1985 Cr 500

[xxxCALI86250rxxx]

I was told by a neighbor of mine that used to work for honda and owned a bike shop that the 1985 CR 500 was the fastest production open class motocross bike ever. (i just bought one in perfect condition) what do you guys think?

Have any of you guys heard of CARTER POWELL??? ------former pro racer (supercross world champ back in the day)

[hondatrikesrule22]

Thats sweet! :D I want something with 2 wheels... :(

But,the cr 500 might not be the fastest factory bike anymore...check out this beast. ATK 700 2-stroke. They call it "the Intimidator 700" lol

[xxxCALI86250rxxx]

:D wholly crap that thing is bad arse!!!


i want one

[kevins750]

I know the 500 is pretty fast...But I have always heard the KTM 495 was the fastest production bike.....They are both real fast and at that speed who cares...Kevin......Anyway nice find on the CR....

[AirManCam]

You would be supprised by that 700..its a big turd from what i've heard..I guess someone over at bluetraxx races one! But about the cr 500, thats an awesome deal, im going to get one this summer I think. But I know the huskys are pretty damn fast! My buddy has a 79 430 and it will go easily 120! :eek:

[NOS_350X]

The atk is a HUGE turd. There 650 (i think its the 650) has alot more power and zap to it than the 700. I belive the new 450's have just as much hp as the older 500's. I'm not positive about that but perty sure.

[Billy Golightly]

The thing about the 700, if you checkout some of the specs its only got like a 39 or 40mm carb on it. There are MANY people running this size on 250's, no way it can go on a 700 without totally killing any potential the engine has. Air+fuel=Power, if it can't get there-then no power.

[84250r]

Yes,the '85 Cr 500 was the fastest production bike of its time. They are very good lookin bikes.

[OldSchoolin86]

I used to sell ATKs at a shop I worked at. It really upsets me that they make such a crapy product. For the money you shouldn't have a hard time keeping up with the Japs.

[84250r]

With that size i'm somewhat surprised you would be able to control something of that size.

[CHAINSAW]

The thing about the 700, if you checkout some of the specs its only got like a 39 or 40mm carb on it. There are MANY people running this size on 250's, no way it can go on a 700 without totally killing any potential the engine has. Air+fuel=Power, if it can't get there-then no power.


Whoa.. that thing is choked!! Slap a 50mm on there, and that baby will lighter up! Modded 500cc 250rs use 44-50mm carbs,.. a 700 needs a lot of air and fuel.

[coyote killer]

All of the open class 2 strokes from 85 on put out right around 55HP+ at the rear wheel....They started dropping the HP on them some in 87......My Yamaha dealer took a brand new stock YZ490 to the drag strip when they first came out in 82.....He dropped it down on the forks and put a street tire on it and ran 11's......And in 82 the 490 only made around 45-47 HP......

[coyote killer]

I have some comparison tests with the CR500 in it if your interested.....$2 per article.....I paid $5 for them from an archive website.....

[OldSchoolin86]

I thought this was interesting, it's a worked CR500 motor in a trx250r frame.

[coyote killer]

comparing that chart with the dyno chart I have on the 99 CR500 he lost a bunch of low end and about 2 -3 hp at 5000rpm to gain 4 hp at the 300 rpm higher peak......

[OldSchoolin86]

That's interesting, I'll have to email them to see what year the motor was. I wonder how much you lose with the quad rear end compaired to the bike?

[coyote killer]

In fact he doesnt start making more power than a stock 99 until 5750rpm.....below that hes down on power....

[coyote killer]

That's interesting, I'll have to email them to see what year the motor was. I wonder how much you lose with the quad rear end compaired to the bike?

Just guessing I'd say the difference between a bike and an ATV wouldnt be enough to worry about on the dyno......

[OldSchoolin86]

I don't know thats alot more stuff its turning.

[OldSchoolin86]

Just check my email and they said his address is no good.

[OldSchoolin86]

I found another email address and the guy said they used an 89 motor for the project.

[xxxCALI86250rxxx]

this is the bike (the plastics were still on the way) I have to say this is the fastest bike i've ever ridden.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT 4-STROKERS :twisted:

[trikerider2oo7]

nice bike...that things would scare the heck outta me

[Apollo]

The 85 CR500R was the first year of Honda's water cooled design and it pretty much stayed the same until its last year of manufacture in 2001. The 84 was an air cooled CR480R. The 85' had the most violent output of all the years, Honda concentrated on making it more civil as time wore on. CR500R's, along with Water cooled Kawasaki KX500's made between 56 to 60 horsepower depending on the various production tolerences between bike to bike. It is well known in the dirtbike community that the powervalved KX500 is the faster of the two. It reminds you of a Tecate. I hate to say that because I am a Honda man. I can say the nonpowervalved CR500R is the best bike for motocross because of it's power characteristics, handling, brakes, reliability,etc. That is what it was designed for. You take it out to the desert,however, you had better watch out for the top end king KX500's.

[coyote killer]

Dont forget the YZ490,,,,It may have been air cooled but it also put out between 56-60 rear wheel HP.....84-86 was the highest HP years and they started cutting and smoothing the power in 87....

Also the 83 CR was a 480,,,,84 was a air cooled 500.....

[Apollo]

You are right coyote killer about the 84 500R. The YZ490 was nothing to play with either and I was wondering about its output. I think the year was 1985 when Broc Glover won the 500 championship on a pretty much stock 490 against the 78-80 horsepower works Honda RC500R of David Bailey.

[coyote killer]

I think it was 85 too,,,,I'll have to dig in my magazine archive to see.....The modifications Broc's 85 YZ490 had was special porting,,,,heavy fork springs and an Ohlins shock....Other than that it was all standard issue....

I know all this because I have a tricked out 85 YZ490 that scares the pee out of me.....

[Jeb]

I spent some time on an 86 YZ490 back in 91/92. It was a friend of mines and every time I rode it, it was down right scary. At that time I owned an 86 YZ125 and that 490 always made me appreciate the light & nimble 125! :eek: Talk about white knuckle riding. I never wrecked that 490 but it busted my buddy up pretty good a couple times. I still remember the feeling from opening up that 490 for the first ( & last!) time in an open field. Seems like all the other riding I ever did I just left it in 4th gear and torqued through stuff at a low RPM. All of the time! :D

I never have ridden a CR or KX500. I'd like to open up a KX500 someday on flat ground in a wide open area just to experience for myself what they are all about.

[New2ATC]

my neighbor has a 490.. man that thing is loud.. he took it for a lil ride with no brakes, and it popped the plug out of the cylender head

[edog]

My 1988 kdx 125 could whip it but.LOL

[MTS]

3 words sum's up the 480,490,500, Point 'n Go!

[Maico]

'81 KTM 495. Fastest production bike to date. 123 MPH. Rick "Super Hunky" Seiman rode the bike in the desert to prove it. Dirt Bike Magazine had an issue on it.

[r200x]

I rode my buddys cr 500 fast bike. when i was riding it the trottel stuck wide open that damn thing kicked my %$#@ all over the field,,,LOL

[KTMKen]

The fastest big bore dirt bike as verified by a magazine was the mighty 1981 KTM 495 at 123.75 mph. Somewhere I think I still have the Dirt Bike magazine article. I recall that Rod Bush was going about 90 mph on a rough fire road before he hit the El Mirage lake bed where he topped the bike out. There is an article in the current DBM online where they are building the 'fastest dirtbike ever' and they finally have it up to 121 mph! They disassembled and blueprinted the engine, modified the radiator plastic, and a bunch more work just to come close.

[ATC185R]

How do the XR's compare with these bikes? I know the 4-strokes aren't putting out as much power but I just wondered how they all compare. I just bought an '83 XR500. Haven't had a chance to ride it much cuz of the snow (I live in kansas). Once it's warm it will just sit there and purr like a kitten, but you get on it... holy *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited*. A lot of low end torque would be an understatement. I opened it up across a wheatfield and hit a snow drift and about lost it (that was an eye opener). Just for kicks I let it bog down in third in some deep snow and then grabbed the gas pretty hard. Talk about a roost....she came right back to rpm's pretty fast.