Maniac 0 Posted September 22, 2014 And once you bob the tail and brake those mirrors, you will take the next step. I took a sawzall to the rear fender and moved the plate up, last night. Otherwise the tire will eat it, I hear. I am going with HDB handguards and their mirrors. Seat Concepts is doing my seat this week. Already changed the gearing and installed a skid plate. Larger tank coming, waiting to see my mpg first so I can determine how large I need. Overall, the list of needed items is much smaller than on a stock Japanese dual sport. Maybe $1,000 to set it up right, which is not bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
350thumper 336 Posted September 22, 2014 Ok I just did the math 10,000/60= approx $170/month... Not bad.plus you get to trade in your old bike. Cool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 2, 2015 OK- girls...what's the scoop now? other than the fussy little girls that have to change the color on the things, what's the downside on these? . Any reliability issues? Any "right out the gate" fixes you must do (I hear FI programming is one)....what else? is the 500 THAT much better than a 350?....will old slow guys even feel a difference (calm down bowers; I was referring to myself)....i see tons of guys riding them these days, so they MUST have exposed any flaws by now...speak up Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bp619 104 Posted June 2, 2015 De smog and tps adjust will get you pretty good. The 3 people I know that have the 500 kinda re get it in the tighter stuff at mccain and corral, they do love in desert and dual sport. My 350 is awesome in tight stuff does get pretty buzzy doing 65 with current gearing. I would not recommend going to husky ktm suspension is better in all conditions, plus little cheaper. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darylhunter 1 Posted June 2, 2015 Had the emissions system on my 500 validated by RJ's shop plus added the FMF pipe. Ran much better afterwards than out of the box off idle and also eliminated popping on deceleration. Also dropped the gearing to 14/49. Still seemed a bit tall on Ranger yesterday ;-) It was a really tough choice between the 350 and the 500. I was looking to move down to a 350 from my Husky TE-510 to save weight and because I knew I didn't need the power in the technical bits. But because there was only about a 10 lb difference between the two I went with the 500. I'm sure I would have been happy with the 350 everywhere but in some open desert washes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bp619 104 Posted June 2, 2015 My 350 cruises in open desert pretty good actually 100+ miles days not a problem doing mid 40s mph in washes. My 525 does it a hell of a lot better but the 350 gets it done, plus I weigh 230 without gear so I'm not helping the bike. I'm running 14/50 perfect for pretty much everything I have a 1st front for technical but I've never put it on Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darylhunter 1 Posted June 2, 2015 One problem that I did have - which would be equally applicable to the 500 or 350 is that there's not much clearance between the adjustment knob on the inside of the clutch lever and the control assembly for the lights. The way my bars were set up from the dealer the adjustment knob started contacting the control assembly. This turned the clutch into kind of a toggle switch - either in or out and difficult to modulate over technical terrain. Caused a few problems on the last ride before I broke down and adjusted it a bit. Still not right but I'll get it sorted. Anyway something to watch for with the stock bars once bark busters are installed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EddieEarl 6 Posted June 2, 2015 Had the emissions system on my 500 validated by RJ's shop plus added the FMF pipe. Ran much better afterwards than out of the box off idle and also eliminated popping on deceleration. Also dropped the gearing to 14/49. Still seemed a bit tall on Ranger yesterday ;-) It was a really tough choice between the 350 and the 500. I was looking to move down to a 350 from my Husky TE-510 to save weight and because I knew I didn't need the power in the technical bits. But because there was only about a 10 lb difference between the two I went with the 500. I'm sure I would have been happy with the 350 everywhere but in some open desert washes. I ran into the same issue, but for me what happens is the light/blinker control assembly moves slightly "in" as I ride through the fun stuff. All i have to do is grab it and shimmy it back over flush with the hand grip. Problem solved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EddieEarl 6 Posted June 2, 2015 I rode RED for years. Last fall I bought a used '13 500 EXC with 2200 miles / 63 hours. INCREDIBLE bike. It's emissions 'verified'. Changed stock gearing to 14/48. Scotts damper with raised bar clamps (sub mount). After market rear plate/light assembly. Full wraparound handguards. Acerbis 4.1 gallon tank (gives me 200 mi range @ apx 50 mpg) Cyclops LED bulb assembly. Handles a set of Wolfman E-12s and Rear Duffle perfectly (see Ben @ Enduro shop for the best deal in town). The best change I made to the bike was upgrading the soft stock springs. It sounds like you love to "PIN IT" so I would definitely go with stiffer springs. I went over to George @ Suspension 101 and I'm so glad I did. George is AWESOME. Go see George. I went up 2 rates in the front (.45 to .48) and went to a variable rate spring in the rear (stock is 7.2 and I now have a 7.5 - 8.5). The bike rides incredible with the new / stiffer springs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amgems 79 Posted June 2, 2015 My 2012 350 EXC-F is the best bike ever !! It NAILED Ranger the other day !! It really is a great bike. Stock it's geared way to high and runs too lean, I run 13/50 gearing. Different for everybody. I can cruise at 65. Don't like to though. Do most tight stuff in second gear and have first as a fallback. I took smog stuff off, but I don't know if it's really any better because of it. The best thing I did to get rid of the lean condition was buy the JD Tuner. Some guys get the ECU re-mapped to fix the lean running. So it will start easy, I keep the idle speed and TPS adjusted. Easy to do. After about 250 hours and over 5000 miles still going strong. I am having a problem with water pump seals. They leak through the weep hole. Factory set lasted 200 hours. Now I'm going through them much faster. Still working on this. Changing wear bushing again. May have to change more stuff inside to fix it. Cleaned out the throttle body at 250 hours. The air bypass was really dirty. Sent in injector for cleaning too. The report said it improved flow by 16%. Is someone thinking about buying one? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 2, 2015 "Somebody" really needs to be able to ride more often before "somebody" buys a $10,000 toy. My carburetion on the DRZ is still less than optimal, and I was running street gearing, and still did ok on ranger, even though I was rusty. The weight of the DRZ is not an an issue to me, and I also ride a KLR, so that keeps things in perspective. DRZ is 290# dry, and I hear the 350/500 are 40# or so lighter. With more power. Maybe I'm worried about nothing, but I really like that the DRZ is pretty trouble-free...carb issues here and there, but pretty much every issue it's had were caused by my mechanic (lack of) skill. I'm looking at cleaning this carb again and replacing all jets ($20)...used carb from advrider ($80), FCR from Thumpertalk ($600), used DRZ with FCR already installed ($4000) or new toy ($10,000)....i don't finance toys since the jet ski debacle of 1995...so...wait for bonus time/refund time next year? keep bike "as is" and struggle through tight sections? Make excuses for not keeping up? Lots to think about...just wondering, ya know? I don't think I will EVER need the power of the 500, unless I start drag-racing through the dunes. I like a heavy flywheel on my bikes; light switch power delivery doesn't suit my style.... I don't want to change oil every 2 rides; I don't want a fickle bike that needs tinkering...just looking at options Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 2, 2015 Jim...everybody nailed ranger, but YOU really killed it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted June 2, 2015 My 2012 350 EXC-F is the best bike ever !! It NAILED Ranger the other day !! It really is a great bike. Stock it's geared way to high and runs too lean, I run 13/50 gearing. Different for everybody. I can cruise at 65. Don't like to though. Do most tight stuff in second gear and have first as a fallback. I took smog stuff off, but I don't know if it's really any better because of it. The best thing I did to get rid of the lean condition was buy the JD Tuner. Some guys get the ECU re-mapped to fix the lean running. So it will start easy, I keep the idle speed and TPS adjusted. Easy to do. After about 250 hours and over 5000 miles still going strong. I am having a problem with water pump seals. They leak through the weep hole. Factory set lasted 200 hours. Now I'm going through them much faster. Still working on this. Changing wear bushing again. May have to change more stuff inside to fix it. Cleaned out the throttle body at 250 hours. The air bypass was really dirty. Sent in injector for cleaning too. The report said it improved flow by 16%. Is someone thinking about buying one? I also run 13/50 gearing......no issues with cold starts once Jim adjusted my idle.....~350(?) hours on bike.....blew first engine up after ~135hrs.......but that's another story...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagstr 287 Posted June 2, 2015 Bikeslut Jim = Unless you plan on Slabbing up to Corral P.S. BS, stop telling us you are Old. No one believes you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 2, 2015 P.S. BS, stop telling us you are Old. No one believes you. I can't even text goofyfooter without him reminding of it... that being said; I feel ok most weeks for the life I've led Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted June 2, 2015 OK- girls...what's the scoop now? other than the fussy little girls that have to change the color on the things, what's the downside on these? . Any reliability issues? Any "right out the gate" fixes you must do (I hear FI programming is one)....what else? is the 500 THAT much better than a 350?....will old slow guys even feel a difference (calm down bowers; I was referring to myself)....i see tons of guys riding them these days, so they MUST have exposed any flaws by now...speak up Well. Yes, the bike runs better in black. Yes "they're all that" and for the $ they better be. Riding as you do, I'd choose the 350- 90% or your riding is short and local. You'll be a little short (not unusual from what I hear) when it comes to desert/dualsport/distance riding, but you're doing so little of that it shouldn't be a concern. When I got mine, I had $X000 of farkles on the floor of the studio waiting for it, and if I had the chance I'd do the same mods all over again. As has been suggested, some FI tuning, minor engine accessory removal and suspension mods are right out of the chute. The tail light/licenseplate holder might as well come off and swapped out for the xcw version (not too expensive). For your riding, the tank can wait- you don't go for more than a short time (not unusual from what I hear). Real handguards, a skidplate and regear it for technical stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darylhunter 1 Posted June 2, 2015 I had a 2000 DRZ 400E dirt only version that I was able to get plated. Great bike and solid mechanically. Bought mine "new". That is, I was the first owner but the bike had been loaned to an online motorcycle magazine for review of the bike stock and with some upgrades like a pipe and jetting. Bike had a handful of hours on it, which I assume were fairly hard, but it looked brand new and was sold at a significant discount even with the upgrades on it. Had the full factory warranty so I figured what the heck. Ran great and I never had a spec of trouble with it. Throttle response was nice and linear and it would predictably pull from right off idle till it ran out of revs. My only complaint with the bike is that it was kind of front end heavy. Often when trying to wheelie over little ruts and stuff it would tend to just spin the rear tire rather than lift the front. So I bought the TE-510. Wheelies were never a problem after that. It's got gobs of power and very snappy throttle response - when it doesn't pop and stall when adding throttle off idle. It had the JD jet kit and accelerator pump and even after talking with the folks at JD I never quite tuned that out. When I hop back and forth between the Husky and the new KTM, the Husky definitely feels like it has more power and revs faster. But now that I've had a couple rides under me on the new KTM, I have to say I like it better. The power delivery is smoother and easier to control than the Husky and the gear ratio is wider and easier to match to the kind of trails I like to ride. Again, I think I'd have been perfectly happy with the 350 for almost all my riding. My challenge now is to get back in shape and earn the right to be on one of these things without being called a poser. Good news is both my doctor and wife gave me the green light to start riding more Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 2, 2015 Daryl- 2000 E had the pumper carb, right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darylhunter 1 Posted June 2, 2015 I do know it was a constant velocity type, so even if the throttle was whacked wide open it only opens the the slide according to vacuum available or whatever it is that they do. If it had an accelerator pump as part of that, I can't recall. I never had occasion to pull it because the bike was maintenance free except for oil and filter changes. Sold it to a friend from work and it's still working fine for him and going on 15 years old The E version was definitely tuned for higher output than the S version. Even when geared the same, my E version would strongly out accelerate the S version of my friends. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CVRick 42 Posted June 2, 2015 OK- girls...what's the scoop now? other than the fussy little girls that have to change the color on the things, what's the downside on these? . Any reliability issues? Any "right out the gate" fixes you must do (I hear FI programming is one)....what else? is the 500 THAT much better than a 350?....will old slow guys even feel a difference (calm down bowers; I was referring to myself)....i see tons of guys riding them these days, so they MUST have exposed any flaws by now...speak up No issues with my 2014 500 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted June 3, 2015 Rick- yours is bone stock? No re-gearing? No remap? Stock tires? Stock seat? Stock bars? Stock headlight? Stock cooling system? Hand guards? License plate holder? Radiator protection? Bashplates? I guess that one of the questions I have; my KLR has more add-ons than the value of the bike (thanks for that seat by the way; I love it)...my drz doesn't have as many "parts" added on, but a lot of low-cost time consuming changes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CVRick 42 Posted June 3, 2015 Rick- yours is bone stock? No re-gearing? No remap? Stock tires? Stock seat? Stock bars? Stock headlight? Stock cooling system? Hand guards? License plate holder? Radiator protection? Bashplates? I guess that one of the questions I have; my KLR has more add-ons than the value of the bike (thanks for that seat by the way; I love it)...my drz doesn't have as many "parts" added on, but a lot of low-cost time consuming changes... Remap,fork springs for my weight ,seat,hand guards, mirror,skid plate,re-geared,radiator guards,3 gallon tank. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EddieEarl 6 Posted June 3, 2015 Remap,fork springs for my weight ,seat,hand guards, mirror,skid plate,re-geared,radiator guards,3 gallon tank. I went with the Seat Concepts seat as well - way better. And after the emissions garb came out mine was re-mapped, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
