1988 500cc Motocross Shootout 

I had the 88 yz490 and it was a beast. Never let me down but you didn’t want to forget turning the petcock off before you shut it down.

I lost all but 2 of my 80s and 90s magazines in a move. Had all these. I remember so many of these shootouts, test and pictures. Love the channel, it kills me half of my collection is gone.

I had the 88 CR500 and my uncle had the 1990 KX500. Loved my CR the KX felt like a tank

Gotta love the open class 2 strokes.

I did not race motocross but rode for fun after work and on weekends. I owned just one 500 class MX bike over the years and that was a 1987 YZ490T, a bike like the 1988 model in this video but without the cartridge fork and having the infamous Travel Control Valve (TCV) fork, instead. I bought it in May of 1991 (at 25 years old) from the parents of the college kid that owned it while he was away at school (he authorized the sale, so the parents weren't going behind his back to sell it). It was in great shape and the parents were simply concerned with selling it to a buyer, talking things like, "We just want this sold before our son gets hurt on it". 🙂 I bought it for a fair price. I brought it home, cleaned, disassembled, inspected, lubricated, and reassembled the bike along with replacing some parts like the fork oil, air filter element, tires, chain and sprockets, and grips. When it was complete, it looked very much like a new YZ. I think I decided to buy the bike at least partly because of all the bad press reviews I'd read and heard since the original 1982 YZ490J, and I was curious to see what a play rider like me thought of this 1987 model. Answer? I enjoyed it and thought it was a great bike and a lot of fun. Basically, I had practically zero complaints or issues with the bike and actually wondered what all the fuss was about, so I just put the situation down to me not racing but just play riding, and also because this was a 1987 model and not the shunned 1982 model that started all the negative press. The bike started easily, and I'm a small guy at 5'5" and 150 pounds. It had an easy-to-use powerband while making more than enough power and torque, and the weak low-end torque I'd heard about just didn't feel weak to me. It actually felt strong and healthy everywhere. It didn't hint at pinging, handled well, did not feel heavy, had good suspension, and it was a ball climbing hills, getting air off jumps, and looking back on occasion to see the roost in the air. 🙂 Since the bike had the TCV type fork, I called TerryCable to see if they still had any of the YZ490 damper rod fork conversion kits for sale that I'd read about in the magazines, and they did so I bought one even though I thought the stock fork was OK. Again, mainly curious to see what difference this damper rod kit would make and how it worked, I found it was simply a kit containing the parts to remove the TCV parts and replace them with old-fashioned damper rods as all dirt bikes came with up until 1986 when cartridge forks started to appear. Riding the bike afterwards did prove the fork worked more smoothly and better able to absorb small bumps by being more compliant. So, I deemed it a successful modification. All in all, I have favorable experiences and memories with my 1987 YZ490T, and I'm glad I gave the bike a shot to see what it was like for me and my kind of riding. If I were into some kind of vintage MX racing, I probably wouldn't hesitate to buy another bike like this if I were going to try racing the Open class at 57 years old. 😂

I've had and raced most of them throughout the 1980s and for my riding style I prefer the KTM500s once the suspension and brakes where dialled in professionally..They started easy,where not a huge handful and I finished best on this bike..Love it that much I've actually still got my 88 model which i plan to freshen up one day.

That ATK 604 would make a wonderful supermoto.

I could smell the Blendzall emanating from my iPad. Thanks!

Mate your vids are the best! I bought a 97 CR500 two weeks ago and it’s just fantastic. Love your work from Australia.

In the 80's it was quite a shock to see something other than a Honda win a shootout, the magazine's really did love them. When ever there was a photo of all the bikes together the Honda was always placed in a place of prominence. Maybe Honda spent more money on ads or the magazines thought they would sell more magazines by showcasing the Honda.

I didn't ride the 88 cr500 but rode the 87 a few times. It' was fast all hell. It hit low and ripped thru the midrange blurring the peripheral vision and pulled to the moon. The suspension was absolutely brilliant. It felt like a 250 that was twice as a fast as normal. I couldn't handle a 500 that well it would be suited to Carlsbad or a fast open track like that. A tight sx type track it's way too fast.

Had an '82 490 it was stable as a freight train on the dunes.

Great video, yes those CR & KX 500’s back then were really ridden to their full potential by riders competing for a world championship.

Thanks Tony !! another cool one

I seen a Yz 490 jetted & t tuned Smoke a kx500 , in the 80s .. It was a beast of a bike on a straight away field races for money .. I miss the 80s .. my friend had a lot of cr500s & rm500 , an Kx500 sitting in his backyard when they raced for pinks !! 😂 .. He did loose to Husk

Had the 88 Kawa. With a 89 complete front swap. I installed the torque chain drive from Amp Research. Forks sent2 RACETEC for the treatment. RACETEC also did both ends on my 89 CR500. Loved both bikes. Hard2 say the best between the two. True the CR was a high speed tank slappeR. Just had2 white knuckle the bars grips

👌Thanks , Tony🔥👊

Another great video! Thanks for making them...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 🤠

Could you do a Maico 440/490 twin shock tests please.

Tony your very good at what you do keep it up my man

Very cool stuff ! 👍

As always...love the vids! I’d love to see you do a history of the Yamaha Blaster. I’m a bike guy now, but the Blaster was my “first love”. Had a brand new 1990 when I was a kid.

Time Machines channel had a ATK 406 at his place, i seen it yesterday and now i seen these ATKs today, never heard of them b4

How Broc Glover won the 85 500cc outdoor nationals on an air cooled air hammer yz490 is unknown. It has to be the greatest feat in mx history. If you ever rode one and rode the cr500 you see how slow those yzs were. And Bailey had the works rc500 back then too. In 83 and 85.

Love your content man! I’d love to see the history of the KTM exc models. I personally am a Honda guy but I couldn’t pass up on a mint 92’ KTM 250 exc. (2 stroke of course)

I remember Greg Zitterkoph racing the ATK'S in the late 80's

As a kid I was soon explained that you had to have a suzuki, that maicos and yamahas broke down, and that 4T were slow and wasn't the real thing. Anyhow in every MX over here in europe there would be one or two 4T riders in the blend of 500 2T. As a boy in the 80's every time a big fat 4T came by, I was amazed by the deep rumbling sound these machines put out, and tried to figure out what was the difference from the rest, and why they were not considered cool. That ATK would have impressed me. Still looks like a buffalo of a bike. A bike to roost all the XRs

I was at Steel City watching the race during the time that Rick Johnson was dominant. I was standing near a big jump. Greg Zitterkoph was circulating in third place on an ATK 604. Not only was he matching Johnson's lap times (I think Johnson was taking it easy out front) but when he landed the big jump you could feel the thump in the ground from the enormous weight of the machine. I'll never forget that and wonder what he could have done with a better machine. Zitterkoph is the man in my book forever.

I saw the last 500 race at the Coliseum in LA. Probably 92? Stanton won I think and Jeremy McGrath won the 125. But the speed of the 500 able to do the triple jumps was incredible.

I had a 1984 CAN-AM MX250, Fast bike, it had the said White Power suspension.. Can you tell me what happened to the CAN-AM mx bikes?? My 84" was liquid cooled!

My choice for this year would be tough between the cr and kx, but id probably go with the kx but cr in later years.

hey blaze can you do one about the 2001-2005 raptor 660? that would be awsome....

Did you do a YZ 490 history???

Great.

Still got my '01 CR500R sitting in the shed zero hours .Had it since new. Must have done 250 hours on the KX500 maybe more. the 500's get along Ok. Wondering wether the author of this thread has ever spent any time on a 500. Just wondering ...

BTW when i get some money saved, im buying a bunch of your shirts..lol.. they are kick ass....

Cr 500 all day

I wish there were more print mags. Basically it’s Motocross Action. And Motocross Action SUCKS now. They don’t cover ANY races. And their nauseous slurping of KTM is a joke. Daryl Ecklumd has ruined the best magazine.

I've got a 88 kx500 and it is proof that too much of a good thing does exist

KTM 500 the bike that broke DANNY MAGOO CHANDLER......

I don't see the best 500 of all, my Cagiva 500