One year upgrades! 1984 ATC500X

[plevib]

After too much time jetting and then rebuilding cuz i didn't do the first part right.... I've decided my air cooled two smoke days are over. It was fun while it was running, but my 250r was just too fickle and blew up to easily. I will one day own a liquid R, but that's a ways away. And i want a machine i don't have to worry about when i go on longer rides. So here's my plan. I bought a xl500r motor, and i'm gonna make it fit..... hopefully.

From the before, you can see that it's a VERY clean trike. When i got it, it didn't need anything except "some carb work".... after a summer of jetting, seizing, cussing, lather rinse and repeating, i'm going this direction with it instead



Sorry if this offends the purists. But i'm not just mindlessly cutting. i've measured and figured and i can make it all fit. it's actually pretty surprising how well it fits and how the sprocket lines up



Here's a mock up of all the parts



I've started some of the fab work, I'll get pictures up as later.

Major engineering hurdles,

1) Engine cradle (not too complicated, just needs to be bigger)
2) Intake manifold (it will need to drop down to avoid the frame)
3) Kick starter .... it goes backwards. probably will require shortening and fender trimming. Hopefully one day it will have a ft500 stater, but those are expensive (and my wife has an ft500 with all the parts i need sitting right there in my garage!
4) Axle flip (this one's actually pretty simple, just have to move the front bracket for that bar)
5) exhaust (i have a trx450r muffler i'm going to try to use because of the angle at which it ducks back into the frame)
6) Foot pegs (using stock ltr450 pegs)

This is for your entertainment. I'll keep it updated, but this is going to be a long term project. hopefully it'll be done by summer. If you have useless criticism about the err of my ways or how you could tune a 250r carb in your sleep uphill both ways through a blinding snowstorm, save it If you have helpful comments or thoughts, i'd love to hear them!

four wheels<two wheels<three wheels, but i never was very good at math

[RapidRick]

I'll be watching. Interesting hybrid. Good luck and patience.

[atc300r]

This is a cool build. Cant wait to see it completed.

[ps2fixer]

I don't know a ton about this swap, but I do know there was an aftermarket frame made exactly for that engine, but the base was the 350x frame.

[Hurley250R]

If you have trouble jetting a carb correctly, seems to me cutting/welding/fabricating a frame to fit a giant heavy fourstroke engine is opening another much larger can of worms. Wish you luck and prove us wrong, but from what I see, you took a perfectly good aircooled R and ruined it.

[sledcrazyinCT]

Are you selling of parts from the 250r motor? Is DG pipe spoken for?

[sledcrazyinCT]

I don't know a ton about this swap, but I do know there was an aftermarket frame made exactly for that engine, but the base was the 350x frame.

My coworker has an 82 XR500 that will probably never get finished, and I have an extra 350X frame so if you can find a link to this conversion you speak of please share.

[ps2fixer]

It was a whole aftermarket frame from my understanding, I was helping make a wire harness for one of them since the CDI etc is completely different.

Here is a photo, I don't really have an overview shot, it was just photos to help figure out the harness layout.

https://gyazo.com/da794ebd81153a7b29f1a88e9d08cc9c

[plevib]

Thanks ATC King for the carb advice, I didn't know that. I'll try to keep the angles to a minimum. But i don't see a way around it so hopefully it works out.

Yes there will be room to get the inspection covers off and with a stubby screw driver i believe there will be enough room to adjust the valves.

I've started welding the cradle, and with the valve cover off the engine picks out nicely. not totally ideal, but it will work.

yup. i'll have to pull the engine to take the side covers off. not a big deal, i don't plan on opening this motor unless i have to.

I have the original rear fender too, so i'm going to trim that one for now. I will eventually find a ft500 engine and convert the 500x to electric start. Then i'll put the maier plastic back on. if the electric start fails, i can take the seat off to start it.

Thanks for the helpful input ATC King.

Hurley250r, i'm sure your one of those guys who can tune a carb with your eyes closed in a blinding snow storm uphill both ways....

The 500x motor only weighs 24 pounds more. I had already thought of that. That doesn't exactly make it giant and heavy.

I may have trouble tuning a two stroke carb (i'm not alone, search craigslist and see how many blown 2 strokes you find) but I've done my fair share of fabricating

1982 xt550 suspension upgrade using 03 yz450 parts http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...rades.1088470/



1976 f150 custom +6 suspension, 460 engine conversion, automatic conversion



1998 Katana faring removal, custom gauge cluster, headlight, front fender



so thanks for judging my abilities before you know anything about me. I do intend on proving you wrong. Hope this ruffles your purist feathers

I'll do some more work and put pictures up later this weekend! It's cool to find people who like this sort of project

[Jmoozy27]

Are you selling of parts from the 250r motor? Is DG pipe spoken for?

X2 on the spare parts, let us know what you don't need.

Good luck on the build, I'll be watching.

[plevib]

The motor is for sale. Needs rebuilt





Pipe is for sale too. Minor surface rust on expansion chamber, everything else is perfect, no dents. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

[Hurley250R]

Thanks ATC King for the carb advice, I didn't know that. I'll try to keep the angles to a minimum. But i don't see a way around it so hopefully it works out.

Yes there will be room to get the inspection covers off and with a stubby screw driver i believe there will be enough room to adjust the valves.

I've started welding the cradle, and with the valve cover off the engine picks out nicely. not totally ideal, but it will work.

yup. i'll have to pull the engine to take the side covers off. not a big deal, i don't plan on opening this motor unless i have to.

I have the original rear fender too, so i'm going to trim that one for now. I will eventually find a ft500 engine and convert the 500x to electric start. Then i'll put the maier plastic back on. if the electric start fails, i can take the seat off to start it.

Thanks for the helpful input ATC King.

Hurley250r, i'm sure your one of those guys who can tune a carb with your eyes closed in a blinding snow storm uphill both ways....

The 500x motor only weighs 24 pounds more. I had already thought of that. That doesn't exactly make it giant and heavy.

I may have trouble tuning a two stroke carb (i'm not alone, search craigslist and see how many blown 2 strokes you find) but I've done my fair share of fabricating

1982 xt550 suspension upgrade using 03 yz450 parts http://advrider.com/index.php?thread...rades.1088470/



1976 f150 custom +6 suspension, 460 engine conversion, automatic conversion



1998 Katana faring removal, custom gauge cluster, headlight, front fender



so thanks for judging my abilities before you know anything about me. I do intend on proving you wrong. Hope this ruffles your purist feathers

I'll do some more work and put pictures up later this weekend! It's cool to find people who like this sort of project

I hope you do prove us wrong. I have no idea on your abilities as a fabricator, but from the little bit of reading I gathered you probably just bit off more than you can chew. However I retract my statement and assumptions now that you have shown us your previous work. Bolting a lift kit on a truck, fork swap on a dirt bike and taking the faring and front fender off a motorcycle clearly shows you are a custom fabricator! I will stay out of your build now and not be the negative guy. Show us a smooth running, well built machine by the end of the year that doesn't look like the monstrosities we see on craigslist and I'll be the first to say excellent job! If nothing else let this be motivation for you, good luck my friend and I like your ambition!

[plevib]

Engine cradle bent, just need to weld

[plevib]

Dg pipe for sale too pm me.





Cradle is mostly finished. I'm going to gusset the front after a figure out all of the motor mounts

[NETRA3]

I like it! That trike is going to be a tractor!