so spot on. i'm about to have my 57th birthday and i still love to ride my '04 525exc. always been a dirt head.. first bike..honda 125 elsinor back in'74
@Ron McCaffrey dont think about it Ron. do it. live your life mate, dont just exist. nothing better than packing up the 4x4 and going bush for a week or so.
@@jootai The 450 is more rev happy but the 500 makes more torque lower in the rev range so even if you find yourself a higher gear than you'd prefer, you can just feed the power on and throttle out. Boatloads of fat lazy power that is surprisingly tractable.
Well... at 63, I bought a new ‘17 350 EXC-F. Really enjoy it, in some respects, I wish I had waited on my local dealer to receive the 500. But, no problem. Three years later, at 66, still enjoy the 350 and don’t regret buying it. Thanks for this insightful review and the aftermarket accessories. Great ride!
I'm still ripping hard on my KTM 02 520 exc, All stock except for Total control suspension works.. it shreds tires faster than I can buy them. Love this old mans bike, I bought it new in 01 as a new 02 model. Raced 4 stroke B Hare Scrambles for several years. Knock on wood beside the normal Maintenance valve adjustments and filter changes its been rock solid. Love it I'm now 50 years old just as fun now to ride as it was back when It was new ... wahooooo love these RFS engines . I had a KTM 1998 300 exc before the 500. The 500 exc Tractors around till I need to hit the go switch.
I've got a KTM 2000 400 exc that i've made into 453, had the suspension sorted & a few other things i've done :) I love it in the High Country, it eats hills & loves the flowing single track, i'll be 69 in June :) !!
@@7arsenal ok, let me re ask....so assuming you've never ridden a dirtbike in its element (off road) before? From many years of experience on both myself I can say the transition from offroad to street is far easier than street to offroad. Dont let your street confidence bite you. Off road smackdown hurts bad when in your 40s lol . Welcome to the dirt 🤟
@@7arsenal how’s the transition going? I came from street bikes to a 2012 KTM 250SX. Look up the specs on that machine. Beast. I let my street confidence bite me. I had to sell it cause I couldn’t control it let alone learn to ride dirt. 5 years later I’m a lot more confident on trails, hill climbs, corners, whoops, etc. I hope your transition was easier.
Uhhh, yep, always will be my dream bike. Oh well, I guess at 61 I’ll just have to manage on my 1999 Yamaha WR400 and my 2003 YZ 450. Total outlay for both, $5500. Both street plated with enduro conversions, both anvil reliable. I do approximately 3000 gnarly trail kms per season up here in eastern Ontario. Cheers.
SWEET.... I REMEMBER RIDING A NEW ONE BACK IN THE DAY. IT WAS A FRIEND OF MINE.. HE LET ME RIDE IT KNOWNING I DIDN'T NO HOW MUCH POWER THIS BIKE HAS... MAN I HAVE HAD AN ROAD ALOT OF BIKES BUT THIS ONE STICKS OUT LIKE A SOAR THUMB THREW THE YEARS .... GREAT BIKE....
I’m late 40’s I used to race motocross when I was a kid and just bought a KTM 2005 525 MXC...I want to update it as much as I can and make it cherry again with updated headlight and lighting tusk wheels new from and rear fenders for now and see what I want to do more to it as I get more familiar with the bike... Great video gave me some ideas. 👍🏼
At 57 I dig mine and am heading to Colorado with it tomorrow. And....all my 20 something sons dig thiers too since we ride on the highways between the trails.
love my 500exc also 50 , i had the 16 old shape was better for adv gears are spread better and you can get 20 liter tank and a kickstarter , i have the 018 now it lighter fast better suspension for flying through enduro trails all day , i have refrained from bolting on to much accessory or big tank on this one still trailer it to the bush keep hours low, , mines been tuned not for max power just smooth it out and sharpen throttle response ,,,its pretty much open duel trails in OZ, so i ordered the new tenere 700 for xmass , big mile muncher , some of the trails you guys have in the mountains the 500 would be perfect
I regret the tag Old Man’s Bike. This is a subtle put down coming from racers and fast guys. The 500/501 has a different mission and a much broader performance envelope. Well built, quality components, longevity, big useable power, and surprising comfort and economy are the hallmarks. Not everybody is a racer, but few can ride this bike to it’s potential. The fact that it is plated is gold. Guys ride these around the world. It’s no KLR.
That's funny you use the midlife crisis phrase. When I told my wife I wanted to buy my Beta she asked " is this some kind of mid life crisis?"I thought carefully and said.. " yes, but think of it this way, it's cheaper that a 67 GTO and you like seeing me on it much more than you would a younger woman." Lol 🤣 she said "buy the bike!!"
At 60, my 17 with smog removed and VORTEX looks pretty close to yours. The use motominded as well. I prefer the Reklus as you can turn it on and off with the turn of an allen screw.
Ok so, I’m nearing 60 and have about 50 years of riding experience with the last 3 years on my 500exc. It has 8,000 miles on it that includes Motocross, Hare Scrambles, Cross Country races and treks, mountain riding, ice racing and riding, Supermoto hooliganism and of course the sissy ribbons. It is hands down the best bike for every kind of riding there is! I traded up (huge weight reduction and far better capability) to it from my 690 Dakar Rally that I raced in Africa, toured Europe, the UK and Canada on. I can keep up with kids on their 450’s on Motocross tracks (though I’m still scared to triple it!). What it’s not so good at is long distance travel at high speeds and with the 2x4 seat! For those rides, I have a 990 now.
Big change for 2016 was smaller front axle and less offset of triples/yokes/fork clamps. I have 2016 and it's a fine bike for sure. Damn good all around bike. I don't adventure ride though. 2017+ gets slightly different shock and forks(xplor) which are a revamp of the open chamber forks. Don't you wish they would make a version with the cone valve forks and trax shock, forged triples, like the 6-days.
I have had 2012,2016, and the 2019 suspension motor and frame is a far superior in this bike bike no two ways about it and my 250exc 2stroke 2018 is far better than older models.
I am 5'5" and have a 2017 500exc. Any bike is too tall for me really. But I found a lowering 50mm kit from Motolab(hope it is ok to say their name here). It definitely gave me a better ride. In the sandy areas I would fall over when doing a slow turn or stopping. With that kit, that has gone away.
Sweet build and nice bike but there's no possible way that that can be the best trail bike for the over-50 rider. That is because my 14 EXC 350 is the ultimate trail bike for the over-50 rider. However I am sad to report that I am probably not the ultimate over 50 Trail Rider...🤣
This bike looks so bad ass didn’t even start it and I watched the whole video... WOW. My birthdays in 2 days and I would not be mad if one showed up.... just sayin....
You spoke at length about the mods you made but very little about the bike and it’s intended mission. I know you need to acknowledge your sponsors but this comes across as product placement. The previous generation was 2013-2016. The 2017+ new gen bikes share very little and are much better trail bikes: 10 pounds lighter, lower CG, better suspension, and most importantly have a smaller rider triangle that fits shorter riders better.
The new bikes don't feel that much different, most the weight savings was the switch to a lithium battery and removing the kick starter. The spinning mass of the engine has a way larger effect when riding. It was a much much bigger jump when they went from the 530 to 500. When I demo'd the new bikes I actually like the last gen better, the new ergonomics are too compact on the new ones, but sounds like KTM is opening it back up.
I’m thinking about buying one of these. It’s done 45 hours, is the six day version and is geared up, and has a flowed head. They’re asking $5500 Aussie dollars. I live in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, which is a tropical wilderness the size of California, with a population of 45,000. I can literally ride out my back door into a wilderness. Is this bike suited to this kind of riding? Or is the old generation 520/525 a better bike?I’ve never ridden one (500) I might need a bigger tank!
It is ridiculous. But keep in mind that your $500 in 1978 is the equivalent of $2000 today. Also. I've seen used 2013 500s in the $4000 range. It's definitely twice the bike for twice the price. But $12,000 for a brand new dirt bike is asinine
I WANTED THE 500 EXC even being 28 years old. my problem is that i'm to short for it and i could add a lowering kit to it but i think it would still be to tall for me.
I'm 5'7 and find the KTMs too tall. I ride a CRF250L now. The power is lacking, but the range and lack of maintenance are nice. The seat height is great though at 34". We ride pavement, single track and mostly logging roads. It does the job. When I'm out riding I never think about wanting a different bike.
@@Minionmoto529 I find I tip over much more when riding a tall bike. It's gets annoying picking it up. I'm pretty happy with the seat height on the 250. I really don't ride enough to warrant the cost of a KTM, they are nice machines though.
Wish Yamaha would make something like that but l know I'm just dreaming and l know the wr 250 r is to small for your kind of riding just wondering because dirt bike used to like those bikes a lot and they would show all kinds of hop up parts for them...
This bike is no longer street legal. For some it doesn’t matter, but for many of us that destroys the opportunity to use it as a light adventure bike or to connect separated trails. If you only intend to ride offroad, a new gen 450 can be had that weighs 25 pounds less, handles much better, has better suspension, and has a better power to weight ratio. This bike cost $8000 before mods. A reasonable guess as to the cost of the engine overhaul and all featured mods is $6500 or so, depending on whether the owner does all the work properly himself. You are now looking at $14,500 for a 7 year old bike of non current design. Not a good investment. Better off buying a new one, riding it 6 years, and then selling it for 60-70 percent of what you paid. The first 200 hours are the best on any bike.
@@08950SE was hoping so. Want to add one so we can go get quick groceries and not worry about tampering or bringing a heavier pair of bulky wheel locks.
Wait wait wait, its a 500 from 2013 and its only got 45hp 🤨 my yahama wr450 from 2006 has 55hp at the wheel with no major mods (airbox, carb, exhaust and map)
@@yrngvng2215 im pretty sure its not. I mean with me on it vs a pro yes deffinatly. But a pro on that beast, no chance the 45hp will compete. It weights 106kg with fluids, and has one of the best out the box suspensions. I cant complain.
@@dirtbiketv1 , Thanks for the reply. I see, it's a non-linkage system. The rear shock is attached directly onto the swing arm. I guess this system is much lower maintenance than a linkage system.
Great verbal presentation but where was the practical presentation? It was like going to a massage parlor and getting a rub with out the tug, are you kidding me?
damn..... you started off talking about getting a used one aT a good price and then you just dumped money everywhere, fucking with it.. JUST BUY A NEW ONE.
Hey! I'm triggered. You ageist! I'm 59...that's not my dream bike. Four stroke 500? No way. My dream bike is my 1997 300 MXC. FmF fat boy, weighted flywheel. Exchange tyranny to close ratio 5 speed. Drop drive sprocket one cog. Rip it up. Oh yeah.
I have had a 2013 500, a 2014 and now a 2017. without a doubt the 17 my favorite. After getting rid of a few parts and opening it up. and dropping the rear suspension about an inch. The balance and power are unreal. I agree fully stock 500s are more powerful. The newer 500s feel so much more slim in the trails. Riding dual sport on a 500 is the only way to go. If you truly ride hard single track a 500 is the best bike money can buy.