Kawasaki EX500 Streetfighter Mods
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- A brief description of the mods I've made to my bike.
1993 Kawasaki EX500
Stripped plastics & all unused brackets
Bar end mirrors
Triumph front signals
5 3/4" Harley headlight
Honda speedo
Coils & horn moved under tank
Electronics moved under seat
Fender eliminated
Custom slip ons
Cut down lower fairing
Polished rim lips
K&N
Modified air box
PAIR block off plates
LED tail light
Tag mount rear signals
Recovered seat
Repainted everything
Dynabeads
Underbody strobes
-1/+2 gears
This is the best EX500 streetfigher I've seen. Nice job with everything!
Thank you very much!
I put a lot of time & effort into that bike, and loved nearly every mile I put on it when I was done!
You are a genius. this bike is off the chain!
Really cool build. Finished product looks excellent. Good work!
@smotleyjr79
The tail light is a grommet mount trailer/truck light. They can be found in different configurations/lense types at auto parts or farm stores
@smotleyjr79 There are 2 barbs that connect to both cabs. The lower one, closer to the seat should be the fuel inlet... from the petcock. The upper one, closer to the front tire would be the bowl vent. The left carb vacuum barb operates the petcock, the right carb's vacuum barb operates the PAIR system. The whole ari re-circulation system is not necessary; except for emissions. With aftermarket exhausts, it can also create backfiring/popping on deceleration
Nice job bud
Thank you!
The tail light is a grommet-mount trailer light. I found this one at a truck stop, but any auto parts store carries different varieties of them. Or you can search "oval grommet mount tail light" and come up with online sellers. As for directional lights, you can search Tag Mount Turn Signals and find the ones I used. I bought mine on ePay, but there's dozens of other places to buy them.
The actual license plate mount is part of the OEM mount that I modified, then welded in place.
I drilled and tapped the bar ends & held the mirrors on with machine screws. I believe the bars are different between the first and second generation bike, so if yours is a newer bike it may be different.
Most aftermarket digital speedos come with a wheel speed sensor. Acewell makes some great looking combination gauges with tach & warning lights.
LOL ... "The FOG mod." Bill will be famous forever. ;-)
@rmsusic
I cut & extended the factory harness. The wires are un in a black sleeve to conceal & protect them.
Easter went well, I hope yours did too. I won't be able to ride this type of bike again. If I can ride again, it will have to be something with up-right seating and pulled-back bars.
great job
Nice bike
No. Nearly all Jap bike cables are the same where they go into the speedo, but some are different where they attach to the front wheel. Most Kawi cables are the same where they attach to the hub at the wheel. The one I used was from another Kawi bike, but I couldn't tell you what. I was looking for 2" longer than stock and this one matched
Grab any cable driven speedo from a 70's-80's Japanese bike. You may need a longer cable, but you can get those cheap online or from other model Kawi bikes.
It was within 2MPH off. The factory speedo was up to 6 MPH off.
Glad I could help!
@smotleyjr79
The Honda speedo had its own bracket, I had to make 2 brackets from some light steel to mount that to the tripple tree.
@smotleyjr79
I don't mind questions at all. If your headlight only has 2 wires, it is a single filament bulb. That is to say. no high/low beam... just one kind of like a fog or driving light. I'd really recommend a dual filament high/low light, but there are many people using a single beam light. In your light's case the black would be a ground, and the white would be hot. I don't have the schematic on this pc, but if you have a test light you could figure which stock wire is which
Thanks. I put alot into that bike. Too bad things went the way they did
@Nimbly---- or over and under flat headlights and a dual sport front fender..
Nice bike! Wish I had the know how to be able to do this to my 2006.
Pretty cool man. The ONLY thing is that you should have used the twin side by side headlights.
I'm still kicking. Still have pain & swelling, but there are still some unhealed broken bones. The nerves in my left hand aren't back online yet, but they seem to be improving. Going to PT 3 times a week, and that is helping but going slow.
@oldchevy4x4 i did that, i had everything stripped down, but the bulb refused to come out. my friend knew more about it than i did and was able to take it off. thanks for the response though
Thanks.
She was my baby!
The BMW speedo may not be the same ratio. I'd stick with one from a Honda, Kawi or Suzuki. The one on my bike went to 90. I had planned on replacing it with one that showed 120, but that never happened.
You made that thing look really cool to bad you wiped out
@ChrisBurgess1992
I really don't know, but I'm sure you could fab up a different bracket for another tank. Overall tank dimensions would be the key
No, I used self tapping screws to hold the plate on
@rmsusic
Black/yellow is ground, grey & green should be the high filament (turn) and blue should be the low filament (running lights). If your new lights only have 2 wires they are probably (unless they ground through the housing) single filament type lights... that is to say they are only on & off, not on for running then brighter for signaling.
Check out ex-500.com's wiki section for wiring diagrams
@beercoolie Totally. I would help the street fighter attitude.
@SuperBlow420
Self drilling/tapping machine screws into the under-side of the frame
Cool. Thanks for the feed back. I'm not sure what I wanna get, I just know I wanna modify in a Streetfighter/Cafe Racer way. There's a vid here called "The Man who Designs Moto Guzzis" that's also inspired me to get rid of unnecissary frills. Eitherway thank you sir. I much appreciate it.
I cut the subframe rails to match the grab-bar.
hello. what were your schematics to front turn signals? on my universal turn lights, i have a black with white stripe and black. from my bike there is black with yellow stripe, grey, blue, and green. know the connections? is this familiar to you? thanks
My Easter was good. To bad you can't ride a bike like that again. How are you feeling these days?
i keep bothering you with questions but you do good work... I bought a round headlight for my ninja and it came with a white and black wire, how did you rewire yours to the round healdlight? the factory has 3 wires.
Interesting, I'd just like to know what performance modifications I can do to my EX500 but keep the stock appearance. Nice work on your bike!
If you haven't already, check out ex-500.com for everything you could ever want to know about the 500. On there search for 'FOG mod' as it's about the most performance you will be able to gain. The engine in this bike is strung out right from the factory. Another option is re-gearing... I went up 2 in the back & down 1 up front which made a huge difference in how the bike feels around town. Fuel mileage did suffer, but the fun was worth it. Thanks for watching & commenting!!
Did you get rid of your Air switching valve? Mine was off when I bought it but I'm having issues finding out which hoses goes where to attach to the petcock/fuel valve, where is the gas hose and what is the second valve on the petcock for? I only see one hose that hooks to both carbs.
First off I gotta say that looks amazing bro. I tried to mount an aftermarket speedometer and couldn’t figure it out for the life of me. Can you show how you did it please?
Thank you bud! Unfortunately I can't show how the speedo was mounted because it got banged up pretty good when I wrecked. I can tell you the speedo I used was from a vintage Honda (late 70's if I remember right). It had 2 bolts coming out of the bottom to mount it & I just made some small brackets to mount it to the top of the triple tree.
A vacuum line needs a cap and there is a hole in the airbox that needs to be plugged. That's all
So is the plate with the electronic components welded to the frame?
I was, but I haven't been active there in a while
Jw if you used the same tank or did you get one off a different bike because I am str
That's exactly why I quit going there. The same people with piss-poor attitudes bitching & arguing every day. Some of them don't even own an EX any more, and simply hang around there to feed their superiority complexes.
There is alot of good info there, and the Wiki page they created is helpful.
Keep tapping the send buttonon my iPod :@ I intend to do something similar to the vid but put my own twist on it, does anyone no what tanks will fit on a ex 500 that will fit straight on?
@ellomirza Agreed.
@rmsusic
For the headlights? ebay, denniskirk, jcwhitney... etc.
where can i get the universal side mount clamps? thanks
@oldchevy4x4 looks like im gonna have to wire something up lol
i need info on cheap speedometers for the ex500 please send me some info dont got alot of money and really want to ride again
how did you do your wiring for front turn signals?
Nice job, are the mirrors cutom?
What kind of mount did you use for the speedo?
where did you get the tail light? what is it off of?
Where did you get the sidemount clamps?
Do you ride the bike much now that its been modified ? I only ask because the R/R maynot be getting the proper amount of cooling, and could lead to overheating, then problems & failure. Hope thats not been the case.. I see you use Dynabeads how do they work for you... What end of the state do you live in TN, the areas around Knoxville are great for riding, well just about every direction is great for riding, be it N-S-E-or West--- lol......Best, yl
I rode the bike for a couple of years after rebuilding it. The only time it would get hot was when stuck in traffic at idle, but considering where I live (about 100 miles east of Memphis) being stuck in traffic was only a problem if I hit construction. That said, the bike always ran hot when just sitting at idle.
I really liked the Dynabeads, after 2 years the bike still rolled out smooth as silk... no shakes or vibrations at all.
Ultimately I ended up skipping the bike off a few trees, and myself... doing a lot of damage to both the bike & I.
Thanks for watchin
***** I should have been more clear to what the R/R meant, I was referring to the regulator rectifier, they tend to not work right if they get to hot,, and stop charging the battery, or burn wires ect, in other words, it can make a good day riding, turn into a bad day period...Not fun at all...!!!!!
Glad to hear that wasnt a problem for you, some bikes have that problem, because the farrenings block too much air, and no cooling makes, just about every bike company has some problems with these.
My Vulcan en500 ltd does tend to get hot in slow traffic, just to the point the fan kicks on, but that is about it, they share the same basic motor, but has been retuned for more low to better mid range, its a cruiser type, but it will outrun many other bikes in the class up to 800cc or more, it is rated around 50 Hp, and yours is 59+ HP it has smaller carbs too & cams.
Glad to hear about the Dynabeads, if you're careful not to lose them, they say they can be reused in the next set of tires, I was considering using them, just wasn't real sure if they worked as advertised or not; it's good to hear they do, just may buy some before long.
I did use some Slime in my SV650 tires that had a slow leak, someone put a staple in the tire, only found that after riding for awhile, thought it was just one, but when the other tire was changed out found it to had the same staple also, it didn't leak though, but I added the slime, and the bike was much smoother riding,
The biggest downside is the mess Slime makes, and the guy who changes my tires really didn't like to clean it out, really can't blame him on that, even if it only took a water hose to wash it out. lol
I was thinking of putting a Ninja 500r motor, in say a Ninja 300r when they get a fair bit cheaper in the used market, or if I can find one on trade, better looks and much better power, and lower weight too.
How are your doing now, since the trees incident, good I hope ?
Thanks for the fast reply, and be safe...yl
The regulator would get fairly warm to the touch, but never really hot... and I never had any electrical issues. Looking at the side of the seat you can see that it sits up off of the frame maybe half an inch or so... a gap that is normally hidden by the side plastics. I believe that there was enough airflow thru that gap to keep everything cool & happy. Granted that was with the stock seat... Corbin or other aftermarket setups may be different.
The trees and the bike left their mark on me.
After 2 surgeries totaling over 16 hours, and 19 weeks of PT I still walk with a slight limp, and my left elbow, wrist, & hand are permanently messed up. I've got a bunch of parts inside of me that were not there before the wreck, however I did not lose anything... so that's a blessing on its own.
One thing's for sure... No more bikes for this guy!
Thanks for watching, and stay safe!
***** Glad to hear there was no issues with the RR, some bikes have more problems in this area, and the cooling must be plenty for it cooling needs.
Sorry to hear your wreck caused so much damage, I know a little about things like that, for me a motorcycle was the best part of my PT, after many months of regular PT ect.
For the last 3 or so years anyways, I was to bad off to even think about it prior to that, I had 3 disk removed from my thoracic spine, T4-5-6 with no replacements, or rods or bone grafts added, they are just lose, but by the grace of God I have been able to ride, and have a better life for it.
As long as I have the support of the handlebars it keeps things as it should be. and helps strengthen my back & arm muscles, also found out the seat of a motorcycle helps remove sciatica pain, mostly by accident, then this last year found they sell a medical device in the shape of a set from a bike.
Had a laugh about that, because I was telling people it was better for me to ride then drive, then found the proof that it works, many did not belive me at first, people can be funny that way..lol
Seeing I was almost at the point of never walking again, before the operation; I even woke up during my surgery, talk about having a weird day, but they knocked me out again real fast, of which I am very thankful for !
Hate the fact that riding is no longer an option for you;( because its been a great pain & stress reliever for me over the last 3 or so years, even if its just for a short time each ride. Say 6 to 12 Hrs, boy do I wish....not so yet.
Have you found any other things to do that helps, with the problems from the incident, do hope so, cause I know it can be really hard at times.
Well there is youtube with some good videos, like the ones I have seen from you. Take care & keep making videos. yl
Would you still be able to ride a motorcycle? Maybe you can fix her up. How did your Easter go?
Sorry, it was destroyed when I wrecked the bike last fall.
How did you modify the seat to fit snug against the bike frame?
I’m a little late to the party. Just bought a 2006 ex500 and building it into a street fighter. I really like what you did underneath the seat. How did you modify the seat to fit snug against the bike frame? I took all the fairings off but the seat is raised above bike frame.
My seat was at factory height, but with the added components & painting the underside of the seat black, everything pretty much blends in. I hate to say it's a 20ft ride... but from 20ft away it blended great. If you got real close & crouched down to look under the seat, you would see a gap. Don't be afraid of the gap tho... that air flow is needed if you've moved the electrical.
OldChevy4x4 I’m going for the 20ft ride look anyways. Thanks!
I'm assuming the seat didn't touch the wires underneath right? i really want to hide all those exposed wires on mine
With the plate mounted to the bottom of the subframe there was 2.5 inches or better of clearance. That was using the stock gen 1 seat. Gen 2 or aftermarket seats may be different... I really don't know.
Thinking about doing something similar to my 2004 EX500r. The major concern I have is with the speedometer and tack. What did you use? Looks like you only have one. Also, did you fit one of those radiator caps with a gauge on it? If so, how's that working out.
I wanted simplicity & no clutter, so I was running just a speedometer. 99.9% of my shifts were lazy & lower RPM, but for those times when I wanted to hammer on it I knew by speed where 10,000 RPM was per gear.
I had plans on using a small gauge mounted directly in the radiator tank (Not the overflow tank) but a couple trees destroyed the bike before I got to it.
Sorry to hear about the bike. But, if I could ask one more question, how did the speedo work out and what year\make honda was it off. Just an old CB speedo and bolt on with a new cable?? Thanks.
I want to say the speedo was from a '78 CB400, however practically any late 70's to 80's Japanese bike speedo will work. The cable had to be longer than stock, and they are readily available online. Seems like mine was made for a 90's Concours... just look for Kawasaki cables and then check the lengths.
how do you remove the stock headlight?
For the tail light?
do your speedometer lights work?
@seans1997 i got very similar ones off amazon like $14
im a little late fut i still hope to see a reply. ive been working on a ex500 streetfighter and i love some of your ideas like deleting the rear, i really just wanna know about the gearing, after changing the gearing were you able to get the front end up? mine now is full stock but i want to gear it down to pull better in town. as of now i can only (from seated position) bring the front end up if im fully stopped and i do a pretty hard clutch up. or if i have someone riding on rear.
+Dylan Nelson
I went up 2 on the rear, and dropped 1 on the front sprocket. The lower gearing made the bike Much more entertaining in the 0-80MPH range, and yes, it would pull the front tire up.
It's worth mentioning that your top speed will drop and fuel mileage will suffer. It's worth it tho.
+oldchevy4x4 Yeah I kinda figured that would happen. but how much does the max speed suffer? I'm able to get to about 120 before running into that dang redline. I have a 2012 zx6r for speed so I'm not worried about losing allot of speed but I don't wanna dip under 100 max.
+oldchevy4x4 Yeah I kinda figured that would happen. but how much does the max speed suffer? I'm able to get to about 120 before running into that dang redline. I have a 2012 zx6r for speed so I'm not worried about losing allot of speed but I don't wanna dip under 100 max.
+Dylan Nelson If I remember right with a 130 rear tire top speed was around 110@ 10500RPM.
+oldchevy4x4 Alright that isn't bad. and I was just looking at my bike and noticed hoe close the rear tire is to the upper frame. did you lift the rear
I don't like the seat, it looks like the 60's it looks very clasic and verry anoying.... i like the front part of the bike, i think you should consider remodeling the rear end! good luck!
How would you know if your bike is overheating?
+Ralph Livingston
Pre detonation would be a tell-tale sign... followed by boiling over.
+oldchevy4x4 lol I'd like to know before that happens. that's why I'll keep an operational temp gauge. nice build though
denniskirk . com
what did you use to mount the speedometer?