CX500 Takes On SLMC Harescramble Course

Shakedown testing the CX500 on the 2019 SLMC Race 3 course. For a big heavy street bike it did great, but I really need to soften up those rear shocks. Much bouncier than it needs to be. Honestly, it did much better than I was expecting. Check out the build thread over on the cx500 forums for more details.
~18:45 average lap time on my FC450
22:09 lap time on the CX

[@deborahchesser7375]

I still can’t get over what a beast that is. Makes a TT500 seem like a scooter

[@AjackLee4]

Sounds FANTASTIC

[@MrFastBenson]

I ride mine with street tires in the off road all the time on fields and the easy trails a little, but wow that was a real trail, damned cool. I've modified the rear wheel size to change the gearing(18inch rear wheel to get taller gearing) you'd have to look into a gear from a CX400, might be lower?(I don't know). Great video, really enjoyed it. My trail bike is a KX500, modified for the woods. My CX has bags on it, but I tucked them closer to the bike, I also have 18 inch front wheel on my CX for better street performance. I have other street bikes, and have owned a lot of fast sexy ones, Triumphs, BMWs, Yamahas and Suzukis, but the CX500 is a special bike for me. Cops treat me a lot nicer on it that my fast bikes. It also keeps me riding slower and no tickets, and cops tend to be easier on me too, than my 130hp Triumph. The CX500 is fun bellow 70mph and no fun over 70mph, a 130hp bike isn't fun until over 70mph, so speeding tickets are the norm. I've put 50,000 miles on my CX in the last eight years.

[@gearheadE30]

Glad you liked it! Honestly, the stock gearing is fine for trail stuff. The clutch is just rather small on the CX, so I was doing my best to be careful not to abuse it. It is definitely a blast to be able to rip around and still be going more or less legal speeds, and its a surprisingly fun engine to wring out. I have not put a lot more miles on mine since it has been cold and wintry, but everything I've read tells me they are quite durable. I'll definitely be keeping this one around for a while.

[@AjackLee4]

Only thing I'd want is a high fender like a dirt bike. God that thing is badass!

[@zip1233]

Were you the one riding this during the buffalo 500?

[@gearheadE30]

Yep, that was me!

[@BrapBang]

Snowmobile shocks??? Shaft drive! lol I'd be interested to see a video about parts/pieces/building the bike. Thinking about doing something similar on a XS650. Super cool dual sport!

[@gearheadE30]

Yep it's a bit of an amalgam of a few different vehicles. Parts from Polaris, Suzuki, Kawasaki, KTM, Harley Davidson, and Honda! I will eventually do an in depth video of what the build is, but didn't make a video along the way as I only had about a month and a half to get it done.

[@claybue6846]

What your saying is it does pretty well off road if you are a man lol. You made it look easy.

[@guytdi321]

What are the front forks off?

[@gearheadE30]

They are 1998 RM250 forks - closed chamber 49mm.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@gearheadE30 how about a TT600 frame with a Banshee motor ? I can’t wait to see the next creation

[@gearheadE30]

@@deborahchesser7375 That would be pretty nuts! The next build is a bit more sedate - building up a new (to me) dirt-focused KTM 990 since the 950 is pretty worn out.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@gearheadE30 cool, we are looking forward to a glimpse of that monster

[@deborahchesser7375]

What if you used a dirt bike frame ?

[@gearheadE30]

It would be really hard to fit that engine (or any twin cylinder engine, really) into a dirt bike frame. They are all designed for a narrow, compact single cylinder, so I would have ended up chopping up so much of the frame there wouldn't have been much left of it. At least with the CX backbone frame, everything between the forks and the swing arm bolts up still.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@gearheadE30 I guess that’s true, and the shaft drive doesn’t make it any easier to modify either. She’s a beast

[@gearheadE30]

@@deborahchesser7375 Yeah, definitely true. Honda themselves actually experimented with shaft drive off road with the oft-maligned XLV750 and they figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't the best idea. Only BMW has really stuck with it, and even then not for true off road work. It's a lot of unsprung weight, and the smoothness on pavement isn't worth the parasitic loss off road, where any smoothness impact won't be noticed. This bike is 411 lbs wet on the scales, by the way.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@gearheadE30 she’s not fat, she’s just big boned. Plus with shaft drive you get jacking, where they stand up in corners under throttle because the pinion tries to climb the ring gear. I would love to build some more stuff myself. What’s your opinion on a 125-250 Moto X chassis with a 670 industrial V twin for power ? Automatic with 12” of wheel travel. Probably sell like crazy.

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@gearheadE30 you still riding the beast ?

[@andrewenglish5136]

What size tires did you use to fit the stock rims

[@gearheadE30]

The front is a 110/80-90 and the rear is a 130/90-17. The rear wheel uses a gold wing rim and spokes with the CX hub to get a 17" wheel.

[@andrewenglish5136]

@@gearheadE30 is the front rim the stock rim?

[@gearheadE30]

@@andrewenglish5136 yes it is.

[@andrewenglish5136]

@@gearheadE30 thanks so much i have been struggling with this one. Last question do you know if a 120/90-18 would fit the stock rear rim correctly?

[@gearheadE30]

​@@andrewenglish5136 I think that's actually the metric equivalent of the stock size on the early bikes, so yes it should be fine. A 130 should also fit but may get pretty close to the pinch weld on the swing arm. That's the main limiting factor. While you can run a 110-width tire, I tend to prefer how a wider tire feels and looks. Personal preference, and depends on what you're doing with it. Tire size is not as specific to rim size as the internet sometimes says.