I had the 86-87-88-89-91-and 99 model CR500, raced all the hare scrambles and enduros in FL with them! The 86 was hard to start .Now I have a 2007CR500AF Service Honda in a 250 Aluminum Frame! That is the bike to own! Of course I race the KTM 300 in Hare scrambles and Enduros now.
My Dad picked up a CR500 stuffed into a 250 frame along with an elsinore 450. They were in a flood. Restored them. The 500 I couldn't get beyond half throttle. I was too young and he sold them. The bastard. Aparently 19 years old is too young for me.
EreksonJ I bought my first 1983 CR480 used in 1987. That was my favorite trail bike ever. It was magic. I sold it sometime in the 90s. Almost immediately I regretted selling it and bought another '83 CR480 a few months later, which I still have to this day and it still runs strong. It was never as good as the first one though. I also bought a brand new 2001 CR500 which I still enjoy very much. I'll never part with either bike. A flywheel weight works wonders at keeping it from stalling in the rock gardens. I put 16 oz on the 480 and even more (didn't weigh it) on the 500. There are multiple positive benefits to adding flywheel weight.
I purchased a new Honda CR 450 back in 1981. Except for a blown base cylinder gasket which I was able to repair at our camp in less than 20 minutes, I did not experience any of the shortcomings that you listed for this bike. The engine's power band was as wide as a barn door. All that power and torque worked great with the 4 speed gear box. With a 12 cup paddle tire this bike was the perfect Glamis machine. All the years riding in the desert it never let me down. One of the most reliable bikes I have ever owned.
Excellent video. I'm glad there are still a few of us enthusiasts out here. Other than those who only care about Service Honda bikes. I built my own 500AF using a 2004 CRF250R rolling chassis. I've owned 6 500s so far. Love em!
John yeah I was going that route ,but was informed that ,they are vibration monsters and besides riding a ole vintage steal MACHINE, THAT mist people can weld and repair ,kinda give you a man's man handy cap the should SHUT up thoughs "WARBUCKS" guys who couldn't turn a wrench too Dave their life !!! YO !!!RIGHT???
by the way I've owned 6 to and two AF.s one garage built an a newly purchased 02 AF service honda proof is in the pudding an no my garage built was not a hack thank you service built factory AF's
Well Done. I Had an 87 CR500, and can tell you that after installing an FMF Pipe, the power was slightly smoothed out and Extended perfectly. The bike was King where ever I went, and Never lost an open field Drag Race to any other DirtBike, including Several KX 500s, 450Fs, and even newer CR500s. I Loved that bike and the raw power that could turn Mountains into Mole Hills... The Torque actually allowed me to do quite well in a Hairscamble one time as well. From my experience the 87 model did have the most Power, but the newer bikes had better suspension for larger jumps. Great Documentary.
I used to race the 1987 CR500! The thing was a beast! The motorcycle required a tremendous amount of respect! You had to ride them totally different from a 125 or 250. Come into the turn hot lock the brakes up both of which were disc brakes lay the bike over turn the throttle, and hold on for dear life! I survived racing several years on the bike pretty much unscathed with only two blown-out ACLs, a ruptured spleen in a ruptured colon, in about a week and a half and ICU If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing! What a rush to ride this bike! Even though it almost killed me several times! :-)
It was about a month of practicing before I really felt comfortable wacking the the throttle open on mine. When you did that best you be pointing where you wanted to go because you were about to be there in a hurry! Later I raced B2V on it and it was much better than the XR500 I'd run before. Also ran it at Ascot for the night races. I got the hole shot and someone asked me what I'd done to it. Sh...t, just jet it right and this thing rips!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I have had my '85 CR500 since 1994, and still have not lost in a drag race. But, it's time to sell it and pass the fun on to someone else. Long live the speed king.
I've always been a KX500 fan, had two of them, still got my '04. Been to hospital more than once riding them. Always loved the CR500 too. Great video thanks. Got an '01 CR500 in the shed at the back of the farm. On the stand and covered with a sheet. Bought it new and never rode it.
Had a 89… A huge powerplant w/ a nervous front end. It's a wonder I never got seriously hurt on it. I liked & subbed. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Great doc! Thanks for putting in the time to make it. I bought a '83 495, back in the day. Wish I still had it... It had a four-speed also, but it wasn't that bad. Who rides in low gear on an open-bike? Still remember those fourth-gear launches. Now that was fun! Thanks for the memories.
GORN I had a 1984 KTM 495, great bike, I had the 5 speed, which is the same as the 4 speed except an extra low 1st gear is included. Glad you enjoyed the video! There will be an upcoming video on Maico.
I used to own an 89 honda cr500r that i bored to a 580 and it was just a monster machine! Im watching all these videos of everyone babying them and never actually hitting power band in 5th gear wide open and its its upsetting. I used to race that bike on the edge.... one day ill own another and rebuild and I'll send you videos of it! Im so excited now to start saving up for another one... awesome video by the way! You made me decide on if i was ever going to get another! Ty!
Had a 2000 cr500. So much fun. A lot of bike for a 150lb guy but I was nice to it and it never let me down. Had a goofy friend try to kick it over wearing sneakers against my advice and it broke his ankle. Absolute beast of a machine. What a workout!
I had the 85 and besides being difficult to start until you figure out the technique and crazy head-shake at high speed it was lots of fun. No so great to race and I often had to race with the 250s since I was the only dummy to race beginner 500. I remember once hearing the commentator say, "Now we have the least experienced riders on the most powerful bikes."
@@Ritalie Its late, but you can drop the forks in the triple clamps untill you fork caps are flush with the clamp, and take the rear tire all the way to the rear in the swingarm. This changes the geometry some and takes away some turning ability, but is more stable.
I bought the 1984 500 in November 1984 from the dealer. I didn't even start the bike at the dealer. I took it home and took off the head and sent it to Klemm racing. Also the Honda factory didn't even run the Keihin carburetor on the pro support dealer bikes. They ran the Mikuni carburetor. Dirt Bike magazine had an article on the setup. I might still have it. Also in 1986 was the first year of the Showa cartridge forks for the public. The factory guys has them on the factory bikes starting in 1980. They were the black leg magnesium forks. Thanks for the video. I really enjoyed it and it was very accurate of the history of the Honda CR500R.
My uncle had a 83 cr480 and it was very fun to race! We never notice any detonation though. It had tons of power and depending on the track you could ride it like a 4-stroke. Miss that beast!
the 87 was the best engine ive used. i have owed and rode 86.87.88.89.90.93 and the 98. the 87 engine is what ive got in my service honda af after trying a few it iz smooth power that never ends. long live the 500s (even the green 1)😀
Outstanding documentary narration, superb video editing ! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge here on You Tube in regards to one of the gnarliest BIG BORE 2 strokes ever manufactured the mighty HONDA CR500R .2 strokes forever !
Hey mate I have an 84CR500 and when I first bought it a few years back it was a bit of a pig with surging and fouling plugs. The detonation fix I have read about but I didnt do it to my bike. I went through the entire motor from carb to pipe and port matched everything, gaskets included. The worst thing I noticed about the engine was the castings in the transfer ports, so I smoothed them and light bead blasted. Also the crankcase needed to be matched to the barrel plus gaskets. Checked the heights of the ports from top of barrel matched carby mounts and exhaust mounts. Put the jetting at stock. I pulled this bike out after sitting at tdc with plugged exhaust nearly 12 months and after priming with about 7 slow kicks it starts first real kick. And instead of blubbering with small throttle twists for what seemed like forever it now takes about 3 or 4 twists to get to a wide open throttle twist. Good mod is a 98 i think cr250 kicker, the stock one may as well be a chicken wing. The engine is now an absolute beast. Probably the most powerful CR500 engine because it shares the short rod bottom end which the 85 and 86 had (more power orientated than torque like the later models)but has no water pump to turn over. A small thing I know. I have a 2002 KX500 and a mint RM500 1984 and the Cr is my favourite to ride. Im in Australia so maybe our premium pump gas is a different rating but ive had no pinging since these mods. My guess for this bikes un honda like internal finish is the huge demand they were under to bring out a full 500 and the water cooled bikes were still a bit away. The 1984 actually has crankcases which were getting ready for the water pump accomodation. The other thing is the rear shock, I'm only 77kg and I'm on the too heavy side for it. Made to suit the Japanese test riders I assume. I've ended up putting 86 250 front forks on and it is as near perfect as I can get it. I think the combustion chamber mod is possibly an easy fix/bandaid solution for the real problems this engine had. If anyone owns one try doing what I've expained here first before machining a head. It really works and this engine is amazing once it can breath properly.
My first time on a CR500 was on an 87, model with no brakes! I was 90lbs soaking wet at 14yrs old. Coming from an 1980 XR80. Boy did I luv that powerband👀❗❗Until the road came to a curve with a House dead insight. So asphalt ass it was. That summer I talked mom into a 1989 Cr80. So to my surprise she bought an 89, Cr250 to ride with me. But I don't think she ever left the yard on it. So it became mine around 91,. My family has always been a Ride Red family! Go Honda!
Just bought my 1988 the other day with a fully rebuilt engine with low hours. It has been sitting for a while so I need new tires and then am taking her for a spin, can't wait!!! Any words of advice except don't die ;)
@@hardtail-gy8dk it did, I had a blast! She was such a hog to get started and died on me a few times in the middle of the woods. It took me forever to get her started. I traded it for a good ol' reliable KLR later on but I can proudly say I was brapppping CR500 and didn't die lol
Good to hear, mine could be a bear to start cold and would develop some evil headshake at times but that power was awesome, the more you bagged it the more it would produce
The '83 CR480 was a fantastic bike. It turned great, had decent suspension for the time, and the motor had a lot of easy to manage low end power. Of all of the '83 open class bikes, it was the easiest to ride fast. The '87 had lots of power but I wouldn't call it hard to ride. If you sorted the suspension, it was a good bike. All of the CRs of this era turned well but had headshake, especially with the stock springs. Dialing it the right sag was critical to avoid headshake. Very reliable bikes.
The 83 480 was scary on the power band. My gripe as I recall was dialing in the suspension. I also had the 89 500 and it was tame compared to the 480 as I recall. Cool history tour!
Man i miss my 88. Glad I rode it in my early 20s. Do remember my shoulder worn out at the end of a day of riding Beaumont back in the day. Love that bike.
The only Professional Motocross Race I ever went to was in 1977 , I believe. Marty Smith was riding a CR 500 against the Legend Roger Decoster on his Suzuki RM 500. I was honored as a young man to see these two legends in person and Bob Hurricane Hannah was there riding for Yamaha. THESE GUYS WERE GOOD AND IN THEIR PRIME.
Smith was riding an RC500 and Roger an RN400, there were no CR500s and RM500s at the time, and top factory riders were riding factory "works" machines, not modified stockers. You're probably referring to a Trans-AMA event in the Fall of '77, do you have a recollection of where you were?
Didn't Roger ride for Honda one season? I had heard that the early Honda's were left kick because of Roger's influence - probably not true. I had an '82 left kick Honda 250. Very close-ratio gear box...
I remember in '74 watching Chad McQueen ride his new CR125 around "the Mesa" in Malibu. We talked to his dad (who we didn't know was a famous actor-we were 12 years old) and asked him how they hade a CR125 six months before they we to be released in the states. His reply? "I know some people" Steve McQueen was a really nice guy. He liked our home-made rear suspension Schwinn Stingrays.
Sean Hollingsworth RIGHT ,WHAT REALLY KOOL ABOUT THESE BIKES IS WHO MANY THEY MAID ,CAUSE BASICALLY FROM LIKE 88 OR 89 THEY ARE ALMOST ALL SIMULAR ENOUGH THAT THEY ARE OUT THERE!!! WHAT I'VE FOUND VERY INTERESTING IS THAT ONE WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE LIKE ALL KINDA BROKE DOWN PARTS BIKES LIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE OR LOTS OF THEM FOR SALE ?!?!?!? BUT NO,EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE DOSENT WANT TO PART WITH THEM !!! IT'S SO FUCK KOOL ,THE THING IS LIKE THE AK 47 OF DIRT BIKES !!! YO !!! ROCK SOLID MILLIONS OUT THERE ,TRIED AND TRUE ,UNBREAKABLE AND NOT GOING AWAY SOON AND MOST DEFINITELY NOT QUITELY IN THE NIGHT !!!I PLAN ON RIDE'N MINE TILL I'M DEAD AND BARRED WITH IT OR DIE RIDING IT!!! I'VE HAD MINE FOR OVER TWEENTY FIVE YEARS WITHOUT CHANGING ANY BOTTOM END COMPONENTS YET ,AS FAR AS CRANK ,ROD ,MAINS JUST A COUPLE OF PISTONS !!! AND EVEN THEN I PUT MY WISSCO BACK IN THAT'S BEEN RUNNING THE THING FOR LIKE ABOUT TWEENTY OF THOUGHS YEARS AND THAT'S HAD OVER 500 GALLONS OF FUEL THOUGH IT SAME RINGS TOO, RIGHT NOW JUST SLAPPED IT ALL BACK TOGETHER LIKE LAST TWO WEEKS !!! BEEN TUNNING AND DIALING IN STUFF BASED ON SOME OF MY LATEST MODS. LUCKILY MY BOTTOM END WAS NOT FUCK, ONCE I DISCOVERED THE ARMATURE WAS JUST A LITTLE LOSE AND NOT A LOWWER ROD NOCK OR MAINS GONE BAD FINNALLY !!! OH I AM SO HAPPY!!! CAUSE LAST TIME IT WAS TOGETHER WAS IN ITS NEW BLUE STAR CONFIGURATION AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TOO REALLY RIDE THE HELL OUT OF IT ,LIKE I AM NOW!!! JUST AS LONG AS ALL THE STARS STAY ALIGNED AND NO ONE SABOTAGES MY SHIT ,LIKE CERTAIN SOMEONE I WON'T MENTION!?!?!?!.I LOVE MY BIKE IT'S THE MOST PRIZED OF POSSESSIONS I OWN OR WILL EVEN OWN!!! LIKE ANNIKIN SKY WALKER I LOVE ANIMALS AND MACHINES BECAUSE THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE ,NO SECOND GUESSING ,NO HIDDEN AGENDAS. ANIMOSITY. GREED OR HATE !!! YUP ANIMALS AND MACHINES AND ME WE ALL LIKE FONZIES KOOL KOOL KOOL ,AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Thanks for the video, I've still got my cr 500 I shoehorned into a 1997 1st gen AL frame, with the help of Mickey Kessler. 19 years later, it's still a blast to roll up to the gate and have the 450 4s riders snicker and guffaw at my "antique". It's funny to them right up until I fire that engine up and the exhaust sings that beautiful and ominous note. If I'm on, That engine will easily holeshot their arses but , as I'm sixty- some now I have to cede to the young'uns. It's all good, though, cause as they come around to lap me I just line my rear wheel up with an approaching young gun and twistrightwrist an over/under load of roost at em, just for kix. hee hee, I see them shaking the pain out of their knuckles in the pits. BTW The bike handles well, is stone solid reliable, there is hardly any parts on the engine or rolling chassis you cannot buy new from Honda, it used to crack expansion chamber headers until I bought a BILLS' pipe. Soooo much fun... again, thx for the video. God bless.
amazing video I have been a Honda dirt bike fan and rider for many years and the new knowledge I have gained from this very informative video just makes me wonder what else did I miss keep up the great videos.
I had Maico's back in the day and my last one was an 84 M-Star 490, that was a great machine! Now I currently ride a 92 CR500 that is outfitted for the desert (where I live) and it is a fantastic machine! I do think my Maico 490 was faster and the transmission ratios were broader which made it very versatile but this Honda has been claw hammer reliable and it is very fast (it's not stock). Being a 1992 model the suspension is far superior to the 1984 Maico (M-Star) and the handling is sharper, the Maico was more stable at high speeds. I just love riding the big 2 strokes! There is nothing else like it! I like your videos, thanks for the good work! Ride safe!
I remember watching Graham Noyce and Brad Lackey on the factory RC Honda’s when I went to the gp warmup races in Belgium and Holland in the spring of ‘78. I was an 18 year old kid loving life.
Thanks man, great video, brought back so many memories, they were my favorite bikes after my 1st CR500 when I was like 15-16, stuck with them for like 20 years, was all I’d buy
There is an on going debate on which cr 500 is most powerful. Most say it was the 85 some people say 86 and some say 87,. One thing is certain though. The cr 500's from those 3 years are still the most powerful open class 2 strokes that honda ever built for public consumption. The 85 was particularly violent. I had one. He talks about it in this video of course.
I heard the toning down was for 87, so I got an 86. I had it torque ported by Moose and put a 2lb flywheel weight on it. I don't know how fast the others were but that 86 was fucking scary! FUN...but scary.
+BenCottonLynn Hell my dirt bike is messed up right now and I'm going to have to take all the shafts out of it and I learnt I could just put the together and stick them in there at the same time!! thanks man
Putting a new top end in my 1995 cr500. Getting it ready for this years hare scrambles and enduros is this COVID-19 will give us a break. Great video. Very informative!!
Bought a 480 brand new as a holdover in 1983. It cost me $1521.00 and I just trail road it. I remember you could roll the throttle in high gear and it would roost the gravels easily. It got the Boyseen reeds, Bel Ray oil and mix. It was very radical and hard to start. I would take the plug out and pour a little paint thinner down the hole a heat the plug. It would start right up. Lol
At 16:43 The company was based in Italy and was called Honda Italia. CRE stands for CR Enduro. Honda has collaborated also with Honda Italia in Atessa producing many bikes like the Honda NSF125 or the CRM125 for example.
In 76 when I was a young man, an off the floor CR 125, was about 700$. A works CR 500 was probably $60,000 US in that time and YOU or I could never own one. In those days the Factory Works CR125, YZ125 Monoshocker, RM125 bikes were handmade and NO independent could beat them. They did have a crazy law at the time and I only saw this once- IF an independent, meaning you or me, could BEAT a works bike in a sanctioned motocross race, the winner could CLAIM the works bike and have the own it, for free. This happened once I believe with a really cool red Honda CR125 Works bike if my old memory serves correct. Great to grow up in that time.
BTW, I have an 84 and 86 CR500. They both run great. Never had an issue with the pinging. Throw some good premix at 32:1 with 92 octane and zero issues. :) The mid hit on the 86 is a bit stronger, but the 84 is a great trail/desert bike. My YZ465 is rock solid, but the brakes, well, kinda stink.
I bought an 84 CR500 and had the most fun ever had not between the sheets. I put an extra tooth on the countershaft sprocket and it would pull well over 90 mph. You could hit the gas in the middle of a berm, pull the front end up and ride out on the rear wheel. It would jerk the bars from your hand if you were not careful. Nothing but fond memories.
The 85,86 & 87CRs had taller gearing in 4th and 5th, this allowed the bikes to appear to be faster. My 88 would blow away these models up to third but the 4th and 5th gears were of lower ratios on the 88 so they would catch me and pass me. A simple solution was to do a slight mod and fit 4th and 5th ratios from the 86 model. Now the 88 would take the lead easily off the line and keep it.
RideCamVids ,I don't know about yours ,but mine sings so FREAK'N high you would think it a far smaller bore and stroke ,SO I figure that and my SKINNY little ASS make up for that gearing difference and I can get away with running a few teeth smaller on the back as well!!!
When comparing the "violent CR'S" 1985, 86, 87, 88 several part numbers were discussed to account for the differences in the power delivery. However, I didn't hear if the expansion chambers were also compared.
my favorite bike of all was my 96, i started with a 92 then went to a 96 (i had 2 96's) i raced them all... they seemed to be the smoothest power of any of my friends bikes, KTM's and KX's, the only bike that could beat me was racing in Silver Lake Michigan was a the Cr500 AF from service Honda in Hammond Indiana and the Guy that beat me was a Townie from Silver Lake, Great memories, thanks for the video.
A work of art a thing of beauty a 76 and 77 RC 500 two-stroke boy are they beautiful the new bikes though the suspensions a thousand times better but those were for sure cool for riding around on the flats
Nice vid, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the bikes. Paul Thede at Race Tech did the same head mod for YZ490's back in the day. Those red engine RC's are friggen beautiful bikes, I remember Marty Smith riding those at High Point. We were droolin' over those, for sure.
I go back to the very beginning. I owned the first 73’ CR250M Elsinore. I loved that bike. Never felt outclassed in terms of power. My Snore devastated all my pals bikes by a wide margin. I was king of the hill. 😎
Sawyer Mielke And like the demon, that the 500 is, it was probably thirsty for some blood. I've let mine sit for a year. It fired up really easily. Then it tried to kill me, yet again. ;-)
I've owner one 500. It also tried to kill me. My should forever clicks. To the point my wife brought it up during sex once. Like your damn should Is distracting. Lol worth it. I miss it.
Good video. The Cr500 was a beast. I had one for awhile brand new in 1987 and a CR250. Sadly I didnt do much with it beside start it up to scare ppl. On the track it was like trying to wrestle a bull to the ground. I also had the same year Cagiva WMX500 that thing was like two cr500s lmao.
Great work! Thank you for taking the trouble to put this together. I raced an '81 CR450 - it was awful and nearly broke my back!! then I had an '83 CR480 which I loved it was chuckable, smooth and just a delight to ride, next up I had an '85 CR500 which was my favorite, great smooth spread of power, handled well and was stable because it had quite a long wheelbase - I swapped that for a brand new '86 CR500, which was most definately the evil one! The power delivery was fierce and although it turned better it was nervier at speed - I was 22 and fit at the time, but you really needed to be 'cos they were a handful! After I dabbled with Kawasaki KX500's '89 & '90 but they were never anywhere near as brutal!
Dang. I owned a 1978 CR250 back in the late ‘70s, and I never knew what Elsinore stood for until now. lol. Thanks for that. Man I HATED that left side kick start. I was a skinny 140 pound 15 year old trying to kick start that darn thing. I eventually went back to RMs, which was, imo, the best Japanese platform at that time. Love ‘em all though.
The 'calm down' in the meaness in the engines were from the 88 (RJ) to the 89 (RK) models. In 1989 I had the RJ and a friend of mine had the 1989 RK model, chalk and cheese in every way inckuding the engine delivery. When I dumped the standard pipe for an FMF it made the 1988 CR500RJ less agreesive, smoother power delivery and it seemed to rev out a lot more which was good for the Finke Desert Race. I ran gearing of 15/36 and was good for over 170km/h. The only engine mod besides jetting, the FMF pipe. A good desert sled, but I prefer the RK and onwards.
Though I would agree that the mid 80s engines were the most agressive, the last aircooled (which was also the first right side kick starter) and that of the 85-86 motors. Thanks for the doco. There is some good footage of Marty Moates racing the 1983 Mr Motocross series in Oz. It has highights of the first rounds plus the entire last round. For the first rounds Jeff Leisk rode the CR480RD but the last two rounds Leisk rode a preproduction 84 CR500RE. Moates is on a RM500. Some good footage.
I've got most Dirt Bike and Australasian dirt bike magazines from 81 to 2000 Then from 2004-2013 I've never ridden an 85 But from what I've heard from my racing buddies The 85 was a BEAST ! ! !
I had the "Ping King" 1984 CR500. It was horrible. I also had in my opinion one of the greatest 500cc two stroke bikes of all time the 1981 Maico 490 Mega2. Bought it for $100. It was sitting in the weeds behind this guy's barn. Had a blown top end. I had no idea at the time what a major score this bike was for $100. I restored it from the ground up and got everything from a Maico dealer that was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts at the time. When I was done the bike looked and ran brand new. I regret to say that I sold this bike in the late 80's. If I had it today it would be sitting in my living room. Yep it was a great bike. After that bike the original Maico factory went down the tubes and Maico as we knew them was gone forever. I was happy to learn that Maico is still making big bore 2 strokes today. And they supply their massive 700cc motor to anyone who wants one .
@@Maicowerk Woow, I'm still mad at myself for selling my 81 Maico 490. It was pristine. And that Mico 700 is my dream bike. I want one like there's no tomorrow!! Can you point me in the right direction? I heard that Maico sells that motor to other places that use it for different vehicles like performance carts. And also to ATK Motorcycles for their version of the 700 fittingly called the "Intimidator" I want one but I don't know the procedure to get one.
The “HOT” STIC vs TPI Fuel injection: Extensive dyno testing reveals the STIC metering block installed in a Keihin Air Striker has lower emissions and greater performance than the TPI. The STIC/Keihin system compensates for altitude and temperature changes. The STIC is able to sense which engine it is on and to calibrate vapor production as well as air/fuel flow accordingly. In two separate parts of the world; Japan, KTM 250; and in the United States [New Mexico] a Husqvarna 300; they both run identical jetting. With the STIC the same jetting applies from sea level to +9000 feet. I am anxious to see Mark’s driving impression of his 2019 TPI compared to his 2017 with the Keihin A/S STIC equipped.
I modified these CR 500 's from 96/01 models for the Australian bush tracks and I can tell you the were more fun and reliable than new the four stroke trail bikes coming out back then
In 74 all there were was Elsinore on the track. A couple other bikes sure. But in Iowa Elsinore at least that year was filling the starting line. My favorite was the chrome cylinder 78 250. I have that engine to put on a go cart one of these decades. I burnt a hole in the piston by using gasohol back when it first came out here in Iowa. It made the bike scream. More rpms, faster and everything. No, it truly did kick it up noticably.
Great video! Thank you for the vast information on the "big" CR. Hopefully one day, someone can do more research on the different heads used from '85-'87, and let us know which one can give us the most violent power delivery for our 500's.
hey bro was wondering what was the last year for the steel frame for the 500 cuz i got one brand new in 97 was a steel frame oh and also in 98 i found 87 kx 500 a guy got for his 15 year old son for christmas and he broke his legs first ride so i got it around the same time as the cr but the kx was a little bit faster then the cr but anyways thanks for your help
All CR500s were steel frame. The last was 2001 except in Australia that had a CRE500 for 1 year in 2002. Yes the KX was faster in my experience as well.
I had the 86-87-88-89-91-and 99 model CR500, raced all the hare scrambles and enduros in FL with them! The 86 was hard to start .Now I have a 2007CR500AF Service Honda in a 250 Aluminum Frame! That is the bike to own! Of course I race the KTM 300 in Hare scrambles and Enduros now.
@Lachlan Dayton don’t think anyone cares
@@romiebuannojr5438 I do nigga
My Dad picked up a CR500 stuffed into a 250 frame along with an elsinore 450. They were in a flood. Restored them. The 500 I couldn't get beyond half throttle. I was too young and he sold them. The bastard. Aparently 19 years old is too young for me.
I love my 1982 CR480. Grandpa bought it brand new on sale in 1983 and gave it to me. She still RIPS! Still has the original top end on it.
Rebuild the top end or at least drop a set of new rings and a reed set to watch your 480 come back alive like a monster.
EreksonJ WHAT!!! THE ORIGINAL TOP END?
EreksonJ I bought my first 1983 CR480 used in 1987. That was my favorite trail bike ever. It was magic. I sold it sometime in the 90s. Almost immediately I regretted selling it and bought another '83 CR480 a few months later, which I still have to this day and it still runs strong. It was never as good as the first one though. I also bought a brand new 2001 CR500 which I still enjoy very much. I'll never part with either bike. A flywheel weight works wonders at keeping it from stalling in the rock gardens. I put 16 oz on the 480 and even more (didn't weigh it) on the 500. There are multiple positive benefits to adding flywheel weight.
Must not have used it much.
+Wayne Wildman, or maybe he did this thing called maintenance. You'd be amazed at how much life you can get out of a machine when you MAINTAIN it.
I purchased a new Honda CR 450 back in 1981. Except for a blown base cylinder gasket which I was able to repair at our camp in less than 20 minutes, I did not experience any of the shortcomings that you listed for this bike. The engine's power band was as wide as a barn door. All that power and torque worked great with the 4 speed gear box. With a 12 cup paddle tire this bike was the perfect Glamis machine. All the years riding in the desert it never let me down. One of the most reliable bikes I have ever owned.
It did have, horsepower,more,than,you need.dear good.
Why do so many sources say it was one of the worst bikes Honda ever produced?
Excellent video. I'm glad there are still a few of us enthusiasts out here. Other than those who only care about Service Honda bikes. I built my own 500AF using a 2004 CRF250R rolling chassis. I've owned 6 500s so far. Love em!
John yeah I was going that route ,but was informed that ,they are vibration monsters and besides riding a ole vintage steal MACHINE, THAT mist people can weld and repair ,kinda give you a man's man handy cap the should SHUT up thoughs "WARBUCKS" guys who couldn't turn a wrench too Dave their life !!! YO !!!RIGHT???
service Honda perfected the AF period if you dont own one you'll never know
by the way I've owned 6 to and two AF.s one garage built an a newly purchased 02 AF service honda proof is in the pudding an no my garage built was not a hack thank you service built factory AF's
Well Done. I Had an 87 CR500, and can tell you that after installing an FMF Pipe, the power was slightly smoothed out and Extended perfectly. The bike was King where ever I went, and Never lost an open field Drag Race to any other DirtBike, including Several KX 500s, 450Fs, and even newer CR500s. I Loved that bike and the raw power that could turn Mountains into Mole Hills... The Torque actually allowed me to do quite well in a Hairscamble one time as well. From my experience the 87 model did have the most Power, but the newer bikes had better suspension for larger jumps. Great Documentary.
I used to race the 1987 CR500! The thing was a beast! The motorcycle required a tremendous amount of respect! You had to ride them totally different from a 125 or 250. Come into the turn hot lock the brakes up both of which were disc brakes lay the bike over turn the throttle, and hold on for dear life! I survived racing several years on the bike pretty much unscathed with only two blown-out ACLs, a ruptured spleen in a ruptured colon, in about a week and a half and ICU
If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing! What a rush to ride this bike! Even though it almost killed me several times! :-)
It was about a month of practicing before I really felt comfortable wacking the the throttle open on mine. When you did that best you be pointing where you wanted to go because you were about to be there in a hurry! Later I raced B2V on it and it was much better than the XR500 I'd run before. Also ran it at Ascot for the night races. I got the hole shot and someone asked me what I'd done to it. Sh...t, just jet it right and this thing rips!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I have had my '85 CR500 since 1994, and still have not lost in a drag race. But, it's time to sell it and pass the fun on to someone else. Long live the speed king.
I owned a 1985 CR500. I loved that bike!
I've always been a KX500 fan, had two of them, still got my '04. Been to hospital more than once riding them. Always loved the CR500 too. Great video thanks. Got an '01 CR500 in the shed at the back of the farm. On the stand and covered with a sheet. Bought it new and never rode it.
Would offer both of my balls and a kidney for that bike
I had the 1985 and couldn't agree with his discription more. VIOLENT! What a blast!
Had a 89… A huge powerplant w/ a nervous front end. It's a wonder I never got seriously hurt on it. I liked & subbed. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I had a 89 as well. My arms hurt Everytime I got off of it
Great doc! Thanks for putting in the time to make it. I bought a '83 495, back in the day. Wish I still had it... It had a four-speed also, but it wasn't that bad. Who rides in low gear on an open-bike? Still remember those fourth-gear launches. Now that was fun! Thanks for the memories.
GORN I had a 1984 KTM 495, great bike, I had the 5 speed, which is the same as the 4 speed except an extra low 1st gear is included. Glad you enjoyed the video! There will be an upcoming video on Maico.
I used to own an 89 honda cr500r that i bored to a 580 and it was just a monster machine! Im watching all these videos of everyone babying them and never actually hitting power band in 5th gear wide open and its its upsetting. I used to race that bike on the edge.... one day ill own another and rebuild and I'll send you videos of it! Im so excited now to start saving up for another one... awesome video by the way! You made me decide on if i was ever going to get another! Ty!
Had a 2000 cr500. So much fun.
A lot of bike for a 150lb guy but I was nice to it and it never let me down. Had a goofy friend try to kick it over wearing sneakers against my advice and it broke his ankle. Absolute beast of a machine. What a workout!
I had the 85 and besides being difficult to start until you figure out the technique and crazy head-shake at high speed it was lots of fun. No so great to race and I often had to race with the 250s since I was the only dummy to race beginner 500. I remember once hearing the commentator say, "Now we have the least experienced riders on the most powerful bikes."
So how do you fix the head shake? That seems really dangerous. Can you change anything to make it better?
I hear ya. My very first bike was a '86 CR500. I wanted to ride because my buddies did. They told me I was nuts.
@@Ritalie Its late, but you can drop the forks in the triple clamps untill you fork caps are flush with the clamp, and take the rear tire all the way to the rear in the swingarm. This changes the geometry some and takes away some turning ability, but is more stable.
I bought the 1984 500 in November 1984 from the dealer. I didn't even start the bike at the dealer. I took it home and took off the head and sent it to Klemm racing. Also the Honda factory didn't even run the Keihin carburetor on the pro support dealer bikes. They ran the Mikuni carburetor. Dirt Bike magazine had an article on the setup. I might still have it. Also in 1986 was the first year of the Showa cartridge forks for the public. The factory guys has them on the factory bikes starting in 1980. They were the black leg magnesium forks. Thanks for the video. I really enjoyed it and it was very accurate of the history of the Honda CR500R.
I had 87 500. in my opinion it was a great bike. loved riding the sexy beast
Thanks for the info. I used to race a 87 .CR500 brings back memories
thanks for sharing this, it was well done. I miss the older bikes
+Ken Barrett sure thing, glad you enjoyed the video!
Grew up around these machines in the 80s.... Love em all.... I have to admit I love the 88 89 gens most with that style and RED bodywork....
My uncle had a 83 cr480 and it was very fun to race! We never notice any detonation though. It had tons of power and depending on the track you could ride it like a 4-stroke. Miss that beast!
The '83 CR480 was a GREAT bike. Not scary fast, GREAT handling, GREAT suspension, and the most amazing set of drum brakes ever put on a motorcycle.
At the time Dirt Rider magazine said it was the best bike out of the crate to date. Didn't need any mods.
Very well done! I restored an '86 last fall and have wanted an 85-86 for most of my life, so that was a bucket list check! Great info here.
I'm enjoying riding my '86 as well. Not just a rebuild, a bike I ride.
Ryan Stevens Thanks, glad you liked the video! Good choice on the 86, I used to have one as well!
the 87 was the best engine ive used. i have owed and rode 86.87.88.89.90.93 and the 98. the 87 engine is what ive got in my service honda af after trying a few it iz smooth power that never ends. long live the 500s (even the green 1)😀
Great presentation! Thank you for taking the time to honor this beast!
Outstanding documentary narration, superb video editing ! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge here on You Tube in regards to one of the gnarliest BIG BORE 2 strokes ever manufactured the mighty HONDA CR500R .2 strokes forever !
Absolutely love your channel bud. Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Hey mate
I have an 84CR500 and when I first bought it a few years back it was a bit of a pig with surging and fouling plugs. The detonation fix I have read about but I didnt do it to my bike.
I went through the entire motor from carb to pipe and port matched everything, gaskets included. The worst thing I noticed about the engine was the castings in the transfer ports, so I smoothed them and light bead blasted. Also the crankcase needed to be matched to the barrel plus gaskets. Checked the heights of the ports from top of barrel matched carby mounts and exhaust mounts. Put the jetting at stock.
I pulled this bike out after sitting at tdc with plugged exhaust nearly 12 months and after priming with about 7 slow kicks it starts first real kick. And instead of blubbering with small throttle twists for what seemed like forever it now takes about 3 or 4 twists to get to a wide open throttle twist. Good mod is a 98 i think cr250 kicker, the stock one may as well be a chicken wing.
The engine is now an absolute beast. Probably the most powerful CR500 engine because it shares the short rod bottom end which the 85 and 86 had (more power orientated than torque like the later models)but has no water pump to turn over. A small thing I know.
I have a 2002 KX500 and a mint RM500 1984 and the Cr is my favourite to ride.
Im in Australia so maybe our premium pump gas is a different rating but ive had no pinging since these mods.
My guess for this bikes un honda like internal finish is the huge demand they were under to bring out a full 500 and the water cooled bikes were still a bit away. The 1984 actually has crankcases which were getting ready for the water pump accomodation.
The other thing is the rear shock, I'm only 77kg and I'm on the too heavy side for it. Made to suit the Japanese test riders I assume.
I've ended up putting 86 250 front forks on and it is as near perfect as I can get it.
I think the combustion chamber mod is possibly an easy fix/bandaid solution for the real problems this engine had.
If anyone owns one try doing what I've expained here first before machining a head. It really works and this engine is amazing once it can breath properly.
My first time on a CR500 was on an 87, model with no brakes! I was 90lbs soaking wet at 14yrs old. Coming from an 1980 XR80. Boy did I luv that powerband👀❗❗Until the road came to a curve with a House dead insight. So asphalt ass it was. That summer I talked mom into a 1989 Cr80. So to my surprise she bought an 89, Cr250 to ride with me. But I don't think she ever left the yard on it. So it became mine around 91,. My family has always been a Ride Red family! Go Honda!
Just bought my 1988 the other day with a fully rebuilt engine with low hours. It has been sitting for a while so I need new tires and then am taking her for a spin, can't wait!!! Any words of advice except don't die ;)
There was never any advice offered, I had an 88, hope it went well?
@@hardtail-gy8dk it did, I had a blast! She was such a hog to get started and died on me a few times in the middle of the woods. It took me forever to get her started. I traded it for a good ol' reliable KLR later on but I can proudly say I was brapppping CR500 and didn't die lol
Good to hear, mine could be a bear to start cold and would develop some evil headshake at times but that power was awesome, the more you bagged it the more it would produce
The '83 CR480 was a fantastic bike. It turned great, had decent suspension for the time, and the motor had a lot of easy to manage low end power. Of all of the '83 open class bikes, it was the easiest to ride fast. The '87 had lots of power but I wouldn't call it hard to ride. If you sorted the suspension, it was a good bike. All of the CRs of this era turned well but had headshake, especially with the stock springs. Dialing it the right sag was critical to avoid headshake. Very reliable bikes.
The 83 480 was scary on the power band. My gripe as I recall was dialing in the suspension. I also had the 89 500 and it was tame compared to the 480 as I recall. Cool history tour!
Man i miss my 88. Glad I rode it in my early 20s. Do remember my shoulder worn out at the end of a day of riding Beaumont back in the day. Love that bike.
I had the same 500, pulled amazing, bought it brand new when I was 18, man I miss that CR500...
The only Professional Motocross Race I ever went to was in 1977 , I believe. Marty Smith was riding a CR 500 against the Legend Roger Decoster on his Suzuki RM 500. I was honored as a young man to see these two legends in person and Bob Hurricane Hannah was there riding for Yamaha. THESE GUYS WERE GOOD AND IN THEIR PRIME.
Smith was riding an RC500 and Roger an RN400, there were no CR500s and RM500s at the time, and top factory riders were riding factory "works" machines, not modified stockers. You're probably referring to a Trans-AMA event in the Fall of '77, do you have a recollection of where you were?
Didn't Roger ride for Honda one season? I had heard that the early Honda's were left kick because of Roger's influence - probably not true. I had an '82 left kick Honda 250. Very close-ratio gear box...
Whenever I look at the RC 500 it takes me back to my teenage years I get a feeling I can’t describe
I remember in '74 watching Chad McQueen ride his new CR125 around "the Mesa" in Malibu. We talked to his dad (who we didn't know was a famous actor-we were 12 years old) and asked him how they hade a CR125 six months before they we to be released in the states. His reply? "I know some people" Steve McQueen was a really nice guy. He liked our home-made rear suspension Schwinn Stingrays.
Nice!
Awesome
Excellent video!!
I still have my 1999 CR500. It is one mean beast! ;-)
Sean Hollingsworth RIGHT ,WHAT REALLY KOOL ABOUT THESE BIKES IS WHO MANY THEY MAID ,CAUSE BASICALLY FROM LIKE 88 OR 89 THEY ARE ALMOST ALL SIMULAR ENOUGH THAT THEY ARE OUT THERE!!! WHAT I'VE FOUND VERY INTERESTING IS THAT ONE WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE LIKE ALL KINDA BROKE DOWN PARTS BIKES LIKE ALL OVER THE PLACE OR LOTS OF THEM FOR SALE ?!?!?!? BUT NO,EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE DOSENT WANT TO PART WITH THEM !!! IT'S SO FUCK KOOL ,THE THING IS LIKE THE AK 47 OF DIRT BIKES !!! YO !!! ROCK SOLID MILLIONS OUT THERE ,TRIED AND TRUE ,UNBREAKABLE AND NOT GOING AWAY SOON AND MOST DEFINITELY NOT QUITELY IN THE NIGHT !!!I PLAN ON RIDE'N MINE TILL I'M DEAD AND BARRED WITH IT OR DIE RIDING IT!!! I'VE HAD MINE FOR OVER TWEENTY FIVE YEARS WITHOUT CHANGING ANY BOTTOM END COMPONENTS YET ,AS FAR AS CRANK ,ROD ,MAINS JUST A COUPLE OF PISTONS !!! AND EVEN THEN I PUT MY WISSCO BACK IN THAT'S BEEN RUNNING THE THING FOR LIKE ABOUT TWEENTY OF THOUGHS YEARS AND THAT'S HAD OVER 500 GALLONS OF FUEL THOUGH IT SAME RINGS TOO, RIGHT NOW JUST SLAPPED IT ALL BACK TOGETHER LIKE LAST TWO WEEKS !!! BEEN TUNNING AND DIALING IN STUFF BASED ON SOME OF MY LATEST MODS. LUCKILY MY BOTTOM END WAS NOT FUCK, ONCE I DISCOVERED THE ARMATURE WAS JUST A LITTLE LOSE AND NOT A LOWWER ROD NOCK OR MAINS GONE BAD FINNALLY !!! OH I AM SO HAPPY!!! CAUSE LAST TIME IT WAS TOGETHER WAS IN ITS NEW BLUE STAR CONFIGURATION AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TOO REALLY RIDE THE HELL OUT OF IT ,LIKE I AM NOW!!! JUST AS LONG AS ALL THE STARS STAY ALIGNED AND NO ONE SABOTAGES MY SHIT ,LIKE CERTAIN SOMEONE I WON'T MENTION!?!?!?!.I LOVE MY BIKE IT'S THE MOST PRIZED OF POSSESSIONS I OWN OR WILL EVEN OWN!!! LIKE ANNIKIN SKY WALKER I LOVE ANIMALS AND MACHINES BECAUSE THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE ,NO SECOND GUESSING ,NO HIDDEN AGENDAS. ANIMOSITY. GREED OR HATE !!! YUP ANIMALS AND MACHINES AND ME WE ALL LIKE FONZIES KOOL KOOL KOOL ,AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
What a great show loved every single bit of it!
Nice documentaries man!! You should do one on big bore KTMs 400,420,495,440,500,540,550,360,380
LYNYRDSKYNIRDsDABOMB RIGHT!!!
Thanks for the video, I've still got my cr 500 I shoehorned into a 1997 1st gen AL frame, with the help of Mickey Kessler. 19 years later, it's still a blast to roll up to the gate and have the 450 4s riders snicker and guffaw at my "antique". It's funny to them right up until I fire that engine up and the exhaust sings that beautiful and ominous note. If I'm on, That engine will easily holeshot their arses but , as I'm sixty- some now I have to cede to the young'uns. It's all good, though, cause as they come around to lap me I just line my rear wheel up with an approaching young gun and twistrightwrist an over/under load of roost at em, just for kix. hee hee, I see them shaking the pain out of their knuckles in the pits. BTW The bike handles well, is stone solid reliable, there is hardly any parts on the engine or rolling chassis you cannot buy new from Honda, it used to crack expansion chamber headers until I bought a BILLS' pipe. Soooo much fun... again, thx for the video. God bless.
Who doesn’t want a cr500 but finding one for the right price is literally impossible to find one under 10 grand from where I’m from
Got to love “500 roost” ! I still have 2. One is street legal and aluminum framed. Awesome fun on the street. Smiles for miles.
@@ipadipad9824 You basically have to look all over the country for an affordable one but it is possible. Just keep looking.
You Are Awesome! We All Age. Nothing sounds like a 500 2 Stroke.
amazing video I have been a Honda dirt bike fan and rider for many years and the new knowledge I have gained from this very informative video just makes me wonder what else did I miss keep up the great videos.
I had Maico's back in the day and my last one was an 84 M-Star 490, that was a great machine!
Now I currently ride a 92 CR500 that is outfitted for the desert (where I live) and it is a fantastic machine!
I do think my Maico 490 was faster and the transmission ratios were broader which made it very versatile but this Honda has been claw hammer reliable and it is very fast (it's not stock).
Being a 1992 model the suspension is far superior to the 1984 Maico (M-Star) and the handling is sharper, the Maico was more stable at high speeds.
I just love riding the big 2 strokes! There is nothing else like it!
I like your videos, thanks for the good work!
Ride safe!
I had an 89 CR 500 and was the best bike I ever had. It was a beast on the track.
I remember watching Graham Noyce and Brad Lackey on the factory RC Honda’s when I went to the gp warmup races in Belgium and Holland in the spring of ‘78. I was an 18 year old kid loving life.
Ps, I loved the Maico Alpha 440. Pretty revolutionary for its time..
Thanks man, great video, brought back so many memories, they were my favorite bikes after my 1st CR500 when I was like 15-16, stuck with them for like 20 years, was all I’d buy
that's crazy dude, I was racing 125 class at that age but to be fair I was 5 foot 5 130 pounds. a 500 would have killed me lol
"the 88 was toned down to make it more rideable..." So basically all I heard was "get the 87" haha!
There is an on going debate on which cr 500 is most powerful. Most say it was the 85 some people say 86 and some say 87,. One thing is certain though. The cr 500's from those 3 years are still the most powerful open class 2 strokes that honda ever built for public consumption. The 85 was particularly violent. I had one. He talks about it in this video of course.
Yeah get an 85
But 86 was the only year for day glow orange.
It was the head and get an 85’
I heard the toning down was for 87, so I got an 86. I had it torque ported by Moose and put a 2lb flywheel weight on it. I don't know how fast the others were but that 86 was fucking scary! FUN...but scary.
I wanted to learn about the baddest dirt bike of all time and I did props to you man!! liking now and subbing.
+BenCottonLynn Hell my dirt bike is messed up right now and I'm going to have to take all the shafts out of it and I learnt I could just put the together and stick them in there at the same time!! thanks man
+BenCottonLynn Thanks! Glad you like the videos. You can also check out the facebook page Opferman Motors (maicowerk).
Great documentary. Thanks, I learned a lot about this amazing bad ass machine.
Putting a new top end in my 1995 cr500. Getting it ready for this years hare scrambles and enduros is this COVID-19 will give us a break. Great video. Very informative!!
The 85 got me my first brain surgery ... Now I have CRS ... Ha!
I really enjoyed this documental. Love that beast CR500. I have a 2009 CRF450R but I wish I could buy one of this piece of engineering.
Miguel Garita Thanks, glad that you enjoyed it! Will have more in the future
Great video! Health issues have forced me to quit riding. Sold my CR500, miss it dearly.
sazmoto37 Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! You can always live vicariously through youtube helmet cams :)
Bought a 480 brand new as a holdover in 1983. It cost me $1521.00 and I just trail road it. I remember you could roll the throttle in high gear and it would roost the gravels easily. It got the Boyseen reeds, Bel Ray oil and mix. It was very radical and hard to start. I would take the plug out and pour a little paint thinner down the hole a heat the plug. It would start right up. Lol
Great video, thank you for taking the time to make it
I had an 86 CR 500! Bought brand new and coming off Maico’s was like Dammit Man! The worst thing was starting it!
Great video. Thanks for posting it. I've always wanted a CR500. But they're hard to find affordable without needing a bunch of work.
I have a CRE500 and went for a spin a couple of weeks ago and it still thrills me.
this was well done and informative, enjoyed it , thanks, Will
I had a brand new 1982 cr 480 a local dealer found 2 of them tucked away in 85. Awesome bike.
Nice Pittsburgh accent. lol
GREAT job capturing the history of these AWESOME machines.
At 16:43
The company was based in Italy and was called Honda Italia.
CRE stands for CR Enduro.
Honda has collaborated also with Honda Italia in Atessa producing many bikes like the Honda NSF125 or the CRM125 for example.
Wow, 76 RC500, I had no idea they were around that early, thanks for this video, lots of good info here.
Thanks, that means a lot coming from you!
groutaone im a sub of yours but not enough yam clips
In 76 when I was a young man, an off the floor CR 125, was about 700$. A works CR 500 was probably $60,000 US in that time and YOU or I could never own one. In those days the Factory Works CR125, YZ125 Monoshocker, RM125 bikes were handmade and NO independent could beat them. They did have a crazy law at the time and I only saw this once- IF an independent, meaning you or me, could BEAT a works bike in a sanctioned motocross race, the winner could CLAIM the works bike and have the own it, for free. This happened once I believe with a really cool red Honda CR125 Works bike if my old memory serves correct. Great to grow up in that time.
groutaone the story of John penton
The RC500 was the "Works" version. It was only available to factory sponsored racers.
BTW, I have an 84 and 86 CR500. They both run great. Never had an issue with the pinging. Throw some good premix at 32:1 with 92 octane and zero issues. :) The mid hit on the 86 is a bit stronger, but the 84 is a great trail/desert bike. My YZ465 is rock solid, but the brakes, well, kinda stink.
this video was amazing! i loved every bit of it, Good job mate
I bought an 84 CR500 and had the most fun ever had not between the sheets. I put an extra tooth on the countershaft sprocket and it would pull well over 90 mph. You could hit the gas in the middle of a berm, pull the front end up and ride out on the rear wheel. It would jerk the bars from your hand if you were not careful. Nothing but fond memories.
I still have my 1990 CR 500 ! So much fun !
The 85,86 & 87CRs had taller gearing in 4th and 5th, this allowed the bikes to appear to be faster. My 88 would blow away these models up to third but the 4th and 5th gears were of lower ratios on the 88 so they would catch me and pass me. A simple solution was to do a slight mod and fit 4th and 5th ratios from the 86 model. Now the 88 would take the lead easily off the line and keep it.
RideCamVids ,I don't know about yours ,but mine sings so FREAK'N high you would think it a far smaller bore and stroke ,SO I figure that and my SKINNY little ASS make up for that gearing difference and I can get away with running a few teeth smaller on the back as well!!!
When comparing the "violent CR'S" 1985, 86, 87, 88 several part numbers were discussed to account for the differences in the power delivery. However, I didn't hear if the expansion chambers were also compared.
I still have my 90 and 91 cr500s the 90 has maybe 5 hrs total since new. I will always love those bikes.
my favorite bike of all was my 96, i started with a 92 then went to a 96 (i had 2 96's) i raced them all... they seemed to be the smoothest power of any of my friends bikes, KTM's and KX's, the only bike that could beat me was racing in Silver Lake Michigan was a the Cr500 AF from service Honda in Hammond Indiana and the Guy that beat me was a Townie from Silver Lake, Great memories, thanks for the video.
What a great video. Well done sir. Would love to try a ride on a twin 1000cc
A work of art a thing of beauty a 76 and 77 RC 500 two-stroke boy are they beautiful the new bikes though the suspensions a thousand times better but those were for sure cool for riding around on the flats
Nice vid, I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the bikes.
Paul Thede at Race Tech did the same head mod for YZ490's back in the day.
Those red engine RC's are friggen beautiful bikes, I remember Marty Smith riding those at High Point. We were droolin' over those, for sure.
Had an 86...beast...and still had headshake after 4th gear...miss that thing...sigh...
I go back to the very beginning. I owned the first 73’ CR250M Elsinore. I loved that bike. Never felt outclassed in terms of power. My Snore devastated all my pals bikes by a wide margin. I was king of the hill. 😎
My dad once left his 500 in a garage for Four years. It started 4th kick!
Sawyer Mielke
And like the demon, that the 500 is, it was probably thirsty for some blood.
I've let mine sit for a year. It fired up really easily. Then it tried to kill me, yet again. ;-)
Sawyer Mielke RIGHT!!!
I've owner one 500. It also tried to kill me. My should forever clicks. To the point my wife brought it up during sex once. Like your damn should Is distracting. Lol worth it. I miss it.
Great documentary.
Good video.
The Cr500 was a beast. I had one for awhile brand new in 1987 and a CR250.
Sadly I didnt do much with it beside start it up to scare ppl.
On the track it was like trying to wrestle a bull to the ground.
I also had the same year Cagiva WMX500 that thing was like two cr500s lmao.
This is awesome, just what I needed thanks for uploading this!!!
Great work! Thank you for taking the trouble to put this together. I raced an '81 CR450 - it was awful and nearly broke my back!! then I had an '83 CR480 which I loved it was chuckable, smooth and just a delight to ride, next up I had an '85 CR500 which was my favorite, great smooth spread of power, handled well and was stable because it had quite a long wheelbase - I swapped that for a brand new '86 CR500, which was most definately the evil one! The power delivery was fierce and although it turned better it was nervier at speed - I was 22 and fit at the time, but you really needed to be 'cos they were a handful! After I dabbled with Kawasaki KX500's '89 & '90 but they were never anywhere near as brutal!
Thank you to share this video with us
I will never let go of my CR 500.
tom doe ,MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY!!!
WE IN THE SAME BOAT BRO!!! YO!!! RIGHT???
Yeah buddy! Have it buried with you!!!
sell it to me ill pay shipping make me an offer
@@tonymartin5701 Still looking for one?
Dang. I owned a 1978 CR250 back in the late ‘70s, and I never knew what Elsinore stood for until now. lol. Thanks for that. Man I HATED that left side kick start. I was a skinny 140 pound 15 year old trying to kick start that darn thing. I eventually went back to RMs, which was, imo, the best Japanese platform at that time. Love ‘em all though.
thanks for the video, excellent review of an iconic vicious bastard
The 'calm down' in the meaness in the engines were from the 88 (RJ) to the 89 (RK) models. In 1989 I had the RJ and a friend of mine had the 1989 RK model, chalk and cheese in every way inckuding the engine delivery. When I dumped the standard pipe for an FMF it made the 1988 CR500RJ less agreesive, smoother power delivery and it seemed to rev out a lot more which was good for the Finke Desert Race. I ran gearing of 15/36 and was good for over 170km/h. The only engine mod besides jetting, the FMF pipe. A good desert sled, but I prefer the RK and onwards.
Though I would agree that the mid 80s engines were the most agressive, the last aircooled (which was also the first right side kick starter) and that of the 85-86 motors.
Thanks for the doco. There is some good footage of Marty Moates racing the 1983 Mr Motocross series in Oz. It has highights of the first rounds plus the entire last round. For the first rounds Jeff Leisk rode the CR480RD but the last two rounds Leisk rode a preproduction 84 CR500RE. Moates is on a RM500. Some good footage.
I've got most Dirt Bike and Australasian dirt bike magazines from 81 to 2000
Then from 2004-2013
I've never ridden an 85 But from what I've heard from my racing buddies
The 85 was a BEAST ! ! !
I had the "Ping King" 1984 CR500. It was horrible. I also had in my opinion one of the greatest 500cc two stroke bikes of all time the 1981 Maico 490 Mega2. Bought it for $100. It was sitting in the weeds behind this guy's barn. Had a blown top end. I had no idea at the time what a major score this bike was for $100. I restored it from the ground up and got everything from a Maico dealer that was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts at the time. When I was done the bike looked and ran brand new. I regret to say that I sold this bike in the late 80's. If I had it today it would be sitting in my living room. Yep it was a great bike. After that bike the original Maico factory went down the tubes and Maico as we knew them was gone forever. I was happy to learn that Maico is still making big bore 2 strokes today. And they supply their massive 700cc motor to anyone who wants one .
Yes, I have the 700 and the 490s
@@Maicowerk Woow, I'm still mad at myself for selling my 81 Maico 490. It was pristine. And that Mico 700 is my dream bike. I want one like there's no tomorrow!! Can you point me in the right direction? I heard that Maico sells that motor to other places that use it for different vehicles like performance carts. And also to ATK Motorcycles for their version of the 700 fittingly called the "Intimidator" I want one but I don't know the procedure to get one.
@@chayes954r You can buy a motor, you can buy a dirt bike, you can buy a supermoto. Check out my video called Maico 700 buyer's guide.
Great video, they should still make these...
Thanks for doing a video on this classic 2-stroke, legendary monster!
I had the only one you didn't show I believe. I had a 1991 cr 500 I miss it very much :) plenty of power.
The “HOT” STIC vs TPI Fuel injection:
Extensive dyno testing reveals the STIC metering block installed in a Keihin Air Striker has lower emissions and greater performance than the TPI. The STIC/Keihin system compensates for altitude and temperature changes. The STIC is able to sense which engine it is on and to calibrate vapor production as well as air/fuel flow accordingly. In two separate parts of the world; Japan, KTM 250; and in the United States [New Mexico] a Husqvarna 300; they both run identical jetting. With the STIC the same jetting applies from sea level to +9000 feet. I am anxious to see Mark’s driving impression of his 2019 TPI compared to his 2017 with the Keihin A/S STIC equipped.
I modified these CR 500 's from 96/01 models for the Australian bush tracks and I can tell you the were more fun and reliable than new the four stroke trail bikes coming out back then
Loved my 87!
Smoked everything on the dunes or the woods!!!
The very opening, the fender wagging like a tail on a happy dog… Come play with me come play with me! Freaking awesome
Excellent video
In 74 all there were was Elsinore on the track. A couple other bikes sure. But in Iowa Elsinore at least that year was filling the starting line.
My favorite was the chrome cylinder 78 250. I have that engine to put on a go cart one of these decades.
I burnt a hole in the piston by using gasohol back when it first came out here in Iowa.
It made the bike scream.
More rpms, faster and everything. No, it truly did kick it up noticably.
Very nice show! Info was awesome! Thanks
Great video! Thank you for the vast information on the "big" CR. Hopefully one day, someone can do more research on the different heads used from '85-'87, and let us know which one can give us the most violent power delivery for our 500's.
+Dave Harrison This has been done; the 85 and 86 were short stroke engines. The 87 started a longer stroke.
Awsome vid. I used to ride an 87. Awsome bike.
great video man! very interesting
hey bro was wondering what was the last year for the steel frame for the 500 cuz i got one brand new in 97 was a steel frame oh and also in 98 i found 87 kx 500 a guy got for his 15 year old son for christmas and he broke his legs first ride so i got it around the same time as the cr but the kx was a little bit faster then the cr but anyways thanks for your help
All CR500s were steel frame. The last was 2001 except in Australia that had a CRE500 for 1 year in 2002. Yes the KX was faster in my experience as well.