30 years later I still find these bikes not only as the most innovative machinery of their time but beautiful works of art. Just beautiful. I was lucky enough to to grow with these bikes back in the day, with a 79 RM125 being my first and an 88 CR500 as my last. Every year was always something new and exciting coming out and couldn't wait to see what Honda was coming out with next. Brings back good memories. Thank You.
I had an ‘86, a ‘90, and an ‘01 cr500. They were the best single track bikes ever made. Get the jetting down and they were very simple to maintain and extremely reliable. Nowadays i have a ‘21 yz 450fx. I would trade 10 of those for one cr500 in decent shape.
Still my go-to for historic MX reminiscing. I worked in a shopping centre back in the 80's in OZ and always had lunch in my car and read MX Action, DB,MX,DBR, ADB,T&T, and others. Still have all the mags. Can't believe i spent so much on bike mags on a meager wage back then......but I still have the mags and memories.
Great review Tony of what is maybe the best year CR 500✌️ The black engine and gold rims looks badass, and so good forks. Considering the engine is mostly identical to the last 2001 model, these older ones are easier to keep alive. I rode my beloved 1999 CR 500 in the mud last week, tractor trail😎. It hasnt been to a work shop since 2008, I think Motocross Action Magazine named the CR 500 as ” the most reliable dirtbike ever made”😊
was a Yamaha rider until this bike came out. Wowzer!!!!!! fell in love with it, bought several more through the years. What a rocket ship, but it also pulled like a tractor in the low rpm
Hey Tony, Been watching your videos on the 85-88 era CRs recently as I'm doing a full resto-mod 86 CR500.. Trying to get the answer to this question.. Some dingleberry chucked the cartridge forks off this bike and bubba'd a set of 2003 YZ250 forks onto it. The modern XR650Ls have the 43mm Conventional Cartridge forks like the 1986-88 bikes had. Aside from valving, are they they exact same internals? Thanks
Taking everything into consideration ,i think its an absolute 100% best 500 made,not just because i have one lol !.. an icon of its era ,flash red ,awesome!!..in the future. They will be much collectible
With these bikes they raced at the beach in holland, one of the biggest yearly mx event in the country. Some off the famous dutch riders coudn' t participate like dave strijbos as cagiva didn't have a big bore bike. These bikes were good for deep sand tracks. A friend from school in '88 had a registerd 83 480 and he rode it hard on the street. On the farm I tried it a bit, but I noticed a very strong pull would come up after letting the clutch go ever so softly, so I made a short spin around and quickly stepped of the bike. My friend was way havier than me and could handle the 480 somehow. He also had one of the first honda dominator 600. I had just sold my rm80 from '79 and bought my brothers cr125 '80. That was allready a strong bike for me at adge 14-15. Suzukis and hondas have allways been my favorit brands. A pitty we didn't had the money to get involved seriously in the sport. We bought a clapped bike and rode it till it broke or the police took it. But mx was in our vains.
To all: What is uglier, the modern YZ front fender, (replacing mine with a 2014 fender), or the YT advertisements on this "way too good for them channel"? Vote thumbs down for the YT ads.
Kawasaki may have disagreed, but with the modern porting and pipes of the big 500cc engines, a exhaust power valve was not nearly as much help, (if at all), as a well designed power valve for a 125 or 250cc MX bike. The fact that the 500s made more power everywhere, and did not have to rev as high as the smaller bores, (where the power valve worked the best) probably added to cost of a KX more than any real performance gains. It may have very well been used for Kawasaki for more sales than better performance. My money says it was worth it for sales, (even if the bike costs a bit more because of it), but the legendary Maico 490 still had a better power curve.
This is wild today a neighbor asked me if I wanted her husbands old bikes before the shed falls down and when I showed up to get them this is what I found. He had 1987 cr500/250/125 that he bought new all still in great shape and complete she said they haven’t run since before he died in 1999 but they all still turn over I got them for free. Him and his son were into motocross but their son passed away from cancer in the early 90s and the father kind of stopped riding after that I guess.
@@watsisbuttndo829 I worked her farm a lot as a kid and still help her out all the time I did her well pump this summer because Fogle was trying to charge her $3500 bucks to pull it up and replace it
After her husband passed away everyone around has pitched in where we can their farm is one of the oldest around we didn’t want to see it sold off and parceled out.
Those mid 80s Honda's were some of the best looking bikes ever made.
30 years later I still find these bikes not only as the most innovative machinery of their time but beautiful works of art. Just beautiful. I was lucky enough to to grow with these bikes back in the day, with a 79 RM125 being my first and an 88 CR500 as my last. Every year was always something new and exciting coming out and couldn't wait to see what Honda was coming out with next. Brings back good memories. Thank You.
Couldn't agree more! Great era for moto.
I had an ‘86, a ‘90, and an ‘01 cr500. They were the best single track bikes ever made. Get the jetting down and they were very simple to maintain and extremely reliable. Nowadays i have a ‘21 yz 450fx. I would trade 10 of those for one cr500 in decent shape.
I've ridden many cr500,s and I can tell you that riding a cr500 is like fighting a gorilla in a phone booth..lol
This guy needs more subscribers. Nobody is doing these type of videos.
Agreed. This is probably my favorite channel on TH-cam.
Thank you!
Still my go-to for historic MX reminiscing.
I worked in a shopping centre back in the 80's in OZ and always had lunch in my car and read MX Action, DB,MX,DBR, ADB,T&T, and others.
Still have all the mags. Can't believe i spent so much on bike mags on a meager wage back then......but I still have the mags and memories.
87 cr was a mid and up engine, great grass drag blast off engine.
Great production values. Excellent video as always👍👍👍
Thanks
Always Top Quality Content!!!
The Vet. Place to be...
Hard to believe it was 34 years ago. I was 18 and on the YZ490 then. Where did time go. Thanks for sharing your videos with us.
Glad you enjoyed it
Had one. Awesome bike. I thought it was a sexy machine ❤🤗
Great review Tony of what is maybe the best year CR 500✌️ The black engine and gold rims looks badass, and so good forks. Considering the engine is mostly identical to the last 2001 model, these older ones are easier to keep alive. I rode my beloved 1999 CR 500 in the mud last week, tractor trail😎. It hasnt been to a work shop since 2008, I think Motocross Action Magazine named the CR 500 as ” the most reliable dirtbike ever made”😊
was a Yamaha rider until this bike came out. Wowzer!!!!!! fell in love with it, bought several more through the years. What a rocket ship, but it also pulled like a tractor in the low rpm
Hey Tony, Been watching your videos on the 85-88 era CRs recently as I'm doing a full resto-mod 86 CR500.. Trying to get the answer to this question.. Some dingleberry chucked the cartridge forks off this bike and bubba'd a set of 2003 YZ250 forks onto it. The modern XR650Ls have the 43mm Conventional Cartridge forks like the 1986-88 bikes had. Aside from valving, are they they exact same internals?
Thanks
Imagine if your hobby was reciting 30 yr old issues of MXA in video and text
Yeah…just imagine
Taking everything into consideration ,i think its an absolute 100% best 500 made,not just because i have one lol !.. an icon of its era ,flash red ,awesome!!..in the future. They will be much collectible
From 83-87 the CR's were the best looking bikes by far... I raced KX80's during that time period, so I'm not biased...
With these bikes they raced at the beach in holland, one of the biggest yearly mx event in the country. Some off the famous dutch riders coudn' t participate like dave strijbos as cagiva didn't have a big bore bike. These bikes were good for deep sand tracks. A friend from school in '88 had a registerd 83 480 and he rode it hard on the street. On the farm I tried it a bit, but I noticed a very strong pull would come up after letting the clutch go ever so softly, so I made a short spin around and quickly stepped of the bike. My friend was way havier than me and could handle the 480 somehow. He also had one of the first honda dominator 600. I had just sold my rm80 from '79 and bought my brothers cr125 '80. That was allready a strong bike for me at adge 14-15. Suzukis and hondas have allways been my favorit brands. A pitty we didn't had the money to get involved seriously in the sport. We bought a clapped bike and rode it till it broke or the police took it. But mx was in our vains.
To all: What is uglier, the modern YZ front fender, (replacing mine with a 2014 fender), or the YT advertisements on this "way too good for them channel"? Vote thumbs down for the YT ads.
Kawasaki may have disagreed, but with the modern porting and pipes of the big 500cc engines, a exhaust power valve was not nearly as much help, (if at all), as a well designed power valve for a 125 or 250cc MX bike. The fact that the 500s made more power everywhere, and did not have to rev as high as the smaller bores, (where the power valve worked the best) probably added to cost of a KX more than any real performance gains. It may have very well been used for Kawasaki for more sales than better performance. My money says it was worth it for sales, (even if the bike costs a bit more because of it), but the legendary Maico 490 still had a better power curve.
Brakes sucked aswell
Would love to own one 🍸
Me too!
Honda XR 75
Had one and it was a beast
I HAVE ONE 👍👍
GOOD VIDEO
This is wild today a neighbor asked me if I wanted her husbands old bikes before the shed falls down and when I showed up to get them this is what I found. He had 1987 cr500/250/125 that he bought new all still in great shape and complete she said they haven’t run since before he died in 1999 but they all still turn over I got them for free. Him and his son were into motocross but their son passed away from cancer in the early 90s and the father kind of stopped riding after that I guess.
Wow that is one hell of a find!
I think if all of those bikes fire up, you should repay that lady somehow.
Jesus dude! Lucky much? That's the kind of scenario we all wish for!
@@watsisbuttndo829 I worked her farm a lot as a kid and still help her out all the time I did her well pump this summer because Fogle was trying to charge her $3500 bucks to pull it up and replace it
After her husband passed away everyone around has pitched in where we can their farm is one of the oldest around we didn’t want to see it sold off and parceled out.
The 85 to 90 hondas are the best looking bike or atv.