I currently own a 1987 lt500r "quadzilla" and it's one hosscat of a machine. .

I believe they're over-rated a little though. . . I mean, don't get me wrong, they have the low-end torque, but seem to wind-out pretty fast. . .I run it beside my friend on his 1993 honda xr650 enduro and i had it half throttle at 68mph and I won't lie to you about it, 67mph was winding the h*ll out of it. . . I still had the powerband left to go, but I didn't feel really eager to put new rings on the piston after that run. . also, this quad is far from factory too. . My clutch slips a little, but I can tell when it is and when it isn't. .

this machine has boyesen power reeds, .060 over-bore, fmf fatty pipe and power core silencer. . . so I figure about 65mph for a factory 'zilla is about it. . . .

But all-in-all, it's a good quad, minus the kickbacks while trying to start it ;\

 

Yes, those kickback can break your leg!

Man, you could just change your sprocket gearing a little and you'd will see and feel a whole different Quad.

You have to remember going 100 mph in a 90 ft straight away and going 100mph over 2 miles are 2 completely different animals.

Do you think a top fuel dragster would run 300 Mph on the salt flats! No, but they do it regulary on the 1/4 mile! It's a distance traveled over time elapsed thing....... a pinned throttle out of a corner into a 90 to 100 foot straight away then back to cornering or should I say sliding speed........ Hairy, scary!!!!!

 

Hi,
The FMF pipe has about the same RPM range powerband as a stocker.
They make peak power at about 6400 RPMs and then fall off quick.
That's why it seems that 67 MPH is alot for your bike.
W/nothing but a different pipe on it over 80 MPH is no problem...............some pipes pull to the mid 8000s RPM range.
$.02
RK

 

I think they were originally designed to pull your arms out of the sockets......

Later it was discovered that they could also be used to straighten the spine .........

They were often used to soil underpants ..................

On more than one occasion they were used to scare hippies back into the 60s ........

It is rumored that long ago in the swamps of New Jersey they were used to exorcise demons ........

Sometimes you will see them in old movies fighting Mothra ........ oh wait.... that might be GodZilla..........

 

i have the first pipe fmf made for the LT500(mid-top end) which is different from the one they make now and for the last 15 year's. it kick's butt on the one they make now by a long shot. my friend has the latest version. so back to back riding they're is a big difference!! one's modified feel,one is a stock feel.pick what you like? i'll trade my old fmf for a dr.q[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]yeah i know i'm dreamin'. jedi mind trick[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Think about it? back in 87 all us big guys had were 250's, the banshees were not out! it was great for dunes and desert, with porting a pipe a 60 hP plus beast between your legs , no cr500s were out, no 600cc and up thumpers, this was it , yeah had some flaws all fixable and not exspensive compaired to a 4 stroke now, and with help with DR Q that still loves to pump ponies out of LT close 80hp on gas, its still the king out in the dunes, campaired to anything with a 500cc motor the LT500 weight is in the low 300s good suspenion (well aftermarket better) HP to weight ratio jumps up, compaired to a Raptor or a DS yjay you have to dump 1000's in to get power, Plus its a fricken 2 stroke!! A well built 500 riden seasonly requires a rebuild on the top end maybe every other year if riden hard (rings piston) still cheaper than a 4 stroke in repairs, with the new plating systems the LT cylinder can last forever.
Yeah I have a bit of passion for the LT.