Brand New 500cc 2 Stroke Motocross Shoot Out!

You are about to witness a 500cc shootout that has never been done before. In the blue corner we have the YZILLA YZ500. This beast started out life as a 2022 Yamaha YZ250 2-stroke, but then we fitted the brand new YZM500 conversion kit from BRC Racing to turn it into this big bore beauty. It's a legitimate 500cc Yamaha 2-smoker, but it rides, fields, turns and stops like a YZ250, but it has the power to rival any CR500. And over here in the orange corner we have KONG. In a former life, KONG was a Husqvarna TE300i, an enduro-spec fuel-injected 2-stroker. Once again we worked with our friends at BRC Racing in Canada to turn the bike into this fuel-injected 500cc weapon. We fitted their tried and tested 500cc conversion kit for the Austrian brands and then made a further upgrade, replacing the old TPI system with the new TBI fuel injection system for better throttle response, improved reliability and increased horsepower. This surely has to be one of the most high-tech 500ccs money can buy. But which one is best? That's what we're here today to work out. And like I said before, this shootout has never been done, so we're super excited to get started. This is how it's going to work. So today me and my chief test rider here on 999 Laser, Shul Smith, we're going to be swapping back and forth on our two 500cc beasties. We'll be riding together all day, taking turns on each bike, and we shall be judging and scoring each of the machines in various different categories. That being looks, how they look, sound, obviously how they sound, and then ergonomics and rideability, it's how much we enjoy riding them, how they feel in the chassis. And then we talk about ease of use, how easy they are to work on, how easy they are to start and whatnot. Of course, we'll talk about the power delivery of each bike, how that differs. But at the end of the day, the champion of champions, the winner of our BRC big bore shootout, will be crowned via a hot lap showdown. Whichever of these two bikes is fastest around our test track here, we will claim, we will crown, sorry, our big bore champ. So it is worth mentioning as well that usually I am a Yamaha man, I've owned and loved my YZ125 for over 10 years now, and Sean here is typically a KTM man, an Austrian man through and through, right? You've owned countless, or you've had countless KTMs in your arsenal over the past, what, five, 10 years? Two or three. So it's going to be very interesting to see whether we've got any bias, me to Yamaha, Sean to KTM, and whether we betray those affectionate feelings when it comes time to judge the bikes at the end of the day. It's just another interesting thing to keep an eye on. Today is the day that we work out whether Kong is the real big bore king, or if the YZilla is truly god of all two strokes. Let's ride. So Sean and I started the day by having a little play ride. I was on the YZilla and Sean was on Kong. We then took extended rides on each of the bikes to really figure them out and give them a true test. So I'm on board Kong, back on board Kong. Our fuel injector is 500. And I'm just getting some cheeky laps in before Sean lays down the hammer for us. 500cc two-stroke. Since we swapped out the old TPI system for this high-tech brand new TBI system. Which in theory improves our throttle response. Improve our reliability and give us a few more ponies. We've also got a few new toys to play with today. Apart from our two 500s. One of those being the Dango GoPro mount. I've got my helmet right now. Gives a really cool view. It's a chin mount here on the chin by my helmet. Give us a unique look perspective when it's like to ride a motocross bike. We're also using the Crossbox timing system to record our laps and our data. Which has really lifted things up for us in that department. I'm going to continue spinning some laps here on Kong. Also for now, for the Wazza! So before we got the stopwatches out for the hot lap showdown, we sat down to review the bikes and share our thoughts. So we've both ridden the two BRC 500s behind us here. The first time that's ever been done we think. Back to back. YZ500 versus the fuel-injected 500. You can see them both sitting behind us there looking pretty on two different stands. We've got the ProWorks mechanic stand there and the ProWorks folding stand there. You can get them both from 24MX. 24MX are an awesome sponsor of ours. They help us make videos just like this one. And they've given me a special discount code just for our viewers. You can get 15% off both of these stands and a whole load of other products on the 24MX website if you use our discount code MAX15. Not only do you get a nice little 15% discount, it helps out the channel and it lets 24MX know that we've got a wicked little motocross community here on 999 Laser. Now let's get back to the business of this world's first 500 shootout. Sean, there's a few categories that we're going to talk about, but let's start with looks. Which bike wins in terms of looks for you? That's a tough one, isn't it? They're both good-looking bikes, aren't they? Not to, like, toot our own horn, but I think we've built some nice-looking bikes. Yeah, they are. I think, to be fair, possibly the YZ, only because the Husky's got the EXC tank on it. I really like the branding we've gone with on the Kong, with the gorilla kind of theme, the hairy graphics, and the gorilla on the front looks wicked. But these are 500s and 500s are beasts from the past, aren't they? Yeah. And that YZM-inspired graphics kit on the YZL-R just looks sweet. The gold wheels, the yellow plate. For me, YZL-R wins on looks. Same for you? Yeah, I think so. Two-nil then to the YZL-R. Let us know what you guys think in the comments down below. Which one do you think looks the coolest? Also, just to add to the looks, another point scored for the YZL-R in terms of that is the Hugo pipe on the YZL-R. That cone pipe looks sweet. We do have one coming for Kong, but she's not arrived yet, so that'll give it some points in the looks department. Now, sound. Which one do you think sounds best, Sean? This is a tough one. Yeah, no, for me, Husky, man. Husky? Yeah, Husky, yeah. Definitely, all day long. For me, it's tough. The Husky's a bit deeper, isn't it? Yeah, but it's just got that crisper sound, I think, because you're pure injected. Yeah, for me, definitely the Husky. I'll agree with you there, Husky. What do you guys think? Let us know below, again. So that's two apiece for the 2500. Now that we're getting a bit more in-depth, a bit more technical, on track, let's talk about rideability, handling, feeling. For me, I thought at the start of the day it would be Yamaha, and then I rode that Kong. I was like, oh, this is nice and spacious. I feel quite nice on this. And then I did another moto on the YZL-R, and I just felt so good in the corners on that thing. It's got your set-up on it, the YZL-R, actually. It's funny, it's my bike, but it's got Sean's set-up. That's why it feels so good. The bars are a bit different, and the levers are a bit different, and it feels a bit more cramped. Not cramped, per se, but lower. Not as spacious as Kong, which is a tall bike, isn't it? It is really tall. What are your thoughts in terms of handling, rideability? Pretty much the same. Rode Kong. Loved it. But I'm not as good of a rider as we know. So I love the chassis. I love the ergonomics of it. I love the set-up and everything. But then, here today, jumping on the YZ, I don't know, I just want it slightly. And because I think the Husky's so tall, and the YZ is, like you say, I've set it up how I like a bike to be set up. So I did feel more at home on the YZ, if I'm honest, yeah. In the turns, I'm not over-exaggerating, it is one of the best bikes I've ever had in a turn. I can only describe it as creamy in the turns. Honestly, it's just like a smile on my face. You say that, I know exactly what he means. It's a weird word to use, but I know what he means. Another set of points to the Yamaha. So one thing Sean and I failed to mention there was that Kong is actually still running the Enduro spec suspension set-up, which probably did make a difference on track here when we're talking about handling and rideability. That's just something that we probably should have mentioned in that last segment. Before we talk about power delivery, let's talk about just ease of use. If you're an owner of one of these bikes, which one's easier? Obviously, the Yamaha, it's carbureted, it's got a kickstart. Kong is fuel-injected, has an electric start, but it's a bit more complex with all the electronics on it. As an owner of bikes, which one is more appealing to you? For me, would be the Kong, because of the hydraulic clutch and electric start and it's fuel-injected. That's probably what I would go for. Everyone's different, isn't they? There's a lot of carb-y fans out there. For me, I think I am a fan of the carb. The electronics and everything, the fuel-injection system just scares me a bit. As you know, we couldn't have done this project without you, because of that factor. Old school's the way for me, plus that electric start and the bike that we bought. Not man enough yet. I know we asked for some suggestions before. We did buy one of those beefy batteries, but it's still not working, is it? No, I think we may have an issue with the start. Yeah, it's nothing to do with the BRC kit. It's just, I think, the donor bike that we bought. We knew that we might have had a bit of an issue with the starter on Kong, so we did bring a new piece of kit, the bike starter that we've got all the way from Australia. We bought that to use with our 700 Megalodon, because that thing is an absolute pain in the backside to start. We bought a bike start for that, but we'll bring it along today, and it's worked a treat on these bikes. I don't want you guys calling us wimps, because we can start the bikes, can't we? We can. I mean, we started them all day on the kit. When you're filming, you're stopping to start, and it's hot today. It does take it out of you, so just having that bike starter, just as backup to use when you're not really feeling it, or your legs are a bit tired, it's good to have as backup. But for me, ease of use can be old school carb any day. So that's the first one where we've... Disagreed. Disagreed, yeah. So the last thing we'll talk about before I unleash you on the track to do your hot laps is power delivery. This is the main thing that people are going to want to know. What is the difference in power delivery between the YZILLA carb bike and KONG, a fuel-injected bike, with that throttle body conversion that we've put on there now? You know, the Husky's power delivery for me was a lot fresher, a lot snappier. It felt more responsive. They were the things that impressed me the most of it against the carb YZ. The carb YZ didn't... It wasn't lazy, but, you know, you felt that progression of power was, you know, smooth, as you'd want on a 500. Usable, I think. You'd want that on a 500, but the Husky was more... It was still usable power. It's still smooth, but it just seemed to do everything quicker, even though it wasn't uncontrollable and the power wasn't, again, uncontrollable, but it just seemed to, like, when you open the throttle, it would seem to be more responsive and get there a lot quicker than what the YZ did. On a track like this where it's a bit loamy, a bit deep into the corners, you can kind of get fooled into thinking, no, I've got control of this power here, but as you saw when he was behind me, when it finds a bit of grip, Jesus Christ! That thing will send you to the moon. As I'll show right now, I don't know how I saved that one. I was, like, 12 o'clock. I think you were one of the 12 o'clock boys, weren't you? Yeah, yeah, I was. For me, power delivery, I think I'm going to go with the Yamaha. I just love that bike. I could ride that all day, I think. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I could ride it all day. You said it's a bit lazy. I'm a bit of a lazy rider these days. You can kind of just leave it in gear and just let it pull you through. Kong, for me, felt like I had to work it a bit more to get the most out of it. We know there is actually some fine-tuning to do with Kong. We've had the Yamaha Wyzilla for six, seven months now, I think. Since the end of last year, November last year, we got it started. So we've had some decent time to dial that in and that is perfect now, I would say. Running prime. Kong, on the other hand, we've ridden it once on track and then we've now, in between then and now, we've done that throttle body conversion, TBI conversion. We know there's a bit of fine-tuning to do with that. You felt it was detonating a bit. Yeah, it was, yeah, yeah. And again, because you're trackside, we have no software. It's all controlled by the ECU because the throttle body's gone from a 39mm to a 43mm. So obviously, there's a lot more volume going into the cylinder, which is obviously causing detonation. I'm just guessing here, but obviously, it's possibly running lean and the timing maybe just a little bit too far advanced for the volume that's going in there. But it's something that can be addressed. Yeah, we've spoken already today to Brad from Rutherford Racing, who are the agents in the UK for two-stroke performance, and he's given us some tips and advice. We're going to send the ECU back to him. We're going to get a special TBI map flashed onto the ECU and that should sort us out. So we'll see where this bike stands on track. We'll get the stopwatches out. But in theory, it should be even faster after that, right? Yeah, if it's controllable. And that's a big question. So in terms of power delivery, I'm voting for the YZILLA. Sean, you're again voting for KONG. Yeah. So that's even things up. Let's gear you up, get a helmet on you, fire the bikes up, we'll hit the track, get the stopwatch ready. It's time for the moment of truth. Which one's faster? Let's find out. Right, so it's time to get the stopwatch out. It's time for the hot laps on the two 500s, YZILLA and KONG. We've got Sean here, reigning ATU British over 50s champion, right mate? We're going to do this fairly scientifically, more scientifically than we have done in the past. We've got a new setup. We've got a cross box on top of Sean's helmet here. That's going to give us loads of data to look at. And of course, the lap times as well. Sean, you're going to take the YZILLA first. Is that right? So let's do it. YZILLA hitting the track now. So that's Sean Smith, our chief test rider here at 999 Laser. He's out there on the YZILLA at the moment. Now, like I mentioned earlier, Sean is actually the reigning British over 50s champion. That's official, an ACU event. He won that a few weeks ago. He's out there on the YZILLA now, just getting dialed in. I'll set the timer off when he's ready to lay down the hammer. I'm going to do it on the phone right here, live at the track. So we've got a time right away to react to. But of course, we've got the Crossbox on there as well, on top of Sean's helmet. That's a new thing that we've got. So big thanks to Crossbox for sending that over for us to try out. That's going to have some cool data for us to dive into when we get back home. So Sean's on the YZILLA, which was the first of these 500s that we built. That's why he's gone out first. He is traditionally, usually, generally a KTM man at heart, an Austrian man at heart. He's had loads over the past 10 years or I think he said from 2003, actually. So it'll be interesting to see whether the Yamaha, the Japanese bike, can sway him away from his preferred Austrian brand. So he's coming around now to start his hot lap. Let's hand it over to Sean. So the clock is on for Sean and the YZILLA then. He's begun his hot lap on the YZ500. This is going to be the time to beat. He's going to set the bar right here, right now. And he's looking good so far. What a sound there, the YZILLA absolutely tapped. We're over the halfway mark now on this hot lap. Like I said before, Sean is looking good on board the Yamaha here today. He's not letting any potential buyers for the KTM Husqvarna group sway his riding whatsoever here today around the Greenfield MX track in Lincolnshire. An awesome facility that we've been able to use for this test. Just a handful of corners left to go for Sean then. On the gas up over the tabletop. So two corners left to go for Sean then on the YZILLA. See, this is the time to beat. Let's see what it is when he crosses the line. One corner left to go. So he's done two hot laps there. We're going to pull Sean in now. I'll tell him this lap time and then he's going to take this baby out for a spin. You did two fast laps there, didn't you? Yeah. Second one was quicker by a second. Better lines. The time to beat then, the time that Sean's just logged on the YZILLA around Greenfield's motocross track here, 138.42. So that's the time to beat. Up next, Kong, the fuel injected 500cc two-stroke. Let's fire up. Let's get her out there. Okay, so Sean's out there now just getting warmed up on Kong before he sets down a heater lap. A hot lap to compare to the YZILLA here that we've got sitting on the side. Like I said earlier, this bike, it's the second of the two 500cc that we've created. So we've had less time messing about and setting this one up. We've been working with the YZILLA for about six or seven months now. So this one is absolutely dialed in. I'm not giving excuses to Kong. It's just a simple fact. We're also running still the enduro spec suspension in this one. That's not caused us any problems so far on the motocross track, but that's another thing to consider. But this one, it's got more tech, that TBR conversion, a hydraulic clutch, an electric start on it, but that's not going to affect anything out there. Sean traditionally usually rides KTMs and Husqvarna. He's had them in his garage since 2003. So maybe he'll be more used to, more accustomed to the chassis here on Kong over the Yamaha-based YZILLA. But it all comes down to power, really. Power's the name of the game here in the big board class. So let's see which one of these is the champion of champions. I'll hand you over to Sean on board Kong. And the clock is on for Kong. This is it, the moment of truth. The hot lap we've been waiting all year to see. How will the fuel-injected 500cc two-smoker compare to the YZILLA 500? We're about to find out. Sean is on it. Fully tucked down the back straight there. We're halfway through the lap now. Sean using the wide line to get squared up for the loop section here. Double, double, and bounces his way out. This showdown has been almost a year in the making now. We pulled the trigger on the YZILLA project. This time in 2022. So it's been a 12-month build-up to this shootout, to this video. And this is the moment of truth. There's a handful of corners left to go for Kong, for Sean. Which bike is your money on? Let me know in the comments down below right now. Because there's two corners left to go. Into the final turn. I'm not telling you the lap times yet either. Bill is going to have to wait just as long as Sean and you guys to know the results. It's a secret until Sean comes back. So before I reveal the lap times to you, Sean, I'm going to ask you. Have you been persuaded away from your Austrian bias? Are you leaning the other way? Or what do you reckon? You're the first person to ride these back-to-back in the world, I think. It's a good test. I don't know because obviously the YZ is very good. It's a very good bike. Obviously, I'm an Austrian fan. But I think today the YZ might have just persuaded me. That's just in terms of feeling on the bike, on the track. As I said at the beginning of the video, we were using the Crossbox data logger to record our lap times. We were super impressed with it. And as you can see on screen right now, you can even play back your recorded lap times to compare the bikes and see where you was gaining the advantages. Crossbox also gives you some cool data like top speeds. We saw that the YZ had a top speed of 95 kilometers per hour and Kong had a top speed of 94 kilometers per hour. But how will that translate into the overall lap times? Let's find out. Okay, then. So the moment of truth, lap time reveal. The fastest time we set on the YZ was a 1.38.42 was the time to beat when you got on Kong. You did two laps again on Kong and you're fastest on the fuel-injected 500. A 1.38.5. So close, mate. So close. Hundreds in it. I felt a lot more confident and a lot faster on that than I did on this because I had to work the gearbox so much to make it, you know, to get the power that I wanted in the turns. Yeah, it's just crazy. That is crazy to be that close. So today then, today only, we're not going to say this is a matter of fact for everyone everywhere in the world. But today on this track, the YZ is god of all big bikes. Well, only just though. As always, guys, my name is Max. This is Sean. You've been watching 999 Laser. Subscribe if you want to see more big board madness in the future. Until next time, we'll see you at the track.