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Extremely vintage dirtbike for sale

spectras only

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My dad has one sitting on the side of his house. We talked about restoring it, but decided against it because someone would have to kick that pig to ride it.
The trick to kick start most long stroke vintage bikes is, roll the bike backwards in gear to bring the piston up to past TDC. My 58 Matchless G80 has decompressor lever to roll piston past TDC, usually starts first kick. In 31 yrs owning it, first time it kicked back put my ankle out of use and had to get crutches to walk for two weeks ,lol.

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wallnutz

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My brother had a ‘86 KTM 500, it was a pretty bad ass bike after he did a few upgrades, but it was never a CR.
 

endobear

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I used to have a KTM 540. 92 I think.. Being a left side kicker made it tricky to start. Thing was a blast though. I could turn faster laps on that than my 2000 cr500.
 

Flying_Lavey

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I dont' know about the Kawi being untouchable in the desert. My WR 500 Husky from that same era had no problem keeping up with them.
If the Husky stayed together long enough. lol! My dad had a '85 (?) 500 Husky with the left side kick and everything. It was nowhere near as reliable as the Jap bikes.
 

Rajobigguy

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If the Husky stayed together long enough. lol! My dad had a '85 (?) 500 Husky with the left side kick and everything. It was nowhere near as reliable as the Jap bikes.
Never once did it leave me stranded and I personally feel that it was much more stable at triple digit speeds than it's Asian counterparts. It lacked the brutal hit that a CR 500 Honda had but had a much flatter torque curve and would pull hard from idle all the way to redline.
 

nowski

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My first two dirt bikes were 125 and 350 Bultaco Pursangs. Speaking of hard to start at something like a 12 -1 compression ratio the kick backs were the real deal...
 

coolchange

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68922B7B-9A93-4814-BD75-FC51A7640028.jpeg

I had one of these for a while. So rare if I went to the dealer for a part they would tell me there was no such thing as a F12. It was so brutal it was probably the only bike I ever rode that I was afraid of. I would not bet against it in a drag race with a cr500. Scaled in at 212 lbs. Brad Lackey won the world moto cross championships or what ever they called it back then. He said it was so fast he figured they would out law them. They became KX450. I had serial number 00003.
 

manxman

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wow!! This brings back memories
I learned to ride on an XR75 mono shock race bike. Were did you find that bike? I sold mine at a swap meet in the 80's and regret it so much.
I restored a stock 1978 xr a few years ago and am working on a 77 know. No were near as nice as yours, but still pretty cool.
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1978 honda xr75 007 (Large).jpg
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mash on it

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My 630cc XR 600R is enough for this old guy to kick. (Drives the CJ more often)

Dan'l
 

OCMerrill

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I got lazy kickstarting a yz490 once. Broke a bone in my foot when it kicked back

I had a YZ 465 for a couple years before I bought that CR500. If you didn't kick the 465 hard enough it would fire and run backwards.

No big deal until you let out the clutch.
 

Flying_Lavey

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Never once did it leave me stranded and I personally feel that it was much more stable at triple digit speeds than it's Asian counterparts. It lacked the brutal hit that a CR 500 Honda had but had a much flatter torque curve and would pull hard from idle all the way to redline.
Nice! We had several friends that had Huskys and many had the same issues as my dad's. Strong bikes though. My dad had the CR version of yours. His had a reputation of being a tractor. He still preferred the KX over the Husky though.
 

coolchange

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Had on e too, with mine if you were not at the top of stroke with the kick lever , no chance in hell. My rule for riding my 500 was if you can start it ,you can ride it.
And no joke ,had a skinny teen asked to ride it with slip on vans , me and all my buddies were in amazement as he fired it on the first kick and the rest od the afternoon. DAMM
Used to have that rule too. People always wanted to ride my triumph. Scared them off with the start it you can ride it rule. Truth was if you knew what you were doing it is a 1 kick bike.
 

OCMerrill

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I used to have a KTM 540. 92 I think.. Being a left side kicker made it tricky to start. Thing was a blast though. I could turn faster laps on that than my 2000 cr500.

I bought a 95 KTM 550 brand new, purple seat and all. Only had it like a short year. It did not like Glamis (overheated) which was what I bought it for. They were a hard find so I don't remember getting stung dollar wise to bad. I still have the purple riding pants in some box LMAO.
 

OCMerrill

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Nice! We had several friends that had Huskys and many had the same issues as my dad's. Strong bikes though. My dad had the CR version of yours. His had a reputation of being a tractor. He still preferred the KX over the Husky though.

Your KX500 had a powervalve. Set up right those motors were nearly the easiest to ride out of any BB 2 Stroke. Total linear power and allot of it. Faster than a CR500 with a good rider.
 

Flying_Lavey

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Your KX500 had a powervalve. Set up right those motors were nearly the easiest to ride out of any BB 2 Stroke. Total linear power and allot of it. Faster than a CR500 with a good rider.
Oh I know. That's why its still in my garage. lol! I went up 1 tooth on the counter shaft sprocket to give it a little more bottom end and a little less clutch slipping required and it will pull your arms off and still run up to about 90+ with it set up that way.
 

OCMerrill

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Oh I know. That's why its still in my garage. lol! I went up 1 tooth on the counter shaft sprocket to give it a little more bottom end and a little less clutch slipping required and it will pull your arms off and still run up to about 90+ with it set up that way.

And you still have it....I call that a win in its self. I have ridden many and they work well in the sand and don't overheat.
 

Duffster

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wow!! This brings back memories
I learned to ride on an XR75 mono shock race bike. Were did you find that bike? I sold mine at a swap meet in the 80's and regret it so much.
I restored a stock 1978 xr a few years ago and am working on a 77 know. No were near as nice as yours, but still pretty cool.
View attachment 1049663 View attachment 1049664 View attachment 1049665

I acquired the 74 DG frame and swingarm a few years ago and I only know of a few still out there so they have become very hard to find unicorns. I have just about everything including a fresh built 4-speed K1 motor and will hopefully get back at it this winter.
 

chevy

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My kid won the 2018 W.O.R.C.S. Series on his 84 CR250 tough series to keep a vintage bike together for hour long races but something neither one of us will ever forget
 

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Flying_Lavey

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My kid won the 2018 W.O.R.C.S. Series on his 84 CR250 tough series to keep a vintage bike together for hour long races but something neither one of us will ever forget
I had a '85 or '86 (last year of the rear drum). It was faster than most newer 250's. That was a fun bike. Still wish I had it.
 

Rajobigguy

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Oh I know. That's why its still in my garage. lol! I went up 1 tooth on the counter shaft sprocket to give it a little more bottom end and a little less clutch slipping required and it will pull your arms off and still run up to about 90+ with it set up that way.
I think you mean that you went down one on the counter shaft to give more bottom end , right?
 

Flying_Lavey

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I think you mean that you went down one on the counter shaft to give more bottom end , right?
Yes. I'm sorry. I was forgetting my peculiar sand set-up and how it all worked (I have to add 1 link and go up 1 counter shaft tooth to fit my 10 paddle tire).

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 

RCDave

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I had a '85 or '86 (last year of the rear drum). It was faster than most newer 250's. That was a fun bike. Still wish I had it.
My friend had an 85 and my. Yz250.. they ripped! Faster than a recent 250 I rode
 

bonesfab

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I used to have a Quadzilla. Never could start that thing. I have a CA plated Kx500 sitting in the collection now. It has a little compression release valve on the head to make it not so much of a bitch to start.
 

j21black

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I found a nice KX500 for sale the other day - If I didn't already have money set aside earmarked for the kids new KX112, I would have been all over it.
 

ArizonaKevin

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I found a nice KX500 for sale the other day - If I didn't already have money set aside earmarked for the kids new KX112, I would have been all over it.

What are the details on the K5? I really shouldn't because I don't have room, but I have always wanted one.
 

Ladsm

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TDC is your best friend on a CR500!
Lean the bike to the left till fuel spills out the overflow tube to prime the carb, slowly kick thru once to get fuel in the cylinder and then TDC and KICK it hard all the way through. Starts every time.
 

j21black

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What are the details on the K5? I really shouldn't because I don't have room, but I have always wanted one.

I have to go and search it out - Showed up on facebook market place. I'd bet it is gone by now.
 

manxman

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I acquired the 74 DG frame and swingarm a few years ago and I only know of a few still out there so they have become very hard to find unicorns. I have just about everything including a fresh built 4-speed K1 motor and will hopefully get back at it this winter.

If you ever think about selling it, Let me know, I would love to have one of those. I'm pretty sure mine was a 74 as well. It was a DG frame , but I had the supertrapp exhaust. I need to dig up some pictures.
 
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