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'82 Honda XL250R

Good news! I fixed the problem with the knocking/ticking in my XL250R's head. :-D She is now purring right along like a Honda should.

Apparently, I did the valve adjustment at Top Dead Center on the Exhaust stroke instead of the TDC on the Compression stroke. :doh:
By adjusting on the Exhaust, it threw all the tappet settings way off and left the rockers extremely loose. :oops:

I feel kind of foolish for making that mistake, but in my defense, this is the very first time I have ever adjusted valves on a motorcycle. I might try ThrillBilly's process next time.

However, I am filled with pride in attempting to work on my new bike. :dude: Despite making the mistake in the process, I read, researched, asked questions, and fixed the problem myself. So, now I have a more intimate relationship with my little Honda. :zen:

On to the next things: new battery, tires, and getting it back on the street. :rider:

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My XL250R has new tires and tubes now. I'm trying Shinko e705 frt & rear. I think they look good and should be perfect for the 70% street/30% dirt I plan to ride. Also Honda mirrors and new battery. All of the lights work, it is safe to ride the street. All that's left is insurance, inspection and registration.

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My XL250R is back on the road as of yesterday! She has a new license plate, insurance, registration and other legal matters done. I am having a blast riding around the neighborhoods; this thumper is sure different than the inline 4 of ny CB. This one will be my ride to work and trail riding bike. She will take turns with the big Honda.

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I was looking at one of these just last week and my thoughts were...what a great bike design for ease of repair. The carb is offset for easy removal. Enjoy.
 
Wow! I just realized it has been almost two years since my last report on my '82 XL250R. I'm still loving it and she shares riding time with my other Honda's.

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At the Honda Warehouse near here in DFW.

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She has been on several dual-sport rides, backroad rides, and trail rides.

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We love exploring new places and she will go just about anywhere.

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She really likes getting into the woods and blazing new trails.

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AND, many more adventures to come.......
 
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Hi Larry; so happy to see the Red Giraffe getting the love and use it deserves after sitting so many years in my friend Jon's garage, then more years in my carport, back porch, etc.
 
Thanks Lee. I really enjoy this bike and I'm glad I met you. Speaking of being in the weather, the seat cover has cracked in several places and it's held together by duct tape. So, I have a new seat cover on it's way. It should be fun learning how to install it; I have been watching YouTube videos and it looks pretty easy.

My XL250R gets ridden every other week. I will ride the XL this week, then the CB1100 next week, then the XL. It makes a perfect commuter for my short trip to work.

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The seat cover that came on the bike, I assume, is the original from 1982. It looked pretty good for 35 years old when I bought the bike. But over time with the weather and my riding it pretty often, it developed cracks in the vinyl. I "fixed" it with black duct tape but that was a temporary fix.

So, to eBay I went, and found a nice affordable seat cover.

To be honest, I've never done a seat cover replacement before and I was quite worried about it. I had the cover for a couple of weeks and during that time I spent watching YouTube videos and gathering my supplies of staples. But yesterday I decided to do it!

I found that it was really not that difficult. I stripped off the old cover, laid the new cover in the Hot Texas Sun for awhile to soften it up. Then I slowly installed it according to the instructions.

I am pleased with the results and it make my little old bike look brand new.

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Next up for my bike is new handlebars. The current bars are bent so time to replace them.
 
Very nice. it helps to have an extra set of hands to hold the fabric while you staple, but its not hard at all.
 
lucky man, every time i come across the older xr's like this im broke.
 
Wow! I just realized it has been almost two years since my last report on my '82 XL250R. I'm still loving it and she shares riding time with my other Honda's.

27755644367_9dc5129a21_z.jpg


At the Honda Warehouse near here in DFW.


We love exploring new places and she will go just about anywhere.

40623592020_cfab02e6b8_z.jpg


She really likes getting into the woods and blazing new trails.

27236452577_ccdbd10aa3_z.jpg


AND, many more adventures to come.......
I used to pick up freight at that Honda warehouse when it was new, they had huge David Bailey and Rick Johnson framed posters on the wall from their MXDN Championships in 86.
 
Doggonit! My clutch cable broke; the end just pulled right off the cable. Unfortunately, I was at work and had several miles to ride it home.

A first for me, riding a bike without a clutch. I hope I didn't damage anything. It was a real challenge trying to ride without stopping at red lights, intersections, etc.

On a side note, if anyone has a luggage rack that will fit this bike, let me know? Even if it is a different model, I assume just about any black, '80's Honda dual sport would fit it.
 
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A new addition to my sweet little Honda; a National Cycles Deflector windscreen. I took it off my CB1100 that I'm selling, hoping it will be good for longer street rides. I think it looks pretty good and we'll see how well it works.
 
How does windscreen mount? Only on handlebars, or fork tubed. I want to put one on my XR650L
 
How does windscreen mount? Only on handlebars, or fork tubed. I want to put one on my XR650L
Mine is the "Deflector" it attaches only to handlebars. The larger "Street Shield" attaches to bars and forks. I've been pretty happy with the bar-mounted on my other bike.
 
A new addition to my XL250R, a luggage rack. I have been searching for something to carry and tie down items for a long time and found this one on eBay. I had to do a little "tweaking" but it looks good and should be very functional. This bike is beginning to look like a capable adventure bike.
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New addition to the bike: red handlebars and new grips. I think it really adds to the look and replaces the bent original bars. This old bike is really fun to own and ride.
 
I recalled I had one of these in the early 80's, and didn't like it, which I figured was because I was racing a feather light RM125, and found the 4-stroke too top heavy, which it really wasn't, more like I was just not into the extra weight and lack of 13k screaming rpm's. My loss.
 
I had several of the XL 250's and 350's (wherein 3rd gear became a weak link if I remember correctly). Make sure to check cam chain tension at least once as you go through it. I would buy a clean one like this in a heartbeat!
 
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