What Desert Bike Reigns Supreme? Dannny Hamel's KX500 vs Johnny Campell's XR650R 

Had both KX500 and XR650R. Both great bikes. The XR is obviously a bike that will require less maintenance but the KX is definitely the most fun. Both very fast bikes but KX is just lighter and more powerful. Love them both.

I love the XR650R. my beautiful queen of the desert

Lets all be honest here... Out of the box the 650R was a much better overall bike

I’ve had two 2003 XR650R’s , 91 CR500 (for years) and currently a 99 KX500, the KX is faster than the others but the CR was better at anything tight, it just turned better than my KX. That being said, the KX is my favorite out of those bikes and today, my 58th birthday…. I’m listing it for sale. Trying to stay out of the ER from now on.

I have Danny hammels 1993 KX500 down here in Coolidge. Ride it all the time

So with all the big bore desert racers. Cr500, KX500, XR650, others? What would be your first pick for a build.

Iv owned a kx500 cr500 cr500af and 3 xr650r's over 20 years kxs are goofy once your inside the motor the combustion camber is poor quality castings with lots of pot metal to port as well the jetting is 1/3rhrottle for the pilot instead of typical 1/4ish making it jumpy woth little bottom end or bottom end an gutless mid range i did more to my kx than most an was never happy with it an sold it to guy bro cause he liked it was green with monster engery stickers knowing nothing of the suicide powerband ,the cr500af i had was ca plated an sold for 10,500 ,xr650r's with a street title all day long for 4k for a trophy truck of a bike, nobody's opinion means shit compared to the butt dyno an seat time

the reason of Honda making the 650R was the KX500... i think in the long run the honda is better :)

Salute you jimmy Luis from La Paz baja sur México well cant i say in one race of the local champion a friend ride xr650 past ciudad constitución in dry lame Llanos de Irai you not there jimmy well i ride my kx500 and Cacht him in straight section wide open men no moré throtell him tell me EeeiipppIs alex pass me like rocket and talk you is moré fast the kx500 ride fast is moré easy ride the bike and ride too the xr650 and i now really.

The KX500 will forever be the King of off-road desert racing, in fact there's an old saying about the KX500's the only thing faster than a KX500 is Another KX500. In 1988 when that generation of KX's was released it was years ahead of its time, I personally hole shotted many bomb runs on KX500's and never ever was outpowered or pulled by any other bike except another KX500.

650r all day 💪💪

Those effin two strokes might beat us XR guys but it was 50/50 if the rider could do it without blowing the top end.