XL 500 S
Posted by shinyribs on Jul 30, 2017; 2:23am
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/XL-500-S-tp4062513.html
First thread in the Singles forum.
Stumbled on to this bike yesterday.Went to check it out today and it barked to life on the first kick. The carb was too dirty to let it idle, but I brought it home all the same.
Used the semi-stale gas in the tank to clean out the carb (it needs a full kit, really) and put some fresh oil in the sump.Two kicks later and it was whoolie time!
This bike is a hoot. The 23" front tire is a riot. It's a bonafide log hopper. The torque is what you would expect from an XL or XR- instant and everywhere. The clutch is slipping, but it'll still loft that big front tire in 3rd gear. Considering that the accelerator pump and the air cutoff diaphragms are completely rotten, it is amazing how well this bike runs. That big front tire is wacky handling. The bike feels very planted until you hit full lock, then the front end just goes away. It's fun in a weird, terrifying kind of way.
None of the lights work ( headlight lens is busted, so I removed it), and there's no battery in the bike currently. The neutral indicator works, but I'm not sure how much of the lighting circuit is DC ( relies on the battery) and how much is AC ( I know the headlight/taillight is AC).
The brakes are hilarious. All the cables need adjusting, but I'm pretty sure that tiny front brake will be nothing to write home about. The rear brake works well if you can ever find the tiny pedal hidden under the clutch cover. For a 300lb bike it holds it's weight extremely well. It feels much lighter in the woods than my '98 XR400R with cartridge forks, monoshock and 256lb dry weight. I'd never ridden one of these big bore XL's until now. I think they are very underrated bikes. If I can get this thing sorted out completely it may be the bike that can make my KLR go up for sale. Even with a slipping clutch and a bald rear tire....this thing hauls. Long live the big bore thumpers.
URL: http://vintage-and-classic-hondas.81.s1.nabble.com/XL-500-S-tp4062513.html
First thread in the Singles forum.
Stumbled on to this bike yesterday.Went to check it out today and it barked to life on the first kick. The carb was too dirty to let it idle, but I brought it home all the same.
Used the semi-stale gas in the tank to clean out the carb (it needs a full kit, really) and put some fresh oil in the sump.Two kicks later and it was whoolie time!
This bike is a hoot. The 23" front tire is a riot. It's a bonafide log hopper. The torque is what you would expect from an XL or XR- instant and everywhere. The clutch is slipping, but it'll still loft that big front tire in 3rd gear. Considering that the accelerator pump and the air cutoff diaphragms are completely rotten, it is amazing how well this bike runs. That big front tire is wacky handling. The bike feels very planted until you hit full lock, then the front end just goes away. It's fun in a weird, terrifying kind of way.
None of the lights work ( headlight lens is busted, so I removed it), and there's no battery in the bike currently. The neutral indicator works, but I'm not sure how much of the lighting circuit is DC ( relies on the battery) and how much is AC ( I know the headlight/taillight is AC).
The brakes are hilarious. All the cables need adjusting, but I'm pretty sure that tiny front brake will be nothing to write home about. The rear brake works well if you can ever find the tiny pedal hidden under the clutch cover. For a 300lb bike it holds it's weight extremely well. It feels much lighter in the woods than my '98 XR400R with cartridge forks, monoshock and 256lb dry weight. I'd never ridden one of these big bore XL's until now. I think they are very underrated bikes. If I can get this thing sorted out completely it may be the bike that can make my KLR go up for sale. Even with a slipping clutch and a bald rear tire....this thing hauls. Long live the big bore thumpers.
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