I just got a super-zoot, jazzy new Service Honda CR500AF, and a lot of guys seem interested in the bike - so I thought I'd pop in a few notes. Sorry if this seems long...
My bike is set up with RG3 clamps, Universal bars, billet engine covers, MX Tech suspension (with hydraulic bottoming cones), and ERT chain. All else is stock.
Comparisons are to my '02 KTM 250SX with SXS forks, Emig 18mm clamps (rubber mounts), Factory Connection shock, and Doma pipe. I rode the CR500AF in the woods for a while this weekend, then for an hour or so at a very hot, very dry, very hard, very dusty Texas track. Not the greatest of 500 conditions for sure.
First things first - yes, it's really fast. REALLY fast - even compared to my KTM, which, for a 250, is a rocket. Power is strong on bottom, magnum strong in the middle, and fades a little on top (top being probably 6500 rpm - this ain't no 125 motor). But it's really the easiest-to-ride fast bike I've ever had - the power just comes in direct proportion to throttle opening. It definitely isn't "scary fast", just plain fast. Much easier to control than my KTM.
Handling is superb - considering it was skating around a lot primarily due to track conditions. I took the inside on almost every corner and the bike slid some (as you'd expect with the track conditions), but was very manageable. On straights and sweepers, it was superb - stable and light feeling at the same time. There was a straightaway under some trees that wasn't so dry, and the bike was an absolute blast down there. I felt sorry for anybody who was behind that beast going through there - but if they were'nt on a really fast bike they wouldn't stay close enough to suffer for long.
Suspension was supple, but maybe a little stiff in front - I have the clickers turned pretty far in, plus they might be a little stiff because they're new. I never bottomed the front, even when I screwed up and shorted a double. The rear was fantastic just like MX Tech has it set up. I never even changed the sag or checked where the clickers were - just rode the bike. Overall, the suspension is a quantum leap ahead of my KTM, and my KTM has had some serious suspension work done on it.
The bike naturally seems to jump with the right attitude, unlike my KTM which seems to jump front-high unless I work at keeping it down - then sometimes it tries to endo. The CR is just so much better balanced overall that it's much more confidence inspiring.
Brakes are just OK - the rear in particular just isn't very powerful. That's one area my KTM shines in. Also, I like the fact that I can adjust my pedal height and travel independently on the Katoom, but on the Honda all I can do is adjust the pedal position. One point to KTM. The front brake on the Honda is nearly as good as the KTM, though, and that's really the only one I use hard most of the time.
Some people think the CR500AF vibrates too much. Other than a little rattling of the clutch lever and radiator guards, I didn't really notice it (note RG3 clamps may have something to do with that). I feel it in the pegs riding through the pits, but didn't notice it on the track. The bike was certainly no more tiring to ride than the KTM (and it was 100 degrees in the shade today - and there wasn't any shade). I could easily ride the bike on the track for 20 minutes (not really going fast, but still, it was a hot day). Speaking of heat, I thought I smelled antifreeze once, but didn't see anything coming from the overflow and the radiators only lost a little fluid. Don't know what that's about, but I'm not worried about it. Like I said, it was HOT!
Odd notes - the stock tires don't seem too good - I'm used to D756's and nothing else feels quite right. That shouldn't be a real problem, because the bike absolutely shreds rear tires. I have less than 2 hours on the bike, and the rear needs to be reversed already. It was fun riding laps, because I could see the serious track damage the bike did - dirt thrown everywhere. But I'm gonna pay for new rubber in a hurry. The clutch is kinda weird - you have to pull it all the way to the bar to get it to fully disengage, but you can slip it with just a normal amount of travel. BTW, use discretion slipping the clutch in turns, esp if the ground is hard. Easy on the throttle or you'll pay. The CR feels a little wider than my KTM, and seems to sit lower although they look about the same. The bike also seems a little harder to grip with my knees, but I'm not sure why. Maybe the aluminum frame is a little slicker, or maybe it's my imagination, I don't know.
Overall, the bike exceeded even my sky-high expectations, and doesn't have to go over 6,000 RPM to do it. It's the best, most fun MX bike I ever had, and that goes all the way back to a Rickman Zundapp in 1971. It's not for sale - at any price.
My bike is set up with RG3 clamps, Universal bars, billet engine covers, MX Tech suspension (with hydraulic bottoming cones), and ERT chain. All else is stock.
Comparisons are to my '02 KTM 250SX with SXS forks, Emig 18mm clamps (rubber mounts), Factory Connection shock, and Doma pipe. I rode the CR500AF in the woods for a while this weekend, then for an hour or so at a very hot, very dry, very hard, very dusty Texas track. Not the greatest of 500 conditions for sure.
First things first - yes, it's really fast. REALLY fast - even compared to my KTM, which, for a 250, is a rocket. Power is strong on bottom, magnum strong in the middle, and fades a little on top (top being probably 6500 rpm - this ain't no 125 motor). But it's really the easiest-to-ride fast bike I've ever had - the power just comes in direct proportion to throttle opening. It definitely isn't "scary fast", just plain fast. Much easier to control than my KTM.
Handling is superb - considering it was skating around a lot primarily due to track conditions. I took the inside on almost every corner and the bike slid some (as you'd expect with the track conditions), but was very manageable. On straights and sweepers, it was superb - stable and light feeling at the same time. There was a straightaway under some trees that wasn't so dry, and the bike was an absolute blast down there. I felt sorry for anybody who was behind that beast going through there - but if they were'nt on a really fast bike they wouldn't stay close enough to suffer for long.
Suspension was supple, but maybe a little stiff in front - I have the clickers turned pretty far in, plus they might be a little stiff because they're new. I never bottomed the front, even when I screwed up and shorted a double. The rear was fantastic just like MX Tech has it set up. I never even changed the sag or checked where the clickers were - just rode the bike. Overall, the suspension is a quantum leap ahead of my KTM, and my KTM has had some serious suspension work done on it.
The bike naturally seems to jump with the right attitude, unlike my KTM which seems to jump front-high unless I work at keeping it down - then sometimes it tries to endo. The CR is just so much better balanced overall that it's much more confidence inspiring.
Brakes are just OK - the rear in particular just isn't very powerful. That's one area my KTM shines in. Also, I like the fact that I can adjust my pedal height and travel independently on the Katoom, but on the Honda all I can do is adjust the pedal position. One point to KTM. The front brake on the Honda is nearly as good as the KTM, though, and that's really the only one I use hard most of the time.
Some people think the CR500AF vibrates too much. Other than a little rattling of the clutch lever and radiator guards, I didn't really notice it (note RG3 clamps may have something to do with that). I feel it in the pegs riding through the pits, but didn't notice it on the track. The bike was certainly no more tiring to ride than the KTM (and it was 100 degrees in the shade today - and there wasn't any shade). I could easily ride the bike on the track for 20 minutes (not really going fast, but still, it was a hot day). Speaking of heat, I thought I smelled antifreeze once, but didn't see anything coming from the overflow and the radiators only lost a little fluid. Don't know what that's about, but I'm not worried about it. Like I said, it was HOT!
Odd notes - the stock tires don't seem too good - I'm used to D756's and nothing else feels quite right. That shouldn't be a real problem, because the bike absolutely shreds rear tires. I have less than 2 hours on the bike, and the rear needs to be reversed already. It was fun riding laps, because I could see the serious track damage the bike did - dirt thrown everywhere. But I'm gonna pay for new rubber in a hurry. The clutch is kinda weird - you have to pull it all the way to the bar to get it to fully disengage, but you can slip it with just a normal amount of travel. BTW, use discretion slipping the clutch in turns, esp if the ground is hard. Easy on the throttle or you'll pay. The CR feels a little wider than my KTM, and seems to sit lower although they look about the same. The bike also seems a little harder to grip with my knees, but I'm not sure why. Maybe the aluminum frame is a little slicker, or maybe it's my imagination, I don't know.
Overall, the bike exceeded even my sky-high expectations, and doesn't have to go over 6,000 RPM to do it. It's the best, most fun MX bike I ever had, and that goes all the way back to a Rickman Zundapp in 1971. It's not for sale - at any price.
