[Lochlyn_Deckard]

The thread about our bikes has gotten interesting over at www.advrider.com:

www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178947&page=2

www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171094





Edit: Related - Anyone ever turned a 500R into a dual sport??? - www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,13224.0.html[/color]

 

[Guest]

Good find. I'll have to start reading that website more often.

I would think the EX would be a bit heavy to handle under more than casual off-road conditions though?

 

[Nick D]

Bahahahaha! That's awesome! Kinda like an '87 Firebird on a '78 Chevy 4x4 frame awesome, but awesome none the less 8) .

 

[MrSciTrek]

It seems to me that if the front wheel got any amount of thick mud on it, or picked up a chunk of gravel, then the front fender is goners.

How much pressure is on the pieces of aluminum flat stock that he made for raising the rear end?
I gather that it's not more than standard aluminum flatstock can handle. It looks too puny, but I have non-trained eyes for this suspension & dirt/trail dynamics.

Hey would this work for a winter commuter?
Will our bikes start at 0 degrees F?
Boy would that jazz up the students!
(Some of the staff & parents already wonder about me..)

 

[bibletoter]

 

[dragknee]

why not just buy a KX500?

 

[bibletoter]

That pic is from the adventure bike forum. The idea is not a dirt bike, or even really dual sport. It's more about a bike that can take you almost anywhere on the planet (within reason). The crazy jumps, etc. are not the thrust. You probably wouldn't ride that KX on the road very far (even if it were street legal). You could take that modded "Twin Sport 500" and ride it for a hundred miles on the highway and then do 50 miles of fire roads or cut across fields. Cool concept to me. When I began to look for a bike to get back into riding after years of caging, I went and sat on a KLR650. Way too tall. The Ninja 500 felt great so I found a used one in town for $1700. Been blasting around town, finding twisty country roads, and commuting for a couple years now. My only regret is that I can't really cut out across fields, or ride those dirt cutoff roads (I've tried 'em both, and its way to hairy with street tires).

 

[Nick D]

That pic is from the adventure bike forum. The idea is not a dirt bike, or even really dual sport. It's more about a bike that can take you almost anywhere on the planet (within reason). The crazy jumps, etc. are not the thrust. You probably wouldn't ride that KX on the road very far (even if it were street legal). You could take that modded "Twin Sport 500" and ride it for a hundred miles on the highway and then do 50 miles of fire roads or cut across fields. Cool concept to me. When I began to look for a bike to get back into riding after years of caging, I went and sat on a KLR650. Way too tall. The Ninja 500 felt great so I found a used one in town for $1700. Been blasting around town, finding twisty country roads, and commuting for a couple years now. My only regret is that I can't really cut out across fields, or ride those dirt cutoff roads (I've tried 'em both, and its way to hairy with street tires).

The EX above is just as tall as a KLR, or at least it looks that way to me. I think it's hilarious that the one above still has the center stand on it. I doubt there's any way in the world it touches the ground without something under it or a wheel off the bike.

I remember learning to ride the first time on our old CB550 Honda. Street tires and nothing but the big grassy yard to play on - it made for some squirrelly fun. Anything above 2nd gear was wild if you were on the throttle at all, you never knew what you were getting into .

 

[Frog]

Woah !

There's so much stuff we can get from of the little EX.

There are many dirt roads in my soon-to-be neighborhood and I am the type of guy who loves to explore new grounds.

Although this is a bit too much KLR-esque to me, I'd love to get the place you got that from.

I was already juggling with the idea of fitting dual sports tires to my little beast ;D

 

[furyskater911]

hahaha im not sure if i want to smack the person who first did that to the 500, or shake their hands... torn between genius and an abomination

 

[Guest]

I was already juggling with the idea of fitting dual sports tires to my little beast ;D

You too eh? Our winters around KW are so mild lately, that the snow is just enough street tires would kill me, but so little that knobby tires would equal a near year-round riding season!

 

[MrSciTrek]

OK... this got me to thinking (uh oh)...

Assuming decent gas, reasonable tuning, & stock battery...

What's the likely coldest temp that our Ninja's will be trusted to start?
What would be the best after-market battery for cold weather?

 

[Guest]

just get a Kawasaki KLE500. It uses the same engine as the EX500.

 

[Mugwump]

Once again, no KL's in the good ole USA :'(

 

[Guest]

OK... this got me to thinking (uh oh)...

Assuming decent gas, reasonable tuning, & stock battery...

What's the likely coldest temp that our Ninja's will be trusted to start?
What would be the best after-market battery for cold weather?

I have a now two year old AGM battery. It starts reliably down to lower 30's, usually on the first try. However, if it didn't start on the second try, it doesn't seem like there would be much left.

Rich

 

[Mugwump]

Can anyone verify that with IRC GP1's that a 4.60-17 will fit on the front and a 5.10-17 on a 500 w/o modification?

 

[Frog]

OK... this got me to thinking (uh oh)...

Assuming decent gas, reasonable tuning, & stock battery...

What's the likely coldest temp that our Ninja's will be trusted to start?
What would be the best after-market battery for cold weather?

I had mine start at -5*C on stock battery, stock setup no tuning

My new Buell started without trouble at a freezy -30*C when I got it inspected by my mechanic Between Christmas ans New Years Eve on the stock H-D battery

Don't forget to block off the radiator or you'll lose all the heat it managed to buildup on idle as soon as you'll get cold air to pass through it

 

[redkow97]

a lot of vehicles are more capable off-road than people think. Doesn't mean they're "good," but they're not as bad as you might think.

"Skippi" on the NESBA forum has taken his EX250 through rivers, over rocks, and every place in between. only way to find out if the bike CAN do it is to try.

I think the best bike you can own is the bike you don't worry about breaking... 'babying' a bike is exhausting and raises my blood pressure

 

[Lochlyn_Deckard]

"Skippi" on the NESBA forum has taken his EX250 through rivers, over rocks, and every place in between. only way to find out if the bike CAN do it is to try.

Indeed

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7529124577801999491

He's also on Ninja250.org and ADVRider.com.

 

[Guest]

Can anyone verify that with IRC GP1's that a 4.60-17 will fit on the front and a 5.10-17 on a 500 w/o modification?

Don't know about IRC's but I put on the Cheng Shins in the same size and had to lift the front fender an inch to clear the 4.60. Much bigger than stock. The rear 5.10 fits by the hair of its teeth and only after installing a 1 tooth smaller front sprocket to bring it back another 1/4 inch. It has maybe 1/8" clearance on both sides of the swingarm. But I got it all to fit and it's pretty badass.Skid plate and lift links done also. Only have the high mount stainless dual exhausts to do next week. I'll post pics of the finished product.