Kawasaki KX500

rdf:langString Kawasaki KX500

rdf:langString 1988 Kawasaki KX 500

rdf:langString < 90mph

rdf:langString noref

rdf:langString June 2019

rdf:langString liquid-cooled two-stroke single

rdf:langString steel

rdf:langString Kawasaki SR500

rdf:langString Five-speed with wet multi-disc manual clutch

rdf:langString The Kawasaki KX 500 is a 499 cc (30.5 cu in) two-stroke single motocross motorcycle made by Kawasaki from 1983 until 2004. The Kawasaki KX500 was developed as an air-cooled 500cc motocross bike for competition in the 500cc and Open-Class of motocross. At the time of its release, several top manufactured sported entries in this class, including Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and the class-leading Maico. Kawasaki developed the bike on an annual basis through the 80's. The addition of liquid cooling in 1985, a new frame with improved suspension in 1987, engine updates in 1988 and reversed forks in 1990 highlight these revisions. Kawasaki would take several years to produce a competitive bike, and when it finally did, would find the KX500 winning in events for which it was not initially designed for. Its first victories came in 1986, when won two events. These only foreshadowed Kawasaki's dominance in distance and desert racing that exploded in the 90's. In 1989 Kawasaki captures its first National MX championship on a KX500, repeating in '90 and '92 before the series was discontinued at the close of the '93 season. But that would not be the end of the KX500's racing legacy. Beginning in 1992, the KX500 took the victory in every race through 1995, and continued to win the Desert Nationals Championship every year though 2001. It further cemented its legendary dominance in desert racing by being the victors bike at the Baja 1000 from 1988 through 1996.

rdf:langString Single disc with single-piston caliper

rdf:langString CDI

rdf:langString Single disc with single-piston caliper