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Honda CR 500 AF


Gordon R
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KTM owners can only dream of minor faults like that on practice/race day. KTM ride it on Sunday fix it on Monday 😀

Had a few KTMs:-

SX250 - barrel needed replating, CDi and stator needed replacing.

SX360 - quick and faultless.

SX380 - very quick and faultless.

SXF450 - quick and had a problem with fuel pump, which is in the tank. Spent nearly £300 and then repaired the old one for £20. I then recouped £150 selling the repaired one. If anyone has had one, you need a junior wiring loom to set the TPS, with a multimeter. £140 and only available in USA. Made my own, which I gave to the lad who bought the bike - one of my better creations.

I would buy another KTM - best make out there for me.

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The brother in law has just got a Husqvarna FE350 and now I’m thinking of getting a bike to join him. Always wanted one but have never ridden any bike since I was on a pw50 as a kid. What would you recommend for a total beginner around the 3-3.5k used mark? 

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The four strokes are quick enough. The 250 two strokes might be a bit of a handful. A friend of my son's has just bought a 2018 KTM SX250, having only ridden a 125cc - years ago. He is speeding up slightly, but had a rude awakening when he went to the local track at Astley. 

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10 hours ago, JTaylor91 said:

The brother in law has just got a Husqvarna FE350 and now I’m thinking of getting a bike to join him. Always wanted one but have never ridden any bike since I was on a pw50 as a kid. What would you recommend for a total beginner around the 3-3.5k used mark? 

KTM 250 four stroke, FE 250 or Yamaha WR 250 would be a good choice 👍 

Edited by blackbird
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BlaserF3 - my youngest raced a Husky TC610 - I think they were actually 588. Previously owned by Gary Parker - a top motocross rider - and tuned by Steve Clitheroe. Only a three speed gearbox, but powered past Hondas for fun. Expensive to maintain - bent 6 valves in a  month at £140 per valve.

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9 minutes ago, Gordon R said:

Filled the handlebars with lead shot today - about 30 cartridges of 6# shot - siliconed in at either end. I will be interested to see the effect - if any.

A little bit of fettling/tuning, it will be interesting what difference it makes.

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The clutch turned out to be a relatively simple fix. The clutch actuating arm is retained by the stator keeping it in place. On the new electrics, the stator is about 8mm away from the arm. It had moved sideways and wasn't working the clutch. Used JB Weld to stick a shaped piece of aluminium on the stator to retin the arm. Starting problem looks like air screw - factory set in the wrong position, dodgy plug (less than 1/2 hour from new) and the reed valve petals. Putting new petals in on Monday. Hopefully sorted

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Off out tomorrow - youngest (Nick) is having a practice. Hopefully any junior problems are sorted. Nick has been having fun starting the bike. Timps will testify that there is a knack. 

Nick was starting it about the tenth kick. Eldest lad (Martin) came round. 

Martin, the man with the Golden Boot. Not been on a motocross bike in about 13 years. Kicked the Honda CR500AF fourth kick. Killed the engine and started it third kick. On his third and last attempt - first kick.

The carb overflow pipes were at the side, as I had considered doing the old trick of blowing down the overflow to start a 500 - not needed.

105494417_309802610176876_794750418723516123_n.jpg

Edited by Gordon R
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9 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Off out tomorrow - youngest (Nick) is having a practice. Hopefully any junior problems are sorted. Nick has been having fun starting the bike. Timps will testify that there is a knack. 

There is definitely a knack to it, I could start mine 1st kick 99% of the time after the first month of ownership and practice. It wasn't just how hard you kicked it but also getting the piston at the right position before kicking and blipping the throttle at the right time mid kick.

If I deviated from the routine I devised then it behaved like a petulant child.

I remember one race at Charnock Richard I crashed while leading a very muddy race on the last lap just before the PA van. I couldn't restart the thing, luckily I had lapped up to 3rd so they shouted at  me to push it past the finish line to to grab third, this got the attention of the onlookers as it delayed the start of the next race and no mean feat in the mud.

Because the world and his wife watched me struggle to get it past in the mud I then had offers of help back in the pits to get it started again, my mate Pete Willy tried Steven Scrivens tried a whole line of racers tried to no avail.

The bike stayed on the trailer for the rest of the day, once home I gave it one last kick out of anger and it started first time. To this day I have no idea why no one could get it started but in the two years I raced it that was the only race day it cost me but it did cost me a fortune in boots. 

The KX 500 was easier to start but Steve Scrivens kept a spare kickstart in his van as he had a habit of snapping them  on those.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Timps - Pete Williamson and Steve Scrivens - two names from the past. We bought Steve Scrivens' 1995  Honda CR500 from Sandifords. I had popped in for some spares and saw it there. On an impluse, I bought it.

The worst maintained bike I had ever come across. The suspension / swinging arm had never seen grease. Tuned by Steve Clitheroe, it was quick, but handled badly. It was set up for Scriv's style - he muscled the bike round - it felt like there was no suspension - rock hard. We put conventional Marzocchi forks on it, but it was barely better. Our previous CR500 was a 1991 model and bought from a Championship rider in Yorkshire (Keith Whittle from memory). Properly set up and maintained. We replaced Scriv's CR500 with a KTM SX 360, which was quicker and far better handling. 

Edited by Gordon R
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I’m still very good friends with Peter he has his own bike shop in Bury. 
Both big lads that muscled a bike around, Pete’s bikes looked immaculate Steve’s looked like he stored them in a swamp a true animal. 
 

Steve  Clitheroe was the head mechanic at Bill Heads when I had a bit of sponsorship  with them so he actually worked on my 500 before he went out on his own. He also ran over me on a ATV at Preston docks  when it was waste ground when I binned after passing him.
 

Still he was British ATV champion at the time so was just happy I passed him but not so happy being run over by an ATV they hurt more than a bike😂.

Edited by timps
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I am reasonably familiar with Peter - he used to work at Doug Hackings, I think. I also met him in his shop at Bury.

When my lads were younger, Steve Scrivens was nicknamed "Arnie" after Arnold Swartzenegger - all muscle. When we last met him, I was surprised how my lads looked far more muscular than him. Steve also shot - deer stalking.

Steve Clitheroe has his own business and is a top tuner. He was chairman of Charnock Richard after Bob Scrivens stepped down. 

All top people.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Junior update. Kickstart snapped the crankcase - common fault. Casing now welded and will be dropping it back into the frame this week. I could have done without that. I felt slightly sick at the time.

Meanwhile - bought a brand new Suzuki RMZ 450. I think I spoil my youngest.

107076486_622455498396245_7374698676790113905_n.jpg

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The original casings are quite thin, considering the pressure of kickstarting a 500cc two stroke single. Whilst not that common, it is certainly not rare for these to crack. The repair involved welding on both the outside and the inside of the break. The welded bit should be far stronger than the original. I told the welder, I didn't want "pretty" I wanted "strong". It turned out a neat job and a lot stronger. Quite pleased with it.

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On 12/07/2020 at 22:35, Gordon R said:

Meanwhile - bought a brand new Suzuki RMZ 450. I think I spoil my youngest

Do you fancy adoption.

I've been looking for my maternal father for ooo the last 30 seconds and I reckon I've found him .

Can I have a rd250e in the red and white livery please DADDY GORDON .

yamahard250e-1979-1.jpg

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