Today we have another video that looks back at some of the amazingly engineered bikes of the past.
The 1980’s was a time of change in the motorcycle industry and that change had become very obvious in the world of dirt bikes, where the 2 strokes had taken over completely.
The world of dirt bikes changes quickly and the bikes that follow were all fiercely fast big bore 2 stroke dirt bikes of the 1980’s.
They all had their moment in the limelight and are the motorcycles that paved the way for the best dirt bikes we have today.
They were a breed apart and some are still hailed as the finest dirt bikes ever made. Their big advantages, were high power, low weight, and simplicity.
That is a heady cocktail for any dirt bike.
They might not have the technology of modern bikes, but what they lack in some ways, they make up for in others.
Few bikes have the sheer force of character that the big bore 2 stroke dirt bikes do, so they deserve their places in the motorcycle hall of fame.
I am going back to the old format too. I will give you the obvious bikes first, and gradually lead you to the less well known bikes that deserve a mention, I will leave timestamps so you can jump from section to section if you prefer.
Funnily enough these fantastic dirt bikes all seemed to reach their zenith around the same time. There were many bikes that lead the way, but in 1985 we had such an array of fantastic machines I have to consider this as the peak of the reign of the 2 strokes.
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Have a look around and let me know your thoughts in the comments. There is a 2 stroke specific playlist for those of you who have Castrol R running through your veins, and we do have the best and most respectful motorcycle community on you-tube, so come and join us, and enjoy the ride.
This one has turned into a bit of a Kaplan America Special, so thanks go to the team there too. Their museum is a treasure trove of amazing bikes that is definitely worth a visit. Don’t forget to go and check them out. I have left some choice comments from Ken and crew in this time.
Big thanks as always to them for all the work they do.
Anyway,
Honda CR500R
First and very much the most obvious, and commented about of all the 2 stroke Big Bore Dirt Bikes has to be the Honda CR500R
The CR500R was the fire breathing 2 Stroke monster built by the combined efforts of Soichiro Honda and the Honda R&D Americas team.
The team that had created the Elsinore breathed that fire into the big bore Honda and it is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by cooperation.
They managed to release seemingly endless amounts of power from that engine. Some say about 60HP but in general about 55HP at the back wheel seems a more accepted figure, but it would churn out over 65Nm of torque in the 1985 CR500R and that bike is still considered one of the most iconic of all the big bore 2 stroke dirt bikes.
Discontinued around 2001, it had a 16 year production run and would still be being bought today if Honda would make them.
Various updates did make the bike better over time, so the later models do have certain advantages, but they are all great bikes. From ironing out the initial mistakes to gradually improving the complete package, the final CR500R’s are a truly great dirt bike, but they deserve the ultimate respect. If you don’t give them that respect, you will get bitten.
Yamaha YZ490
Next we have the equally famous Yamaha YZ490.
Yamaha’s answer to the Honda was always fast. It might not have had the edge on power that the Honda did, but it put that power to the ground better. Yamaha’s package was easier to ride and the power came in lower and smoother than the more brutal CR500R.
Details like getting the adjustable compression damping sorted on the suspension were just worked out sooner, so it became a favourite among riders of all abilities. This wasn’t a bike that only a pro could get the best from. Yamaha’s Monoshock suspension just worked better than anyone else’s at this point.
Power was around the 50HP mark at the back wheel but with almost 50Nm of torque coming in at under 6,000rpm, it could kick like a mule.
The YZ490’s engine was a model in industrial simplicity, which kept the price of production down. It was a relatively simple reed valve engine that didn’t have water cooling, resonance chambers or exhaust valves, but it worked so well, it remained in that same un-evolved state for years after its introduction.
When introduced to replace the YZ465, the Yamaha faithful hated it, but in time it would go on to become one of the most loved dirt bikes of all times.
Now, a good one is becoming an increasingly collectible bike, find a good one and you will have a friend for life, but finding one in good condition won’t be as easy now as it once was and prices are increasing year by year.
Kawasaki KX500
Next we have the Kawasaki KX500.
Initially described as “violent” and “unrideable”. The KX500 was the most powerful of all the Japanese big bore 2 strokes, producing almost 65HP in standard trim. It was an immensely powerful bike and weighing just 105Kg or 230lbs, it also had the best power to weight ratio of all the Japanese bikes.
The motocross world changes faster than most, but despite this, the Kawasaki KX500 would go on to dominate start lines across the globe for much of the next ten years. Kawasaki had kept the prices as low as possible for the KX500, and it proved a winner on and off the track.
It stayed in production for over 20 years and became the benchmark by which all other big bore dirt bikes were judged.
The chassis was strong and stiff, so the Kawasaki delivered on handling as well as power. It did seem like Kawasaki had tried to either save weight or increase power with every compponent, and lets face it, Kawasaki have always been good at making powerful engines.
It still retains its unrivalled reputation to this day, and for many, the Kawasaki KX500 will always be King of the big bore dirt bikes.
Suzuki’s RM500
Now,
Sitting somewhere between the full works Suzuki RN500 Moto-crosser and the ubiquitous TM400, Suzuki’s RM500 should have been a roaring success. It wasn’t, and it seemed that whatever Suzuki did, they just couldn’t get this one right.
The design was described as lazy, and it did rely a lot on what had quickly become outdated ideas. Slow steering and a flat, lifeless power delivery made it easy to ride, but it would never make it out of the gate first when faced with the other bikes here.
Don’t get me wrong, they were a good bike, just not good enough.
In contrast to the Yamaha in particular, whereas the Yamaha YZ490 was very much more than the sum of its parts, The Suzuki RM500 always seemed a little less than the sum of its parts. It just never quite delivered what it seemed to promise, but I did need to give it a mention.
Now we start to look at some of the less well known of the big bore 2 strokes, and we have plenty to go at, so if you need a cuppa, maybe now is the time to pause the video and put the kettle on while we delve a little deeper.
Maico GP500E
Next up, we have 2 bikes from the Maico factory, The Maico GP500E and Enduro
Now Maico had gained a reputation for making the most powerful air cooled 2 stroke engines on the market, but the GP500E was an all new water cooled 500 built to try and wrench the crown of the most powerful dirt bike back from the hands of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The bike was a beast with a 13.5:1 compression ratio, but despite that it was a strong and reliable engine. However, the company had been in trouble financially for years, and this was the final throw of the dice.
In the end, in standard trim it just wasn’t quite as powerful as the Kawasaki, so it did not warrant the extra price tag it demanded for most people. It was a great, but expensive bike.
Bankruptcy was inevitable, and this became the last of the Maico motorcycles made by the original company.
The name did linger on though. Maico’s are still made in small numbers today, and this is the engine that spawned the final 700cc engines still manufactured by Zabel. These are the engines that became so successful in sidecar-cross.
I do go on to talk more about Maico in the Dangerous Bikes video linked at the end and in the description. I also look at the GP250 in the fastest 250cc dirt bikes video linked above too. https://youtu.be/kcgNE9wrK5A
It is always a sad loss when a company like this looses their place on the world stage and it is a shame that these bikes didn’t get the years of R&D that the Japanese bikes got.
I wonder how good the GP500 would have been by the year 2000 if the company had been able to develop the idea further.
The 2024 inventory sold out completely before the year had even begun, and they are truly great bikes that can more than hold their own in the right hands. The 500 Cross of today produces around 65HP, but the development is very slow to say the least. A small company will never have the R&D budget of the big boys, so that is understandable I guess.
Next we have what will be a more familiar name to more of our younger viewers.
Husqvarna 500XC
The 1975 Husqvarna 460WR had announced the arrival of a new contender on the world stage. Eight years later in late 1983 we got the all new Husqvarna 500XC and 500WR.
4 transfer ports and a bridged inlet port system pushed power up in a major way and the all new 8 petal reed valve on the induction ports made it efficient as well as powerful.
It produced around the same power as the YZ490, but with an even wider power band. Happy to crawl along at a snails pace, one flick of the throttle and you were instantly catapulted up the steepest climbs.
Agile and with predictable handling the Husky was a joy to ride and marked a huge leap forward for the Swedish company.
It would still be many years before Jacky Martens put them on the top step of the podium in 1993, but this was the beginnings of their rise to success.
Their biggest problem was always, turning that success, into financial prosperity.
They also had a nemesis in Europe. That company was KTM, and in 1985 we got a new KTM too.
KTM 500MTX
The KTM 500MCX. This bike featured another new water cooled engine, and it just felt different to the others.
KTM had been winning in the smaller capacity classes, but couldn’t quite crack the big one. The new engine was a very compact and lightweight design that unusually for KTM, would would focus more on a smooth power delivery than outright power.
Stroke length was increased, but vibration was also decreased, in a way even the smooth running Yamaha and Honda couldn’t compete with. This meant that as well as the engine being lighter, the frame could be made lighter too.
Throttle response from idle up to 4,000 rpm was truly phenomenal, but beyond that there was little advantage to keeping it revving. Short shifting became the norm for anyone who knew how to get the best from them.
Now let me be clear. It isn’t that the power runs out at 4,000rpm, it is just that there really is no point to pushing it further. All that will bring is a big repair bill because of the Nikasil liner used. The low end torque from the longer stroke motor just rewards you with another surge if you short shift quickly through to the higher gears.
Don’t get me wrong either, this KTM wasn’t a winner on the track. It just didn’t have the sheer force of nature power that the Kawasaki and Honda did.
Honda had been unbeatable in Europe throughout the 80’s. Not even the power of the Kawasaki’s could topple them from the top spot in the premier class, but by 1990, the KTM was chomping at their heels. It finally gave KTM a place nearer the top of the table in the premier class, and it was a joy to ride.
Last of the list proper today, you get my bias coming through again. In Varese, the Castiglioni brothers were on a mission. That mission led to some successes and other failures, but their sheer determination should never be forgotten or underestimated.
Cagiva WMX500
They had achieved success with the incredible 125 engines and the 250 had begun to win too, but they wanted to win in the premier class.
Talks had been ongoing, but on the first of April 1986 they bought Husqvarna outright and no, it wasn’t an April fools joke. They took complete control just 3 months later. The result in a very short time was the Cagiva WMX and MXR 500‘s
These were probably loved and hated in equal measures at times. The bikes were fast and the chassis good, but the package just didn’t come together quite as well as any of the parties would have liked.
The Castiglioni brothers were demanding, and that didn’t always go down well in the companies they bought.
Cagiva never had any direct success in the 500cc class, but their involvement with Husqvarna would lead to the advances that helped Husqvarna finally take the title in 1993. Without the drive and ambition of Claudio Castiglioni in particular, I am not sure that would have happened.
So with the Cagiva MXR500, here I am talking about dreams. The reality was, that it never performed as well as it should have, and was never made in high enough numbers to sort out the niggling little problems.
You may find one of the bikes that has had those problems all ironed out. They are out there, just not many of them, but they do deserve their place here today.
Now we have some honorary mentions.
I know I mentioned it briefly, but I have to mention the Suzuki TM 400. It evolved from the evil ill handling early bikes into a favourite of many. The Suzuki TM 400 was always fast and it turned into a great bike over the years.
I did feature it in the terrifying bikes video linked above, and although not a 500, it was a seminal bike for Suzuki and it wouldn’t have been right not to mention it at all.
If only the RM500 had lived up to the reputation the TM had created.
There were other great big bore 2 strokes and I know I’m bound to have forgotten at least 1 important bike, so do let me know in the comments.
I would also like to give a quick mention here to three, 4 strokes, and before you start having palpitations, they are all special bikes that I will be featuring in a different video.
The 4 strokes had been knocked off the top step as far as outright performance was concerned, but there were still some great 4 strokes on the market and the big thumpers will get their own video.
The three that stand out for me, stand out for different reasons, but they again began the route back for the 4 strokes. It would be many years before they returned controversially to the top step in racing, but they do have their place and should also be celebrated.
I will do them justice in a different video but for now.
Let us remember the Suzuki DR500
Forerunner to our old friend the DR650, the DR500 had many of the benefits of the dr350, but with the grunt of the 650. This made it a fantastic bike in the rough stuff, with bags of torque.
Then we have the Honda XR500RE
The XR500RE was the first of the Japanese 4 strokes that began to be competitive again against the 2 strokes. Some say it was Yamaha who drove the move to 4 strokes, but personally, I would argue that without the XR500RE, that move might never have been possible.
And last but very much not least, we have the Gilera Dakota
The Dakota was a very different bike to the others here. It wasn’t a racer, but it was one of the most powerful of the 4 stroke thumpers of its time.
Designed by Lucio Masut, the engine really was a masterpiece that would spawn the bigger 600’s used in the RC Rally bikes so successful at the Dakar, and the later Nordwest.
A water cooled engine with a twin overhead cam 4 valve head, it had a toothed belt to drive the cams.
It was a bigger heavier bike with a 23 litre tank, so more of a dual sport really, and a precursor to the many adventure bikes we have today.
Progress again eh.
Anyway, that wraps it up for today.
Thanks for watching, and this video does link in to several others on the channel, so I hope you will have a look around.
Like I said earlier, there is a dedicated 2 stroke playlist to make searching easy.