Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

500cc MX Compan'S fl ___ O (Top) The KTM motor is approximately SOcc bigger than the others, but it is surprisingly easy to control. The trick "unpainted" exhaust pipe is c1earcoated to resist rust. (Right) The Honda CRSOO's motor can be revved further than the others. (Below) Kawasaki's KXSOO powerplant is the most-mellow of the bunch. 30 piloted in a fashion similar to a 125, a 500 demands the utmost respect. A little too much throttle here, a bit too much clutch there, and a 500 will definitely make you pay the price. Patience and precision are the keys to riding a big-bore machine. Of the three machines, I found the Kawasaki the most confidence-inspiring. Because of its extremely stable chassis, tractor-like power delivery and excellent suspension, I chose the KX500 as the winner of our shootout. Though the KX feels quite fat in the midsection in comparison to the other two machines, its girth helped remind me that I was on a big bike and, in turn, kept my "125 rider flashbacks" to a minimum. Because the Honda and KTM both sport such slim body work, there were times - during panic situations - that I forgot that I was on an open bike and held the throttle wide open. Big mistake. The Kawasaki was without a doubt the most stable machine of the bunch rarely did the bike shake its head. No, wait - it never shook its head. Thanks to _ the stable chassis and the awesome Kayaba front and rear suspenders, attacking almost any obstacle on the KX was smooth and predictable. In bone-stock condition , the KX suspension worked perfectly for my 160-pound weight. The Kawasaki likes to be chugged around the track. Most of the power is down low and way up top, and the motor revs rather slowly in comparison to the CR500 and 550 MX/C. I found that when I tried to ride the bike in the middle of the powerband with a bit of clutch work, the KX would vibrate and send the rear end skittering across the track. The bike's only weakness begins to show when the going gets tight. Getting the KX to hug a tight, inside line or rut takes an extra dose of muscle and body English. Even then, The KX just doesn't slither through the tight stuff like the red or white machines. I picked the Honda CR500 second. Though the KX was the most confidenceinspiring, I felt the most at home on the Honda, thanks to its "typical" Honda ergonomics. Though it is considerably wider than a CR250, something about the CRSOO just "felt right". In stock condition, I felt that the Honda had the best motor of the bunch. Power delivery was well spread throughout the powerband, and unlike the Kawasaki, the CR500 can be "clutched." The Honda CRSOO is the undisputed powe~ king in the Open class. I also happened to turn in my fastest lap times of the day aboard the red machine. So why didn't I rate the CR first? Simple .. .it's the fork. While the rear Showa shock delivered a smooth ride, the fork felt harsh - no matter where we had the clickers set. Though it worked well upon hard landings and larger impacts, the fork seemed to glance off squareedged bumps and cause the front end to headshake. The Honda has the best brakes, the best shifting, the best controls and was the easiest of the three bikes to start. Bringing the red beast to life required only a swift stab at the kickstart lever, while the Kawasaki only started when I put the piston at top-dead-center and leapt off the ground in order to bring my entire body weight down upon the kick starter. Starting the KTM? Forget it. Not only is the lever short and awkward - it's on the left side! Even when standing on a crate in order to use my right leg, I had trouble firing up the KTM because the kick starter bottoms out on the footpeg. Yes, I rated the KTM third . But third is not a bad thing, at least not in this case. Of the three bikes, I was the most anxious to ride the KTM. Without a doubt, the 550 is the trickest-looking bike in the bunch, and the most comfortable to sit on while not in motion. The tank area is slim, giving the bike the feel of a much smaller machine, and nothing in the tank/sidepanel junction snags the rider's legs or boots . Once I finally started the KTM, I was surprised to find that the "biggest" motor had the "smallest" feel. It's hard to believe, but the 550 actually felt a bit pipey. Unlike the other two bikes, the KTM didn't have a "gruntr'-type of power. Instead, the motor could be revved like it was 300cc smaller. The motor produced a somewhat mellow type of power that was very easy to ride. Suspension-wise, the KTM had a harsh feel, front and rear. Bumps that were hardly felt on the two Japanese machines became additional challenges on the 550. Larger hits were handled with ease, however. We found that even a single click on the WP compression or rebound adjusters yielded a muchaltered ride. Overall. fork action was a bit harsh, but good, while the rear end did an acceptable job in most situations nothing great, but nothing bad. The KTM had the oddest feel on the track. Though it felt sleek and smooth in the pits , riding the bike was a different story. While it was easy to maneuver on the MX/C, I found that the Austrian machine felt unlike any bike I had ridden before - I suppose that's just the distinctive "European" feel. The brake pedal was hard to reach, the pipe stuck out too far, the seat was too hard and my feet continually snagged the various bolts that held the midsection together. Here's the strangest part - though I felt awkward while riding the KTM, I consistently turned in lap times that were comparable to those aboard the KX and CR Go figure. . Donn Maeda Age: 25 Height/weight: 5'10" /160 Specialty: Motocross Skill level: Intermediate nfortunately, my involvement in our Honda/Kawasaki/KTM open-bike comparison came after a long dry period of not having ridden MX bikes - most of my riding lately has been of the sit-down, low-effort street bike variety. In other words, I was really out of shape. The combination of open bikes and the lack of physical conditioning, well, uh...sucks . It's no fun gasping for air and having your forearms pump up like balloons after a couple of hard laps on a rough track. Yet that's how I felt on our first couple of outings during our open c1ass comparison. But, in this condition, you certainly discover which bike is the easiest to ride. And it's not the Honda. The CR nearly tired me out while riding from the pits to the start line - it has awesome, hard-hitting power. And it wasn't the Kawasaki, either. Although the Kawasaki doesn't quite hit as hard off the bottom as the Honda, it can still rip the handlebars out of your hands if you twist the throttle wide open with reckless abandon. To me, the KTM, the bike with the biggest displacement, had the easiest-tomanage motor. It definitely doesn't feel as fast as the either the Honda or the Kawasaki, but it does feel the most tractable overall. But like the other two, it does hit hard from mid-range on up, and can wear you out in no time if you start riding it like a 250- revving it out more. It seemed to me tha t the slower you tried riding the KTM, the faster you could go on it. I found myself letting the KTM's awesome "chuggability" do all the work. As our comparison continued and my endurance gradually increased back to "normal," I began to ride the Ho nda hard, and we began to get along better. But as soon as you start getting sloppy due to fatigue - it'll let you know right away. At this point, it's best to head back to the pits and rest up (unless you happen to be in the middle of a moto). The Kawasaki followed the same lines as the Honda. It too seemed to work better when ridden aggressively, but could lJJ

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