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Mid 80's Honda Dual Sports: XL250R, XL350R, & XL500R

Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
522
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142
Location
Grand Prairie
First Name
Larry
I'm in the market for a mid-size dual sport to complement my TLR200 Trials bike and my CB1100 street bike. The current offerings by Honda just do not move me to want to buy them; although, I have always loved the looks of the XR650L (I just have a problem with the weight and the height).

I ran across a Honda XL500R recently and missed out on the sale. However, upon further research, I found that I really like the mid 80's XL's from Honda. Specifically the XL250R, XL350R and XL500R. I'm reading as much as I can find on these bikes to help me decide which to look for, and I thought someone on here might offer plusses-or-minuses on each one?

Right now, I'm leaning toward the XL350R as I like the later years, the lighter weight and the engine size fits my idea of an ideal mid-size dual-sport. I plan on riding mostly city streets to and from work, some gravel and dirt roads, maybe some light single track (but nothing difficult), very little highway (just connecting trails).

Can anyone offer opinions and/or steer me to a good deal on one to buy? It must have a title and street-legal or put back to streetable (I already have a dirt-only bike).

I can't believe I missed so many cool Hondas when they first came out. :doh:

Thanks in advance.
 
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I have had interest in them too after reading a few ride reports on ADV. But all the bikes I have seen advertised looked poorly kept and worse, not farkled and farkles are impossible to buy. Look at the 3 KP posted, not one has a rack does it? 100 miles gas range?

Still they would be fun if you can find the right one. Look up ADV, the guys all said the 500 was better than the 350 and I bet after all these years there is little difference in price.

Then again, what can I say, I have been looking at KE100s and 125s.
 
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I love my 85 XL350R...kinda sad I traded it. It was a great bike for around town and trips under 100 miles. If you find one the runs good, isn't leaking fluids, and has all its parts, buy it.
 
Thanks for the responses, I have further posted this on the Adventure Rider forum. I'm getting some good information. Again thanks.

I find that I am leaning toward the 84 XL350R or the 82-84 XL250Rs. I like the 6 speed and the dual carburetors.

I know the XR400 would be best performance-wise, but I want a street legal, fun bike to ride. I don't really care about riding hard. Plus the XR4 would have to be "plated" and it's probably very tall.

Still looking.
 
I had a XL600R, 1984 model, for a while. It was getting to the point of needing some engine work, sold it. I saw the kid I sold it to riding by my place one day peggin' the thing. He'd apparently pulled the baffle plates out of the Super Trap I had on it, too. :rolleyes: About 2 months later, he came by wanting to know if I'd rebuild it for him. He blew it up. :lol2:

That old bike was a good runner, but I babied it a bit. Running it past 80 made the vibration intolerable. But, It was only about 275 lbs. The guy before me replaced the battery and battery box/air cleaner with a pair (had two carbs) of K&N filter pods and a battery eliminator which, as I understand it, is a big capacitor, keeps surges out of the charging system with no battery. It was kick start only, anyway, so the weight wasn't justifiable IMHO. The thing worked well off road for a big chunk of steel, and I rode it to work most days. I looked and looked for a luggage rack for it, not available. Nothing for those old XLs seems to be available anymore unless you go to a salvage yard and find something, maybe.

The thing had a starting routine and if you didn't know it, it could hurt you. :lol2: I could take the key out of it with it on, so I just left it on all the time and the key out. The thing wasn't worth much if someone wanted to steal it and if they tried, they'd probably ended up with a broken tibia. :rofl:

The engine has a tendency to eventually wear cam lobe grooves in the rockers and start rattling even worse than was normal. I think mine was getting there and it probably needed a bore as it was using a bit of oil. If you look at one that really rattles, the rockers are probably the culprit and they're easy to replace, but you might also need a cam. I've seen the cam lobes pretty eaten up on these things, too.

Just a few things to look/listen for. You can probably get one in decent shape pretty cheap, not a lot of resale value, makes 'em a good choice for the tinkerer. They're stone simple mechanically.

Good luck in the search!
 
Thanks for all the opinions and insight.

How about the XR line of mid 80's Hondas rather than the XL?

Would it make more sense to find a good XR and then put lights on and get it plated in Texas?
 
I have an '82 xl250r survivor I'm looking to sell...around 3,300 mostly street miles. Very complete, starts and run good, everything works. Has title, shop and owner's manuals, etc. PM me and I'll dropbox my entire file on it to you...lots of pics, history, etc.

16750467347_295550b189_k.jpg
DSC_0582 by Lee's CB, on Flickr

Seat strap, rear turn signals (rare originals + a homemade, less fragile set + a broken one), and mirrors not in pic but go with bike...I'm thinking $1,400, open to offers.
 
Funding is arranged and soon to be delivered. I can't wait to get it home. I'm already researching tires and mirrors; otherwise everything's there.

Thank you, Lee. And the great people of TwoWheel Texans.
 
Look what followed me home from Austin this past Sunday; a 1982 Honda XL250R. Of course, we HAD to stop at West to get Kolaches, before getting back to DFW.

Thanks to TwoWheeled Texans and Lee Webb in Austin, I have my "new" dual-sport. Look for more photos, stories and questions as I get this old beauty back on the road and enjoy it.

xl250r_CzechStop_zps225t2l3s.jpg
 
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