Blood, Sweat, And Beers...... Trx500r Is Finished After 1 Year Build.................

[gixxerbob]

PROJECT: BLOOD, SWEAT, AND BEERS

i would like to start this thread by saying "it doesnt vibrate any worse than a stock 250r or my yz250 or cr250" although i solid mounted the motor to the frame with very short motor mount tabs with extra bracing and had crankworx balance the rotating assembly along with an antivibe stem and some other very minor/obvious things to keep the vibes down

So it took a year but it was worth it. It is the biggest project i have ever taken on and i did all the work myself except the powdercoating, cylinder machine work and tig welding the silencer to fit. When i think of it i can only name 6 oem stock 250r parts on it. i spent days worth of time researching; hours on end measuring, cutting, welding; spent enough money to buy a couple new trx450r's and drank a couple kegs worth of.....liquid.

everything fits so close its surprising i got it all in there with all my extra bracing. i tried to keep it as stock looking as possible.

im not going to get too into detail about my custom frame work, i dont mean to be a d**k and keep you guessing but i am too proud of my work to see someone butcher it in their own way. Its a learning process for that person to figure out.

let me know what you think.

-Gixxerbob

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[gixxerbob]

it was my first real welding project and im probably going to redo the frame the same way buy with an aftermarket frame once i get my tig welding skills up.

[DnB_racing]

ride report is needed!!

were is the usable power? can it lug low with torque, or a wide open monster? and does it jump with a light front or heavy?

can you start it without removing the fenders?a few details please, no trade secrets but some would be nice:)

[ceaserthethird]

AWESOME ! all for the love of 2 strokes :D

[250jts]

I like the build being on the table inside the house!! And x2 on the ride report!

[bean-oil]

You should make a video. I wanna see this beast run. It looks amazing, great job.

[gixxerbob]

iv barely ridden the thing, mostly to tune it as much as i can at my dads property upstate NY. i honestly prefer my bikes when the weather is nice enough to ride and built this for the snow and night riding with friends (most of my friends ride quads) but i wanted something badass and to learn the fab skills i did.

the power is all over and it has low torque like iv never felt before but it really rips in the higher rpm's. it might be the gearing or the 18' rear tires but it could use some gearing adjustment to get more useable broad power out of it. it wheelies wherever i can get traction but i think bigger/meatier tires would help put the HP down.I weigh 180lbs fwiw. It could use some suspension adjustments im really not that familiar with race suspension comming from a stock 400ex. the quad dosent seem like too much for me to handle in the wide open settings i am usually in and the hillclimbs in the pennsylvania riding parks i usually visit but if i were to take it to a track it would surpass my current skill level by far. i have yet to hit any real jumps with it but it seems very light if not the same weight as a stock 250r but maybe thats just the wheels and other light weight parts i added on. the bike has extended and long travel everything.

I need to find a shop on Long Island with a quad dyno to see what numbers it puts down and have it tuned to the tee. if i were to put it on a scale i would say its the same weight balance as a 250r (after all i kept the swingarm bolt passing through the back of the motor unlike some cr500 swaps iv seen)

i have a spare set of plastics that pretty much has the right side rear fender 1/2 amputated to clear the kicker, but i only use those plastics if im riding somewhere i really shouldnt be, like on the street in the snow (in case i had to make a speedy getaway lol, but havent been to such a place yet)

the motor was ported for a cr500 mx bike with mid to high porting. it is a 1985 motor, which means its Not a wide ratio, and is one of the 2 legendary high hp motors that the cr500 guys always talk about; it is a short rod motor that made the power hit hard (5mm shorter than the 87+ motors) along with a 88 cylinder (better transfer ports) and a head milled and reshaped to run half race fuel and half 93 with amsoil dominator 50:1 (the concentrated dominator oil). hinson clutch, boyesen reeds, pwk39mm (more like 40.5mm), esr carb ring adapter, pro circuit platinum pipe and 304 silencer, 13 front sprocket, 39 rear sprocket, 18" wheels. i updated the clutch cover with a late model cr500, similar to a quick change style hinson. every bearing, bushing, seal, gasket...was replaced with oem parts (over 1200$ spent in oem parts orders). i sent the crank to crankworx to be balanced statically and dynamically with the newest style 91mm wiseco. newer cr500 internals were added (late model water pump shaft,bearings,right side case cover.....etc). it stops pretty good with the 400ex spindles and yfz450 calipers (so cheap to buy and easy to find these much newer parts). I wonder how much hp it makes...... but cant find a atv dyno on Long Island NY.

[gixxerbob]

Originally posted by ceaserthethird
AWESOME ! all for the love of 2 strokes :D

without a doubt. i only ride 2-strokes. after owning a crf450 modded to the max it was just a pain in the *** to keep it on the proper maintenence schedule. that and a monkey with a wrench would rebuild a 2stoke in an hour. my friends (with 4stroke quads) dont get it but ill never buy another high performance 4stroke dirt machine again. that and i can smoke all their 4stroke fuel injected aluminum framed quads that they have the same ammount of money into. I have yet to come up against a big bore banshee though.... but my cr250 is as fast as my friends lightly modded banshee on the street and i know my quad is faster than the shee... so its faster than the cr250 which is crazy to say/ride.

my crf450 (fastest bike iv ever owned 0-60, my gsxr100 took it after 60mph)
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iv been throwing around gsxr600's, 750's and 1000's like toys since i was 16 and the trx500r dosent seem like overkill as much as you'd think (atleast when im in the wide open and non technical areas lol) i can handle the power i just need more practice onputting it down, although i dont think i could ever outgrow the power of this quad.
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[400exrip]

You did a great job on that build.

[gixxerbob]

thank you.

[atvmxr]

for what its worth, I really like the 20" I-razrs on my zilla hybrid. they will still spin for slides and what not, but hook decently for romping on it in a straight line. the turfs felt like i was almost riding on ice as the power of the 500 would just blow them loose all the time.


Excellent looking build! big bore 2 strokes are sure fun!! unfortunately a 250r will feel like you are riding around on a cr85 now :D

[gixxerbob]

im going to see how my kenda klaw mxr tires feel and order a set of 21''gecko sand tires for the snow/ coal hillclimbing while rockymountainatv is having their holiday special offer .

gotta love the big bores.

[dustinshuler]

Awesome build!!! You have great skills! Very Clean!

[Gapper]

i tried to keep it as stock looking as possible.


Great decision! Quad looks super and knowing there is that much power underneath it makes it all the better.

And props to doing most of the work yourself, even if you had to learn as you go. Well done!

[HondaPohl]

I want one!

[mx91a]

Looks great! How do you like the 400ex rear suspension? Did you use the stock 250R upper shock and linkage mounting locations on the frame or relocate them? Thanks!

[gixxerbob]

250r frame
400ex pep zps rear shock with the upper spacers for a 250r (from bladwin motorsports)(i was also told the shock piston is same length between the 2)
400ex shock linkage
cut and weld linkage-frame mount to 400ex geometry
400ex lonestar swingarm.

i really like the combo.

[Grande Huevos]

looks awesome man i def. dig the frame color! You will def like how the bike rolls with a bigger set of tires and will make the powerband seem broader and more useable. Not being a hater but if you put this much time and money into it i would spend the money on a GOOD set of tires, it will be money well spent in the long run! (Kenda klaws are crap!!)Just my 2 cents............Nice job on the build!

[gixxerbob]

thanks, the frame is supposed to be bud light blue but the closest thing my powdercoater had was "dazzling blue" lol, damn close.

im going to try the kenda klaw tires casue i already own them and they are mounted on my spare set of aluminum wheels haha. they came on the quad from the previous owner. i have to imagine i cant get much less traction than i do now. i will be buying paddle tires for the snow and coal riding/hill climbs this week and i havent decided on what tires i will be buying for next spring but i won't go cheap. im probably going to look into a 20x11-9 for my hiper wheels and something very agressive/soft terrain style. my 18x10-9 razr mx's are pretty badand i dont think the similar tread pattern tires (holeshots and razrs in all different kinds of models, mx xc, hd..) will be much different.

im going to look into the i-razr since its not such a sililar tread design

[fastredrider44]

Originally posted by gixxerbob


im going to look into the i-razr since its not such a sililar tread design

Some may disagree with me, but I think a Razr2 would be an excellent choice for you. I'm a big I-Razr fan, but something to think about is that I get 4 XC races out of an I-Razr rear before I retire it to practice tires or sell them used. They wear extremely quick in my opinion but they hook awesome. Holeshot HD's are pretty hard biting tires too.

[RyanWsly]

I razrs work very well on my 450R but the side bite is very lacking on my 250R. My friend switched to "Ballance" razrs on his yfz and says they bite harder and don't slide out near as bad as I razrs, may be a tire that you should look into. Razr 2 and Holeshot HD have massive side bite not a fan of those tires they are almost clones of each other, not a fan of them as rears.

[atvmxr]

Originally posted by fastredrider44
S I get 4 XC races out of an I-Razr rear before I retire it to practice tires or sell them used. They wear extremely quick in my opinion but they hook awesome. .


really? damn son, you must ride the snot out them during a XC race! I have had mine on my zilla for nearly2 years now and the lugs are still in pretty great/like new shape

[esstrx250r]

Very nice! I like how you have it on your coffee table in the living room? haha. I've always wanted to do a hybrid 250 or 500 two stroke in a newer quad like a YFZ but everyone always says how bad the vibes are on bike engines that arn't counter balanced.

[gixxerbob]

all you have to do is send the rotating assembly to crankworx, reinforce the frame, mount the motor solid on short tabs and and anti-vibe stem with some good grips and you will be fine. its not bad at all if you do it right.

[ytman]

Thank you for not listening to the people who just repeat what they have heard and building the beast you wanted. Beautiful job!! Having built the same bike, I know what you've got there. Big, Fat Fun. Too bad IMS doesn't sell the wide ratio gear kit anymore. You may even consider 22s on the rear. A flywheel weight helped mine out also. Believe it or not, a spot to keep an eye on for cracks is the back end. Grab bar and subframe. Enough babble. Congratulations on FINISHING a build.Have fun riding your monster. Talk nice to her.

[gixxerbob]

thanks, so many people talk about how bad it vibrates when they have never built,owned, or even ridden a 500 quad, or atleast a properly built and balanced one. i could slap a wide ratio transmission in the cases but would rather go up in tire size since id like the ground clearance and meatier tire selections. pm me some pics of your quad or e-mail them to minimechanic1@yahoo.com if you dont mind. nice to see someone who also did the swap.

[buck440]

anybody have video's? was the pipe cut to make it fit? was the shift lever closer or further from the foot pegs?

[gixxerbob]

no videos at the moment and i wont have any till it snows and that wont be much help to see what it can do.

the pipe was cut shortly after the flange to fit the frame and again by the silencer mount. a cr500 pipe and silencer was used. trying to use a 250r pipe and silencer is a waste of time. the pipe is too small and the silencer is 1/4 inch smaller in diameter. gotta cut and weld the pipe and silencer.

the shifter is custom made by me to put the toe 1/2 inch further foward than a stock 250r shifter since i have larger than average feet, i probably could have made it 1 inch longer and been fine. i bought a cheap steel emgo shifter from denniskirk and cut the ends and bent up a new shift arm and welded the splines and toe section.

all welds were done with a 135 mig flux core welder by me.
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[ytman]

After doing the swap I tried racing in desert events. The frame didn't hold up. I never wen't through the process of balancing the motor like you. I built mine back in the 90s. In the 250r heyday. Laeger was building frames with urethane (sp) motor mounts. After chasing cracks all over the place I sprung for one. Still the best wad I've ever owned. I have to get my wife to help me post pics tho. I'm a computer dink. Buck440 I originally bought a ATC with the 500 motor in it. The guy I bought it from had the pipe made. I had to section it and reweld it for the four wheeler. With the tight bends it didn't last. I had one made closer to the trx bend and it lasted 10 years. The shifter is good if you move the pegs back and down...as in 87 pegs bolted to 89 frame.

[ytman]

nice pics bob and nice work. are we gonna get moved to the hybrid section?

[gixxerbob]

there are only 6 of those frames..correct? that must be a hard find. i cant say i didnt copy the vertical round tube reinforcement. as you might know circular shapes are stronger than square and i thought that closing up the huge area in the center of the main frame with verticl reinforcement would make it alot stronger, and since the dirtbikes (which dont vibe much at all) have tubes just infront of the cylinder it would kill alot of the vibes and think it did.

[ytman]

If you can ride it all day then you did it right. I can't say that I know much about metalurgy or even geometry but when the levers rattle and the whip antenna flys out of the mount when you rev er up and she still doesn't break you've accomplished something.

[gixxerbob]

id have to say that vibrations are not a problem on my quad. in 3 hours of riding i didnt lose a single nut/bolt and i didnt over torque or loctite anything. id like to build an aftermarket frame to accept my motor/pipe and see if the cro-moly does any better or worse. id also like to see what would happen if i filled my bars with silicone/rubber.

[buck440]

Originally posted by ytman
After doing the swap I tried racing in desert events. The frame didn't hold up. I never wen't through the process of balancing the motor like you. I built mine back in the 90s. In the 250r heyday. Laeger was building frames with urethane (sp) motor mounts. After chasing cracks all over the place I sprung for one. Still the best wad I've ever owned. I have to get my wife to help me post pics tho. I'm a computer dink. Buck440 I originally bought a ATC with the 500 motor in it. The guy I bought it from had the pipe made. I had to section it and reweld it for the four wheeler. With the tight bends it didn't last. I had one made closer to the trx bend and it lasted 10 years. The shifter is good if you move the pegs back and down...as in 87 pegs bolted to 89 frame.

man that is quite a bit of pipe lol. why the atc over the cr motor?

[buck440]

how would say it would compare to a modern cr250r.

[gixxerbob]

buck440, i think he meant he bought a atc with a cr500 motor swapped into it. the atc was never offered with a 500cc 2-stroke and he has a 87/88 cr500 motor in his quad.

i own a 2002 cr250 (last gen frame 02-07) and it has about the same ammount of vibrations and is a little faster. i love it.

[buck440]

oh i see:) i don't know anything about atc so i just thought...

[fastredrider44]

Originally posted by atvmxr
really? damn son, you must ride the snot out them during a XC race! I have had mine on my zilla for nearly2 years now and the lugs are still in pretty great/like new shape

I ride it for all it's worth, every time I enter a race. lol The lugs stay deep, but they loose the biting edge. (They round off like stripping a bolt) That biting edge is what you want when you don't want to get stuck and passed.

Ballance Razrs might not be a bad option.

By the way gixxerbob, I love the color of the frame. I bet it pops in daylight. Very clean build!

[gixxerbob]

thanks, after christmas im going to build a 06yz250 and its going to have some awesome color blues on it.