It's been good to me, I have vanquished many nasty trails with this machine. I just wish the brakes were better, but it has tons of torque and rides great.

@@StrangeGarage Yes the rear brakes always used to squeal and had to remove the back tire and sandpaper the glaze off the brake shoes. Nice all around bike but not too good for long highway rides. Jealous but happy you have one to ride.

@@StrangeGarage Maybe brakes are just overrated these days...😆

Had a 75 XL 175. My last and favorite trail bike. Think i last ran it in 1982. Great, fun, almost indestructible bike. I tried to break it, I really did. Wouldn't be surprised if it was still running now.

Oh I want it. (too bad I cant afford it.

40 years...!!

What was the name of the TV show btw?

@@DaveZee01 Street Hawk

The XR185 is the bike that restarted my love for old Hondas. I hopped on a friends 79 XR185 with a rebuilt engine. Sucker was amazingly fun! Ugliest bike I've still ever ridden, no air filter box, seat was mostly gone, couldnt grab 4th gear, still amazing to ride. My XL185 is pretty good, just trail riding really throws me around on the poor XL suspension.

I can't believe how well these hondas run for years and years. Just amazing how reliable they are. Now you're the one laughing!

Long ago it was commonly thought only 2-strokes were valid, especially offroad, but they seem finnicky, troublesome, buzzy by today's standards. Mixing fuel? How primitive! And smoky!

Thanks man, trying to keep my content as clean as I can with the time I have. Thanks for watching!

Thanks man!

My dad also grew up riding one of those trail 90's. They are absolute classics! Thanks for watching man!

Strange Garage Your welcome 😃!

They're good bikes bro. Don't really need a battery if you aren't riding on the road. You shouldn't have many problems.

The deal was incredible. Couldn't walk away from that when I had a pretty good idea what was up with it! My mentality originally stemmed from not having a lot of money, but it's turned into something different. Now I try to do everything I can because my abilities have developed so much. If I pay someone to do something that I can do it's out of pure laziness, and I'm not ok with letting myself get lazy!!! My Suzuki engine rebuild on the other hand... The machine shop wanted $1,100. Yep, no way. I don't have that "skill", but I'll learn it for $1,100 dollars. The parts were only $350.

I'm in complete agreement my friend. Are we going to see the rebuild process on your Suzuki soon?

Man, I wish I could rebuild it right now. My viewers have been calling for some specific videos that I want to get up first. I need to do a "Car panel welding" video this week, to post mid to late next week. And I'd like to get a boat update video in, but I'm unsure weather will allow. Suzuki rebuild I'm also not excited about, which is why I need to do it. It's good to push my comfort zone. I know it's not complicated, I'm just not equipped for it, if that makes sense.

Yeah man, I completely understand. There are projects I get excited about and projects I loathe in my line of work.

Thanks man, I got lucky for sure! Thanks for watching!

Kactapuss nice, there’s I bought one for $500, it’s gonna need probably twice that amount to run

I use sandpaper on the shoes to kill the glaze and they revive pretty well. They will never be great so I adapted a KLR650 front wheel, disc brake--it was an easy swap and it stops like a sport bike now. Good used tires are common and cheap too!

I feel pretty lucky. I'm just glad he didn't sell the bike to some poor sucker for the full 850. Thanks for watching man!

Oddly enough, one of my viewers reached out to me and had a 1984 shock setup for me. $75 bucks, well worth it!

Great bikes man. They last for generations.

It's pretty slick. A true street and dirt assassin.

@@StrangeGarage Well... Thats gonna be another 2 years til then. Now its 125ccm time.

They really are great bikes. The power is nonexistant but for a beginner there isn't anything better!

Yeah it's a sweet old girl. Especially in the shape that mine is in!

@@StrangeGarage You aren't by chance in either Oregon or Washington are you? I'm in Portland, and do a lot of riding in both Oregon and Washington, and that vid of you riding looks like very familiar area.

@@smallblockchevy1022 I shot that video on the columbia river across from Columbia city oregon. It's near the end of one of my favorite rides that goes through Cougar Washington. One of my favorite areas.

@@StrangeGarage I knew I was on to something, lol. I'm very familiar with all that area. My initial comment was actually in reference to the clip of you trail riding through the woods though. Sorry for the lack of clarity. Was that Jones creek by chance? I've done a lot of riding there myself. Yeah, when I watched that clip I thought, damn that looks familiar, and paused the video to message you. Then I continued watching and seen you pull up to the river and I thought, "that has to be the Columbia", lol. Right before you responded I was looking on Google earth trying to confirm my suspicion. I initially thought it may have been on Sauvie Island but wasn't able to find that beach there. However, I still knew that had to be the Columbia. Just out of curiosity, you from Oregon or Washington (I'm assuming Washington)? And just generally, what part?

@@smallblockchevy1022 you probably won't respond but if u do, i live in that area and i can't find any single track trails can u help me?

You aren't kidding. I've been taking it out as much as possible, and I really like riding it! I got some newer forks with disc brakes, so I'm really excited to keep this old girl!

The brakes work well, you just have to get the double leading shoe adjusted properly. I had a 1980 XL500S brand new.

@@malcolmnuttall3165 I had the 82 XL 500 as my second ever street legal bike. Honda dual sports and old 70s street bikes are all I ride

I used to trail ride this beast all the time, fantastic piece. Now I ride a chinese 250, but I really miss that thumper torque! Well worth the money!

The torque to pull up them gnarly rocks in Co. Priceless memories.

Pacific Northwest. It's not bad, but our riding season is cut short by rain and regulation. The bike is good. I'm having trouble sourcing some semi-critical parts though... we will see what happens.

@@StrangeGarage I'm hoping locating some of those specific parts is coming to fruition and that we'll see this bike again, sir! With regret, I've had to wheel mine into a storage unit for the short-term while I sort through unrelated life "predicaments".

Yeah, started right up after I broke it free. Never even had to take it apart. Rode it for years after that.

@@StrangeGarage Nice, how’d you break it free?

@@jables2845 Took out the spark plug, sprayed penetrating oil in the cylinder, put the bike in 6th gear and rocked it back and forward until the engine started moving. It didn't take very long at all.

If I understand you correctly, that's your accelerator pump jet. I wouldn't bother removing it. Just clean it and leave it be.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aZNoktecxtfNdoU.html This video explains your accelerator pump in a little better detail. I don't have a link for the kit, btw. The seller isn't selling anymore

Quite possibly. I'm running lean and running out of ideas on what to do. Gonna fiddle with the tang on the float arm first then move into more carb investigations

Took apart the accel pump, checked its actuation. It moves veryyyyy little when the linkage contacts it. Like the diaphragm is too stiff from age or the linkage spring has gotten too weak to push it down. So I'll pick up a replacement. I watched your other video and yes that is where that little jet i couldnt remove is located. Do you have any video of what the pump looks like properly actuating? or how much travel there is really supposed to be?

So far they seem mostly accessible if you're crafty. The carb kit took a minute to find, but seals and hard parts for the engine should be pretty interchangeable. I would advise getting a different bike honestly. When hot this bike doesnt like starting up, and it's a chore getting it going. And the CDI boxes are problematic (which need to be purchased used). I would go with a newer XR650. Parts galore and everyone has glowing reviews on them.

@@StrangeGarage Thanks for taking the time to reply man and the advice!

Of course man. Thanks for watching!

@@StrangeGarage Try a Suzuki DR650 if you can find a cheap one.

Same. Mine was a little bit more because the guy completely rebuilt the engine. So excited to use this as my summer commuter and to go fishing deep in the mtns. Hows the bike doing?

Columbia River. It's one of the best places on earth for about 2 months a year.

They're cool and all, but it weighs over a hundred pounds more than a CR250. I'll keep mine for now, only time will tell.

Have you sold it yet, is it an '82?

Yep, just turn the idle screw up a little bit. It literally just holds the slide open, just like if you cracked the throttle by hand. When sitting on the bike it should be under your left leg, it has a black knob on it if I remember correctly. Now, you could have a clogged idle jet. It's an easy replacement, but you gotta fully disassemble the carb. So maybe pickup a rebuild kit, but the idle screw will work for now.

@@StrangeGaragehopefully rebuilding the carb scares me lol

You got it. Just pay attention to how it came apart.

@@StrangeGarage is the keyster KH-1191NA the right kit? I paused the video and got the number off your kit and it appears to be for a 500s.

@@StrangeGarage my dad laid the bike over trying to do a wheelie lol. now it wont start...started right after though. i think maybe the float is stuck in the carb or something...

Well, I currently don't trail ride this bike anymore. It's a lot of fun, but it's a ton of work. It's a heavy bike with kick start. I have a 2021 Orion RXB250 now, it was $2600 brand new. Modern brakes and suspension, electric start, great bike. If I were you, I would get a newer, more nimble bike. That being said, the 500 is a ton of fun, and I still love it.

@@StrangeGarage I appreciate your reply I know the Orion is newer but that's exactly why I want the 1981 it's a Rarity something we don't see lot of that's what pushing me get it Hondas keep going and going if there treated right especially the old one's from what i heard... got some thinking do I know the Honda won't be up for sale long....

Nope, but you are close. Washington State. I visited BC in 2016, stayed in the Grand pacific right next to the parliament building. I like that place. Hope to go again someday.

you would not find one in bc for 300 . I have 2 of them and in looking to get 2500 each on the low side .

What did you check so far? Could be lots of little things but if it has spark and compression my money is carb needs cleaned. Also, pay close attention to the compression release. If it's stuck open no way that bike is gonna fire.

They also lock up, which is my issue with them.

Drum brakes are NEVER superior to disc brakes--sorry.

No doubt man. I have the 1983 XL185, most reliable machine I have!

Totally

I only buy broken bikes usually. I also negotiate a little. I started doing this because I couldn't afford to pay retail for a clapped out old bike.

He has a title for it. He should know... Otherwise he has a title for another bike.

Not all of them. Later models went to smaller wheel.

Its propably an xl 500 r, that is the newer model with the monoshock in the back. Those also have 21" front tyres.

Dry sump was introduced in 83, 23" tire was ditched in 81, and the 600 wasn't introduced until 85. Being a 1982, with "XL" written on the seat and "500R" on the side covers I'm fairly confiden't it's an XL500.

I'd be looking at the compression release lever on the left grip. It goes to a linkage at the top of the engine, it literally releases compression.