fat. Also, make 1 jetting change at a time so you know what's doing what.
I put the right jets in to start with.
I had one of these for two years,lucky to have survived it
Super beast!! 500cc 2 stroke wish you could still get them. Good luck with your purchase.
I didn't hear the power band open up at all. Not one time. Get a handful nd do horizontal pull ups to hold on. LoL. Rejet? Lol grab throttle handful!
I want one. I used to have a 1980 I think xr 500 4 stroke, a little heavy but lots of power. I loved it
93’ I got my first dirt bike, KX65 then 85 and so on. Dad got a modded ‘93 YZ 250. We motoxed raced Bithlo/Christmas FL. Anyway, I remember that CR 500. I saw a lot of people jump on it thinking they were hot 🔥 and got hurt. Awesome bike, great vid
Selecting the right jetting is based on air density and altitude where the bike is ridden the most. High altitude has less air, therefore needs to run leaner and richer closer to sea level. I hope that helps.
His main issue commonly is that he is always trying to change jetting on 2 strokes that need top end rebuilds first off. The majority of his videos with 2 strokes are bikes with low compression needing top ends. He should be having a much harder time kicking a 500cc 2 stroke. Trust me I know as I've become a master at tuning and starting my 500's. When they are tuned properly and have optimum compression they are harder to kick than old kick start Harley's! They literally have more compression than most any dirt or street bikes ever built in history!
Saw this on Instagram and was excited for the new video!
Those decomps leak , it's the same as a decomp from a big husqvarna chainsaw
What a nice bike you found, didn't see the front-end come up yet, give her a little more Gas!🙂
Now your talking a bike !! I just ran a couple motos on my 92 ktm mx 500 !! I absolutely love 2 stroke 500s , I have 6 of them , and they are great !! Nice touch with compression release, takes a lot of pressure off cases !! Great find Joe 👏
Ok Joe , seriously when you said listen to some tunes , what music do you like ? Whe I get fired up for a race 🏁 I listen to Iron maiden, merciful fate , KIX , wasp , and motley crue to mellow out !!! Great video A ++ big bores for life 92 ktm 500 , 84 yz490, 84 can-am 500 , 87 can-am 406 , 83 Husqvarna 500CR, 77 yz400, 86 ktm 350
Power band in 3rd will carry that front wheel like nothing... great bike kid!! Great vid!! Enjoy Joe.😮
These things were king back in the 90’s in Pennsylvania when the huge slate and boney piles were still around from the coal mines. Those piles were nothing but big jumps and hill climbs. There were always more YZ 490s around here than CR or KX 500s though.
I had a 94 cr500. Bought it in 1999-2000. I never got comfortable on any track or trials!!! But it sure was fun to ride on the back roads. I had to put a flywheel weight on her when I first got her. It help keep that front wheel on the ground till I was ready for a that torque. That and tilting it on its side till I saw gas come through drain line was mandatory for easy quick start-ups. It nice to the hear the little stumble through the gears till their warm upon cold starts. But after that that wake-up……watch-out!!!!!
That pure power thing is why there were 500cc MX bikes built. I think the KX 500s were a bit more choppy. The RM and CR 500s were insanity on 2 wheels. Enjoy your monster, I'm jealous. Great find, man!
I believe the rm and cr were all power valved motors. Kx we’re all power valved which makes them more top end than the brutal low end the cr’s have
Nice kickstarting there dude. Those 500s really need a high and hard kick to get it started. Bet it felt great kicking it over. Certainly need a strong kicking leg.
Easy way to get to the carb on the 92 CR500 is to loosen the airbox clamp on the carb. Take out the two bottom subframe bolts, loosen the top subframe bolt and then just tip up the subframe with everything attached.
I've been looking for a 500 with potential like this for 2 years. I think you need to hold onto this one especially since you sold the first one.
Are you set on a CR500? I’m in Sacramento and have a 99 KX500 for sale. I’ve had it about 6 years, starts first or second kick and I’ve got less than 20 hours on it since I bought it.
@@Rakkasan-vr8xt How much do you want for it? I live an hour away
You have to remember that fmf's recommended jetting and needle potion is based off their elevation joe just like all aftermarket pipe manufacturers.. and I do believe fmf is based off 0 elevation due to them being out of California..I have tried their recommended settings for alot of my bikes but I just use it as a start point and go from there.. I'm also way up in Northern bc Canada so my elevation is anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 feet of elevation so it to be expected
You have said it perfectly 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
The jetting will only work at the planned place it's going to be ridden, never have I bought a bike and just trusted the jets it has in it , I've always set that myself 🤷🏻♂️
I start with a new plug ( but have a couple of extras ) and new/oiled filter and I clean the carb and tank , and use castrol XR77 , Castro A747 or motel 800
Then buy the jets in & around the sizes that are in the carb .
I would then use the xr77 first, it's easier to get a new plug white, black or chocolate colour and tell what it's doing easer/quicker,
And then go on from there 👌🏼💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
But like you wrote never set up a bike for just the pipe!
It's your location and the time of year, & then the pipe 👌🏼👍🏼
Never use just any cheep 2 stroke oils and the filter it came with!
👍🏼👍🏼
Report this scammer 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼
12-20k feet above sea level? Not in BC you aren't.... highest mountain in Canada isn't even 20,000'
You're right about the elevation, Im up in Alaska so I'm way up high like you guys, prolly 20,000 or more
@@bossmonkey1126 what? If you are 20,000' or more then you are almost at the summit of Denali (the highest mountain in North America) I'm guessing most people have no clue what elevation they are at...
Most of Alaskans live near sea level
I know those are the leaat desirable graphics but they are my personal favorite in the whole CR lineup honestly. Kawasaki had a similar graphic on their KX bikes around the same time. Looked incredible. The 90s were a great time to be alive lol.
That seat cover is dope. Love the year, the old school style, and of course the fact it's a 2 stroke. It's a Bute, Clark
I would keep the cr500 for your collection it's a nice bike it's pretty clean
26:08 That's a 2 stroke and a big bore one for you!! That screw wanted some air.
So excited to see the big old CR500 on your channel! Looks like a really nice well looked after bike and is going to sound nasty when the jetting is dialed. Please restore this and the YZ490, can't wait for the next video keep up the great content!
Aint you the lucky one being selected as the winner, didnt know there was a prize 😁
Hello Joe, its your Aussie fan. Great video. Mate, you need to get rid of shifting spanners in your videos, If a jobs worth filming, then its worth getting a real spanner. Nothing worst than burred bolts and nuts from a sloppy shifting spanner. On my bikes I replace bolts with Allen screws. I love your videos, hopefully you have noticed my pet hate when I see you do this. Great story though mate, your doing a great job. Shifting spanners are for working on competitors bikes :)
Great post! Can't wait to see the next test ride with the new carb jets. What a Monster!
Great score! I always loved the graphics during that "CR Pink" era. So sick man.
Should've done a plug chop before jetting changes and in your excitement (understandably) forgot the compression test. You can buy aftermarket billet engine cases, but they're not cheap!
The bike is a beast I used to own in 1985 CR500. Do not let that bike go they are worth every penny you're lucky to own one
@@sevendyseven4090 thank you I agree 100% I wish I would have never gotten rid of that bike.
You get the right jetting it will lift in all the gears if it gets decent traction.
Very Nice Bike by the way great find.
To be honest man the stock engine is way better than that aftermarket swap. Power and reliability speaking, but I respect the time and work you put into it💪🏽
Well done Joe u did well,its the beast,then there's the kx 500!This 1s gonna b good!👌🙏👍👊👊👊👍
If you like the power it has now, wait until you tune the carb and get it running right.
Great find. These bikes are becoming increasingly rare to find in this shape. Tons of rolling chassis out he because Kart guys are scooping CR500 motors like crazy apparently
Some people have money
Please do a full restoration I’d love to see this thing become a beautiful piece!
Wow beautiful house dude! And thats a sick bike i was just watching the full throttle cr500 video u posted 4 years ago then u post this
Thank you! 👌
@@2vintage the plastic kit is UFO. The graphics, seat cover, and plastics most likely came from the same guy "theKxcr500".
Awesome video! I always wanted to ride one, never mine own one. I cant imagine the power of that thing. I had a 98 cr250 and that thing left like a rocket ship, it would pick up every gear. Hold on tight for that second right man!!
This bike reminds me of a 93 CR500 I purchased new I remember the plastics being more attractive than my previous big bore
Loved this vid, reminded me of when I used to ride a Cr500 many years ago , loved all the power it had, getting too old now unfortunately, dont think I could use all the power off road now .
Re jetting all I did was change to a175 main jet for the aftermarket pipe
So happy you bought the legend cr 500.I really enjoy your videos!
Awesome video! I look forward to seeing more of the CR500. I have the a 1995 CR250 that I restored. It looks just like this since I went with the 1993 color scheme. I would love to have a CR500.
MAN!!.. what a great find at a great price... around here about 7 months ago (near Dallas, Tx), someone was wanting $6200 for the same exact bike that looked A LOT worse.. lol.. hardcore passed that "deal".. geez.. lol.. had original yet scuffed and cracked panels and a huge rip in the seat.. guy was on crack asking that much.. lol.. I mean, I'm all for "asking more and settling for less" approach but he was way WAY too high.. (good pun, huh?... lol) p.s. LOVE THE HOUSE!! I wonder if the neighbor(s) are tired of hearing you rip around the property yet.. LOL.. I can't wait to see what you build on the new property and the dirt track... you know, for testing purposes.. create an LLC and then build it all... AND it'll all be tax deductible.. NICE!!.. 50 acres??.. insane, dude.. good for you guys!!.. next stop, 2M subs!!.. lol.. doing what you love to do as a job is the best thing anyone could ever hope for and you're well on your way.. living the dream!!.. anywho.. great content!!.. CHEERS!!!
The next time I see this bike it should be in your storage unit. Keeper for sure Joe
I owned that bike new in 1992. It would pull a wheelie in every gear. I rode MX and it was just absolutely ridiculous power. Wanted a CR250, but they were sold out nationwide, so I grabbed a 500. LOL! Sold it a few years later. Wish I would have kept it.
The way he picked up the little dog 🤣
So mean
What a beast a proper thumper enjoyed the vid especially the ride along on the land took me back to that awesome feeling butterfly's in the stomach and rattling teeth would be great if you done a full resto and maybe do update videos from teardown to build-up anyways really enjoyed, wishing you the best Joe
Thumper? It’s 2 stroke
@@NemesisGrowz yes Thumper you sit on a CR 500 kick it over when it idles you'll feel that thumping in your in your bones
Rode my first CR 500r when I was 12, was instantly hooked. 👌 enjoy and don't get hurt!
Love the bikes from the 90's, all the major manufacturers were all about the bright/neon colors!
Love the vids.I’ve been here for awhile and u taught me a lot about how to rebuild bikes or even fix things.thx man keep it up.👍
I bought that bike bike in 1993 offthe showroom floor it was a left over1992.great bike very fast.yahthose swing arm stickers on that bike look cheesy for sure.
Put rubber mounted bar clamps aswell as bar inserts, it'll help more with vibration... and they do have cases available, infact, they make aftermarket cases that come with a counterbalance and everything needed for E-Start. Everything else used come with the donor engine. It's basically just cases, or you can get their cylinder and head. You can get their head with their own dome/porting, or one multiple dome inserts and they even sell a Vortex ignition with different maps on a switch.. the smart carb company is escaping me and I'm not sure if it's come to market just yet, but they now have a smart carb specifically for the big bore 2 strokes... They'll work for 300-500, you just tell them the CC size and where you're located and it'll be set up perfectly.. I've heard amazing things from people who've got to test them.
The company I mentioned that has the cases, they make complete kits (with custom cone pipes) to turn YZ, KX, SX, etc that turn the 250s into 500s that bolt right into the frame. They use a CR500 crank and piston for easy replacement, then the donor bikes transmission/bottom end/clutch outside of the crank.. they all come with a counter balance shaft/gear. if you need a cylinder or head they have replacements... they'll also be offering with it either the correct carb or smart carb that comes with the kit. If there's anything needed for the intake for particular bike you're buying the kit for to get it to fit, like the airbox, or airboot, the kit will come with it... Oh, and perhaps the coolest part... the kit includes a custom hand made cone pipe for their engine spec. It's not one of those that looks like a cone pipe, it is a cone pipe.
The only thing, I'm not sure what Reed cage it uses, but I swear I saw a few bikes that had Vforce Reeds on the bikes... I don't know if Vforce makes any for the 500s, or if they use the 250s Reed block... that company may have a deal with Moto Tassanari to get custom V-Force Reeds for those kits, I don't know... or they come with CR500 stock Reeds and I imagined the Vforce.
The new EFI ktm 500 kits come with everything needed for the fuel injection, including Vortex ECU mapped for the 500.. the other kits come with Vortex ignitions. The custom decompression release for kickstarters make it as easy to start as a 250 believe it or not with that particular work.. the cone pipe, cases, head, and cylinder are amazing, they're handmade not mass produced. It's like art.
BTW bud, you need to re-jet that bike and check what clip the needle is at...as well as seeing if theres any leaks around the reed block or if the reeds are worn or chipped, id go ahead and replace them.. Vforce if they have it.. i think its jetting though, due to the bogging on bottom and starts to clear out on top, i dont hear any detonation when in the higher RPM, seems like its running rich getting too much fuel. Otherwise, she looks and sounds great at idle, not perfect up top but sounds better than down low... Ah, never mind, you just changed it and checked the needle lol. I'm not erasing it 🤣
I'm weird, I dont like my 2 strokes to idle, at all.. I'd also go ahead and go in and replace the fork and shock seals, put in fresh fluid, and revalve and put the correct spring rate in it... let them know you're using a newer CRF-R forks and a stock shock so they valve the rear shock properly to balance the bike out, then set sag.. I like Factory Connection because I prefere a stiffer set up, their work tends to be on the stiffer side than most other companies.
I watched Ricky Johnson race one of the CR500s at Budds Creek. Racing against Jeff Ward on his KX500. Fierce competitors. They were faster than everyone else in their races - a lot like James Stewart vs Ricky Carmichael.
You had empty the motor oil plus you did good work on motor carburetor.
It's possible the Bar's oil leak sealing will stop the smoke of CR500.
The motorcycle is my model 2020 and it doesn't smoke out of 4 stroke type engine 240cc exhaust pipe.
The back pressure of CR500 exhaust is 4 PSI in custom fat bulbous exhaust header runner at 500 RPM in the CR 500. The header for the dirt moped with 21 inch front and 18 inch Shinko had to be about 100 Note per second with the 110 DB. 100 note/sec equals 400 rpm from the 4 stroke type. Then I put back the suppressor tailpipe and a muffle in the middle color black oxide. The performance was about the same in 1/8 mile race so the decibel reduce from 110 DB down to around 40 Decibels. The worn out valve in the bike was like 50,000 miles but most moped didn't have odometer. The motorcycle do have odometer. The moped is 100 MPG CR.
When I had met a guy in California, he rode the racer dirt bike to about 55 MPH in the escape trail away from the police car that was chasing him. But the CR equals crazy racer had escape. So, it's legal because we are the racers with police badges so all men are created equal. The policeman cannot be the boss period, because we are equals. The word boss means authoritarian.
I had a pre-1990 model without the luxury of a decompression valve , used to bump start the thing a lot of times as there was a slope leading to the fields i used to ride on, one of the best dirt bikes i ever owned.
pretty rare bike anymore hell you need to build a big morton building to keep all your toys in ya have the space
Another great video. Joe is always getting some great stuff
Love it! i would think based on what you paid your plan is to keep it.
We need a TOP SPEED run on this one ;-)
Keep them coming Joe.. 🤟🏻🔥🤟🏻
There has to be dampers for the handle bars made from some company for those bikes to cut down on the vibration
For jetting I know you say they reccomend 170 but you dont know what the ice racers did if they did custom porting or what... ide try a 175 or so keep it on the richer side untill you see forsure
I appreciate all you do and thank you for your teaching new subscriber and enjoy your content always a good thing to do engine basics first no one does it anymore they just replace parts
I absolutely LOVE the 91-95 cr500’s. the retro graphics are sick ❤ I could put them next to the latest whatever bike I could think of but they’ll always be the one that makes my hands clammy and the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I’d love one but they’re up to $30k where I’m from for a clean one 😞
@Frankz where are you from that it's $30k for a CR500
@@nicholassousa Australia 🇦🇺
Okay, just hear me out: me and a friend with a rental van and this bike. We take turns DESTROYING golf-course after golf-course, while the other one waits with a ramp into the getaway rental van. This would make the ultimate youtube series and the bike would quickly pay for itself.
2b continued!! Have to wait to see what these bigger jets do to this beast. Dang it Bobby 😮
The 170 main jet is good but try the 55 pilot. The 50 pilot jet is not the standard pilot for that carb and the 55 pilot will make it a little easier to start. Make sure the needle shows 1369 needle. 2 turns out on the fuel air screw. Super crisp guaranteed. 32:1 Maxima Formula K2 make sure it’s the purple label bottle or pro honda hp2 is really good stuff as well.
Had a thought.. After you get "established" with, possibly, an LLC and building, etc on the new property, you'll not only do "will it start" videos but also, complete restores, etc for your clientele for extra content, etc.. I mean, all the way down to repainting the frame and building back up to working order.. so cool.. envious?? me??.. yea.. I think so.. lol.. CHEERS!!
You're getting pretty good on working on those motorbikes. You came a long ways been watching you for a while. That's a great find A CR 500
Tell Barb I said hi