The world needs more people like this to share there knowledge on these old bikes. This guy has the best videos.

Your the best d Ray, good ol country boy who knows his stuff

These video's are awesome! I just bought a 1983 XL600r and I had to gut the carb due to low reaction on the second carb at high rev. Your video helped out a ton. I just saw a guy trying to sell a XL on CL for $500 with one little problem. He put the oil filter in backwards and seized the head. Thanks for these great video's

D-Ray I'm rebuilding a nice old XR600R and you've saved me again. Cheers!

Thanks DRay. Your close ups and clear explanations are really helpful. Cheers.

Straight to the point, no fuzz. Rock on! Thanks for the upload!

Good video , clear and concise with no bullshit . To add to that he seems friendly . 👍

This is my first time attempting this old of a bike, kinda doing the same thing you are, Your vidoes are very help full thank you! your a life saver!!

Loved it. I could watch you all day brutha!

Great video, and I really like your shop it's so clean and tidy. You seem like a really great guy too. Thank you!

Thanks for watchin'. Yep, those can be difficult to break loose sometimes, I would try placing a deep well socket on the strainer bolt head and give it a few good raps with a hammer to jar the threads loose, then take a 6 point wrench and try breaking it loose.

EXCELLENT video - Thankyou - very informative showing the cautionary checks and procedures

You are awesome! Got a 86 xr600r that I need to change the oil had no idea it was any different from any other bike. Plus I checked my oil after it sat all winter no oil so I added a ton, luckily I only ran it for a few minutes. Thanks again!

I know so much more than I did before watching this video. This bike is different than others I have and I was lost at how to do this properly...many thanks!

Cool! I have one of these bikes disassembled in boxes. I took it apart when I picked it up seven years ago...I've had a lot of work done to the engine, and will be making a lot of modifications to the bike. I hope to finally get started reassembling it in the next six months, if not sooner.

Perfect video for a XR500R as well. thanks!

Thank you for this, that Honda looks like it's in pretty good condition.

Seen plenty of dry sumps on cars but this is the first one I have seen on a bike. Interesting set up, Cheers n regards mate

I broke the return spring of my kickstarter, so I had to open the side cover to pull the kickstart mechanism out and replace the spring. I tried draining the oil first through the drain plug in the frame, but since the motor was cold (couldn't start it due to broken kickstarter) no oil came out. I thought damn, did I run it low on oil all the time? Thanks for the great video, now I know where all the oil was and now I can drain it fully and replace the oil!

The valve clearence for the XL/XR 600 are different, I don't know why. The specs you have there are correct for your machine. Since you don't have a 0.12mm feeler gauge, use what you have as a go-no-go gauge. Set your exhaust valves so that the 0.10mm gauge easily goes under the rocker arm with no drag, but the 0.15mm will not. It wont be perfect, but I bet it will be close enough. Thanks for watchin'.

great video saved me some money oil change I will do it myself next time

You're probably right, I never tried to put one on any other way, thats good to know, thanks man!

Oh aah loud and clear thanks dude 😎🇺🇸✌🏽

Aweosme video buddy, i just bought my 84 xl 600, a lovely bike

Very nice video. I have a 2003 XR400, and it is quite similar. So, I picked up a few tidbits here. Thanks.

Thanks for the amazing vidio never knew about the other grain plug

awww man this the video I wanted to see...I have the 650l and I was wonderin why I wasn't getn oil at the top of my head cause it started squeakin so I took it down to take a look....come to find out my oil filter was in backwards...I didn't pay it no mind...but I caught it jus n time..no major damage jus alil dry...no scratch marks...thank god..

Interesting stuff Buddy!! Never come across such an animal!!☺

I run 1950's Brit singles. Even so, I'm so old, they aren't old. To me, your bike is 'modern' if not new exactly. Dunno if you mentioned it, but make sure the valve clearances are set at TDC on the COMPRESSION stroke (all valves should have clearances at that point).

Hey D-Ray, I sure am tickled to see the videos you made for the XL,600. I bought an 87 back in 87 brand new. loved the bike!. went to adjust the valves myself, and later on after the bike started ticking real bad i realized that one of the valves was OVER adjusted!. I think that i had accidently bumped the bike and it fell off of T.D>C.that was back in 90!!.I,ts my life goal to get that damn machine back together. so i sure appreiciate your videos. Thanks J,Garth.

thanks from france :-) thanks for my 600 XL LM

great job

Thanks Al!

Great video thank you

A dry sump is what you find after the motor went BANG!

Well done!

Ok merci pour la vidéos bay ☕

Thanks E.J..

You go gal!

That's what I always do, just fill the oil tank, start it up and let it idle for a minute, then recheck and top up the tank off again. It may take 2 or 3 times to get it full.

There is a drain bolt on the bottom of the chassis, the same piece of hardware that holds the front of the skid pan on.

great presentation, very informative and clarity excells. a bit more info on what happens with the oil overfilled is desirable... damage? Just will dump excess oil? what?

congratulations for the video ! I live in Brazil and I have a Honda XLX 350R , you know if there are parts for this bike in the USA market? thanks

Not at all, the total capacity is a little over 2 qt., or 1.9l. The shape of the oil tank is such that the difference between full and low on the dipstick is probably less than 1/4 to 1/2 a qt. A certain amount of oil stays in the crankcse all the time so that is why it showed to be so low on th' stick after inital start up. I usually take several sessions of running and re-checking the oil to get it right up to the full mark. Thanks for watchin'!

Hey, Going to buy a Xl600 from 1989 this weekend. I learned that when you buuy a bike always check the bougies and the oil + oilfilter. This video is great, because i needed to work out how it worked with this bike. Thanks for the clear explanation, can't wait to get my XL600

Nice video, it's similar to Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré. Please what is the required oil quantity in liter. Thank you,

D ray. Thanks for the video. Was trying to pop out the the primary strainer screen and the bolt that is connected to the screen is rounded off and I cant seem to get it loose without rounding it more. tried vice grips and other methods, wondering if you have any good ideas on how to get it off so I can clean the screen. Its a hard fit to get a socket on there because the front of the crankcase is so close to the bolt head (17mm i believe). Any ideas. Thanks

great to know if it's sat for a while to run it first.

What the best way to crank it when it's cold

friend could tell me how much is the ability to store the cylinder oil. greetings

HELLO it's good i have a problem with ignition coil can you tell me how to do to check it ? thank's, 600 xlr honda 1987 typt PD03 jean-jacques

Trying to fix my oil problems in my 73'/74' XL350. Does it have the same system as these newer Hondas?

Yes , it is the same set up.

I have never seen a bike like this before! Great video but I came here by clicking random videos.

Can you periodically check the oil filter without draining the oil or spilling everywhere?

I just bought the same bike, 1986, in what seems to be in great shape. After I got it home and rode around for a short while, less than 1/2 mile, and turned it off, I heard a somewhat loud bubbly, gurgling sound from the motor that lasted at least a minute or so. The oil looks new, but Im thinking maybe the oil pump might not be working and the oil is boiling??? Got any ideas on that, like how to tell if the oil pump is working? Thanks for the videos.

hi I am looking at buying a honda xl600r Paris Dakar seller says it needs an anti drain back valve and says it has a tendency to wet sump.. whats needed and whats the cure I have drawn a blank is the oil filter incorrectly fitted or the spring not holding the filter in place many thanks Daryl

Hi D-Ray Smith, I owned this 1984 Honda XL600R of which I am trying to restore. It seems my Honda does not have the Separator, Breather (part # 17370-435-315). Is this item very important ? I though this was an oversize gasoline filter but it seems to have another purpose. Anyway, hope to get some help from your end.

I have an xl600 i changed the oil and filter. I added about 1.8 litres until it was basically full at the dipstick and overflowing. I ran it for 2 minutes then checked it it showed basically nothing. I added anothet .1 of a litre and ran it again then checked 15 mintues later and it read a bit above a quarter full did i run it with no oil?

Hey, What about the oil screen that is behind the right side case? You should clean it too....Or is that screen on 1987 bikes only?

Hi D-Ray. I have the same bike. When I got it there was terrible oil flow to the head even after the full oil change. I noticed a 1-1/2 " crack in the back wall of the oil filter chamber. A previous owner may have put the oil filter cover on wrong, blocking the flow of oil out of the chamber causing a pressure buildup. My guess. I repaired the crack with JB Weld epoxy. Love your videos. Thanks for keepin my old Thumper rollin !

Sorry but in my XR600 Service book they wrote: inlet - 0,1mm exhaust - 0,12mm hmmm, what's correct? Question - I have only 0,1 and 0,15 mm feeler gauge - so I can't set 0,12mm gap for exhaust valves. What's better 0,1 or 0,15mm?? Thanks in advance

Добрый день, подскажите размер цифры и буквы на сиденья, заранее спасибо.

Sorry to hear 'bout your bad luck man, if the allen bolt you are talkin' about is up near the top of the head cover, that is actually one of the rocker or sub rocker arm shaft bolts. That noise could be from the cam or a galled piston. If the engine has been run low on oil, usually the cam is the first thing to gall up and try to sieze. Break out th' tools and get on it. Let me know what you find.

D-RAY ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW MINE WONT RUN SOME TIMES?THE NEXT TIMES NO PROB IT FEELS LIKE ITS GOT A MIND OF ITS OWN1986 XL 600 LMI DON THINK THEY WERE IMPORTED TO THE STATES 28LT TANK DONE THE CARBS -SAME AS BUT NO AJT IN THE FIRST CARB LIKE THAT ONE

Your a fountain of knowlegde man!! I wish i'd of watched your video sooner though, i think i ran my bike out of oil, i bought the bike last year, put 3 quarts of oil total in it since i've had it, scheduled an oil change today, fired it up, it ran for 3 mins then died!! when i tryed to start it, it made a chirping, squeeky noise from the engine, and was hard to kick...so like an idiot i thought i'd tinker with it and loosened one of the allen bolts on the side, not sure what to do now?

At least on the XR600R, the cover for the oil filter is stupid proofed so you can't put it on wrong. It may be the same here.

is this the same for an XR600R ? 1998 year

Pretty common anymore, most 4 stroke motocross bikes are that way.

the book says 1 quart start it . then add another after you shut it off . on my 83

3:30. I think you might be wrong, It won't go on in any position, only one way. I tried this on my 83' XL600R just earlier today. The bolt holes just don't quite line up UNLESS it is put in the way you showed.

They all belong to customers, all my stuff runs! lol!

That bolt i took off won't go back in, thought maybe if i took the valve bolts off like i seen u do, i could reach in and line up whatever the long bolts attatched to? i just don't have money to pay someone to do it, i'd end up spending more than what the bikes worth!!

Now now, don't be hatin'..........lol!

alot of dirt bike are like that

Not back in 1986.......

amigo me puedes pasar tu fb

Over filled mine because of some bad information on Google. Told me 3 qt for oil copacity man did I make a mess in my driveway

What you planning to do with all this knowledge.........