Decision Assistance !!

[yooper01]

My well sorted out nytro is going away soonish... 16,000 into it, and I might get 6 out of it...ouch!

I have a 2016 LT snowchecked, had planned on putting it on my KTM, but read below...

I have a 2008 ktm 530 EXCR that has a big tank, 100w stator, JD jet kit, hand warmers, and all sorts of goodies, but its got 280 hours on bone stock (and original) internals. I am a little nervous to be wot all winter long with it.

I am thinking about a bottom up rebuild and turining it into a 570, doing the common sump modification, plus a rekluse. That would pretty much have me invested in this bike for the next 4 years though.

Alternative: sell the bike and buy my friends CR 500 that was nicely converted to an aluminum frame, and build that during the next two or three months.

If I go the route of the CR 500 I will likely keep it a snowbike year round, I would NEED a stator in order to run hand warmers, likely put a larger tank on it, and maybe a smart carb. If i have money left over I would do a rekluse.


My gut tells me to rebuild the 530 and be happy with what I have. My wallet says to do that too. But for some reason I think I will be happier ignoring my gut and my wallet.....

 

[Clay911]

Big HP 2 stroke. hard to ignore the feeling.

 

[Hbmtr]

Big HP 2 stroke. hard to ignore the feeling.

cr500= track speed

 

[M5-]

CR500 all the way. I did all the mods you are talking about to my XC4 based KTM and it still blew up. You don't need the Smart carb, my PWK air striker works fine but coolant based carb heater is mandatory plus you can always pulse inject the 38mm PWK.

M5

 

[the gman]

I have been on this band wagon for 5 years now. This is what I have learned. The 500 is king in the power end of things. Aluminum frame, although lighter seems to not have the mass of steel so vibration is not toned down. 450 race bikes seem to out perform 530 bikes in most cases. The 16 ts track seems to be as big a improvement as the 13 kits were to the 12 kits. Stay away from the smart carbs, I tried the cast, 38 billet, 40 billet and a second 38 billet and could not keep egt temps from spiking at wot while keeping idle crisp. Lectron with a 3-3 needle is a better choice as the flat needle design just flat works. As for the 15-16 kits, the small drivers I think are a mistake, but time will tell, smaller drivers worked with 2 inch track but the 2.5 seems to have a better bite and the one we demoed last year had to be run extremely tight to eliminate ratcheting. That was in spring snow though but a tight tracks robs hp.

 

[n16ht5]

CR500 all the way. Do pulse injection not smart carb. I don't care for rekluse, I sold mine

 

[wwillf01]

My well sorted out nytro is going away soonish... 16,000 into it, and I might get 6 out of it...ouch!



I have a 2016 LT snowchecked, had planned on putting it on my KTM, but read below...



I have a 2008 ktm 530 EXCR that has a big tank, 100w stator, JD jet kit, hand warmers, and all sorts of goodies, but its got 280 hours on bone stock (and original) internals. I am a little nervous to be wot all winter long with it.



I am thinking about a bottom up rebuild and turining it into a 570, doing the common sump modification, plus a rekluse. That would pretty much have me invested in this bike for the next 4 years though.



Alternative: sell the bike and buy my friends CR 500 that was nicely converted to an aluminum frame, and build that during the next two or three months.



If I go the route of the CR 500 I will likely keep it a snowbike year round, I would NEED a stator in order to run hand warmers, likely put a larger tank on it, and maybe a smart carb. If i have money left over I would do a rekluse.





My gut tells me to rebuild the 530 and be happy with what I have. My wallet says to do that too. But for some reason I think I will be happier ignoring my gut and my wallet.....

Cr500 I love mine I like the rekluse on mine... If I had to do it again I would have went the Lectron route instead of the Smartcarb ...I know they said at one point they could figure out how to run coolant through the carb with a little custom modifying on their end...


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[yooper01]

I have read that the range of the 500s leaves a little bit to be desired... My KTM has a 3.4 gallon tank. If I put something similar on a 500, plus had the gas caddy on the back would range be comparable to the 530?

 

[Uncle si]

I usually pack 5-8 gallons total on my KX500 and sometimes use nearly all of it. Some folks might easily use more....

 

[wwillf01]

I have read that the range of the 500s leaves a little bit to be desired... My KTM has a 3.4 gallon tank. If I put something similar on a 500, plus had the gas caddy on the back would range be comparable to the 530?

It really depends on snow and how you ride.. 6 gallons gives me about 5 to 6 hours or so if I don't really stop... So head to head my turbo nytro would use the same amount of fuel in that time.. But we normally are always in some type of powder... Now you could loose 20 percent on those 3 ft days but I would try to keep the weight off the front ski with the weight of the tank.


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[M5-]

I pack 7.5 gallons all in, tank and 2 2.5 gallon jerrys. Sometimes I use it all and sometimes I don't but usually I'm out of gas before the bike is. I have a desert tank but I've never used it and haven't needed it.

M5

 

[mrquick68]

that's one of the places the 450s shine over the 500 smokers. Can't beat the 500 power, but FI 4Ts sure use a lot less fuel. Last year wasn't the best year for riding, but only once did i run out of fuel in my STOCK tank on 501 Berg - that was a marathon ride with lots of POW. And that's with an ST, i would've used even less if i had an LT.

Wish the 500's weren't such a mod project. Pulse carbs, De-comp head, crappy electrical, crap suspension, and bad vibs. Ugh! Once they are dialed, super fun though.

But i don't have time for that. So, i'll be doing a 450 MX bike like the masses. E start and smooth operator for me.

 

[wwillf01]

that's one of the places the 450s shine over the 500 smokers. Can't beat the 500 power, but FI 4Ts sure use a lot less fuel. Last year wasn't the best year for riding, but only once did i run out of fuel in my STOCK tank on 501 Berg - that was a marathon ride with lots of POW. And that's with an ST, i would've used even less if i had an LT.

Wish the 500's weren't such a mod project. Pulse carbs, De-comp head, crappy electrical, crap suspension, and bad vibs. Ugh! Once they are dialed, super fun though.

But i don't have time for that. So, i'll be doing a 450 MX bike like the masses. E start and smooth operator for me.

I would agree 4 banger out of the box is easy.... for sure the cr500 was a labor of love... For me almost 70 riding hours to get everything on a ground up rebuild and high modification dialed. That being said hard to get something that runs like this and put 3500 into it all in

 

[UPsnowbiker]

It really doesn't matter what you do....you still won't be able to keep up with your riding buddy on the KTM 450 short track! Might as well just leave things alone

 

[wwillf01]

It's all fun no matter what you ride


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[yooper01]

Decision Made.

Okay, so I am picking up a 2002 KX 500. It has a Full FMF exhaust
Max RPM Nickle sided cylinder & porting, 540 Big Bore Kit, fresh .88 Wiseco Piston.

I want heated grips and a headlight, so I am going to look into a stator for this thing.

I am keeping the KTM, and going to run the kit on it at first, then switch to the KX hopefully in January after it is all sorted out.

I think I will do a decompression valve on the head, and figure out how to plum for a heated carb. I am not intending on running a t-stat.

Any links to a good KX non-aluminum build? OR opinions here would be great! Thanks for the input.

 

[Uncle si]

Bypass thermostat, cooler. That big smoker needs cooling and little bitty radiators won't cut it. My KX5 sits on a 146x2.5 track and I love it.

I used a ski doo xp thermostat.

 

[wwillf01]

Okay, so I am picking up a 2002 KX 500. It has a Full FMF exhaust

Max RPM Nickle sided cylinder & porting, 540 Big Bore Kit, fresh .88 Wiseco Piston.



I want heated grips and a headlight, so I am going to look into a stator for this thing.



I am keeping the KTM, and going to run the kit on it at first, then switch to the KX hopefully in January after it is all sorted out.



I think I will do a decompression valve on the head, and figure out how to plum for a heated carb. I am not intending on running a t-stat.



Any links to a good KX non-aluminum build? OR opinions here would be great! Thanks for the input.

I am not sold on the thermostats.. Had one and removed it on my cr500 but left the heated collar and have a t in the line that I can shut off and turn on to heat the carb as needed but if you run a cooler on the tunnel I would use one...



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[M5-]

I think I am going to try a tunnel cooler and tstat and delete one rad this year, my temps were off the chart on the trail which I don't like to see.

M5

 

[wwillf01]

I think I am going to try a tunnel cooler and tstat and delete one rad this year, my temps were off the chart on the trail which I don't like to see.

M5

If you had ice scratchers why would you need the one radiator? Just curious?