How are the CR 500 setups working

[Throndson]

Thinking about setting up a 1995 cr 500. It would be great to hear from anyone with a setup Cr 500. Im looking for opinions on how they are working for them?
I think ive read all the posts on here regarding 500cc 2 strokes.
Seems like the least expensive bike I can find that would be suitable for a MH setup.

I test rode one other day (on wheels) and had tough time kicking the beast over to get it started. Luckily the fellow had a mx boot that fit because I couldn't get the job done with my shoe! I imagine it only gets harder in the snow.

Is the handlebar vibration tolerable in snow settings?
Anyone have a rekluse setup? Id think that may be the solution to kicking the beast over!

Thanks and look forward to some replies!

 

[cr500afx]

Thinking about setting up a 1995 cr 500. It would be great to hear from anyone with a setup Cr 500. Im looking for opinions on how they are working for them?
I think ive read all the posts on here regarding 500cc 2 strokes.
Seems like the least expensive bike I can find that would be suitable for a MH setup.

I test rode one other day (on wheels) and had tough time kicking the beast over to get it started. Luckily the fellow had a mx boot that fit because I couldn't get the job done with my shoe! I imagine it only gets harder in the snow.

Is the handlebar vibration tolerable in snow settings?
Anyone have a rekluse setup? Id think that may be the solution to kicking the beast over!

Thanks and look forward to some replies!

I ran a 1997 CR500 with a Rekluse 2 seasons ago. I had a blast. Bike worked great. They start easy once you get the hang of it. Only issue was carb icing. Once you get that figured out you'll have a blast too!

 

[Throndson]

Well I pulled the trigger on the LT, going to put it on a 1995 cr 500 steelie I picked up for a pretty good deal.
It came with rad guards, sunline riser and bar. FMF Gnarly and Powercore 2. Skid plate, Gripper seat.

Going to get a pwk 39.5 carb as recommended in other cr 500 posts. Build a pod intake. Try and build something to enclose the carb.

Any pics from fellow cr 500 riders of intakes and carb enclosures or tips on setups will be greatly appreciated!
Is anyone running the service honda digital ignition on a snowbike? Wondering if its worth the 500-600 bucks.

Spent most my $ on the MH kit so porting the engine might have to wait. I may drop in a new piston and ring if needed when I get the top end apart.

Spent a few hours just cleaning last night and it looks to be in decent shape.

 

[Dobber1]

Congrats! It's the chits when ya got more 2 or 3 times as much into the kit as the bike.

Picture #1
You need more snow.

Picture #2
Don't slide off the tank.

You'll have a good time when you're all done, whenever that is. For some reason, the latest and greatest kits require lots of mods to make everything run right. I jumped into the fray several years ago with the Explorer Kit, when the 2-Moto was the thing to have, installed the kits and never had any of the issues I'm reading about all the time.

Don't waste all your time getting it 'right', just ride!

 

[Ausm7499]

I will try to get some pictures up tonight of my 2001 CR500. I am assuming you have read most of my posts regarding what I have found to be the best setup for gearing, carb, and pipe. Vibration at the bar's was a pretty big issue for me last spring when I finally got the bike on the snow, for this season I broke down and bought some Fasst Flex bars justifying the $300 purchase by running them on my 300 in the dirt riding months. Although the flexx bars helped I still had quite a bit of vibration at WOT so I bought the Fasst anti-vibration inserts and that did the trick, last ride out vibration was reduced noticeably and my hands didn't ache at the end of the day.

Now on to carb icing, this is a major issue on these bikes in the deep snow conditions, I didn't have any icing issues in the spring but the two rides I have in this season have been severely effected by icing. After having icing issues on my first ride this season I decided I would run coolant back to the carb and cover it with a blanket figuring that would surely fix the issue. I bought a 5' chunk of 3/8 copper tubing filled it with salt and bent it around my carb, I managed to get a little over 3' of it to surround the carb and then I plumed my coolant from the head into the tubing. Well after last weekends ride I got really frustrated because my carb iced with in 4 miles of leaving the pickup and I fought it all day long. The problem was that my coolant wasn't even getting close to being hot even after 10 minutes of mostly WOT riding. I actually pulled the blanket off my carb at one point and it was so cold the aluminum looked white. So this weekend since I can't ride I have been working on my next idea, I have a KTM thermostat that a lot of people are running on their 4 bangers so I have installed it, deleted the left radiator, and will be covering the right one. Basically now coolant flows out of the top of the head through the left port because I blocked of the right port, into my copper tubing that runs around my carb, to the thermostat and into the right radiator. I will post up a picture which should be much clearer than what I just typed. If this doesn't get the coolant up to temp then and keep the carb from icing then I am running out of ideas.

I have also notice that fuel mileage goes way down when your carb is iced up.

 

[Revv Up]

Seems like the least expensive bike I can find that would be suitable for a MH setup.

I wouldn't buy one on that criteria alone, think you had trouble kick starting it on flat ground.... just wait and see what positions you can get in.

I'm certainly not trying to dissuade you but make sure you are up to the task or it's going to take the fun right out of it.

 

[Ausm7499]

 

[snowboatboy]

I'm following the concept but am not sure how the hot gets to the thermostat quick enough through all that tube and hose to open it before it overheats.

I cold siezed my new wiseco right off the gun so am pretty motivated to get the engine shrouded and the stat set up properly. got some ideas and have been watching all u guys that are a few steps ahead now because of my minor setback.

 

[snowhawkaddict]

Gas in the oil!

Just smile every time you hear the others state this, serves as a reminder. Is there, ratio?

 

[Ausm7499]

I'm following the concept but am not sure how the hot gets to the thermostat quick enough through all that tube and hose to open it before it overheats.

I cold siezed my new wiseco right off the gun so am pretty motivated to get the engine shrouded and the stat set up properly. got some ideas and have been watching all u guys that are a few steps ahead now because of my minor setback.

Hoping that the little holes in the t-stat allow enough coolant to circulate that the temp between the head and t-stat doesn't vary by too much. If it ends up being an issue I will un-block the right head port and run it to the t-stat bypass. I am not really worried about overheating in deep snow conditions considering I couldn't even get my coolant luke warm on my last ride.

That's a bummer on the wiseco piston seize, it's pretty common for wiseco's to seize on sled's within the first few miles too. I would recommend using a different piston if I were you, I went with a Wossner and basically didn't do any breakin before riding it like I stole it and haven't had any issues. I also find that the single ring design makes the bike much easier to kickstart.

 

[Jon Mutiger]

On this wiseco seizure did you happen to set the ring end gap? Don't put a piston in aging without ensuring there is enough gap on the rings.

Everyone learns the hard way.

 

[snowboatboy]

I did check the ring gap- rings in jug, feeler gauge, .026 plenty of gap more than enough.

Belray 40:1 ratio

anyone else had trouble with wisecos?

 

[Rock_93]

I will try to get some pictures up tonight of my 2001 CR500. I am assuming you have read most of my posts regarding what I have found to be the best setup for gearing, carb, and pipe. Vibration at the bar's was a pretty big issue for me last spring when I finally got the bike on the snow, for this season I broke down and bought some Fasst Flex bars justifying the $300 purchase by running them on my 300 in the dirt riding months. Although the flexx bars helped I still had quite a bit of vibration at WOT so I bought the Fasst anti-vibration inserts and that did the trick, last ride out vibration was reduced noticeably and my hands didn't ache at the end of the day.

Now on to carb icing, this is a major issue on these bikes in the deep snow conditions, I didn't have any icing issues in the spring but the two rides I have in this season have been severely effected by icing. After having icing issues on my first ride this season I decided I would run coolant back to the carb and cover it with a blanket figuring that would surely fix the issue. I bought a 5' chunk of 3/8 copper tubing filled it with salt and bent it around my carb, I managed to get a little over 3' of it to surround the carb and then I plumed my coolant from the head into the tubing. Well after last weekends ride I got really frustrated because my carb iced with in 4 miles of leaving the pickup and I fought it all day long. The problem was that my coolant wasn't even getting close to being hot even after 10 minutes of mostly WOT riding. I actually pulled the blanket off my carb at one point and it was so cold the aluminum looked white. So this weekend since I can't ride I have been working on my next idea, I have a KTM thermostat that a lot of people are running on their 4 bangers so I have installed it, deleted the left radiator, and will be covering the right one. Basically now coolant flows out of the top of the head through the left port because I blocked of the right port, into my copper tubing that runs around my carb, to the thermostat and into the right radiator. I will post up a picture which should be much clearer than what I just typed. If this doesn't get the coolant up to temp then and keep the carb from icing then I am running out of ideas.

I have also notice that fuel mileage goes way down when your carb is iced up.

KTM carb heater you need 12 volt power though

 

[Ausm7499]

KTM carb heater you need 12 volt power though

Ya power is not easy or cheap to come by on these 500's and I tried a KTM carb heater on my 300 when I ran it as a snow bike and it didn't resolve the problem, that tiny little probe doesn't put out enough heat. Carb icing is the #1 problem with these 2strokes in the deep powder.

 

[off road rider]

Has anyone thought about running a battery blanket around their carb? power from a small battery and recharge after every ride.
Im not sure how many watts those things take,But its probably worth checking out.

 

[Ausm7499]

This setup was a success, I rode yesterday in deep powder without any icing issues and the 500 was ripping. After boiling out a little coolant on the road ride in I unblocking the radiator and that keep the temps down low enough I didn't loose any coolant the rest of the day. This thing is really impressive in the powder when I can hold 4th gear WOT. Wish I weighed 50lbs less, one of my buddies rode it who is a lot lighter than me and he had no problems holding 4th, he was pretty impressed with the power.

 

[Blown Motor]

This is a pretty trick setup! Man if you could put it in an Aluminum frame it would really be the cats meow!

 

[Throndson]

Thanks for the feedback and photo's Ausm 7499. Glad to hear its working well!
I cant wait to get back to my 500 project when I'm done this work shift away.
Did you use some ABS pipe in your pod filter?

 

[Ausm7499]

Thanks for the feedback and photo's Ausm 7499. Glad to hear its working well!
I cant wait to get back to my 500 project when I'm done this work shift away.
Did you use some ABS pipe in your pod filter?

Yes the pod is homemade out of ABS and a short chunk of silicone hose. I used a reducer and a 60 degree elbow with a short chunk of 3" to mate the two, then cut a chunk of 3" for your pod and use a hole saw to drill it out. It's a redneck intake but works well and was cheap, the most expensive part is the outwears prefilter.

 

[mtn-doo]

Ya power is not easy or cheap to come by on these 500's and I tried a KTM carb heater on my 300 when I ran it as a snow bike and it didn't resolve the problem, that tiny little probe doesn't put out enough heat. Carb icing is the #1 problem with these 2strokes in the deep powder.

You may have had a bad temp sensor? Those two yellow wires into the small black disk. I cut the auto sensor off and wired in a simple on/off switch. Before I installed it I tested it. That probe heats up like a burner in your oven. It got so scalding hot you could not even touch it. That heat is conductive in the aluminum body. The entire carb is warm. Mine worked perfectly. Zero carb ice.