We Bought a CHEAP 1985 Honda CR500 at a Swap Meet

I've been looking forward to this day since the creation of this channel 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

Please please do not chop that bike up, you have got to restore that piece of history.

Sounds like you’re on the right track. Ive been riding these motocross bikes my whole life. Start with surgically cleaning the carb. It could also be the stator shorting out when hot. You absolutely have to run the airbox. The jetting is very specific on these mx bikes. Also, when you run out of gas, you run out of oil! Smart idea about the engine seals. Old seals can introduce a lean condition which will cause the engine to detonate and meltdown. Good luck

I literally feel your pain! I owned an 86 cr500 when I was 17 yrs.old and 140 lbs.maximum. I stalled the bike crossing train tracks alone & miles from home. I kicked that beast for so long I made a hole in my work boot just in time for that famous kick-back you got to enjoy. I actually cried multiple times because I still had to keep kicking with my broken food & damaged boot. The relief I felt when that bike fired to life I will never forget. I found procedure to start-#1-throttle wide open & lean bike over till fuel spills out carb. #2-throttle wide open, choke off, kick over few times to get fuel in cyl. #3-choke on, throttle closed, kick past tdc then jump on kicker with every ounce of your soul. That bike started on 1st kick EVERY TIME after that. I wish I never sold it. Love/hate for sure. Enjoy that demon from hell while you can.

Even after just being resurrected, half a brake, running like crap this ol 500 was STILL trying to kill us😂

Please fully restore this bike it deserves it and don’t let John wreck it haha this thing is a classic always wanted to ride one be safe as always guys

The level of "This is a bad idea" kept increasing throughout the video, as did my level of smiles. Well done.

Back in early 2000's, a budy I worked with took a cr500 and swapped it into a 250r racing quad. Apparently, it wasn't too difficult to do (some welding and manual convincing), and when alI was said and done, I felt it was appropriate to tell him he just created a 2 stroke monster. And when I say that thing was loud, what I really mean is, that thing was practically fucking ear shattering. Just sitting on the quad and reving it would make your eyes vibrate. Seriously, once, after waiting for a traffic light, I watched my buddy leave 50ft+ strips down the street straight smoking tire the whole time. It was such a untamed beast because it tried to kill you every time you rode the damn thing.

A true legend, and deserves a full restoration ✌️

Guys, Charles is such a great addition to the team. I am so glad you brought him on.

I've had my two since 1999 and 2000. Still both are running strong. My 1989 started being hard to start but a buddy told me to upgrade the wiring to a thicker gauge so I did. Needless to say it went from being almost impossible to kick over to starting on the second kick everytime. May help may not but it's worth a shot.

Got to love this , a friends brother had one of these in the early 90’s . Road legal, he used to wait 200-300 yards behind traffic at the lights , when they changed he used to wheelie down the outside lane overtaking everyone beating the lights before they changed to red. .😂❤ Thank god they invented starter motors. 😇🇬🇧 Awesome piece of kit .

Here’s a tip. Check the packing in the muffler/silencer. There might be oil in the packing which reduces the exhaust making it harder to kick.

Ike, don't be a Hero. We all want to see you live a long life.. Also it's good to see Chuck on the revival of the 80s.

I have faith in that new ignition coil and magneto. Engines are finicky and 1 bad part can throw the whole thing off. a slow RPM from a kick may still trigger a spark to get it going every 10 kicks, but if the magnet is weak or the coil burned out or corroded it's probably putting out a small fraction of the proper spark it would get from new parts. Good luck. You guys look like some good friends, and that's a wild fun project. Enjoy!

People don’t know how difficult kick starting a 500 is… lol love mine 😂 just gotta jump on her and use that body weight

I’m dying laughing seeing John’s leg buckle trying to kick the 500 over 🤣🤣 Love y’all!!

I owned a 1987 CR 500 for abut five years. The carb. sounds rich on the slow and mid circuits. Start it with no throttle because the enrichment circuit (not choke) only functions with a closed throttle plus it didnt look like it was being kicked with a full stroke and not fast enough.

Had 2 CR500's one was a road legal supermoto and the other was in MX trim. My starting sequence was - put the bike in gear, place a hand on top of the back wheel and move it backwards and forwards making the engine turn over, this primed the cylinder with fuel and it started within a couple of kicks, I dont know why this worked because it does the same as kicking it over but it did work, another way was a small shot of fuel down the spark plug hole.

Definitely was one of the most terrifying bikes I've been on but so much fun to ride one.