Oh Gawd I've bought a honda!!

Rob Farmer

Rob Farmer

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Just bought a Y reg Honda XL500R for £100...It hasn't run since 1999 but looks completely standard.

Have I made a terrible mistake and how long before it explodes?

Where do I buy bits from?
 
Its a honda..

Well cheshire salvage might have some bits.. lol...

though if its not run, simply due to nelgect then shouldnt be too tricky to get back on the road as it were.... (thats a big IF aint it?? :) )

Though tis a honda, and my last honda was a great bike.. have fun and enjoy..
 
Rob Farmer said:
23Inch!! WTF is that all about??
Click to expand...

Honda fitted a 23 inch front wheel to the XL250 in the late 70's early 80's. I wasn't aware they fitted it to the 500. Almost impossible to get 23'' rubber now that grips. Honda made a big advertising deal about 23' wheels at the time.
£100 buttons for a bit of fun project. Top ends weak but regular oil changes keep the demons at bay.
 
I owned the 250 version for years and it was a cracking little bike, if you want to raise the rear end the fork fitting on the shock unscrews and you can fit the equivalent from a transalp etc to raise it.
The tls front bake is poor as are the forks but the front end from a disc brake xr 500 or xr 600 is a straight swap.
That sais for £100 you cann't go wrong.
Almost forgot the DID rims are buggers for rotting from the inside outover and collapsing, pull the tyres off and check them before you use the bike.
 
I stripped and cleaned the carb, put some fuel in and it started second kick..result. Unfortunatly theres an oil leak from the top end somewhere and the bike will not tickover at a normal speed. Somethings clearly wrong. On top of that I've found a nasty piece of arcwelding on the frame near the sidestand. Either the cam or the camshains knackered judging by the noise :( Looks like it gets stripped and sold for parts on Ebay.

I'd forgotton how bloody awfull Jap bikes are to work on.
 
Rob Farmer said:
I'd forgotton how bloody awfull Jap bikes are to work on.
Click to expand...

You paid 100 quid for it, WTF do you want........:nenau

If you travel this world you will find "the" most basic of cultures have no problem in maintaining Hondas from the 50s....:augie
 
alimey4u2 said:
You paid 100 quid for it, WTF do you want........:nenau

If you travel this world you will find "the" most basic of cultures have no problem in maintaining Hondas from the 50s....:augie
Click to expand...


The price of its got nothing to do with working on the fecking thing. I'm referring to Plasticine headed bolts, totally inaccessible screws and mounting brackets and a carb that needed half the bike taking apart to before it could be removed.
 
Rob Farmer said:
The price of its got nothing to do with working on the fecking thing. I'm referring to Plasticine headed bolts, totally inaccessible screws and mounting brackets and a carb that needed half the bike taking apart to before it could be removed.
Click to expand...


Obviously you have been spoiled by Teutonic or Anglo engineering.....:thedummy
 
Sorry for coming across a bit strong but my feelings are that Honda have done more for motorcycling than any other manufacturer past or present. Possibly a bit oversensitive but their you are......:aidan
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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