86 CR500, were they really the most powerful of all the year

[BrianPaul69]

I'm new to the forum and CR500's so if there is a post on this somewhere already please let me know. The reason I'm asking is a friend of mine called me this weekend and we started talking our bikes. He currently has a 91 KX500 but back in the day he said he had an 86 C500. He claims that it was the most powerful production CR500 of all the years. I've read this other places also like people selling 86's on ebay and in local auto trader mags. Not totally believing this claim I was looking on the site for any info about the 86 CR500 engine and wondering what the differences were that would give it the title most powerful production CR500. Ok, any info would be great and if it is true what exactly was different about the engine back then that made it the King of the 500's.

[AlisoBob]

Yup, the 86' is the beast.

Every year after that the factory riders pleaded to the engineers to tone the thing down.....

[Roostius_Maximus]

Big compression, the lightest rotating mass, short rod, a chassis built to accommodate a pipe built to make power, not a pipe built to be ergonomic. I've always regarded the 87 as being the best steelie, they got the chassis and brakes better, but lost the edge on power

[AlisoBob]

The ignition mapping is different too, me thinks.

[Mikie1]

I always heard the '85 was the beast, and that they de-tuned after that. '85 was the first year of the water cooled motor. I had one back in the day and it WAS a beast. Never owned an '86 but I rode one and thought it was more tame than my '85.

[beekums]

I always heard the '85 was the beast, and that they de-tuned after that. '85 was the first year of the water cooled motor. I had one back in the day and it WAS a beast. Never owned an '86 but I rode one and thought it was more tame than my '85.

This is more like it !!!!!!!!! 85's were the first water and had the most " beast " I have had a 85 since new and have 86 for 2 years . they r real close