...and... The honeymoon is over with 500EXC...

[4strokeridertt]

Even running 14/52 out in the desert 90mph comes pretty fast and their is still more coming.

[cadman_ks]

Even running 14/52 out in the desert 90mph comes pretty fast and their is still more coming.

Maybe I'm getting old, but I just don't have much of a need to go 90MPH on a bike like THIS. 70MPH is really pushing my pucker factor...

CADman_KS

[Betarocker]

I'd rather run 70mph at 3/4 throttle than banging off the rev limiter. 

[Ud_Luz]

I have gone to 14/52 which I think is better it has spread the gears out. I still use mainly 2nd in the tight stuff and 1st in the technical/Shitty stuff without any problems.

 

Pete

That's what I finally settled on too.

[cadman_ks]

That's what I finally settled on too.

Do you ever have issues with the 52" rear getting into rocks, and other stuff? Not, that there's much difference overall diameter between a 50 and a 52...

CADman_KS

[TM530]

Never had a problem with it.

[cadman_ks]

Got the 13/50 installed late this afternoon, and WOW!!!

I haven't had a chance to ride it on any hills at this point, but it's going to make a HUGE difference, and I can't wait to out and ride some of the stuff that I was riding last weekend, that kicked my butt.

It's a LOT easier to loft the front end now. ?

I also didn't have a chance to ride it at highway speeds yet, so I dont know what that feels like yet either. And while I do ride some on the street, that is not my main focus for this bike, or the "reason" that I got it, so if it's not as fast top end on the street, that's fine by me...

Edited November 10, 2013 by cadman_ks

[Hans Schmid]

You can always throw a 14t front on too....

[sdcfish]

Sounds awesome. I put the 14 on and will test the 14-50 tomorrow as well. Loved the difference the 50 made even though it was a handful of throttle. Added some Vibranators today, and will install the de-smog kit tomorrow after our ride. All is good!

[helix66]

The oem gearing is ng, 14/52 is pretty tractor like and it'll do 70, I think. I try and avoid hwy riding if I can.

If the sigs are close to the 08 you're lucky they lasted this long. You can DIY it with some really flat LEDs or something like the Sicass flush mounts.

[cadman_ks]

....

If the sigs are close to the 08 you're lucky they lasted this long. You can DIY it with some really flat LEDs or something like the Sicass flush mounts.

What's silly about the design of the stock signals is that there is nothing that really holds the lense in on the side that is opposite the screw. Yes, there's a tab there, but that tab does not really offer any holding power for the lense.

At this point I'm leaning towards putting a small screw in the From the outside of the housing and see if that helps. If that does not work I will get some more robust signals and install them.

Doesn't hurt to try, but at the end if the day, what would really help me the most would be if I didn't spend so dang much time on the ground! That's what I really need to work on. ..

CADman_KS

[helix66]

I'm not sure if you still have the original fender, I'm guessing you do since it's so new.

My suggestion is to get the KTM hard parts euro under fender and the sicass flush mount directionals. When I first got mine I would knock off the rear sig just throwing my leg over it. The only way to get them back on is opening them with a screwdriver! I also did their fronts that are integrated into the hand guards/bark busters.

[4strokeridertt]

Order the Sicass signals with the KTM plug ends. They plug to the stock wiring.

[cadman_ks]

Got the 13/50 installed late this afternoon, and WOW!!!

I haven't had a chance to ride it on any hills at this point, but it's going to make a HUGE difference, and I can't wait to out and ride some of the stuff that I was riding last weekend, that kicked my butt.

....

I also didn't have a chance to ride it at highway speeds yet, so I dont know what that feels like yet either. And while I do ride some on the street, that is not my main focus for this bike, or the "reason" that I got it, so if it's not as fast top end on the street, that's fine by me...

UPDATE on the new 13/50 gearing:

Had a chance to go out and ride at my buddies place, where we have some single track set up. Decided that I would ride out there, rather than hauling, so that I could test out the gearing on the road. Was able to get up to 88MPH at one point, and still had some throttle left, so it will still move down the road if it needs to. One thing that I did notice, though, is that you can blow through 6 gears in pretty quick order, and I found myself thinking that I should be shifting at least once more if not twice, and I would often try to shift into 7th, and there isn't one there! ? I think that this gearing could use a 7th and 8th gear to get the RPM's back down to the way that there were, before the gear change. ?

Once I got to the single track, the first thing that I noticed with the new gearing on the single track is that I now have to shift!! on single track, and that's a good thing! That single track also has a very small hill, that has kicked my butt in the past. Not long, and not steep, just something about it that's in my head for whatever reason. My first attempt on the hill was fairly fast, but in first gear. I WANTED to make sure that I made it up the first time. BUT, I could tell on that first run that there was PLENTY of power there. Immediately a HUGE smile came over my face, and I knew that the gearing was going to be good. I then practiced on the same hill several times throughout the day. I even got to the point that I could approach the hill slowly, and still make it to the top, more or less just idling up. The power is now a LOT more controllable.

But, there are some things that are not as nice as they were with the old gearing. The new gearing means more vibration, and my hands did hurt sooner than they did before. I DON'T CARE!!! The new gearing is so much better that I'm willing to put up with that.

This is my summary of what 13/50 gearing has done for my bike:

Pros:

• Tight single track is MUCH easier to ride
• Hills are easier to climb
• Power is overall just more controllable
• Didn't stall the motor at all today, since there's more of an engine brake now, and the motor doesn't "want" to die
• Fan didn't run today while I was riding (rode in the same conditions / temps a couple weeks back, and fan was running CONSTANTLY), which means that I can now pick the proper gear, and I don't need to lug the motor as much as I did with the old gearing
• Can still run down the road at any highway speed that I ever want to run

Cons:

• My hands hurt sooner from the extra RPMs that the motor is constantly doing
• I haven't had a chance to check it yet, but I'm pretty sure that my fuel consumption will be less
• My left foot is tired from shifting. ?
• My butt still hurts from riding on a 2X4! Didn't seem to help with that! ?

After all that, I don't know that I would say that it's the "perfect" gearing for everyone, but for the riding that I want to do, I think that it's about the best that it can get.  It really is amazing how much of a true "tractor" this thing is when you gear it down...

 

CADman_KS

Edited November 18, 2013 by cadman_ks

[TM530]

I found the same thing with that gearing. These are 500's so they have heaps of grunt.

 

I think you have gone from one extreme to the other.

 

I thought that 14/50 was just a touch high geared and the 13/50 was a touch to low and thats why I settled on 14/52. It allows you to pull though each gear and still feel like you need an extra one or two on the road. I've got know idea on how fast it is with this gearing, When I'm commutting I only sit on about 90-95kph. Never checked the top speed, dont care.

 

My 500 has 161 hrs and 5,500km on it so my average is 34km ( 21mph ) for the life of the bike ( that includes some fast commutting ). Most of my stuff is tight shitty single line.

 

Each to their own. Just my thoughts with the type of riding I do.

 

 

Pete

 

Edit: Wish I didnt keep seeing typos after I save

Edited November 18, 2013 by TM530

[L. Euler]

the 500 XC-W stock is 13/50, my 450 XC-W was 13/52. Both pull like a John Deere.

Edited November 19, 2013 by GammaFunction

[sirthumpalot]

You guys running 13/50 gearing; in first gear, how slow does it go at idle?  Is it walking speed?  Or are you slipping the clutch at walking speed?

[Hans Schmid]

I found the same thing with that gearing. These are 500's so they have heaps of grunt.

I think you have gone from one extreme to the other.

I thought that 14/50 was just a touch high geared and the 13/50 was a touch to low and thats why I ksettled on 14/52. It allows you to pull though each gear and still feel like you need an extra one or two on the road. I've got know idea on how fast it is with this gearing, When I'm commutting I only sit on about 90-95kph. Never checked the top speed, dont care.

My 500 has 161 hrs and 5,500km on it so my average is 34km ( 21mph ) for the life of the bike ( that includes some fast commutting ). Most of my stuff is tight shitty single line.

Each to their own. Just my thoughts with the type of riding I do.

Pete

Edit: Wish I didnt keep seeing typos after I save

I have 272hrs on mine and 7700kms.....

[teddy montana]

I just put a 13 on the front, with the stock 45 on the rear. 450 exc. I love riding woods. Much improvement already. I will put a 51 on the rear cause they are cheap from eBay. (Sorry) only because I'm out if money. I kicked my rear lights off at least a few times in one day too... So annoying. Last ride I finally lost one.

Thanks for mentioning the sicass kits. After the sprocket. I'm getting them.

[Alex_250EXC]

On my 08 450 EXC i only run 13/52 and i can climb almost all of the climbs except the ones that i'm not prepared for. All of my friends that i ride with prefer the 13/52 combo becouse we do all ofour rides on the mountain between trees, logs, rock and so on. My previuos bike was also a DRZ and it was a child's play compared with the 450 exc monster ? In here, we all have for trail or hill climb  only 250/300/450 an the most... the 500/525/530 are for SuMo only... to much power for enduro rides.

Edited December 28, 2013 by alecs_1000rr