This cr500 is killing me

Screedman · Jan 3, 2017

It maybe 450 time. I am struggling to keep this bike running clean in the deep stuff can it be done? No matter what intake system i try I always end up with ice buildup right before the carb. It screams for 20 minutes right out of the parking lot then starts sputtering and running super fat. How are people running 2strokes all day in 3 feet. I have carb heat carb jacket and tstat. Getting complete engine shrouding tomorrow after that i give up

highflyernick · Jan 3, 2017

I don't have problems - running billet smarty and avid heater. On a kx500. I have a CR racing intake - 3" pod reduced to 2.5" into carb... I don't run a jacket. One rad with a tunnel cooler, big skid plate. Bike runs mint all day long, and Ive been out on the -10 C days where is just deep fluff.

wwillf01 · Jan 3, 2017

I ran a 500 for 3 years with avid carb heater with a smart carb valves to turn on and off and a tunnel cooler... Used the timbersled pod filter ..Never ran a jacket of any kind .... 300 hours never a freeze... I am in the Utah...

Same goes for a beta 300 I have .. ran all day in powder over the seat yesterday
..

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wwillf01 · Jan 3, 2017

Are you sure you have warm coolant flowing through the heater... I put an FX sticker just to confirm heat

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tomk · Jan 3, 2017

is your pipe protected? I wonder if it is getting too cold from the snow. I wrapped mine on my kx500, no issues

wwillf01 · Jan 3, 2017

I never did but maybe cover you radiators

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Robbie · Jan 3, 2017

Screedman said:
It maybe 450 time. I am struggling to keep this bike running clean in the deep stuff can it be done? No matter what intake system i try I always end up with ice buildup right before the carb. It screams for 20 minutes right out of the parking lot then starts sputtering and running super fat. How are people running 2strokes all day in 3 feet. I have carb heat carb jacket and tstat. Getting complete engine shrouding tomorrow after that i give up

Is the ice forming before the jacket? If it is forming inside the jacket with carb heat, you have something wrong with the plumbing.

lundracing · Jan 3, 2017

I am finally figuring out my Kx 500. I struggled with it over heating. I am running Lectron, avid carb heat, skid plate, p3 pipe gaurd, took the thermostat out of the thermostat body and took off radiator gaurds . The gaurds would get plugged with ice and block off all air. I do not use a carb jacket. Seems to run pretty well now. Stays about 125 degrees. Dips down to 90's in deep but quickly warms up again. Runs much smoother this way. When it got warmer it would run Rich and then lean.

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kell8071 · Jan 3, 2017

What kind of carb heater are you using? This sounds like how mine would run before I got a good carb heater built for me. It was almost identical to the one M5 is currently selling.

With that said the vibrations of my cr500 inam aluminum frame moved me onto a FI 4-stroke, at least during the winter!

Screedman · Jan 4, 2017

Well it's good to hear it can be done
I'm running avid carb heat.
It's sounding like my cooling system is at fault. I was struggling yesterday to keep the bike above 70°
Carb heater must need constant 130° water to work I'm just not getting that. Felt like my thermostat was stuck open
Next test will be Thursday or Friday with complete engine shielding and if that doesn't work I will redo the cooling system
Thanks everyone for the help

summitboy · Jan 4, 2017

Tell us about your intake please ? Also where have you taken the coolant from for the carb heat ? Where is temp being read from as well ? Which carb and jetting ?

Are you saying 20 min on the trail it runs fat or is this only in deep snow ? 500's get warm on the trail so they shouldnt run any different unless your jetting is off. Let us know the above info. It makes a difference

needpowder · Jan 4, 2017

Build an engine jacket around your pipe and engine. That was the only way i could keep temps up on mine.

M5- · Jan 4, 2017

On the back of the cylinder of your 500 is a flat spot that originally used to be for a hose on the old 500's. If you drill and tap that spot and add a 1.4" hose barb it gives you access to the hottest coolant on the bike. Right below the head. Run a very short line from there to your Avid heater and your heater will work much better or at least it will have a fighting chance. If you are freezing up that fast you have issues.

M5

egesledder · Jan 4, 2017

I ran a coolant carb heater, engine covers, and a tunnel cooler/t-stat setup on my last KX500. I never had issues with it icing up, but I did have issues with it constantly falling apart due to vibration. I don't think I had a single bolt that didn't come loose at some point over the last 2 seasons. I rode it around 20-30 hard rides per season, and pretty much always in deep snow and at full throttle.

I sold what was left of it this past fall and picked up a carb'd YZ 450 with 20 hours on it for $1800. Best decision I've made in a while. Even though I had an Eric Gorr 525 big bore and porting and the KX put out an impressive amount of power, I'm faster pretty much everywhere on the 450. It hasn't rattled a single bolt loose yet, haha. I tried my best to make the 500 work, but in the end it just wasn't worth missing riding time every other ride due to issues.

Uncle si · Jan 4, 2017

No problems with my KX500 stock air box, but the pod filter that came with the TSS flat won't work in snow. I have the same issues - running rich until the filter is covered with ice, then it won't run at all.

cbc76am · Jan 4, 2017

perhaps a tunnel guard to keep the track from firing snow into the intake area, i made one with plastic sheet and zip ties to the bottom of the frame of the kit above the track. changed the game for the snow getting thrown forward into the engine area

Screedman · Jan 4, 2017

summitboy said:
Tell us about your intake please ? Also where have you taken the coolant from for the carb heat ? Where is temp being read from as well ? Which carb and jetting ?

Are you saying 20 min on the trail it runs fat or is this only in deep snow ? 500's get warm on the trail so they shouldnt run any different unless your jetting is off. Let us know the above info. It makes a difference

I haven't ridden any trail it's all three Feet deep blower
Right port on the head goes to a thermostat that bypass ties into the bottom of the right radiator then thermostat hose goes to the top of the right radiator Left port goes to carpets and the tunnel cooler Right after the tea where I am pulling the car P I have a shut off valve the tunnel cooler is shut off I am taking the temperature from the left port 3 inches from the head Bike roans super good for 20 minutes chatting is perfect tons of power Then it goes to hell. Running a 39.5 PWK CPI pipe of course porting Pantera electric start

summitboy · Jan 4, 2017

I would do the carb heat run as M5 has stated above. That is the single best place to plumb your carb heat. Sounds like you have too much cooling in the deep. Tunnel cooler ? Do u turn it off in the deep ? Intake ?

I found tunnel cooler is kinda useless unless its on the trail with some fresh snow. You would never need a cooler in the deep imo

summitag163 · Jan 4, 2017

We first started with KTM heater inserts on the billet Smarty's on KTM 300's, didn't work at all with or without carb jackets. Went to the Avid system, could fry an egg on the Smarty so never any ice but big issues with flooding for re-starting. We ended up putting a quarter turn valve and another bypass to regulate flow to the Avid carb ring along with a temp. gauge running to the Avid ring. We have run the carb ring temps anywhere from 40F to 110F (no jackets) using a relatively low flow rate through the ring......problem solved. We have ran the bikes in a variety of temperatures and bottomless powder with zero issues. Was one step away from going 4 stroke prior to solving the problem.

Screedman · Jan 4, 2017

I haven't ran the tunnel cooler yet. I have ran the ts pod and stock airbox. Both with single and double outerwears. 100 outerwears wouldn't stop the iceing. Every time there is ice buildup right before the carb. It is always tinted with premix and smells like gas

This cr500 is killing me

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