spoke with surfing legend Sunny Garcia multiple times over the course of about six months while this bike was being built. When it was finished, we met at Cahuilla Creek and shook down this work of art together. This all happened about two weeks prior to Sunny’s suicide attempt in late April. This project is bittersweet to all involved at this point, and we’re still praying for a full recovery for our friend.

Oscar Cota and Alex Ward of KX Guru Racing oversaw all aspects of this build. To get the suspension updated, we went with an Ohlins KX500 shock out back, which was set up by Ward. The front has a 2018 KX450F “A” kit fork, which was treated to a Kashima coating on the upper tubes and set up for Sunny by Enzo. The shock is a direct bolt-on, but to run the newer fork, a set of custom KX Guru Racing hybrid triple clamps were used. These clamps accommodate the slightly larger fork tubes of the 450F but maintain the factory KX500 offset and steering stops.

The back end received just as much customization as the front. Bormi Parts in Italy custom-built a hybrid swingarm and anodized titanium gray that utilizes KX450 components. Whenever a chain guide, chain slider, or rotor guard is damaged, you can easily purchase replacement parts for the KX450. This swingarm setup also enables the use of a larger 240mm rear rotor, replacing the 220mm stock rotor, which is one of the KX500’s weak links. Braking duties up front are handled by modern KX components that replace the antiquated stock equipment. All braking systems, front and back, are handled by top-quality Galfer components.

The engine was treated to a complete serving of brand-new bearings, seals, clips, etc. If it could be replaced, it was. A good, solid bottom end was achieved by getting all the engine components cryo treated and micropolished. Tom Morgan worked his magic with a crank rebuild and balance, a decompression mod to the head that not only aids in easier starting but reduces forces and load on engine internals that are no longer available from the OEM. Neil’s Power Pipes in Canada got us a custom-built stainless-steel cone pipe and silencer that focuses on low to mid power without sacrificing any of the legendary KX500 top end.

Bormi hooked us up with a custom handmade tank that was shaped to mimic the 1989 KX250 tank, which had a slimmer profile than the stock KX500 tank. The Bormi tank was polished and Cerekoted clear for preservation and to fight corrosion.

On the track, I was immediately stunned by the amount of power this bike had, but even more so by its controllability. The Rekluse clutch took stalls out of the picture, and the attention to detail in the design of the power character made it easy (relatively speaking) to get it to the ground and go. I never rode a works KX500, but I imagine it felt a lot like this. The suspension was also a revelation. The Ohlins shock and KYB forks were plush and predictable—something you don’t normally hear when talking about KX500 suspension. The brakes were strong, the pegs were a massive upgrade from stock, and the bike was very comfortable to ride. I only wish Wardy or Lechien were there to give it a go and compare it to their old race bikes. I’m guessing they would have been stoked.