Honda CR500's - The Low Down - SV650.org

07-11-06, 01:15 PM

Hi guys,

Me n a mate of mine are contemplating buying a couple of CR500's for a bit of off-road fun n maybe on-road too :P !!

Has anybody on here had any experience of them??

Cheers

07-11-06, 04:10 PM

Hi

I currently have one, and my girlfreind a kx500, all I can say is they are amazing, also a death trap! The sv is calm and laid back compaired to the cr. If you ride a fireblade / r1 / tl1000 etc you should be ok providing you take care with your wrist, an inexperienced rider, or someone who hasnt rode anything quicker than an sv "will" struggle to control it. In 5th gear, the slightest opening of the throttle usually ends up with being smacked in the gob by the headstock! The power is a switch, either on or off, nothing in between! I have worked my way up from cr125, 250, then a ktm 300, and finally a cr500, same with my girlfreind. The cr has caught me out on many occasions, once today where it spat me off, the power is so unpredictable (and I used to race 2 strokes!), oh and there is the problem of hardly any weight or grip.

I would suggest starting on a 250, approx 50bhp, more than enough for something that weighs the same as a teabag!

I dont want to sound patronising etc by saying you couldnt handle it, they really are vicious!

Hope this helps.

Ben

07-11-06, 06:22 PM

^^ I very much agree.

500 is a big boys toy and certainly isn't for novices. Hell, after having plenty of fast bikes, I had a shot on a crm125 and it felt like lightening off road. I wouldn't even try the cr500. Overkill for most.

07-11-06, 06:34 PM

be careful...i started out on a cr 125 (great fun) 250's are good to but 500's are a nasty pice of work
............well mybe not that bad, but they can be hard work....depends if you have had a MX bike b4...i would not say dont do it ...just be careful (or go for a 250....just as much fun,& way fast enough)IMO

07-11-06, 07:52 PM

i remember way back in the early 90's me and a few m8's took me kx500 out in a van to a bit of ground used by lots of mx lads........ there were 7 of us went out that quiet day i'd had the bike fora year or so and was well used to its oh *&$% power delivery.

after a couple of hours it was time to put the beast back in the van along with the walking and limping wounded on the way home stopping for a while at A&E of a few minor repairs 1x broken arm
2x cracked ribs 1x fractured collar bone 1x badly strained knee was a fun day out it was

07-11-06, 09:02 PM

Be afraid, be very afraid

Why do you think even the top pro's stopped racing them? They were too vicious for them to exploit fully. You will have a great laugh though (all the way to casualty). They still make a good budget supermoto race bike, but racing and fun riding are two different things

08-11-06, 12:26 AM

I took out a 250 yam on the off road experience at the NEC and for off road riding, the 250 would be plenty fast for me (I would argue that a 125 would suffice most to cut their teeth on off roading) If i was gonna get one purely for off road, then id probs go for a 125 to start with.

08-11-06, 08:38 AM

You wouldnt think Honda where capable of creating such a beast, would you?

They have a Dark Side - beware!!!!

Matt

08-11-06, 09:11 PM

Quote:

1x badly strained knee

Yeh, they have a tendancy to do that!

I have two knackered knees, the ktm kicker was on one side, and the cr and kx on the other, I have many a time been thrown across the garage when they spit back!

08-11-06, 11:11 PM

the guy i bought my crm250 off had one, he used to take it out of town in a van to get to the lanes as it was to mental to ride in town. trials bike mag showed a pic of one of there guys pulling off on one. first pic bike pulls away wheel just lifting, second pic bike 90% wheely, third guy on deck on ****, bike on deck, and the rider was very experienced.
crm250 is a nice all round road and laner.

07-11-06, 01:15 PM	#1
Carrot Cruncher Guest Posts: n/a	Honda CR500's - The Low Down Hi guys, Me n a mate of mine are contemplating buying a couple of CR500's for a bit of off-road fun n maybe on-road too :P !! Has anybody on here had any experience of them?? Cheers

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07-11-06, 04:10 PM	#2
ugp Guest Posts: n/a	Hi I currently have one, and my girlfreind a kx500, all I can say is they are amazing, also a death trap! The sv is calm and laid back compaired to the cr. If you ride a fireblade / r1 / tl1000 etc you should be ok providing you take care with your wrist, an inexperienced rider, or someone who hasnt rode anything quicker than an sv "will" struggle to control it. In 5th gear, the slightest opening of the throttle usually ends up with being smacked in the gob by the headstock! The power is a switch, either on or off, nothing in between! I have worked my way up from cr125, 250, then a ktm 300, and finally a cr500, same with my girlfreind. The cr has caught me out on many occasions, once today where it spat me off, the power is so unpredictable (and I used to race 2 strokes!), oh and there is the problem of hardly any weight or grip. I would suggest starting on a 250, approx 50bhp, more than enough for something that weighs the same as a teabag! I dont want to sound patronising etc by saying you couldnt handle it, they really are vicious! Hope this helps. Ben

07-11-06, 06:22 PM	#3
instigator Guest Posts: n/a	^^ I very much agree. 500 is a big boys toy and certainly isn't for novices. Hell, after having plenty of fast bikes, I had a shot on a crm125 and it felt like lightening off road. I wouldn't even try the cr500. Overkill for most.

07-11-06, 06:34 PM	#4
hovis Guest Posts: n/a	be careful...i started out on a cr 125 (great fun) 250's are good to but 500's are a nasty pice of work ............well mybe not that bad, but they can be hard work....depends if you have had a MX bike b4...i would not say dont do it ...just be careful (or go for a 250....just as much fun,& way fast enough)IMO

07-11-06, 07:52 PM	#5
Apophes Guest Posts: n/a	i remember way back in the early 90's me and a few m8's took me kx500 out in a van to a bit of ground used by lots of mx lads........ there were 7 of us went out that quiet day i'd had the bike fora year or so and was well used to its oh *&$% power delivery. after a couple of hours it was time to put the beast back in the van along with the walking and limping wounded on the way home stopping for a while at A&E of a few minor repairs 1x broken arm 2x cracked ribs 1x fractured collar bone 1x badly strained knee was a fun day out it was

07-11-06, 09:02 PM	#6
Whitty Guest Posts: n/a	Be afraid, be very afraid Why do you think even the top pro's stopped racing them? They were too vicious for them to exploit fully. You will have a great laugh though (all the way to casualty). They still make a good budget supermoto race bike, but racing and fun riding are two different things

08-11-06, 12:26 AM	#7
rob13 Guest Posts: n/a	I took out a 250 yam on the off road experience at the NEC and for off road riding, the 250 would be plenty fast for me (I would argue that a 125 would suffice most to cut their teeth on off roading) If i was gonna get one purely for off road, then id probs go for a 125 to start with.

08-11-06, 08:38 AM	#8
Alpinestarhero Guest Posts: n/a	You wouldnt think Honda where capable of creating such a beast, would you? They have a Dark Side - beware!!!! Matt

08-11-06, 11:11 PM	#10
xrphil Guest Posts: n/a	the guy i bought my crm250 off had one, he used to take it out of town in a van to get to the lanes as it was to mental to ride in town. trials bike mag showed a pic of one of there guys pulling off on one. first pic bike pulls away wheel just lifting, second pic bike 90% wheely, third guy on deck on ****, bike on deck, and the rider was very experienced. crm250 is a nice all round road and laner.