For all you guys that want to hate on a young guy that finds a passion in tinkering with engines in stead of kids that just sit inside with a controller in their hand, go somewhere else and criticize some else

I’m 48 and remember seeing these in a huge dealership in my town in the 80’s. I used to go in there as a kid 9/10 years old and sit on the brand new 50cc’s and dream. They had SO MANY, just lines of all the Honda models, including the one in the video. I wanted a 50cc, then later around 85 I wanted a CR 80. Anyway my parents didn’t buy me shit. It remained a dream forever 😂 I still remember sitting on those shiny brand new bikes and that new plastic / rubber smell, with a slight hint of gasoline. Those 80’s Honda’s were what dirt bikes were supposed to look like. So cool.

Wish Honda still made a bike like this. Love that thing.

The Honda XL500R was my second bike that I bought in Sydney Australia, after leaving High School in Grafton NSW. A shonky motorcycle mechanic in Brookvale Sydney, striped the head bolts when doing a head end retention service and said nothing about it. I noticed oil leaking through the gaskets. He stuffed my bike and I later sold it. It was a wonderful bike before the bike mechanic ruined it. The head became warped. Lesson learnt. From that day forward, I did all the servicing myself on all my vehicles, and I never had another problem.

Hi, I had a XR500 and Rode it constantly for about 3 1/2 Years back in 83. My Cousin finally talked me into Selling it to him, and took it to Mississippi. He rode the XR for at least 8Yrs, and Sold it to someone else. I really missed the Bike. Mine had a little Compression Release Lever by the Clutch Handle which made it easier to Start. It was also the First Bike I had that had the Monoshock Rear Swing Arm. It was so smooth on the Trails. It’s a wonder I didn’t kill myself on the Trails as fast as I would go. Great Video. It brought up a lot of old memories. Great Job on the Rebuild.👍👍

Had an xr500 in the 80s, fun bikes....no kick starter for a year, broke first day (jump started it ) after a year got it fixed and was stolen next day....great wheelie machines,first gear did it just with throttle, without trying.

Mine was a 1980 XL500S, the one with the 23" front wheel. One summer I rode it from central Kansas out to Colorado and all around for a couple of weeks and then back home. They are a terrific bike and once you get yours all sorted out, it will take you anywhere you want to go.

Quick tip on fitting cables to levers, put the end of the cable against the locking ring, then pull the lever in, release it quickly at the same time as pulling the outside of the cable into the slot.

Excellent job, Joe. I knew you'd get it to run. I remember these bikes as a kid, I've seen several that were road legal. Way to go on this project.

Great job on the XL500R Joe. Those 1980’s model XL’s are awesome looking bikes. Very Nostalgic! I love the look on those ! Great job saving it buddy !

Man I had a 1977 Yamaha TT 500 4 stroke. And my buddy had one of these Honda 500’s. Those Hondas were so nice, tons of torque. Good all around bike you can ride on the street and light and nimble enough for the hills or trail.

I had one of those back in the day and loved it. I wish I still had it as when I look at old photos I remember how much fun I had on it. I could even scrape the pegs going round a local roundabout. I did have good boots on it so they helped. Love watching you bring this one back to life.❤️

I had that bike as a kid. Dad bought it for me at McDougal Honda in Charlotte NC in 1982. Man I wish I still had that bike. Great memories! Thanks for posting this!

That was my first motorcycle back in 88 when i turned 18 ....did 30000 km in a year....drove that thing all over The Netherlands and Europe... Good times...

beautiful bikes,as i said in your last vid on this bike,my buddy had one and when he passed his dad let me ride it and keep it here for well over a year until i picked my own bike.he still has it today and its in the same shape as yours

a friend of mine had a1983 xr350r , it was a beast of a bike back in the day , seeing this xl500 reminded me of the fun he used to have on it

Amazing work man. I binge watch all your videos.

You can tell it's a fun bike based on how long you rode it. Blast from the past! ❤

I have an 18 xr650l that I love , back in 1983 I rode an 83 XL600 TO school and work 😅 such great bike ,especially and even since 1979 with exception of electric start this engine continues to use same basic design!! Its proven itself over and over ! Great video Joe hopefully due some dual sport videos !!! Great non aggressive trail scot too !!

My brother had same one back in the day.i had lots of back road riding w that..Great times..Alot of ur rebuilds I have memories about threw out my life so far..keep it up..b safe.peace

My step dad had a bike that looked just like that, when I was growing up. It was a red 1979 500XL Enduro. We loved riding that for moving farm equipment from field to field.

Nice job Joe, that bike turned out sweet, I remember those back in the day.

Had an XL500RC from new and kept it for 10 years as daily transport. Apart from a slight oil leak which involved taking the engine out to change the head gasket at about 5 years old it gave almost no trouble. I changed the whole exhaust for a Micron system which by sheer luck I got for free from Micron as they used my bike to make the manufacturing jig. I also changed it to road tyres (tires for US readers) as when they started to wear it developed a bit of a tank slapper problem at about 65 mph (the wide bars helped me stay on). How I confirmed the source of the problem was a real fluke. By chance early one evening I looked down at my bikes shadow cast by the setting sun and saw that at 65 the front tyre shadow wasn't meeting the road meaning the wheel was being thrown up by the worn blocks of the off-road tyres (not unbalance as I had already checked for that). Another plus was no more twitching on crossing road markings in the wet. Apologies for the ramble, I just wrote as the memories came.

Wicked 2V love your site, I've learnt so much off following you so thank you. The time you take getting things right is brilliant and the XR range were great bikes and you've restored this one to perfection. Been watching several of your posts but today Subscribed. Hopefully first New Zealander too.

I just bought an 81 500s model that sat in my uncles barn since 1994. He tried to start it up in 2010 it fired but didn't run right. I got it home cleaned the carb out really good put new air filter and plug in it and it fired up on 1st kick. I'm amazed how great these old bikes run. They leak oil like crazy but they run forever

It sounds like some Lucas transmission repair.& Seal rejuvenator might help with it not shifting poorly to joe on that dirt bike. It helps the clutch plates.& Friction disc pad plates inside of the transmissions to. You just add it to the oil. It mixes.& Blend with any type of oil stated on the bottle of that to.

that just looks like such a fun bike to ride, so much character! I love it 🙌

I remember the Yamaha XT500?! Beast of a bike!!! Saw many hurt ankles and broken bone's on that Monster!!!

Thought you would of painted that exhaust specially as they are so rare to protect it 👍🏻

Nice! I had one of those that I bought new. Was super easy to wheelie. Went off to college with it. Great times.

That thing is sick!, my dad used to have a xl500 way back in 86 along with his 87 trx250r, he had to sell them both for 3500 to get a car for college is what he told me happened to them, wish i could've rode them. Keep up the good work!

Loved the 80s big bore bikes. Owned a XL600 back in the day. Hate that the manufacturers used dual carbs on them, though. Ive been avoiding getting a mid 80s thumper again and having to deal with those old dual carb setups these days.

My brother & I bought brand new xl250's that year. We bought 'em with our own earned money. We rode all over & around ElPaso. Man, that was some serious freedom! The growing up then was worth the getting old now.

I had a 82 and 84 XL600...great fun...that would sound awesome with a pipe...nice job.

Takes me back to the late1960's when I bought a 1959 BSA 250 in a box and put it all back together. Had to have the shop redo the engine. After that it was my transportation for several years.

When I saw the cam bearing surfaces yesterday, I thought for sure the head was toast. Oil starved, I figured the whole engine is going to be junk. I started twitching when you said re-use the scored piston. The cylinder is cratered, and we all know it. And right out of the gate, 2nd vidya, we gonna re-use the rings. I'm off the floor now. There is no way I could love your channel more. Thank you.

These older model dirt bikes and the street bikes are so cool looking.

Awesome bike, Joe. I love the red paint with the classic Honda wing on the tank 👍👍

That's a good ol bike. I had one XL 250 and 100. Drove one off a cliff and still drove it back to the camp. Back when you could ride a bike in the national forest without 85 fees and stickers. I would like the guy I sold it too to sell it back to me one day.

Had one,was a non running pile when I got it,but in ok shape,everything was there.pulled and rebuilt the carbs,it would start up 2nd kick everytime.thing was a torque monster

I had an ‘86 XL 600, hit, broke my leg, all over, the year it went red white and blue. My carb jets were clogged on mine, put a wire thru them, ran like a charm.

That brings back some memories...especially it kicking back when starting..it had a mind of it's own when it came to starting, especially if hot, just had to sit back and let it cooll a wee bit. But.. it was a great bike and sure was fun, never let me down other than starting ! if ever a Honda needed an electric boot..it was this one. I chopped in a Yamaha XS1100 for the new XL500R and have more or less stuck to trail/adventure bikes ever since, maybe 30 plus bikes since then.

This bike looks amazing Joe,reminds me in looks of my Honda XR400 I had (as new condition this bike of mine,approx 7k on clock not a spot of rust anywhere and only had 1 prvious keeper which funnily enough was our local police force),even though I only had it for about 3 weeks before someone decided they wantd it more and stole it from our back garden !! This was 'U-Locked' securely and had chain through frame and wheels etc. with a high decibel alarm too (so sensitive it would sometimes go off in wind under tarpaulin we covered it with),so whoever took it were pretty good at their job unfortunately for me :( ..Some say it was a blessing,as I'd never in my life ridden a geared bike of any kind before and everyone I spoke to said it was a lethal machine and I should have started with someone less powerful ! But anyway buddy..had some awesome 'cheaper finds' lately,shame I'm not a little nearer to yourself,everything in our area is top price right now ad I'm only looking for a 125/250 offroad runabout too :( Keep up the good videos,always look forward to them :)

Definitely worth the rebuild efforts! I had a 1975 and it had no kick indicator and it could be a bear to start sometimes, I miss the low end torque, front end floats a bit above 80 but still has some throttle to spare

In 1988, I bought two bikes for $300, an 83, XR500R and a 78, Yamaha 175 Enduro. They had been sitting in a garage for years. My son and I were working on his KD 80 in the driveway and some lady drove up in a new corvette and asked us if we wanted a couple of motorcycles. She got them in her divorce. They had been sitting in her garage for years and her dogs had chew up some of the wiring. We followed her over to her house and check them out and then raced to the bank to get the cash. We washed them up splice up the wiring and they started right up and they looked like new. The best years a father and son could have had was riding the in the hills of the Pine Nut mountains behind his grandparent ranch in NV. He ended up selling the Yamaha and bought a 99, Kawasaki KX125. A few years later I sold the XR500R for $1200 and bought a like new KDX 250 for $500 from another divorced lady. Nowadays I just stay on 4 wheel ATV's.

Honestly Joe I would have replaced the piston and rings with the wiesco kit , that's my opinion but over time that bike will start to smoke

Love your videos mate learnt a lot about small and big engines and contuine to learn more every day 👍

Love these bikes, had a Honda 85 XR 500 and a 86 XL 600 in the 90s they were definitely 2 of the best bikes ive ever had, they built them right

I love those old Hondas! My very first bike was a Honda XL 175, man I miss that bike.

Good job! Brings back lots of memories. I had several XR600s in the 80s. That bike would break your ankle if you inadvertently gave it gas while kicking it over. If you were lucky, maybe just soft tissue injury. Either way, you showed deep respect when firing it up. And then, there was the phenomenon of sitting on the gas tank and doing a torque wheelie..... Sure, we still have the 650L, but it's a shame Honda got rid of the old XRs. Especially the 650R. That bike was a beast!

i used to start mine in slops. disconnected the auto decomp and added a manual lever. if you are deep in the bush and stall. good luck starting it. the manual decomp allows you to keep the valve open as its a non interference motor, turn the ignition off and cycle a new charge. then give it a good kick and it will start up real easy.

I had the 1984 XL350R and miss it, you still need the headlight fairing/cover but great job on giving this bike new life

Im an happy owner of my XL 500 R 82 mod. She runs like a hero and in perfect condision 😎

Nice one man good to see you get it up and running again, I like how clean the bike is👍🏼👍🏼

Nice work! Here's a little tip: Never give gas when kicking it. I've had so many of these bikes. When they're right they start really easy. Just a bit of choke when it's cold.

Nice bike i have owned a few over the years. the first thing I Iearned on these bikes is the starting procedure tdc click then gently follow to the next stop on the kicker, to start, not jump on it to start. I broke and rebuilt 5 kick start shafts because of negligence on my part. But you probably know that by now. 😏 love your vids. Inspiring.

I only use a valve spring compressor to install valves. My removal method saves a lot of time and many other mechanics use my method. I use a deep socked, small extension and a hammer. Easy to figure out how I use 'em. Once you've tried this, you'll never look back. A heavy no bounce hammer works best for me.

Try some zinc additives in the crankcase motor oil.,A bottle of STP high mileage oil treatment with bars stop leak premixed in it's own bottle to.

Cracking bit of kit Joe,must say I'm loving these gems ure finding!👍👊👌🔥💪

Let us know when it's ready to sell! Had one in Army for a daily driver , awesome bike no issues. My wife and I would load up van with 2 bikes and camp at St. Andrew's state park in Panama City , Florida and run around town on them. Great memories!

I LOVE these old skool Honda Thumpers........I have an -83 XL600R with 6k miles on it, put 2k miles on it since last year when I got it.

Beautiful commuter keeper. You can turn the idle down a heap more. Great job.

Great job Joe, nice video. I love these old Hondas , always have. I've owned the early 50th (first Prolink version - early 80's model. Such iconic machines

To this day the 500 is still one of my favorite bikes..

Glad to see you got that thing running. Hope that piston isn't too noisy! Great video!

Reminds me of my Suzuki DR-125S (with Full-Floater rear-suspension, the rival to Honda's ProLink)! Great job dude!

If you didn't joe you're going to end up needing those to. Cause that will be extremely loud.& Leak exhaust around that area of the exhaust pipe tips to if not.

Oh my. That reminds me of one of my first dirtbike I had a 1985 XR 500 (or was it 600?) It's a long time ago. When you don't kicked the starter strong enough, it would almost break your foot and your leg.

I so want to come for a visit to your shop. i'm actually on the market for a trail bike like this one! Always loved the old Honda Enduro line

Ahhhh those exhaust flanges!! One day I was so close to buying the only set i could find on ebay for my xr600… i looked in the parts bin that came w my bike and suckers were there!! Checked ebay few days later and the ones i had seen before were already not available anymore. If you got them good for you man. Love your content

Very nice nostalgia, hope you keep it

Had one in the UK, it was an American import. Loved it! Another I wish I still had.

I remember this bike well. My buddy rode one and I rode a '76 Yamaha XT500 (which I still have).

Had that bike, and sold it. I bought it with a seized engine, and found that the rod was galled so it required the cases to be split. I just sold it because new parts are hard to find, but not impossible just have to wait.

Great bikes are the Xr’s and the Xl’s,I just got a xr650r,you should try get one for the channel there pretty sick 👌🏻🔥

I had an 81 XL500S on my channel that I just recently sold at Mid Ohio this last July. What a tank that bike was. It was a super comfortable bike to cruise the trails on and had enough gittyup for the road. Had the odd ball 23” front wheel too. Great machines!

Awesome Joe fantastic bike great to see you get it running have a nice Sunday mate from the uk 🇬🇧

There is a 1982 XL 500r for sale near me. It seems to be in fairly good shape and only has around 2,500 miles on it. It’s market place and located in GA if you want to look at it. My questions are…What would be a fair price to pay for it? The other question is, I weigh 305 lbs, can I ride this bike on trails? Really enjoy your videos. TIA.

I had a 1978 xl 250 when I was 16. I miss that old beast!

I bought a 1982 XR500r from the USFS about 7, or 8 years ago. It still had the original tires on it, and they looked new, but hard as a rock. The fenders were faded but it looked like new including the seat. I kicked it a hundred times too, before I pulled the carb to find the o-ring was not installed correctly, and was leaking air. It would only pop. It had a reed valve in the head, which I never saw before in a 4 stroke. Does yours have that? I think it was a 1 or 2 year thing. It's a fun bike and my son took it over from me. Very nice power, but not enough ground clearance in ruts on some trails.

use to own a XT550 was a awesome machine am so jealous now I've seen this video

You can start those with your hand if you get it right after the compression stroke. It should idle lower than that, the XL's have a heavier flywheel than the XR's.

I would love to have one of those bikes. I will start looking around for one.

I still have a 83 XL500RC, love it. It should idle very low, just tic over.

I add an 81 XR 500, looks very similar, was a really fun bike

I have an 85 XL100S love these bikes. Great video

I owned one of these for about 10 years. It was a fun bike, but the brakes were a bit dodgy...nothing...nothing...LOCKED UP lol. Gotta love those old drums.

I have an 84 XR500 and an 85 XL600 - love em both , ill have em forever and pass em to my boys

I had an 83 xl 600. It was a great bike that i put 59000 miles on and it ran perfect when i sold it

Another one saved !! Good job Joe!!! 😃👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍my bro had the 650 (i think xr ) fun bikes 4 sure!

I think Honda used this same engine in the 1982 Honda Ascot FT. It’s a great engine. Pretty bullet proof as long as you don’t let it sit u used for years. The FT had an electric start though. Kicking a 500 is kind of a pain. You should try and get a hold of a cheap Ascot 500 FT. After doing this one, it would be entertaining to see the differences. You should change the fork oil too.

Next video do another shop tour and tool box tour! Let's see what you working with 👀 I like that you seem to get everything done with simple stuff nothing too crazy! (I have been looking at that 46" husky toolbox too even though the price went up 150$ in the last year) haha! Shop and tool tour please sir 😁😎 another great video! You the bike guru 👨‍⚕🧞‍♂️

Nice!, I had the 81 or 82 xr250r with the dual carb and compression release, it was always a mofo to get started, miss that bike

Excellent job as always!

Hope my xl185s is this fun just did timing chain and valves,going to do a compression test,but she now won’t shift/stuck in gear

Luv them xl 500 r use to own a couple way back,had that bike and the model after the xl 500 xr 500 r good for wheelstands!!!

Loved that bike, wheelie king for sure.

Hopefully you ordered those exhaust doughnut crush ring seals. For bottom lip spot were those exhaust pipes go into as well to.

That bike reminds me of the lostboys movie.

This is awesome! But did you finally adjust the idle? Holy moly