TReX500AF (CR500 'dale)
the story behind my conversion, first off I have always been sort of an odd ball, I'm guessing that everyone that owns a Cannondale fits into that catagory to to some extent. I purchased the dale after a test ride on a freinds quad, loved the handleing, had good power, though I am more of a 2 stroke person myself. The advanced technology was awsome, I still feel that it is in many ways more advanced than current machines.
Long story shortened, bought one, blew up the main bearing 2 rides later, I had been warned, while at the rebuild wanted to make it with more power so did a Timbo 495, ported, stroked, big bore, the works no cut corners, put it together, broke it in, got to ride it a couple rides and the cylinder o-ring blew, turns out the cylinder was defective, about .005" too short, Tim made good and supplied me with a replecement cylinder but it still cost me time and money to get it going again. Fixed, it ran strong, but not for too long as I had a wrist pin failure, that was the end of my affair with the C'dale motor. I still like the handling. I have been riding quite a few years on a CR500, when I retired my '89 I kept the motor as a spare, in 11 years of riding my '01 service honda, it has not let me down, had a piston seize for a stupid reason early last year, 1/2 hour later I was able to ride it back to camp. now if you are familiar with the service honda, it is an aluminum frame, '01 CR250 with the 500 fitted, look at the Cannondale frame and you can see where it appears 'dale got their idea from, the 2 machines are like brothers from a different mothers.
Ya it's a project, you are not going to drop in a CR motor in and go and I know the risk of vibration being too much to deal with but I'm going for it, 3 more weeks and the it's back to Glamis!
As far as compromise, sure I don't have a factory behind me paying me thousands of dollars to develop a Quad, I'm just working with what I have, If I did have the money I'n be building a new 2 stroke motor to go into a new aluminum chasis all built for each other, do you know any rich investers?
Long story shortened, bought one, blew up the main bearing 2 rides later, I had been warned, while at the rebuild wanted to make it with more power so did a Timbo 495, ported, stroked, big bore, the works no cut corners, put it together, broke it in, got to ride it a couple rides and the cylinder o-ring blew, turns out the cylinder was defective, about .005" too short, Tim made good and supplied me with a replecement cylinder but it still cost me time and money to get it going again. Fixed, it ran strong, but not for too long as I had a wrist pin failure, that was the end of my affair with the C'dale motor. I still like the handling. I have been riding quite a few years on a CR500, when I retired my '89 I kept the motor as a spare, in 11 years of riding my '01 service honda, it has not let me down, had a piston seize for a stupid reason early last year, 1/2 hour later I was able to ride it back to camp. now if you are familiar with the service honda, it is an aluminum frame, '01 CR250 with the 500 fitted, look at the Cannondale frame and you can see where it appears 'dale got their idea from, the 2 machines are like brothers from a different mothers.
Ya it's a project, you are not going to drop in a CR motor in and go and I know the risk of vibration being too much to deal with but I'm going for it, 3 more weeks and the it's back to Glamis!
As far as compromise, sure I don't have a factory behind me paying me thousands of dollars to develop a Quad, I'm just working with what I have, If I did have the money I'n be building a new 2 stroke motor to go into a new aluminum chasis all built for each other, do you know any rich investers?
latest update:
I have made my shake down ride out at Glamis, found that the shifter was too short, quad foot peg is about 1.5" further forward than the CR, fixed, had a pin hole leak in the gas tank, if it wasn't a 2 stroke I wouldn't have noticed, the gas evaporates before it drips but the premix still drips, fixed. threw a chain on the first ride almost back to camp, have purchased a banshee chain guide, still have to make a mount and weld it to the swing arm. in final stages of modifying a kick start lever.
The Cannondale frame works fine with the non counterbalanced CR500 motor, it doesn't seem to vibrate any more than my bike which I am quite used to. will be going out again end of March, should be done by then
I have made my shake down ride out at Glamis, found that the shifter was too short, quad foot peg is about 1.5" further forward than the CR, fixed, had a pin hole leak in the gas tank, if it wasn't a 2 stroke I wouldn't have noticed, the gas evaporates before it drips but the premix still drips, fixed. threw a chain on the first ride almost back to camp, have purchased a banshee chain guide, still have to make a mount and weld it to the swing arm. in final stages of modifying a kick start lever.
The Cannondale frame works fine with the non counterbalanced CR500 motor, it doesn't seem to vibrate any more than my bike which I am quite used to. will be going out again end of March, should be done by then
QUOTE (Kuma @ Feb 28 2013, 08:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
latest update:
I have made my shake down ride out at Glamis, found that the shifter was too short, quad foot peg is about 1.5" further forward than the CR, fixed, had a pin hole leak in the gas tank, if it wasn't a 2 stroke I wouldn't have noticed, the gas evaporates before it drips but the premix still drips, fixed. threw a chain on the first ride almost back to camp, have purchased a banshee chain guide, still have to make a mount and weld it to the swing arm. in final stages of modifying a kick start lever.
The Cannondale frame works fine with the non counterbalanced CR500 motor, it doesn't seem to vibrate any more than my bike which I am quite used to. will be going out again end of March, should be done by then
I have made my shake down ride out at Glamis, found that the shifter was too short, quad foot peg is about 1.5" further forward than the CR, fixed, had a pin hole leak in the gas tank, if it wasn't a 2 stroke I wouldn't have noticed, the gas evaporates before it drips but the premix still drips, fixed. threw a chain on the first ride almost back to camp, have purchased a banshee chain guide, still have to make a mount and weld it to the swing arm. in final stages of modifying a kick start lever.
The Cannondale frame works fine with the non counterbalanced CR500 motor, it doesn't seem to vibrate any more than my bike which I am quite used to. will be going out again end of March, should be done by then
Nice job ! I love to see people follow through on the twisted cool ****. Myself , Ive owned a CR500 trike that vibed like a mofo, I truely was woried for you. Nice to hear its all good & dont forget things like FAST handlebars help etc on the vibes. Wanted to also say, who ever built that cone pipe is keeping the tallent in the trade, let me just say, its folks like yourself that keep me reading these posts. Custom & twisted is where its at all day long. Nice to show off some tallent bud, looks awesome ! Plus the torque & build potential of that cr 500 is awesome ! That powerplant I put in one of my trikes was a ported & stroked 540cc w/ of course borred carb, ign. mods , killer hand made (dyno) tuned pipe etc. Gotta love thinking out of the box ! Oh **** ya !!! Nice work
QUOTE (proflow @ Sep 27 2013, 10:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Nice job ! I love to see people follow through on the twisted cool ****. Myself , Ive owned a CR500 trike that vibed like a mofo, I truely was woried for you. Nice to hear its all good & dont forget things like FAST handlebars help etc on the vibes. Wanted to also say, who ever built that cone pipe is keeping the tallent in the trade, let me just say, its folks like yourself that keep me reading these posts. Custom & twisted is where its at all day long. Nice to show off some tallent bud, looks awesome ! Plus the torque & build potential of that cr 500 is awesome ! That powerplant I put in one of my trikes was a ported & stroked 540cc w/ of course borred carb, ign. mods , killer hand made (dyno) tuned pipe etc. Gotta love thinking out of the box ! Oh **** ya !!! Nice work
Haven't been on the site for a while, last year on it's first shakedown ride all went well until it threw a chain, did no damage but I did not get around to putting a chain guide on it until the end of the season.
Now it' has a banshee chain guide, took it out to Glamis a couple weeks ago, I had no problems at all, rode it on most of the rides and ran good, I need to change the gearing a bit, ran out of gears to early running the hill.
I was thinking of getting the Fasst bars, I had a deal lined up but that sort of fell through but the good news, the vibration everyone talks about when putting a CR into a quad, not a problem with this build
I've been riding CR500s for quite a few years, I think this has less vibration than when this engine was in the bike, the dale' frame was made for this conversion! The engine runs strong, runs wheel to wheel with my buddies LT500 running olds, he has a Jerry Hall pipe and some porting so that is a base line for me. my Engine is out of my '89 which had not been ran for over 10 years since I got a '01 service honda. Can't recall what condition the top end is in. Some stuff to do with porting, carb work, sure would like to have the $ for a CPI setup 
I'll post some picks and video after Thanksgiving.Also forgot to mention, build an Aluminum tank to fit under the plastic, I was shooting for at least 3.5 gallons, I was blown away when I checked the volume and ended up with 4.5 gallons 
, now I don't have to be the guy that is worried about running out of gas, I know that's not a problem for you 4 stroke guys.
Here's a post with most of the same as this post but it does show the tank. build thread on banned cr500riders.com
, now I don't have to be the guy that is worried about running out of gas, I know that's not a problem for you 4 stroke guys.Here's a post with most of the same as this post but it does show the tank. build thread on banned cr500riders.com
I did not care for the ergonomics of the flex bars being up so high with the adapters you need to use them after getting used to where they are on a stock cannondale. It looks like you have the 02 stem and some kind of high spacer on yours anyway so it would not be such a drastic change for you. If I can talk my buddy into removing them from his parts roller maybe we can bring them out and you can try them... I do not think he will ever use them.
time for a redesign and maybe find a new welder?
