DR Mag: The Build off.... TIME SENSITIVE: Bike Choice Complete.

Okiewan

Admin
Dec 31, 1969
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You may have heard about this elsewhere... but here ya go.
Several of the boards out there have been invited to build-up a bike and submit it to the magazine for testing, then publishing in the August issue.

We of course accepted the challenge.

Time is the big problem, it has to be in their hands on April 2. So basically, we have thirty days to put it together. DRN will source everything, the bike, the chosen aftermarket parts, etc. Members are not required to purchase a single item.

You've seen some posts recently that seemed to ask obvious questions, this is what it was leading to.

We have to determine what form of bike to send... MX'er or Off-Road.
Then, the actual bike, then the mods and we have little time to do it! This project is only open to Subscribers and SupportTeam members to eliminate the potential noise level. Your input is what will put this bike together.

Below is the info directly from Jimmy Lewis (DR mag editor):

Dirt Rider's Internet Bike Story

Who is in:
www.thumpertalk.com
www.crfsonly.com
www.dirtrider.net
www.ktmtalk.com
www.minibiketalk.com
www.dirtrider.com
(there is the possibility of a freestyle board, still pending)

Dirt Rider magazine has invited the above listed forums to participate in a bike build up, where the motorcycle that the members of each forum decide to build will be featured in an article in the magazine. Some boards are small and some are huge, hopefully we'll get an interesting mix of bikes for the story. The rules are pretty simple and as follows:

--We must have the finished bike delivered to us in Southern California no later than April 2nd.
--We will need the bike for 2 weeks to photograph and test it. The bike will be tested for the purpose it was intended. MX bikes on MX tracks and trail bikes on the trails. Don't try and out think us on where we are going to test. We promise to get the bike in its element. Build the bike that represents the members! It would be best if the bike were set up for an average sized guy of average ability level, say 180 lbs, intermediate ability, but this is not a rule.

--The bike and what is done to it must be decided in a single forum on message boards by members of the site. In other words, there must be a clear and easily locatable track history of what bike is selected and what is done to that bike. We will have an address to that form in the magazine so the Dirt Rider readers can look in on it themselves to see the history. You can use polls, votes, other threads to make decisions, but everything should be traced back into a single thread to make it easy to keep track of. It is up to the forum moderator to make the final decision on specifics, but it should be done in the forum (in public) for all members to see.

--You can use whatever parts and changes to any bike that your forum sees fit, there are really no hard and fast rules other than these:

Using the MIC published RPM numbers for sound testing and the SAE J-1287 test procedure,
MX bikes must be below 99db
Off-road bikes must have a Spark Arrestor and be below 96db
--Ideally the forum will first select the brand (very easy in some cases), then the model, the displacement, then decide how to make that bike the best it can be and show off the expertise of the members and what they believe is the best bike out there.

--Dirt Rider will not be shooting these bikes out or doing a comparison test with them. We will test them individually and show our readers what your forum thinks is the best bike out there.

So good luck and I'm really interested to see what shows up in April!

Jimmy Lewis
Editor
Dirt Rider Magazine
 

Okiewan

Admin
Dec 31, 1969
29,555
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Texas
A couple of issues right off the bat.

I mentioned to Jimmy that we will use DRN mods and members products and services FIRST. For all other product required that isn't supplied by our group, we'll go "outside" the forum and source it. I mentioned, for example, if we ran a poll, and asked who people will choose to do head work/porting/bigbore ... Eric Gorr would win hands down. We assume the same for MX-Tech.

We've run polls in the past that indicate the vast majority of members on DRN are off-road riders.
We've also run polls (2-4 stroke) that indicate the majority own/ride/prefer 2 strokes. ( link to 2-4t poll: http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=86916 )
Considering the time constraint and the large amount of work required to secure everything we will have to set some selection limits.

First, the bike; Service Honda has stepped-up and offered to supply one of the following;
1) 2006 CR500AF
2) 2006 CF500 AFX

If we do off road, which seems to be the right choice for this forum, the AFX would ROCK (here's a link to the bike: http://www.servicehonda.com/06_500AFX.html ) We can go either way, MX or off-road, it's your call. Thinking this thru, sure seems like there are a lot more cool things that was can do to a off-road bike tho? And a bike like the AFX to start with? How cool is that? An AFX and an "unlimited" budget?

We'll ask for a parts list... put up some polls and discuss the bike here.

Keep in mind.. this a NOT a Shoot Out ... it's not a competition to determine "which board is better", it's simply a build to see what we come-up with. I'm sure everyone involved will come-up with a unique entry that will represent well and stand on it's own.

Do give this thing some thought, but not too much! We've got to have the bike in SoCal by April 2. Of THIS year!!!
 

wanaride

~SPONSOR~
Jul 18, 2003
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Wow, it's cool that Service Honda is donating the bike, but is this really the best choice for an all-around off-road machine? (Of course, "off-road" is a pretty wide open topic.) I don't want to get in a pissing contest about brands, but unless you are in the desert or maybe a WORCS race, I don't think the 500AF is a good choice. I haven't ridden one so maybe I'm dead wrong, but I can imagine a 500cc 2T would be a handful in tight, rocky, root infested rutted trails, even with a massive FWW.

Of course, considering the timeframe and the infinite range of opinion, maybe you should just hop up the 500AF and call it good?
 

Okiewan

Admin
Dec 31, 1969
29,555
2,237
Texas
There are a lot of off-road'ers that aren't in the east coast that would disagree with that :) I wish there were time for everyone to get a ride on an AFX. Also keep in mind where the bike will be tested... in SoCal. AS far as what we're starting with... logisticly there's no way want to tackle sourcing a "XXX" bike in the time given. Besides... how exciting is a production bike with a catalog thrown at it?

Next big issue? Who's in charge of all the wrenching, shipping, etc? We basically have one choice in managing the project, we are just very luckly that the one choice also happens to be the best... by far.

The only thing about the type of bike is... we are supposed to supply a bike that best fits the site, so that kinda determines it will be an off-road weapon.

Every site involved will be dealing with these same issues... not enough time, in fact we were very close to declining, based on time alone. Should this go well for the magazine and everyone involved, they are saying it will be a yearly thing and we'll be given 6 months or more to handle it. For this one, we need to determine what's reasonable, work within those contraints and knock it out!

Keep the thoughts coming!
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
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wanaride said:
. . . unless you are in the desert or maybe a WORCS race, I don't think the 500AF is a good choice. I haven't ridden one so maybe I'm dead wrong, but I can imagine a 500cc 2T would be a handful in tight, rocky, root infested rutted trails, even with a massive FWW.

Of course, considering the timeframe and the infinite range of opinion, maybe you should just hop up the 500AF and call it good?
that's the idea. Time Frame is the killer. Why not start with a good base. Plus, where this bike will be tested (California) it will be more of a WORCS type situation.

Maybe this could become an annual event, with longer lead time in the future, and other cool ideas could come up.
 

truespode

Moderator / Wheelie King
Jun 30, 1999
7,978
249
My only concern about an off-road 500 AFX is whether it will be green sticker and the sound.

I like the idea of the 500AFX because the majority of off-road areas they are likely to test will not include tight single track... then again I could be wrong.

Ivan
 

Papakeith

COTT Champ Emeritus
Damn Yankees
Aug 31, 2000
6,695
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RI
OK, here's my rambling
I've riden cr500s with MX Tech suspenders for couple of years in the woods. While I agree the 500 can be a handful in the Jersey "ignorant tight" type woods, in general for fire trails, most single track, and most all other off road situations the steel framed 500s rocked. That being said, they did need to be massaged to work in the woods at all. Namely a really heavy FWW. Ad in a wide ratio transmission and you were set. (I never bothered with the trans). You won't find a hill that 500 can't tame.

Then there is Service Honda's 500 AFX which is head and shoulders above any 500 I've ever taken into the woods. Service Honda's AFX has the lighting already added on, which should cover any needed flywheel effect. Add in the MX-Tech suspension and a EGorr modded head and you already have a winner. That's not even counting all of the other bolt on goodies to make it woods ready.

I rode the AF back in 01 and it was soooooo smooth. I imagine that in 5 years time AJ has tweaked the machine to new levels.
I've got no problems standing behind a AFX as a woods/offroad machine.
 

Tony Eeds

Godspeed Tony.
N. Texas SP
Jun 9, 2002
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Okiewan said:
Another thought...
This thing will obviously create some competition between the various boards ...
PLEASE do NOT turn this into something less than what it's intended to be. Some board bashing is sure to follow, we aren't going to be a part of it. Cool?

I totally agree that there should not be board bashing. In a way this is not so much a competition between boards as much as it is a reflection of what the board's focus is.

KTMTalk will start with a KTM
Thumpertalk will start with a 4 stroke

What is DRN?

In my opinion, DRN is primarily a 2 stroke forum and for the most part we ride off road, not on tracks.

Build the bike that represents the members!

The bike will be tested for the purpose it was intended. MX bikes on MX tracks and trail bikes on the trails. Don't try and out think us on where we are going to test. We promise to get the bike in its element.

As far as bike choices, my hat is off to Service Honda for stepping up with two great choices. Although I could go with either, I like the AFX idea. That is one really sweet machine and I would love to wring it out off road sometime.

Since it has a light, I assume it has a battery. What about including a tag for DS work and perhaps a state of the art GPS system wired in? Make it convertable. An AFX prepared for the woods would still be more bike than many of us need on a MX track.
 

bsmith

Wise master of the mistic
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Jun 28, 2001
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500AFX, MXteched, Gore big bored, Extra Large Desert Tank, Hand Guards, Baja light kit, Billet shark fins, Carbon Fiber skid plate, exhuast guards, and Maxxis tires!

Don't forget the Dirt Rider.net fender stickers :cool:

How about some American flag type Graphics? and Jaybird Chain!
 
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AJ Waggoner

Crash Test Dummy
Nov 5, 1999
4,368
34
FYI - just to clarify some concerns..and add a bit of info..

The AFX is green sticker elgible in Cali
and it comes stock with either
a FMF Q ,
or Pro Circuit 296 silencer
so meets both the forrestry spark arrester and sound standards.
(also come stock with a heavier flywheel weight)
and the 120 watts of lighting.
(Tony, yeap, it carries the Battery of the 250X)

all those things are already standard in stock trim ,
but of course you can add more flywheel weight if need be, as well as address many other things?
desert tanks and such are readily availible,
(personally i'd opt for the rekluse auto clutch also,
as they just KILL in off road situations)


for a little background the the model-
8 out of 10 of the CR500AF's over the last 9 model years
end in the tight canyons/trials , and the deserts of the west / cali.

The vast majority of AFs end up in riding places like Calis, clear creek, jawbone, or Gorman where Dirt Rider mag often tests.

As a new model to be a supplemebnt to the AF,
the AFX was built with our customer base in mind..
specifically for the tight /trail/ canyon riding of the west and cali ,
as well as the open desert and dunes ,as well as be a good mid west/eastern woods peerformer.

but the MAIN thought behind it was
just to be a great all around "off road" bike,
if you were limited to only one bike for every general riding situation,
for desert /woods/canyon/dunes or track.
*shrugs*
 

XRpredator

AssClown SuperPowers
Damn Yankees
Aug 2, 2000
13,510
19
Tony Eeds said:
Since it has a light, I assume it has a battery. What about including a tag for DS work and perhaps a state of the art GPS system wired in? Make it convertable. An AFX prepared for the woods would still be more bike than many of us need on a MX track.
Convertible, I like that! Supermoto wheels and a plate would make that sucker rock. Might not necessarily be legal in CA, but it for sure would sneak through in Idaho, maybe even TX

AJ, is it E-start? (not that it would need to be, but that'd be a neat feature)
 

AJ Waggoner

Crash Test Dummy
Nov 5, 1999
4,368
34
legal to plate it here pred, for sure!
i had one (it was stolen)

but recently cali has gotten extreemly strange on licensing SM's or dual sports,
basically has just decided not to do it anymore,
so that would be very veery challenging to get a cali plate.( a year aho you could have)

however if it is registeered and has a valid indiana plate,
i'm fairly certain it is absolutely legal to ride the street of cali on it. ;)


ahh and no E- button, sorry..
 

MrLuckey

Fire Marshall Ed
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As a SoCa rider, I can't imagine a better 2 stroke to start with than the AFX. Depending on where they test some grip heaters might really make the tester grin even more. Definitely going to want a steering stabilizer also.

Very cool.
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
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Dec 26, 1999
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I think for those that are concerned about a 500 being too much bike for tight stuff perhaps consider that even a 125 could be too much depending on how far you twist the throttle and what gear you pick. :)

Anyway...
HUGE kudos to Service Honda for offering up a hand built gem. Getting to pick between two of them is even more cool! My choice would be an AFX hands down. It has too much going for it as an overall package.
 

MrLuckey

Fire Marshall Ed
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AJ Waggoner said:
but recently cali has gotten extreemly strange on licensing SM's or dual sports,
basically has just decided not to do it anymore,

FYI I had a discussion about a month ago with Elk about plating my bike and I am in the process of doing just that. He didn't make it sound too awfully tough. If you can get a green sticker it shouldn't take much more to get a plate.
 

AJ Waggoner

Crash Test Dummy
Nov 5, 1999
4,368
34
Eddie, we have a lot of cali customers going thru it..
and before it wasnt a big deal..seems to be of late.
Not sure why, now, they are having the issues but thats what our Cali customers are reelating to us as far as a "plate" (on any dual sport or that style bike)

heck Cali customers are having issues just off road registering a CRF450X !!
if the silly OEM sticker is pealed off the rear fender!
and we are putting flyers in our shipped bikes to NOT remove this OEM sticker (that everyone typicaly peals the first day.)
*shrugs*
 

JWW

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Apr 13, 2000
2,529
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500AFX....very nice choice

Rekluse and a Scott's for sure :cool:

Dont forget axle pulls and adjuster blocks.
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
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Dec 26, 1999
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OK this is getting too good!
If this were MY ultimate CR500AFX....
Rekluse auto clutch (manual over ride maybe?)
FMF exhaust.
Eric Gorr porting.
MX Tech suspension.
E-Line CF pipe guard.
E-Line CF skid plate (if one exists otherwise I'm pretty open).
Faast Flexx bars.
Cycra Pro Bend guards with triple clamp mounts to the bars can flex(x).
Pirelli tires.
HID lighting.
Steering damper of some kind.
Dirt Bike Gear bag.
SH disc guard.
SH ignition cover.
B? O2 filters.
Pivot Pegz.
ARC/ASV levers (I like to adjust the reach not so much for the unbreakable...ness)
 

DWreck

~SPONSOR~
Apr 14, 2002
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I love the choice on bikes. Straight out of Service Honda it would make anyones heart race!
MX-Tech the suspension
EE Hand guards
Rekluse clutch
Scott's steering damper
Scott's rear disc guard
Pro Circuit or FMF spark arrestor

Maybe list:
Carbon fiber pipe guard
Black rims- Hey they look cool.

No one will accuse it of being down on power.

I guess the only thing to really look out for is make sure you don't throw so many goodies on it that it turns into an overweight pig.
 

rickyd

Hot Sauce
Oct 28, 2001
3,447
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Would it be a good idea too run a trials type rear tire on the bike?? Anybody in SoCal know where the test area??

Hydraulic clutch??
 
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