Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126960
EX·tas~ in Baja; La Carrera st~le By Paul Carr.uthers La Carrera? No hay problema para Kawasaki EX500. A toad race run on 1I5-miles of windy, Mexican roads provides an almost equal test of top-end speed and handling for any motorcycle. Kawasaki's EX500 twin not 'only passed ·· h d h t h e eX';lm b ut f miS e at t e top of Its class. Four EXs finished in the top 10 at the recent La Carrera road race in Baja California, Mexico, with a combined average speed of over 105 mph. Okay, so what did they beat? How about a Ducati HR, a HarleyDavidson XRIOOO, a Ducati 90055, BMW K75s and a Ducati Fl-B, to flame a few. In the Open 500cc Twin class, the little Kawasaki held seven of the top 10 positions. So what makes the EX a winner? Mostly it's the feel. You can jump on the EX500 for the first time and feel right at home. 1t's light, powerful enough for most and comfortable. It all starts with the powerplant. . The 498cc, Liquid-cooled, .in-~ine, transverse four-stroke tWill, IS a beefed-up versIOn of KawasakI's 454 LTD entry-level cruiser. With the 20 percent power boost, the EX500 is a light, yet powerful middleweight sportbike. It's basically a bigger sister to Kawasaki's baby Ninja 250. The four-valve twin produces ultra-smooth power delivery. Get the EX in the 6500 to 11,000 rpm range and the power is impressive - at La Carrera the EX spent most of its time in that range. The Baja-bound EXs were bounced o££ the rev limiter by willing journalists for tJle majority of the 115 miles and didn't miss a beat. The EX is equipped with a six-speed gearbox that is both smooth and light. Quick glances, in between stray animal sightings, at the speedometer showed the EX humming along at an indicated 127 mph; corrected speeds are probably in the low 120 mph range. The engine sits in an all-steel frame that is both rigid and light; the entire package weighs in at 402 pounds dry. The right front downtube of the rectangular-section frame comes apart for engine removal. Rear suspension on the EX is the single-shock, Uni-Trak variety that is mounted under the swingarm and is spring-load adjustable. The UniTrak system gives the EX almost four inches of rear wheel travel. Up front, the EX fork is nonadjustable with 36mm tubes and provides 5.5 inches of travel. The front suspension is the weak link in the EX package. The fork is a little on the tweaky side in fast corners, but a brace would, more than likely, correct the problem. The EX has an I L2-inch, single disc brake up front (left side) and a drum brake on the rear. For serious sport riding, another disc up front would .come in handy, but the' lightness of the EX allows the single disc to do an adequate job for all but the ultra-serious. Both wheels on the EX are 16-inch, but high-speed stability, -even through a strong desert wind, in a straight line was never a problem. It was in the t~ghter, mou/ntain roads, however, where the little wheels of the light EX made the difference. The bike was extremely nimble and easy to get through the twisties at a fast pace, even though the suspension is a touch on the soft side. Throughout the 115 miles, the EX was a pleasure to ride and no complaints were heard about comfort. The riding position for the average-sized rider is near-perfect but the larger rider may feel slightly cramped. If the entire La CaTFera was held on windy' roads like the first 30 miles, the little EX might have been in the hunt for the overall win. As it was the EX didn't have the horsepower to win La Carrera on its first attempt , against the bigger 750cc twins, but for under $3000 this should prove to be no problema for both commuters and sport riders. •