500 twostroke vs 500+ fourstroke?

[mr.max]

I have a million dollar question!!!!!!
How do these 500's (which I love) run against the big bore 4 strokes like the husaburg 570 or ktm 525? Especially in the mountains! Honest answers please! I want to get started on my own project ASAP! Just not sure what way to go yet!

 

[tomk]

the 2 stroked eat them alive IMO. lighter, cheaper, easier to maintain, easier to fix, more power, and actually better on gas from my experience. Rode with a guy who ran a KTM 520 and he ran out of gas way before I did on my 98kx500

 

[summitboy]

Yup im gonna have to agree. They destroy them ! Especially when u have a Millar TWIRP motor ha ha. The 4 stroke feels like a slug ! Now it begins lol

 

[Rush44]

The 4 stroke feels like a slug !

OMG! summitboy was Timberslug!

 

[M5-]

In an effort to keep the CR500 thread on track and NOT turn into a 2 vs. 4 stroke thread I should have answered your question on this thread.

My CR500 hammers my old KTM 520 big bore. Its also stronger and more agile than my buddies fully tricked out 570 Berg. Don't get me wrong the Berg is a nice bike but the CR500 stock will take it.


There's nothing wrong with a good 4 stroke and the big 500's aren't for everyone.


M5

 

[mrquick68]

Being that i have a 501 Berg (510cc), i will say this. It gets insanely good fuel mileage being EFI. It feels very refined and starts crazy easy (button and kicker). The fueling always seems spot on, and it hasn't yet put any fuel in the oil. It looks bitchin too. however, It would get demolished by a 500 2 stroke though. Absolutely demolished. And its not light feeling at all, well it feels fine when up right, but when i tip it over, its no 2 stroke!

 

[summitboy]

OMG! summitboy was Timberslug!

Thats some funny chit right there LOL. I laughed pretty hard ha ha

 

[powdermuncher]

The big difference on the 2 stroke your hands and feet go numb so you don't have to worry about electrics and Heater you wont feel a thing after 20 minutes

 

[mr.max]

Lmao, thanks for the input and honesty! I didn't want to start a pissing match. I was just curious about the power difference! I'm not opposed to kicking a leg breaker that makes my hands numb! I rode a cr500 out west in the foothills and Keg for years! I like the simplicity! Now to do some thinking and hunting! Hope to hear some more thoughts!

 

[up-high]

I don't know how big a 4 stroke would have to be to keep up to a 500 2 stroke, but I wouldn't want to ride it!

 

[Draxxus]

Me bike vibrates more than a 4 stroke but my hands don't go numb and it's not a leg breaker , so easy to start I got rid of the decomp button


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[CATSLEDMAN1]

Honda vs Kawasaki vs are you kidding

The difference between the 500 2 strokes and the current crop of 450 4 strokes is 25 years of neglect. The 500 2 strokes are way old school motors, crude, bad ergos, funky ignition, hair trigger jetted carbs, antiques from way way back, rude dudes when you ride then in the dirt.

Out in the winter snows even a pilgrim can get a grin out of the untamed 500 two stroke power rush and run away building torque. Woops azz on hills and in the deep powder.

The practical side is the crude motors vibrate, vibrate too much so you can't keep parts on the bike or kit. You can claim to ignore that, you can pretend you don't care, you can claim to enjoy the shake. So far with no know shake fix, they remain a one hit wonder. You need to own one to understand humility.

Ever wonder why there are so many low hours, clean and tidy, unmarked, 6 owner, new plastic, stock front tire, extra unused paddle tire included, too busy to ride anymore 500 Hon and Kaw on e bay ?

 

[Uncle si]

The difference between the 500 2 strokes and the current crop of 450 4 strokes is 25 years of neglect. The 500 2 strokes are way old school motors, crude, bad ergos, funky ignition, hair trigger jetted carbs, antiques from way way back, rude dudes when you ride then in the dirt.

Out in the winter snows even a pilgrim can get a grin out of the untamed 500 two stroke power rush and run away building torque. Woops azz on hills and in the deep powder.

The practical side is the crude motors vibrate, vibrate too much so you can't keep parts on the bike or kit. You can claim to ignore that, you can pretend you don't care, you can claim to enjoy the shake. So far with no know shake fix, they remain a one hit wonder. You need to own one to understand humility.

Ever wonder why there are so many low hours, clean and tidy, unmarked, 6 owner, new plastic, stock front tire, extra unused paddle tire included, too busy to ride anymore 500 Hon and Kaw on e bay ?

All true, yet totally worth it. I spend 20 minutes checking loose screws for every two hours of riding time. Beats valves, cams, shims, etc. done that, got the parts guy on speed dial.

 

[M5-]

I really like my CR500, others won't. Questions like these will always produce 2 differing opinions. Long and short of it is the 500 2T will eat a 500 4T all day long, real question you need to answer is, is it for you because there are trade offs. I'm not going to try to convince anyone to get bike A, B or C cause I really couldn't care less what you ride, just ride something.

M5

 

[Ausm7499]

Been there rode both bikes (06 525, 01 cr500) and wouldn't use either one as a snow bike again. The 525 doesn't rev fast enough or high enough and the tranny is to wide. IMO the 525 is good for dual sporting and that's about it.

The cr500 in theory is the ultimate snobike it makes good power in stock form is really light and very simple, I love 2 stokes (ride 300 in dirt) because of these characteristics. The bad part is that the cr500 is a very old engine design virtually nothing on that engine has changed since they first started building them in the 80's. They vibrate like nothing I have ever rode and you will learn that nordloks are your only method for keeping bolts on the bike. Lots of guys saying they don't vibrate that bad I have a feeling those comments come from those riding them on dirt, on snow you are riding at full throttle and the vibs are very real. I was able to make mine rideable with flexx bars and anti vibration inserts. The other draw back is carb icing but I believe the product offered by avid well eliminate the icing issue. Coolant temps are another issue on the road I could not keep mine from over heating if there was not fresh snow, was constantly stopping in the spring conditions to throw snow on the radiators and engine. I built a tunnel heat exchanger to solve the over heating problem. Bottom line they take a lot of time to setup properly and need constant tinkering to keep whole. The power is good when they run right but don't have enough rpm and I could never keep up with the 450 race bikes the way I wanted.

I am now on a 450 kawi and will stick with the mx bikes for snow.

 

[up-high]

I don't know how big a 4 stroke would have to be to keep up to a 500 2 stroke, but I wouldn't want to ride it!

I stand corrected. There's a YZ in swap meet that has a R1 motor in it. 195 hp! Yeah, I'd ride it!

 

[summitboy]

The 500 is not for everyone. Snowbiking is relatively new and every bike has its idiosyncrasies. Ive heard numerous guys complain about electrical gremlins on the newer bikes so much so that they want to take EFI off and try newer gen carbs. Air forks another problem. They all have em. Comes down to what you want to live with and what your are comfortable engineering so to speak.

The carb ice issue is old news. Build or buy a heater, problem solved. Have not had a issue with ice since i added the heater.

Vibration is a interesting subject. The only bolt i have lost this season is a exhaust bolt on the right side of the pipe at the silencer. I rarely check for loose bolts. Loctite is your friend. The only bolts i have Nordloc'd are my engine mount bolts because originally my bolts came loose because of the freshly powder coated frame wore away under the bolt heads and nuts. Never seen a issue nor have i even put a wrench on them since. These are the 3 main M10's not the head stays.

I can see the spring and trail conditions being a issue for heat. Snow cooler imo is the only way to solve this. It is the holy grail for ultimate stable temps. People have added the coolers to the TS kits with very good results. The Yeti has a slick cooler option and looks like a great part of their kit. U can't expect any bike motor to run cool without some sort of help. Sleds would run the same way with a set of rads.

Last year i ran the APT Smartcarb. I noticed huge vibration when running that carb. Since switching to my Pulse the bike is just so much smoother. Last year after a long ride my hands were just ringing. This year the vibration is so much less i don't notice any hand issues like i did last year. It still amazes me how different they are. Take it for what its worth.

The 500 pulls great and is quick. Its a 20 year old motor, what can you say. Pretty sad a 20 year old motor puts out more than most newer 4 strokes. If you need more rpm or torque just add some Millar porting lol ! My own personal issues have been more with the TS kits themselves. That will have to wait for the TS vs Yeti threads ! LOL

 

[Draxxus]

My buddies pulsed 500 vibrates more than my stock bike . He has lead/silicone filled bars. Duno why mine isn't bad but I'm glad it's not , his makes my feet tingle after 1 pull


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[wwillf01]

Me bike vibrates more than a 4 stroke but my hands don't go numb and it's not a leg breaker , so easy to start I got rid of the decomp button


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I would agree after mine was ported it starts easier than my 300..


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[summitboy]

My buddies pulsed 500 vibrates more than my stock bike . He has lead/silicone filled bars. Duno why mine isn't bad but I'm glad it's not , his makes my feet tingle after 1 pull


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Interesting. Tell us more about the bike. Year, frame (steel or alum), jetting, motor work (stock or mod) ? I can't see it being related to the Pulse imo just because of the way the Pulse works. Still interesting.