kxt 500 vs atc 500

[whyat]

I was wondering what the members of the forum think about each, well in terms which is better. For the atc 500r a cradle needs to be welded up into the frame and and a tuning pipe needs to be made, but all other parts are easy to find and they don't command a irrationally high price. another plus to atc is from what I have gathered it can use a lot of different rims. Stator for head light is easy to get.

As for the tecate its easier to set as a 500 but a tuning pipe still needs to be made, rims are somewhat of a specialty and the rear shock needs to be upgraded. The tecate's parts are high and getting a good stator for the kx500 is a bit of a pain.
Even as die hard honda guy I must admit that the tecate is very nice(the kx is slightly faster that much I am aware of).

I ask all this because I after college in 3 years I plan to go to little sahara with a 500cc 3 wheeler and I thought I would go ahead and locate a frame.
In the communities opinion which is worth the time. Lets play nice and no slamming each other for their loyalty to they're respective team.:

[tecaterob]

The Tecate is a lot easier. As far as parts are concern you only need plastics and can get an aftermarket tank. Shock send to onformula and he will upgrade to new spec internals. Don't be concerned about wheels, just change hubs to 4x100 and you can get any wheel you want. I'm building a Tecate because of all the parts I have and plus you never see Tecates around and I'm a Kawie guy.

Honda is a lot of labor but I would love to have one also.

Good Luch

[hawaiirider]

IMO.. i advise the kawi. i rode and raced one for years out in hawaii and can say with a for sure they are absolutely bulletproof motors. no needs for mods, they crank out more ponies than man can need. i rode with cr 500 guys and the cr is a pipey bike - with NO POWERVALVE- theres just no disagreeing. the kawis powervalved motor is a gem.
as far as converting i think alot of guys go the wrong way on that. its ALOT easier and cheaper to convert the dirtbike to a trike than you may think, find a bike, fit a swinger if you can weld and have the kx's stem pushed into the tecates triples. rear plastics can be cut to fit or just built new mounts for them.

[whyat]

I might need to post a wtb thread in a month or so to see if I can't locate someone here who would sell me an 87 tecate frame with a clean vin.

[fieldy]

I saw a lagers (sp) 500 Honda conversion sell on 3bay about a year and a half ago. It was a cr 500 converted to a 3 wheeler with an original Lagers conversion kit. It sold for $5000.00 and I thought that was an outstanding deal. It was a late 80's cr I believe. It looked like brand new.

[tecaterob]

I might need to post a wtb thread in a month or so to see if I can't locate someone here who would sell me an 87 tecate frame with a clean vin.

It's going to be a lot easier to find a 86. I would buy a complete bike and not just a frame.

[tecaterob]

I saw a lagers (sp) 500 Honda conversion sell on 3bay about a year and a half ago. It was a cr 500 converted to a 3 wheeler with an original Lagers conversion kit. It sold for $5000.00 and I thought that was an outstanding deal. It was a late 80's cr I believe. It looked like brand new.

I was out of town when that bidding ended. I wanted it.

[whyat]

My thoughts are if I could locate an 87 frame and switch that into an 86 roller it would be more right to set it up with a key ignition instead of giving the few 87 differences to an 86.

[hawaiirider]

I saw a lagers (sp) 500 Honda conversion sell on 3bay about a year and a half ago. It was a cr 500 converted to a 3 wheeler with an original Lagers conversion kit. It sold for $5000.00 and I thought that was an outstanding deal. It was a late 80's cr I believe. It looked like brand new.

it would cost about half that to convert the bike to trike at most. i may start building custom bikes next year built to spec, these big companies are overcharging, welding is just a skill anyone can learn

[tecaterob]

^sorry but I don't know how you are coming up with your math.

[hawaiirider]

^sorry but I don't know how you are coming up with your math.

^sorry but I don't know how you are coming up with your math.

1500-2000$ for a decent kx500, 500$ tops for a junked 250r, 350x or tecate (useing the front trips and rear swingarm axle wheels) and 50$ to have the kx stem put in the trikes trips. the swingarm can be cut in half and welded with half the trikes if you cant weld a welder should charge more than 100$.
thats 2650 tops, plus you know what you got cuz ya made it yourself with your own touch.

if theres demand id build one to spec 5000$!!

[tecaterob]

^why in the world would you go buy a KX and all that trouble when you only have to modify a tube on the Tecate. Then make a pipe.



Sorry man you make this sound so easy when in fact it isn't. You have so many parts missing from your price.

I'm have a lot more money then that in my build and it's not finished yet.

It's not that easy to do what you are saying. Getting the triples to work right on the dirt bike frame is big enough to drive anyone mad. Unless your Jason Hall that has done a lot of them and has them figured out. (Or someone else with that knowledge).

[hawaiirider]

sorry man just voiceing my opinion from experience, parts cost ALOT by themselves. buying the whole bike is just much cheaper and i can say with a FOR SURE when i stuffed a banshee motor in my crf450r (my avatar) the pipes were by far the most hassle and most expensive peice of the build! converting the bike to a trike was fairly painless, the rear fender was the biggest hassle.
attached are some pics of some of my conversions
the honda xl was already done i found it in a wrecking yard and redid it
the yamaha before i put a tri z front end and massaged the rear fender to look decent
and the lt160 was a quad.

[sanchez]

leager's cr500 conversion my vote (like the one I own)
kx is a better motor; but cr replacement parts are still stocked on shelves when I break stuff

and for those who think a bike frame conversion doesn't turn nicely isn't going fast enough
and as far as the numbers game goes their are a few atc frames with 500 motors, I can recall 5 or more tekate 500s, 4 leagers but the one that surprised me most a one off, the aluminum frame 450r conversion
and I just taxied it in a grass parking lot. so just because nobody has done it before doesn't mean it won't work