Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1534665
May 2025 5 37 When a box of custom transmission collars finally arrived from the Czech Republic, I started building the bo om end. I mixed and matched the primary and secondary sha s from different CR500 gener- a ons to replicate the HRC wide-ra o transmission with longer fourth and fi h gears. A newer water pump cover let me run a late-model Hinson billet clutch basket, which also uses an extra plate for increased oil capacity. I finished the igni on system with a Millar Race En- gineering stator, super coil, and custom-machined flywheel, providing all the adjustability I needed to dial in the ming just right. With the engine installed. a Pro Circuit "Works" pipe was chosen along with a custom shortened PC silencer. A set of custom radiators were fabri- cated to keep the temps in check, flowing as much coolant as the billet MSV Racing parts can handle. Hundreds of hours of scrolling through parts dia- grams, machining prototypes, cleaning, fabricat- ing, and test-fi ng were validated when the bike roared to life for the first me. The deep, gut-punching idle and rear fender dancing to the rhythm of a trash- can-sized piston is the kind of thing any two-stroke enthusiast could watch forever. I wrapped up the last 10%—final assembly, graphics, fluids, and then, just as everything was coming togeth- er, I accidentally drilled a hole in my brand-new custom radiator while moun ng the shrouds. The first ride would have to wait, and I have a date with the Tig welder Friday night, but the mistake forced me to remember that nothing ever goes to plan on a build like this. And honestly? That's kind of the point. The setbacks, the surprises, the nights spent with greasy hands and an open parts diagram—they all fade when you hear that motor come to life or twist the thro le for the first me. Because at the end of the day, we don't do this because it's easy. We do it because we love these machines and being sent back to the feeling of being a kid again, wide-eyed and grinning, with a big handful of thro le.