Rebuilding a1985 cr500... got some questions

cushy is a good description, a friend bought one of my spares and said the same thing
they are not ergonomically perfect but work, are cushy and make amazing torque

Thats a nice air cooled 430! I love the way the old twin shockers look. The mono shock is probably just a better newer design; cushy and good dampening it seems.

mono's were aimed at the enduro scene in Europe as the desert was closing up. thee was a compare btw a cr Honda 500 1989 I think and a new crf 450 and the big 500 was found to be a bit slow out of the blocks, didn't stop as well (go on?) but gave a mid range run that the 450 couldn't hang with till the very top end where the 4 banger over ran the twoie. in general the older bikes are sit down design, slower steering and softer suspension designed for long hours in the saddle in the worst possible terrain. modern bikes are sharper in the steering, stand up design and work you over more in the initial stroke. its ok if your on the go but all you see on utube are unsuspecting punters getting tank slapped and punted over the bars by the trials like quick steering. I rekon theyre a con as once I get a yammie 450 rider on the old wr 400, they wont get off! all you can hear is "how goods this seat, how goods this power... wish it had brakes"

I find you just plough thru stuff, go straight down hill and hang on on the twin shox. the new kato ive got, you find yourself picking youre way down hills, neatly sidestepping everything cos you can .... but its pointless when you see how you just roar down on the old bikes going straight over everything with barely a head shake.. love the old bikes.

I get on the 500 and it just feels like a fat enduro bike that I can take anywhere and it will ge through with comfort and reliablity. Fast desert- can go 100+. Tight trails- lugs like a beast. I love old school big bore smokers! They do it all!

Alright guys had some gasket trouble on the first side case re install for some reason. Install went fine but gasket must have ripped from one of the bolts and I lost all my oil out the bottom. Luckilly it happened in the shop not on a trail. Anyways husqvarna parts being closed did not allow me to get a new gasket and the only one on ebay is an entire set fot 83$. So I rigged up the gaskets I had to work with with red rtv silicone and shes leak free and good enough for me! Got water pump installed too. Pulled exhaust and cylinder and ports look good. Now I just have to reweld all the exhaust mounts back together and she will be ready to ride! Cant wait to shred that 120/100 pirelli!

when you say reweld i don't weld them i braze them, gives you a more flexible joint and does not heat the base metal as much

Yeah I wasnt planning on directly welding to the frame. As I dont want to decrease its value. More like refashioning mounts and welding as necessary. Thanks for the tip.

oh thats different, most of my pipes have cracks, the frame is a specialty welding chromoly
you need to have experience or you will ruin it

My pipe isnt cracked just the mounts to under the tank and subframe cracked off. I would never weld to the frame like I said because I wouldnt want to ruin the the value of the frame. Im going to remake mounts and weld them to the pipe then bolt them to where they go on the frame

i probably have some spares if you want the originals when i get home next month i can look
let me know

Alright thanks man

that cl;utch cover is a pisser isn't it, 9 put of 10 times, the gasket will catch on something or tear on that bottom bolt!#$#@#$. don't know how many silicon repairs to go riding ive done

Hi Guys,

When I have a spare night while I have a couple of quiet beers, I cut my own clutch cover gaskets, a roll of gasket

paper is cheap, I use 0.4 mm, I use and keep a new original gasket as a template.

I also use Loctite 515 master gasket as a sealer, it is the only sealer that I have been able to peel the gasket off and reuse

the same gasket with a new application of Loctite.

It is soft setting and anaerobic which means it will not set outside the joint, just wipe off any excess, also any that gets

inside the motor will just dissolve in oil.

The automotive version is Permatex anaerobic gasket maker, not cheap but you don't need much, put the sealer on

one side of the gasket and use your thumb and forefinger to work it to the opposite side you may need to

apply a bit more to get a even coating on both sides.

Cheers, Dave.

i just grease them . none of the leak so far . but yea id put 515 in centre cases etc

Halls has cosmetic gaskets in stock. best made gasket material I have ever used.

you can cut the clutch cover gasket yourself pretty easy . pull the dowels out if they are in it . rub some oil in the face and slap it on the sheet of paper . then cut it out . or you can just use the outside of it as the cutting guide . or draw round it
works for me

Ive always wanted to cut my own. Just been to lazy

Ok guys just a little update. Got the pipe mount under the seat welded back together where it had cracked then rebolted and loctited. Then me and my welder friend refashioned and welded the pipe mount by the silencer and then utilized one of the subframe bolts to bolt and loctite it very tightly to the frame. The exhaust is now no longer loose whatsoever and when you pull on the exhaust the whole bike moves because its so well attached. Made the bike way less noisey and vibraty. New clutch is working well. Much smoother than the old clutch but it seems to need more adjustment while riding. As for the coolant I purchased engine Ice pre diluted race coolant. My dirtbike shop didnt carry the zip ty waterless coolant. They did have a waterless race formula but it was extremely expensive. The bike dripped some coolant out the hose at first but I think it was just getting rid of the excess since I filled it to the brim. after that it no longer boiled so I think with my new oem cap and new coolant my boil over problem is solved. The bike ran like a beast. With the new pirelli 120 tire, baseball and pingpong sized rocks where the norm flying around behind me. Then when I was in the back watching my friend rip her around, No way I could keep up on the honda!! Dust clouds and rocks! Gotta love big bores! Too much fun!!!

sounds like its starting to really come together

Hell yeah man Im stoked, but I couldnt have done it without all the help from the folks at the cafe! Thanks guys!