Let's get excited about my new bike!

[corksil]

[jkv45]

Z50R!

First motorcycle my boys ever rode. Bought it (1982 model) around 2000. It was beat. Smoked a bit. Started right away even with old gas.

Here it is with my oldest on it around 2000 when he was 4. He's 20 now and a Ninjette rider -



Still have it, they won't let me sell it.

[Zaph42]

Okay here's a hint. The words "rolling" and "supermoto" are very relevant.

Hmmmm... ok. It's "big" "classic" and a supermoto.

Got to be a converted XR650R or CR500, the later of which certainly qualifies as "raw". amiright?

I'm a big fan of supermoto myself, and would have loved either of those, but ended up with 2 supermotos in the garage, a KTM 690 for the road and a CRF450 as a track tool.

With you being in Hawaii, I can understand the need to have to fly over the ocean to look at bikes. There can't be a whole lot to choose from locally.

[Zaph42]

Inspirational picture! CR500AF "Black Diamond" supermoto porn.


http://derestricted.com/design/cr500...-black-diamond

[sharky nrk]

^^ just looking at that thing hurts my wallet

[CC Cowboy]

A Knucklehead with Renthal handlebars!

[Abu_Mishary]

Originally Posted by Zaph42

Inspirational picture! CR500AF "Black Diamond" supermoto porn.


http://derestricted.com/design/cr500...-black-diamond

That mono.... damn!

[corksil]

Yeah that's a sweet bike.

Well guys, I'm packing up for the red eye flight first thing in the morning.

The shipping crate is ready and waiting in the same garage as the bike.

The head is back from the machinist and seller has mentioned that the bike is back together and running after the recent modification.

Once I land, I'll have just enough time to bus through china town and gorge myself on the noodles that can only be found in china town. Then it's another bus to meet the seller, a test ride, and hopefully a handshake and after that we are off to the DMV to sign the papers over.

Then it's back to the sellers house to crate the bike up and get it to the dock before the last shipment goes out and then I'll have the evening to see how the nightlife has changed over there since my last visit.

Once things peter out I'll either find a nice warm bush to sleep in while warding off the droves of mentally unstable meth users who go weeks at a time without sleeping and if that doesn't work out I'll have a long walk through some shady areas to get back to the airport for the flight out of town first thing next morning.

This will be an adventure.

I don't want to tempt fate by posting any more specifics on the bike until I'm safely back home with this mean son of a b!tch titled in my name and parked behind a few locked gates and under heavy night-vision surveillance.

If anyone wants to make a last guess, now would be the time because I'm checking out and won't be checking back in until this is over with. Wish me luck!

Gotta pack up.. let's see.... testicles spectacles wallet and watch. Okay good.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by corksil

Gotta pack up.. let's see.... testicles spectacles wallet and watch. Okay good.

ROFL!!! Good luck and travel safe!

Chinatown? Which one?

[Abu_Mishary]

Originally Posted by corksil

Gotta pack up.. let's see.... testicles spectacles wallet and watch. Okay good.

You can detach your balls?? Lucky you!

[Z1R rider]

Here's my guess, definitely a beast

elr.jpg

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Abu_Mishary

You can detach your balls?? Lucky you!

Wives have been doing that to husbands ever since the invention of marriage.

[Abu_Mishary]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Wives have been doing that to husbands ever since the invention of marriage.

Eerr... starting on which year anniversary? Going to make sure I'm out of area at that particular time.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by CaliGrrl

ROFL!!! Good luck and travel safe!

Chinatown? Which one?

Thanks for the kind words. It was a nice trip, and eye opening to see how much that other island has changed since my last visit.

Chinatown didn't end up on the itinerary. The seller got off work early and I guess the noodles will have to wait til next time I'm over there. Aren't all china towns the same? I used to say that but the china town around here isn't quite as cool as the china town over there.. Delicious noodles, headless roasted ducks hanging from street vendor tents, produce at HALF the price of anywhere else and of excellent quality.. dang I'm starting to want to go back there sooner than later.

Originally Posted by Abu_Mishary

You can detach your balls?? Lucky you!

Originally Posted by adouglas

Wives have been doing that to husbands ever since the invention of marriage.

Uhhh, yeah bro you know that is true. Happily single!

Originally Posted by Abu_Mishary

Eerr... starting on which year anniversary? Going to make sure I'm out of area at that particular time.

Dude it's a slow process. It's a process of erosion. Usually it happens so slowly that you don't even notice. If the wife and kids are working for you, more power to ya.





Okay! The deal is DONE! I was able to hop on a quicker flight back home so I am happily in my house feeling clean and fresh instead of ambling through towns on foot in a redbull-fueled haze of sleep deprivation and stamina which seemingly bubbles forth from some place within that I cannot put a finger on. Was really NOT looking forward to staying on my feet all night in the big city. The only thing to be found after 10pm in that city is trouble. There's an entire subculture of night-dwellers which begin to stir as the sun sets and it's a full moon tonight so the wild rumpus would be in full tilt and I'm happy to not be participating.

Seller is paid, bike is crated and wrapped in 3 thousand square feet of plastic wrap -- and tomorrow it will be on the boat headed to my location.

Title transfer went off without a hitch and the beast is legally in my ownership.

The seller threw in a whole bunch of goodies. He was happy, I remain more than happy, and once I pick the beast up at the local port -- all is finished.

Only now do I feel as if I can let the cat out of the bag, and a very mean cat it is indeed.

*drumroll*

The bike is a cr250 aluminum frame dirt bike with lots of upgrades. The most important upgrade is the CR500 two stroke engine IN the aluminum frame.. and the most notable upgrade is the STREET LEGAL plate which will allow me to ride this bike whenever and wherever I please without fear of getting caught.

So yeah -- this bike is basically the one pictured above, minus a bit of carbon fiber and minus the marzocchi forks. Minus the aprillia svx swinger. Minus the berigner radial front brake. WITH the same plastics, same kick stand setup, and lots of the same stuff in the picture. It's got fresh knobbies on it right now but I've got the parts on hand for supermoto wheels. Might also be worth mentioning that it has some dirt on it because it was actually ridden from time to time unlike the shiny trailer queen pictured above.

It's been a long day. If anyone wants pictures I can post them but the only thing I'm thinking about right now is sleep.

And for my next trick......... an ELECTRIC STARTER! Can he do it? Rumor has it that he's the best man for the job -- and if he can't do it, no one can.

Starting the bike is actually a lot easier than most people say. Something about a long enough kick stand that you can drop your entire body weight down upon the kicker without having to worry about the bike falling over and balancing yourself on top of it before you have your way with it's innards. The bike definitely kicks back due to the port scavenging but I didn't experience anything as violent as what I was expecting from the rumors. Then again, it's a whole different animal once it's up to operating temperature.

[Dave Wolfe]

GOOD GAWD!!!!!

[CaliGrrl]

I'm glad your trip went well and you got your bike on its way to you!

[Zaph42]

Yes, a CR500! I win the guessing contest. Posssibly the most insane bike to be ridden. Actually, you don't ride that bike, it rides you.

A CR500 is rare by itself, but one with a street legal tag is even more rare.

So what do you plan on doing for the supermoto treatment? When I had my KTM 690, I ditched the facotry spokes and put Marchesinis on it. Looked incredible though surely less durable.

[adouglas]

Schweet!

In 3... 2... 1....

[Triple Jim]

Captain, that GIF is a lot funnier than most things that are meant to be funny!

[corksil]

douglas.. I've actually thought about putting a wheely bar on the back. Half serious, but not sure which half.

My main concern is not hurting myself.

I've been looking into a mesh protection vest because wearing the leather jacket for every ride is unbearable at a red light in the middle of summer.

And yeah, that gif pretty much sums it up. Previous owner said that the bike will flip over instantly in third gear if you're too aggressive on the throttle.

Honestly I'm a little intimidated. I plan on burning up a few sets of off road tires in the dirt to get a feel for the traction points etc.

When a sticky supermoto tire hooks up in a turn and the power band hits... ohhh budddy.. look out.

Originally Posted by Zaph42

Yes, a CR500! I win the guessing contest. Posssibly the most insane bike to be ridden. Actually, you don't ride that bike, it rides you.

A CR500 is rare by itself, but one with a street legal tag is even more rare.

So what do you plan on doing for the supermoto treatment? When I had my KTM 690, I ditched the facotry spokes and put Marchesinis on it. Looked incredible though surely less durable.

Yes you absolutely win the game. I'm still not sure how I'm gonna go about the wheels. The front is a 21" and rear is 18" -- 36 spoke front, 32 rear. I saw the PO throwing a couple spare hubs in the parts box that came with the bike but he taped it shut before I could see what was in the box.

Today I annealed 64 copper washers after burning off the clearcoat on them and machining each slightly to proper size. Then I laced 64 spokes to the OEM yz80 hubs I have, and got the nipples installed on 17*3.50 oem DID brand new rims sourced from a honda africa twin. That wheel set is going on the yz80, so I can run supersport race compound tires on it for the street/track. It's an interesting side project which I started because I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest the $ for a full size supermoto. I decided to build a super moto mini first, and before I got finished the 500 came along and I had to buy it.

I'll take some pics once the 500 arrives. It will be here this friday at 0730am for pickup.

I'm gonna focus on getting the yz on the road first, and then re-direct my focus toward the 500.

Anyways, stay tuned!

[Zaph42]

For wheels the exact same thing I put on my 2004 CRF450R would work for you. You're working with the same chassis. My wheels were warp9 from MotoXindustries with a floating brake upgrade.



4.25 rear and 3.5 front. In hindsight I would have gone 3" front so I could better fit standard 150/60 and 110/70 Alpha 13 tires. With a 3.5 hoop up front you have to put a 120 on there.

[Triple Jim]

Originally Posted by corksil

douglas.. I've actually thought about putting a wheely bar on the back. Half serious, but not sure which half.

My main concern is not hurting myself.

It's like I'd say when I would be getting ready to pull a water skier with my flat bottom drag boat and someone would act shocked, "You don't have to push the pedal all the way, every time you go out." In your case, substitute "twist the grip" for "push the pedal".

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Zaph42

For wheels the exact same thing I put on my 2004 CRF450R would work for you. You're working with the same chassis. My wheels were warp9 from MotoXindustries with a floating brake upgrade.

4.25 rear and 3.5 front. In hindsight I would have gone 3" front so I could better fit standard 150/60 and 110/70 Alpha 13 tires. With a 3.5 hoop up front you have to put a 120 on there.

Good to know. This stuff is still fresh in my mind because I spent the part of the day lacing and truing oem YZ80 hubs to DID 17x3.50" rims for the super moto mini. I didn't have much laying around in the part pile to test fit things with but it seems that 110/90/17 ninja 250 front tires fit on those rims pretty well. I've got a few 140/70/17 ninja tires I can try to test fit but all of this has been a learning experience and I'm making it up as I go.

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

It's like I'd say when I would be getting ready to pull a water skier with my flat bottom drag boat and someone would act shocked, "You don't have to push the pedal all the way, every time you go out." In your case, substitute "twist the grip" for "push the pedal".

Yeah jim, no full throttle on the CR500. I've also been considering a steel washer which fits between the exhaust port of the head and the exhaust pipe. The OD would allow it to nestle nicely between the pipe and the head, and the ID could be machined to different sizes to slightly restrict exhaust flow (and power) in such a way that I could ultimately neuter this bike slightly until I get a feel for the powerband.

Rolling on the power gradually and instantly flipping over backwards on my spine and skull are not something I'm looking forward to.

I still have some work to do on the yz80 but as with any two-stroke tuned for maximum power output -- it's either "on" or "off" and there is no middle ground. It's much more pronounced on the 500.

[corksil]

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Picking this b!tch up tomorrow morning before work.

[CynicalC]

Ok so it's a Honda.

[Triple Jim]

Originally Posted by corksil

I've also been considering a steel washer which fits between the exhaust port of the head and the exhaust pipe. The OD would allow it to nestle nicely between the pipe and the head, and the ID could be machined to different sizes to slightly restrict exhaust flow (and power) in such a way that I could ultimately neuter this bike slightly until I get a feel for the powerband.

That method is risky. 2-strokes can get very hot pistons if too much exhaust is kept in. You'd be better off restricting the throttle cable or carb slide, but truthfully, I think you'll be able to judge how far to rotate the right grip. It will let you know what you're turning it to far.

[JohnnyBravo]

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

It's like I'd say when I would be getting ready to pull a water skier with my flat bottom drag boat and someone would act shocked,

Is it a Miller? I love those things!!!
P.s. Pics or it didn't happen

[Triple Jim]

1973 Sanger, 427 Chevy with stuff like open headers and Offenhauser tunnel ram. It's currently awaiting restoration after a blown-engine hiatus. My photos are in the form of color slides, so not so easy to post right now. It hasn't been running for quite a few years, but I'm gathering parts.

It was a lot of fun. I used to hang out next to the causeway between Ocean City, NJ and the mainland, and wait for hot cars to come by. The water was right up to the road, so it was a good drag strip.

[Zaph42]

Originally Posted by corksil

Good to know. This stuff is still fresh in my mind because I spent the part of the day lacing and truing oem YZ80 hubs to DID 17x3.50" rims for the super moto mini. I didn't have much laying around in the part pile to test fit things with but it seems that 110/90/17 ninja 250 front tires fit on those rims pretty well. I've got a few 140/70/17 ninja tires I can try to test fit but all of this has been a learning experience and I'm making it up as I go

With this kind of power, in the rear you will want the widest tire you can fit, and that would be a 150/60 on a 4.25" rim. People have gone wider but it becomes much more difficult. That's why that black CR500AF pic I posted above has the aprilia swingarm. I believe he has a custom machined front sprocket and custom made chain sliders to go with it. The he can fit a 160 or 180 on a 5" or 5.5" rim. $$$$ But a 150 on a 4.25 rim fits like this.



Put a 160 on a 4.5 rim and your chain rubs. On the front, you should not mount a 110 on a 3.5" rim because it flattens out too much. So if you can, go with a 3" rim and a 110 tire and the tires won't rub on the fork guard. You can go with a 120 on a 3.5 up front, but that's bigger than you need with more rotating mass and you will have to notch out the fork guards.



I used the same tires on my supermoto as my 300 ninja. Before the Dunlop Aplha 13's came out, I used Unbeaten 02's. I believe these are better than the Diablo Rosso's but not as good as the Supercorsas. But the Supercorsas are $$$$ and as far as value for the performance, Alpha 13's are awesome.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by CynicalC

Ok so it's a Honda.

Yeah it's a honda. And it's been on most of hawaiian islands bouncing from one baffled buyer to the next. This thing is fVck!ng redonkulous.

It's good to see ya again, I haven't seen you posting in a while.

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

That method is risky. 2-strokes can get very hot pistons if too much exhaust is kept in. You'd be better off restricting the throttle cable or carb slide, but truthfully, I think you'll be able to judge how far to rotate the right grip. It will let you know what you're turning it to far.

Yeah I figured as much. Need to let the machine breathe so it doesn't get choked up and get too hot. Parts for these engines aren't cheap. I don't know about the "learning curve" -- I want to say that I rode it today but the truth is, it rode me. Opening the throttle 1/100th in third gear today caused this machine to leap forward with a vigor I can't explain. This thing is a beast with some anger issues. The throttle is a quarter turn from closed to WOT, and I've already got a few ideas on how to make this thing a little less prone to killing the rider. You'll be hearing about them but I'm pretty busy with work so it could take a bit of time before I get my isht together and make a move.

Originally Posted by JohnnyBravo

Is it a Miller? I love those things!!!
P.s. Pics or it didn't happen

Pictures!

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

1973 Sanger, 427 Chevy with stuff like open headers and Offenhauser tunnel ram. It's currently awaiting restoration after a blown-engine hiatus. My photos are in the form of color slides, so not so easy to post right now. It hasn't been running for quite a few years, but I'm gathering parts.

It was a lot of fun. I used to hang out next to the causeway between Ocean City, NJ and the mainland, and wait for hot cars to come by. The water was right up to the road, so it was a good drag strip.

Some day when I get a little older I'll switch to water sports. Something about how crashing isn't as painful.

[Triple Jim]

Originally Posted by corksil

Some day when I get a little older I'll switch to water sports. Something about how crashing isn't as painful.

Maybe not a good reason to switch. Going fast on water is a blast, but it takes just as much concentration as motorcycling, and the risks are just as great.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Zaph42

With this kind of power, in the rear you will want the widest tire you can fit, and that would be a 150/60 on a 4.25" rim. People have gone wider but it becomes much more difficult. That's why that black CR500AF pic I posted above has the aprilia swingarm. I believe he has a custom machined front sprocket and custom made chain sliders to go with it. The he can fit a 160 or 180 on a 5" or 5.5" rim. $$$$ But a 150 on a 4.25 rim fits like this.

[PICTURE]

Put a 160 on a 4.5 rim and your chain rubs. On the front, you should not mount a 110 on a 3.5" rim because it flattens out too much. So if you can, go with a 3" rim and a 110 tire and the tires won't rub on the fork guard. You can go with a 120 on a 3.5 up front, but that's bigger than you need with more rotating mass and you will have to notch out the fork guards.

[PICTURE]

I used the same tires on my supermoto as my 300 ninja. Before the Dunlop Aplha 13's came out, I used Unbeaten 02's. I believe these are better than the Diablo Rosso's but not as good as the Supercorsas. But the Supercorsas are $$$$ and as far as value for the performance, Alpha 13's are awesome.

Good information. Thank you. I'm gonna look into this when I have a chance but I've been pretty busy with work. My main priority is getting the little bike going first with minor expenses and the parts I have on hand.

Happy friday the 13th to everyone!

[subxero]

Originally Posted by corksil

Thanks for the kind words. It was a nice trip, and eye opening to see how much that other island has changed since my last visit.

Chinatown didn't end up on the itinerary. The seller got off work early and I guess the noodles will have to wait til next time I'm over there. Aren't all china towns the same? I used to say that but the china town around here isn't quite as cool as the china town over there.. Delicious noodles, headless roasted ducks hanging from street vendor tents, produce at HALF the price of anywhere else and of excellent quality.. dang I'm starting to want to go ba........

Starting the bike is actually a lot easier than most people say. Something about a long enough kick stand that you can drop your entire body weight down upon the kicker without having to worry about the bike falling over and balancing yourself on top of it before you have your way with it's innards. The bike definitely kicks back due to the port scavenging but I didn't experience anything as violent as what I was expecting from the rumors. Then again, it's a whole different animal once it's up to operating temperature.

Does it have decompression valve in the head? If it is easy to kick over you might be low on compression, they have lower compression regardless and if it is a stock jug on stock bore the decompression scallops in the cylinder help a lot. After you get the jug on 2nd or 3rd bore the scallops are almost gone and things change.

Either way, no matter how easy you think the bike is to kick always do the proper kicking procedure or one day you might muscle down a kick only to find a cracked side cover or busted kicker axle If you kick immediately after TDC then it is not much different than other 2t's plus the kicker on the 500 is very long.

[subxero]

Originally Posted by corksil

Good to know. This stuff is still fresh in my mind because I spent the part of the day lacing and truing oem YZ80 hubs to DID 17x3.50" rims for the super moto mini. I didn't have much laying around in the part pile to test fit things with but it seems that 110/90/17 ninja 250 front tires fit on those rims pretty well. I've got a few 140/70/17 ninja tires I can try to test fit but all of this has been a learning experience and I'm making it up as I go.



Yeah jim, no full throttle on the CR500. I've also been considering a steel washer which fits between the exhaust port of the head and the exhaust pipe. The OD would allow it to nestle nicely between the pipe and the head, and the ID could be machined to different sizes to slightly restrict exhaust flow (and power) in such a way that I could ultimately neuter this bike slightly until I get a feel for the powerband.

Rolling on the power gradually and instantly flipping over backwards on my spine and skull are not something I'm looking forward to.

I still have some work to do on the yz80 but as with any two-stroke tuned for maximum power output -- it's either "on" or "off" and there is no middle ground. It's much more pronounced on the 500.

terrible idea and it wouldn't work. You would disrupt the harmonics of the engine, and besides the exhaust port comes out of the cylinder

maybe a throttle tamer, some people seem to find them useful?

Perhaps I'm one of the few people who was unimpressed the first time I rode a 500?? They are beasts but they are completely manageable if you have a good right hand. The big bore motor doesn't spin up all that fast and it runs out of revs pretty quick.

Just ride it, get used to it and you will be fine. I wonder how many hrs you will get out of the cylinder running it on the road?

what year is the motor?

[corksil]

Originally Posted by subxero

Does it have decompression valve in the head? If it is easy to kick over you might be low on compression, they have lower compression regardless and if it is a stock jug on stock bore the decompression scallops in the cylinder help a lot. After you get the jug on 2nd or 3rd bore the scallops are almost gone and things change.

Either way, no matter how easy you think the bike is to kick always do the proper kicking procedure or one day you might muscle down a kick only to find a cracked side cover or busted kicker axle If you kick immediately after TDC then it is not much different than other 2t's plus the kicker on the 500 is very long.

Yeah the previous owner sent the head off to have a decompression valve installed and received it the day before I landed. He put it all back together but couldn't get the bike started because he was kind of short. I was able to get it fired up in his garage before paying him and that sealed the deal.

The decompression valve really helps. Once I got the bike home, I was able to get it started pretty easily, but after it got hot it wouldn't start easily. By easily I mean with only a few bruises on my shin. I swapped from work boots to street riding boots and that was a mistake because the riding boots were very soft on the insole and I bruised my foot a bit before getting it fired up.

The 500 kicker does have a big dent in the side where it hits the foot peg. Keep in mind that this is a swap 500 engine in 250 frame, and I don't think the kickstand hitting the footpeg was something honda engineers originally had in mind. For now the bike is a side project that I don't have proper time and focus to invest in, but that's not to say that it's something I'm neglecting.

It starts pretty easily when cold, but I've gotta modulate the throttle a bit to keep it running and idle isn't enough to get it warmed up. It's tricky because if I put all my gear on and the bike won't start in 5-7 kicks I start getting really hot and want to take off the helmet etc but if the bike fires up it needs to be ridden hard instantly to burn all the excess fuel out of the pipe and off the plug. I can see why these bikes have a reputation for being dangerous.

Kicking a bike over until you are at the limit of physical exhaustion and then suddenly having it fire up and needing to be ridden WOT to un-foul it is a recipe for disaster.

[Triple Jim]

I don't remember if you said... do you have much 2-stroke experience?

[corksil]

Might also be worth mentioning that "modulate the throttle a little bit to keep it running while cold" results in 100 cubic foot puffs of thick blue smoke. Every time I blip the throttle it fires a plume of smoke large enough to fill my entire garage and thick enough that I can barely see through the cloud. Not good in a residential neighborhood so I've gotta get the starting issue sorted out before my neighbors sign a petition saying "no CR500 in this neighborhood."

[corksil]

Originally Posted by subxero

terrible idea and it wouldn't work. You would disrupt the harmonics of the engine, and besides the exhaust port comes out of the cylinder

maybe a throttle tamer, some people seem to find them useful?

Perhaps I'm one of the few people who was unimpressed the first time I rode a 500?? They are beasts but they are completely manageable if you have a good right hand. The big bore motor doesn't spin up all that fast and it runs out of revs pretty quick.

Just ride it, get used to it and you will be fine. I wonder how many hrs you will get out of the cylinder running it on the road?

what year is the motor?

Pretty sure it's the original flatslide mikuni carb, but it's alarming that there is only a quarter turn on the grip from nothing to WOT.

Yeah time will tell about the longevity of this machine. I looked into piston interval specs with the 450r four strokers and they seemed similar to the 500. That is to say that neither bike is designed for highway use (obviously) and honda spec calls for a new piston every 20 hours or so with track use.

This machine is a beast. It's like cutting a loaf of bread with a 100cc chainsaw. Or taking a formula 1 car to buy groceries. Or using a 20 ton hydraulic press to put your boots on in the morning. Absolutely and entirely overkill in terms of transportation value but once I get some supermoto wheels together I'll take to the track and if it doesn't kill me, I'll be happy with it.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Triple Jim

I don't remember if you said... do you have much 2-stroke experience?

I won't be modest. Yes I do have a lot of two stroke experience. Not of the motorcycle variety. This morning I fixed a stihl 660 that many people tried to get going and gave up on. It was a 130cc chainsaw. I run a weed-whacker repair business on the side, and am quite familiar with small displacement two smoke engines.

My original plan was to get the yamaha 80 in operation so I could re-acquaint myself with the 2t bikes but this beast popped up for sale and I had to have it.

I've run into a couple of snags with the 80 supermoto but nothing unmanageable. I'm sure you know that all good things take time.

Check this out jim, and let me know if you think it would work.

https://cyb.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/...less/i-BjwM3St

Seems like a pretty straightforward procedure. Tubeless tires are easier to come by and last longer on a track bike.

[subxero]

A few things.

You are probably right about the kicker not matching up with the 250 AF. However the 500 kicker was actually designed to stop on the peg. The OEM 500 kicker has extra material in that specific area that hits the peg flat at the bottom of the stroke as a stop.

Starting difficult when hot?? That is backwards, and points towards your jetting.

Find out what the carb is. Odds are its a Keihin, but what one??? Is it a PJ 38mm (original carb outdated carb) is it a regular PWK? 38 or 39 or bigger? or is it a newer PWK airstryker or something else.
Either way, the original PJ uses the choke to adjust the idle. You turn the choke in or out to adjust the idle. The PWK has a normal idle screw on the side that controls the slide height and there is an air screw as well on the intake side. Those can be used to fine tune your idle and just off idle throttle.
Then just work on your jets based on what carb you have and elevation ect...

A big thing is that the 500 cylinder is a steel sleeve and people typically use cast pistons, make sure you do a proper warm up of the bike before you go blasting it or you will need a top end job way earlier than 20hrs. If you are not blasting the 500 on the pipe all the time you can get a lot of hours out of a bore and piston. Since it is a big bore bike you are not running the high revs as much like an 85 or 125cc 2t.

Like I mentioned before, always place the piston one click after TDC when kicking the bike cold, doesn't hurt to do it when it is warm either. Slowly push the kicker until you can feel the resistance build until it is maxed out and then just releases, then push the kicker just slightly until you get one click out of it. Return the kicker to top start position then give her one really solid follow through kick. This gives you enough resistance free rotation to build up momentum to get a few rotations out of the piston from the kick and is just plan easier. Repeat until started. I typically prime the cylinder a little bit with the throttle and kicker slowly before trying to start it but pay attention to how your bike likes to start and stick with it.