Ignore the 'haters' this is an awesome bike and you've done a great job restoring it. Anyone bad mouthing it quite obviously has never ridden any of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s 500cc two strokes. They were all weapons, barking mad power with mind blowing acceleration. I have owned and raced various 2 stroke off road bikes over the last 30 years including the Maicos 400, 440 and a couple 490's, several Honda CR500's, YZ and IT 490s, KX500's, a rare KTM550 and a Husqvarna CR500. All of these bikes are dangerously fast compared to modern 4 strokes but take real muscle to ride properly. Sadly politically motivated green issues (and possibly the Japanese Motorcycle industry wanting to sell a more expensive complicated bike with many more expensive moving parts) killed off the large 2 stroke race bikes both on and off road and now the smaller 2 strokes are on their way out too :(
This Martin Allen freak goes around by concluding that everybody he talkes to is a "nut case". People who know a bit about this subject will knoe exactly who the nutter is. How about a real argument?
bill coop Please bring them, some of the members are close personal friends and used to work with me on the doors. I will be pleased to let them know you are using their name and reputation to threaten people on the internet. They love that.
I was browsing eBay, and I noticed an ad for a decent a WR500. I had 13 hours to go before making a [winning] bid. It was in good shape, not immaculate, but well looked after. Your video gave me the incentive to purchase this bike, because we are probably in same age/weight group [any excuse to justify my purchase]. Thank you for the upload. Just in case your wondering, the winning bid was $1575USD. Best of luck, from North Dakota.
Thanks to everyone for there positive comments. I do enjoy this bike, not to many about. Since this video was shot, I have replaced the decals with the correct type. New bars and rec rego. Boy is it a hoot on gravel bush roads. Cheers all.
+ArK Shotz Says the person with no riding vids on his channel just video gaming vids, besides this guy just rebuilt this beauty he's not going to destroy it first time and he also he has no riding gear on either.
sounds brilliant your bike, Would you be able to let me know what the compression reading is that's if you have a gauge of course! My Wr seems quite low 72psi cold and its on a fresh new rebore and piston / rings
I feel like I won a years worth of ice cream. I picked up the bike. It had almost everything; it had the air scoop, new plastic, except the tank(obviously no decals), and no sidestand. It was a project bike that I believe the previous owner felt he had other priorities to attend to. Thanks again Rob, I will be on the forum.
Thanks Cliff C, a few things have changed since this video. New decals that are model correct, new handle bars , new chain and sprockets, new brake pads, new piston and rings , new head work---------it doesn't ping , it just goes, boy does it go. I said then I love it, well now it's even better.
Nice looking (and sounding) WR500, I raced YZ490's for years and I really miss that sound. I ended-up with a nice 2003 KX500 but only because Yamaha stopped putting money into the YZ's and quit producing them. Thanks for the flashback!!
I know this is an old video, but that's a really nice bike. How I've got the stickers to actually stay is, you get a really small gasket makers punch, and on the back of the sticker mark a grid pattern about 1/2 square, and go to punching where the lines cross, use a piece of news paper on a block of metal to get really clean punches. Wood wont work, it bunches the sticker up.
Great looking machine and the grass looks like cow heaven. I had a YZ465 way back in time on the road registered .It had two speeds, slow and Oh my god, Power band was instant all or nothing.
People that hate this bike obviously are 'Scared' of it...Hell, I'm 11 stone and once owned a KX500, man it was like a runaway horse...500 two-strokes are mean..twist the throttle and die...Ha..great bike, well done.
I use to race that exact bike in the desert ..with the Sage Riders in Utah. Those were the days man..nothing like a 2 stroke.. the power they had was un believable those and the CR500 Honda and a KX 500 were amazing power today if you were to ride a 500 two stroke compared to the 4 strokes today it would surprise you the extreme power
65hp stock with probably more than 50 ft pounds of torque, with an rpm range that signs off at 6500 rpm, i could only imagine the violent abrupt acceleration those bikes have.
i know a bloke in Oz that has 1 of these in his shed.He hardly ever rides,its in good condition but never been restored.Its exactly the same model as in this vid.Sounds same too and has that tiny back sprocket that makes 1st gear really high.For 1992 they had it all....USD front forks....disc front n rear.....best suspension for its time and they still look good,if they made them now with electic start they would sell...
Nice job on the restoration. I didn't know that it came in a 500cc. I even love that colour scheme! I wish they would do that with the new WR'S differentiate it from the motocross YZ'S. Take care of it , thats a rare bird.
What a bike!+ Sound!!! 2 strokes 4 ever!!..reminds me of when i was younger my friends had, IT yamahas, + PE/250s ..i dont think the wr500 came to the uk/but the 250 did!...Dont sell it (wr500) just keep it !a piece of history!...
Thanks mathius, I have since joined a forum and have read about the head mod you mention , this bike still has the original piston and rings, the head has never been removed, perhaps when its time I will look at it then. In fact the bike is so original it still has the same air in the front tyre from new. Cheers .
There goes the lawn. Had one of these years ago and it was the most fun you could have with your pants on. Sure there's better handling and more manageable bikes out there now, but these things give serious grin factor. Ride what you like and like what you ride I say.
That looks scary fast... In other words - it looks awesome! You'd better radio the local airport control tower for a visibility report before you try and use full throttle in top gear!
What a beautiful resto,i raced in the 80s and early 90s,started on a 1984 CR125 then on to a 1987 CR250 then into the 90s on the green KX250,man I rode a few 500s ,Im 6.1 87 kg wet and all of those 500s on the pipe in a moto were way outa my pay grade and talent and comfort level and was happy to hand them back to the owner after a moto lol just trying to keep them pointed at the next jump then coming out of corners in 2nd then third jump fuck corner second 1st ,would be a blast up the beach in the dunes tho ,Ill stick to my 2001 KX 250 thanks lol
Just bought my 500 and I love it 😎 haven’t rode a 500 since I was 19 and this bike kinda scared me compared to my 96 WR250. Awesome bike. These guys are funny in the comments. I sold my 04 KX 500 after 30hrs cause I was on the throttle the whole time. I didn’t wanna hurt myself now I’m about 36 and I’m scared shitless of this WR500
Hi DeeperDarkest, in early December I took my WR500 and another more modern bike to our local club day . One of our members is a farmer and he set out a track of about 4ks on his property, very challenging at times but great fun. The WR was quite the star, so many 4ts, and no more air cooled bikes about, lots of people very interested. Bottom line is old 500s are a lot harder to ride than more modern 450 4ts. Sorry no vids this time, but stay tuned for action to come. Cheers all.
very good job! i really enjoyed you bike! i don't know much which is or isn't better but i really like the wr i just never tried a 500cc in my life! but she sure is powerful!! good for rush :D cheers mate
Those yamaha big bores were the best in the day. Great for guys who didn't want to swap over to liquid cooling. The only thing that really was disappointing is they were basically the same price as the CR's and such
@gsxrful You haven't ridden a properly built one then. Those motors put out some of the best power if you put a bit of work into them. Nothing crazy expensive either.
The bike already had a lighting coil , i just fitted an amp rectifier and wired accordingly, it doesnt blow globes anymore. And yes they are top bikes.
When posting any video on TH-cam I have to expect some sort of negative comments. Generally most people are very happy to see an old girl bought back to life. Cheers all.
Thanks for the information , but what is nitrometano , the bike definitely has a ping issue until the revs build up , taking on steep down hills is a problem , any information on nitrometano from anyone may help .
I saw Bradshaw race one of these at Washougal.in a 500cc Natl , against Ward, Stanton,Bayle, Lechien ect He did alright , wasn't prevailing but kept a decent race pace
I was interested back then. I know a guy that had one leaning on a post in a barn that was never ridden. but that color code. wow. might go look that bike up now.
Did you do the head mod so it runs right? Still shakes like a poorly jetted paint mixer, but vastly improved frame & suspension then the YZ490. Same craptastic engine.
So everybody has a lot to say about the topend ping, but I noticed nobody said anything about the Eric Gorr head mod (Ok one person mentioned the bad head design). That head mod opens up the chamber, and drops the compression. As in the 490, that head mod is the best way to go.. If your not racing it, you don't need the high comp. Nitro meth is no good on these motors either. If you wanna get fancy go alcohol.. It runs cooler, it's easier to mix, and makes more power.. :) That's my 2 cents.
Kawasaki dicontinued th KX500 in 05. the newest KX500 you can get is an 04. the lastest CR500 is 2001. but you can get brand new KX and CR500s from a company called Service Honda. they make modern versions of them using a brand new CRF250 or KX250F chassis with a KX/ CR500 motor. also there are a couple reasons they switched to liquid cooling. yes the customers. but also for better cooling for higher compression engines which = more power. and so the motors last longer and you change rings less
I have one of these bikes sitting in my house never ridden never had gas put in it brand new still has plastic on tank and seat from being in the crate
Awesome bike man!
Yamaha really put out some high quality
Bikes back in the day!
EPA & Free Trade killed it!
Ignore the 'haters' this is an awesome bike and you've done a great job restoring it. Anyone bad mouthing it quite obviously has never ridden any of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s 500cc two strokes. They were all weapons, barking mad power with mind blowing acceleration. I have owned and raced various 2 stroke off road bikes over the last 30 years including the Maicos 400, 440 and a couple 490's, several Honda CR500's, YZ and IT 490s, KX500's, a rare KTM550 and a Husqvarna CR500. All of these bikes are dangerously fast compared to modern 4 strokes but take real muscle to ride properly. Sadly politically motivated green issues (and possibly the Japanese Motorcycle industry wanting to sell a more expensive complicated bike with many more expensive moving parts) killed off the large 2 stroke race bikes both on and off road and now the smaller 2 strokes are on their way out too :(
This Martin Allen freak goes around by concluding that everybody he talkes to is a "nut case". People who know a bit about this subject will knoe exactly who the nutter is. How about a real argument?
You sick fuck. I see you like bikes, do you mind if I bring the Outlaws Welsh chapter down so we can get to the truth.
bill coop
Please bring them, some of the members are close personal friends and used to work with me on the doors. I will be pleased to let them know you are using their name and reputation to threaten people on the internet. They love that.
Best comment ive ever read in my whole fucking life.
+bill coop I feel sorry for guys like you, your life must be really miserable..
I was browsing eBay, and I noticed an ad for a decent a WR500. I had 13 hours to go before making a [winning] bid. It was in good shape, not immaculate, but well looked after.
Your video gave me the incentive to purchase this bike, because we are probably in same age/weight group [any excuse to justify my purchase]. Thank you for the upload. Just in case your wondering, the winning bid was $1575USD. Best of luck, from North Dakota.
I remember watching everything you did to restore this bike really top class restoration mate
Thanks to everyone for there positive comments. I do enjoy this bike, not to many about. Since this video was shot, I have replaced the decals with the correct type. New bars and rec rego. Boy is it a hoot on gravel bush roads. Cheers all.
You can barely even ride your terrible
+ArK Shotz Says the person with no riding vids on his channel just video gaming vids, besides this guy just rebuilt this beauty he's not going to destroy it first time and he also he has no riding gear on either.
sounds brilliant your bike, Would you be able to let me know what the compression reading is that's if you have a gauge of course! My Wr seems quite low 72psi cold and its on a fresh new rebore and piston / rings
I feel like I won a years worth of ice cream. I picked up the bike. It had almost everything; it had the air scoop, new plastic, except the tank(obviously no decals), and no sidestand. It was a project bike that I believe the previous owner felt he had other priorities to attend to.
Thanks again Rob, I will be on the forum.
I have nothing but respect for a bike like that
Thanks Cliff C, a few things have changed since this video. New decals that are model correct, new handle bars , new chain and sprockets, new brake pads, new piston and rings , new head work---------it doesn't ping , it just goes, boy does it go. I said then I love it, well now it's even better.
Rob, that is a fine piece of machinery and running like it's possessed! This WR brings back a lot of memories. Enjoy the weapon.... Cheers
Nice looking (and sounding) WR500, I raced YZ490's for years and I really miss that sound. I ended-up with a nice 2003 KX500 but only because Yamaha stopped putting money into the YZ's and quit producing them. Thanks for the flashback!!
That engine sounds healthy.. beautiful bike!
Great bike!! I bet it goes like hell!! The colour reminds me of that TV show Miami vice!! Or the 80's forsure! Great shape bike. Thank for video
Those colors just scream the 90s I actually guessed the year before I clicked the video
I can’t believe it’s in that good of shape
that's a gorgeous bike mate, your right those big bores are a chore to ride in tight quarters, but fun on long striaghtaways,
I bought a leftover brand new '92 model off the showroom floor in 1994. I loved it. Wish I had it back.
I know this is an old video, but that's a really nice bike. How I've got the stickers to actually stay is, you get a really small gasket makers punch, and on the back of the sticker mark a grid pattern about 1/2 square, and go to punching where the lines cross, use a piece of news paper on a block of metal to get really clean punches. Wood wont work, it bunches the sticker up.
nice bike bro I had an old 1992 kx 500 damn what a beast I do miss the big 2 stroke singles
Great looking machine and the grass looks like cow heaven.
I had a YZ465 way back in time on the road registered .It had two speeds, slow and Oh my god, Power band was instant all or nothing.
Good machine! Well taken care of by the looks of it (let it idle while NOT under load)!
Fantastic bike,well restored...!!!!
People that hate this bike obviously are 'Scared' of it...Hell, I'm 11 stone and once owned a KX500, man it was like a runaway horse...500 two-strokes are mean..twist the throttle and die...Ha..great bike, well done.
stone?
Kusti2801 measurement of weight like pounds
@@MKwildout suomi saatana
11 stone jeez you're skinny lol
This is great. truely a beautiful bike, very good job man. In the usa weve never heard of wr500's. A wonderful surprise to me, keep riding on
I use to race that exact bike in the desert ..with the Sage Riders in Utah. Those were the days man..nothing like a 2 stroke.. the power they had was un believable those and the CR500 Honda and a KX 500 were amazing power today if you were to ride a 500 two stroke compared to the 4 strokes today it would surprise you the extreme power
65hp stock with probably more than 50 ft pounds of torque, with an rpm range that signs off at 6500 rpm, i could only imagine the violent abrupt acceleration those bikes have.
vic2340 about 30ft lbs...i know it feels like 80...i really thought they would dyno with hp and torque matching numbers
Why do you say that their are some lol
Ive just never heard of one or seen one or thought they ever were around. They seem so awesome for woods (in there time period)
i know a bloke in Oz that has 1 of these in his shed.He hardly ever rides,its in good condition but never been restored.Its exactly the same model as in this vid.Sounds same too and has that tiny back sprocket that makes 1st gear really high.For 1992 they had it all....USD front forks....disc front n rear.....best suspension for its time and they still look good,if they made them now with electic start they would sell...
Nice job on the restoration. I didn't know that it came in a 500cc. I even love that colour scheme! I wish they would do that with the new WR'S differentiate it from the motocross YZ'S. Take care of it , thats a rare bird.
Still a 490cc motor
Only 1000 of these beasts were ever made
Sounds lovely!
What a bike!+ Sound!!! 2 strokes 4 ever!!..reminds me of when i was younger my friends had, IT yamahas, + PE/250s ..i dont think the wr500 came to the uk/but the 250 did!...Dont sell it (wr500) just keep it !a piece of history!...
Thanks mathius, I have since joined a forum and have read about the head mod you mention , this bike still has the original piston and rings, the head has never been removed, perhaps when its time I will look at it then. In fact the bike is so original it still has the same air in the front tyre from new. Cheers .
Nice work mate! Good looking machine.......fixing up a 96 KTM 620 myself atm!
love it ,what a great bike ,rob you seem like a really great guy , (cheers)
There goes the lawn. Had one of these years ago and it was the most fun you could have with your pants on. Sure there's better handling and more manageable bikes out there now, but these things give serious grin factor. Ride what you like and like what you ride I say.
GREAT BIKE there, i got in in new zealand, had it 4yrs now and great bike to ride they are.
Looks awsome! Great job!
I desert raced on those bikes..loads of power love the sound
That blike gives you a lot to love. 👍
That looks scary fast...
In other words - it looks awesome!
You'd better radio the local airport control tower for a visibility report before you try and use full throttle in top gear!
she looks good Rob! beautiful bike! and riding pants lol, looks like something I'd wear
Holy shit! This video is 10 years old..I really hope this bike is still around. I think they only made like 1,000 of these..
Great yard you have also
ItI came out when I was in high school I was drooling over that thing.👍🇺🇸❤
excellent restoration
I whis u and ure sons much fun whit this very nice looking bike ... Cheers
What a beautiful resto,i raced in the 80s and early 90s,started on a 1984 CR125 then on to a 1987 CR250 then into the 90s on the green KX250,man I rode a few 500s ,Im 6.1 87 kg wet and all of those 500s on the pipe in a moto were way outa my pay grade and talent and comfort level and was happy to hand them back to the owner after a moto lol just trying to keep them pointed at the next jump then coming out of corners in 2nd then third jump fuck corner second 1st ,would be a blast up the beach in the dunes tho ,Ill stick to my 2001 KX 250 thanks lol
good on ya mate. that thing is a weapon and im a honda guy but who cares, as long as we are all having fun.... champion
holy crap, wherever hes at is beautiful for riding
really a very nice bike. very good work. I built her little sister, a wr 200 1992. kind regards
Beautiful job
This is a lot of two stroke and am seriously considering purchasing one of these if I can find one! Great video
if you can find a 1992 wr 500 in good condition , well you’d be in luck that’s for sure !
ky bought one two months ago and it rips
Hi I had a yz490 with sticker problems on gas tank i sealed under the sticker with concrete sealer, it worked
Just bought my 500 and I love it 😎 haven’t rode a 500 since I was 19 and this bike kinda scared me compared to my 96 WR250. Awesome bike. These guys are funny in the comments. I sold my 04 KX 500 after 30hrs cause I was on the throttle the whole time. I didn’t wanna hurt myself now I’m about 36 and I’m scared shitless of this WR500
Hi DeeperDarkest, in early December I took my WR500 and another more modern bike to our local club day . One of our members is a farmer and he set out a track of about 4ks on his property, very challenging at times but great fun. The WR was quite the star, so many 4ts, and no more air cooled bikes about, lots of people very interested. Bottom line is old 500s are a lot harder to ride than more modern 450 4ts. Sorry no vids this time, but stay tuned for action to come. Cheers all.
wow nice property man! keep riding
Nice bike my brother GOD bless be safe and never sell that bike
Wow what a nice bike!
Good job rob wonder if you still got it and riding it
Good old 2 str,s
Well Kendrick I am waiting for my son to show up with his camera so we can go . cheers Rob.
Thank's FireballGER, the bike spends way to much time in the shed, we will take it up to the bush for a ride over the xmas break. Cheers.
Please do a new video on it. I would love to see it!
Yes the head light is the enduro style light from my CRF 450 X , it is not road legal in Australia.
Didn't know about these.. Nice.
There are few places on earth where you can use all that power, nice bike ;)
Very good . I love 2 strokes!!!!
Nice bike!!! Great find!
that's a wee beauty mate
very good job! i really enjoyed you bike! i don't know much which is or isn't better but i really like the wr i just never tried a 500cc in my life! but she sure is powerful!! good for rush
:D cheers mate
Those yamaha big bores were the best in the day. Great for guys who didn't want to swap over to liquid cooling. The only thing that really was disappointing is they were basically the same price as the CR's and such
thank you for sharing
Nice job mate.
@gsxrful You haven't ridden a properly built one then. Those motors put out some of the best power if you put a bit of work into them. Nothing crazy expensive either.
so did you get to take it up to bush over the xmas hols? how did it go? have you got a video to show us?
Bike looks like a new one
Nice bike mate
The bike already had a lighting coil , i just fitted an amp rectifier and wired accordingly, it doesnt blow globes anymore. And yes they are top bikes.
EXCELLENT 19/20!!
I have a yamaha wr 250 1996 and it has brutal power
When posting any video on TH-cam I have to expect some sort of negative comments. Generally most people are very happy to see an old girl bought back to life. Cheers all.
Thanks for the information , but what is nitrometano , the bike definitely has a ping issue until the revs build up , taking on steep down hills is a problem , any information on nitrometano from anyone may help .
nice bike pretty clean good job !
ive always wondered what its like to be on a 50 2 stroke ive only ridin at 125 and a 250
I saw Bradshaw race one of these at Washougal.in a 500cc Natl , against Ward, Stanton,Bayle, Lechien ect
He did alright , wasn't prevailing but kept a decent race pace
Lovely Mate I got the 250cc got to have the 500cc insted
I was interested back then. I know a guy that had one leaning on a post in a barn that was never ridden. but that color code. wow.
might go look that bike up now.
Hard to believe Damon Bradshaw raced this dinosaur in the nationals and was competitive !!!!
no doubt! air cooled vs water cooled in hot weather that thing had to be robbed of some horsepower
a few more rides in there with that monster and u will get a nice ground to plant some corn :D
well done sir
saludos from EL SALVADOR amigo excellent video The new ones arent that good good job
Did you do the head mod so it runs right? Still shakes like a poorly jetted paint mixer, but vastly improved frame & suspension then the YZ490. Same craptastic engine.
So everybody has a lot to say about the topend ping, but I noticed nobody said anything about the Eric Gorr head mod (Ok one person mentioned the bad head design).
That head mod opens up the chamber, and drops the compression.
As in the 490, that head mod is the best way to go..
If your not racing it, you don't need the high comp. Nitro meth is no good on these motors either. If you wanna get fancy go alcohol.. It runs cooler, it's easier to mix, and makes more power.. :)
That's my 2 cents.
It sounds crisp it’s almost too nice to ride
Kawasaki dicontinued th KX500 in 05. the newest KX500 you can get is an 04. the lastest CR500 is 2001. but you can get brand new KX and CR500s from a company called Service Honda. they make modern versions of them using a brand new CRF250 or KX250F chassis with a KX/ CR500 motor. also there are a couple reasons they switched to liquid cooling. yes the customers. but also for better cooling for higher compression engines which = more power. and so the motors last longer and you change rings less
Nice bike!
whats wrong with air cooled?? way less complicated and a lot easier and cheaper to rebuild
Lovely job on the bike! Road legal? :-D
I didn't even know this existed I thought it was only the kx500 hundred and cr500
check out 700cc
maico 700cc
Rm500, Husqvarna 500XC, YZR500. Good old 2 strokes.
Rm500, Husqvarna 500XC, YZR500. Good old 2 strokes.
fuck i love the sound of a bike 2 stroke nice bike mate
i dont get it, its a 2 stroke all modern wr's are now 4 strokes when did the manufacture of 2 stroke wr's stop
I have one of these bikes sitting in my house never ridden never had gas put in it brand new still has plastic on tank and seat from being in the crate
do u want to sell it
sorry no
+onefugowie Damn !! I wouldn't even ride it, just let it sit in my living room to be admired kinda like fine art !! lol
+Wayne Baldwin funny thing is its in my living room for several years now
hugeroost
You got vids of the mint KX hugeroost ?
how much
compression dose it have
Big videó Tenks.
how tall are you mate?
nice & powerful bike!!And that smell who they had....!!!Ahh,, 2t for ever!!!!!!!
it's a pity that they stopped making them