Typically off road handling benefits are opposite to on road. Raising the rear will decrease rake angle and improve onroad handling, but make it more unstable offroad.

How well it will do probably depends on what you define as offroad.

 

Hmmm, I hadn't considered rake; wouldn't it be a very slight change with the 1 1/2 inch lift? How about the stiffer fork springs? I don't head up goat trails, but I find if I have commited several miles and I run into a nasty bit, I tend to keep going.

Thanks for the input,

Willy

 

The stiffer springs will raise the front some, less sag. This will reduce the rake change some. You can always slide the forks down to reduce it more. Worse case scenario you have better ground clearance.

 

The forks can be slid down? How much?

My basic question, though, is: Do stiffer springs adversely affect off road handling? I have a kr 250 which feels pretty soft. I wonder if stiff springing keeps the wheel up in the air on a bumpy road. Perhaps at slow speeds this is not a concern.

Cheers,
Willy

 

I've never ridden offroad but I can't imagine bottoming out on a soft suspension is any better? If you are a heavy guy like me you may need more spring for any application. The real limiting factor for bumpy stuff is the 500's small range of travel. Dirt oriented bikes tend to have 8" or more max travel while road bikes are more in the range of 4-6".

The forks normally would poke out the top of the clamps about 1/4" - 3/8". You can see this if you unbolt the bars from the top tripple. Not much, but it's something.

 

Thanks Drews, that is good information that I won't find in the manual.

Yeah, my little klr has a bunch of fork travel and will suck up a good size rock without bottoming out. It also handles decently on pavement with the installed DOT knobbies, but it is way too buzzy for long pavement runs. That is what led me to the ex5oo: The curb weight is low(better than a klr 650 for instance}, performance, for bike that will run on 87 octane, is outstanding and there are a ton of them out there (cheap parts on ebay etc). But maybe I am setting up a road bike for a bit of off road when I should be starting at the other end: an off roader which will take me out to Nevada. My load is pretty light, #165lbs.

I am not finding dual purpose tires which come in ex500 sizes, 110/70/17 , 130/70/17. Suggestions?

Cheers,

Willy

 

There is a guy that made his into a enduro of sorts, I dont remember his name but maybe others do. His looked OK and according to him did real good on dirt and gravel roads.

 

Most of the off road conversions involved KLR suspention and swingarm or other duel sport suspention. Gravel roading on stock suspention is brutal.

 

You may be able to find a tire by converting the size to the older/vintage tube tire sizes to get knobies. I believe a 110-17 would roughly translate to a 4.60-17. Most spec that as a rear tire so be weary of that. It may also be a taller tire. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

For example I see the shinko 244 (in 4.60-17 size) is a dual sport tire that is spec'd "universal" fitment so you can use it for the front.

Google search "Dirt Ninja", that should get you some results. I believe someone did run knobies on the factory 17s.. hopefully they mentioned the size they used. Some folks run the tube tires without a tube on the tubeless type rims.. that's a risk you will have to decide on.

 

Re: Re: EX 500 Off Road

Try Shinko 705s

 

So it's been almost a year... What did you do with your "gravel-runner" Ninja idea?

 

He went by Ninja Dirt I thought but, can not find anything on him now :-\

Edit: holy thread revival, and the OP is active

 

Yeah, I saw they were still active. Is that rare?

I want to hear some cool off-road stories!

 

The things that make for a good off road bike make for a terrible on road bike and vice versa. It's a compromise. For example tires. Given the limited tire selection avail for the 500 I would stick with street tires, preferably the new michelin radials.

I think you would do better with something like a KLR (heavy off road bias) for the type of riding you are doing or if you want more refined highway handling and comfort at the cost of some off road handling, something like a VStrom 650 (on pavement bias).

 

This should keep you happy for a while... lots of info on "dirt"-ing a 500

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171094&highlight=ex500

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=498530

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438383&page=3

http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,49122.0.html

http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,19237.0.html

 

This should keep you happy for a while... lots of info on "dirt"-ing a 500

http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,19237.0.html

^
^ He is the one I was thinking wrong username.

 

Is the KLE500 not sold in America?

 

I think I speak for many when I say, "I wish"!

 

Is the KLE500 not sold in America?

Honestly I don't know about that one particularly but I don't think so... but the Versys (KLE650) is I tried Wiki but it not helpful. I never was in the market for either thus my ignorance.

 

Such a tease...