A beauty. The Design, the Colours, the Sound. I wish a new Version of this powerfull lightly bike. Exactly like the original, maybe with little changes like oilfilter and a long life Engine. Its perfect :-)
Your bike is a beauty! I had a Honda XL125 in the 80s for my first bike and it was a really reliable and fun bike. I've had loads of bikes since and still have three old Kawasaki's but miss the single cylinder air-cooled and I'd love to get a big thumper bike to knock about Somerset. Might have to go down the Mash 650 route to get close to what you have ... shame the big manufacturers don't still make such nice straightforward bikes now. 🇬🇧👍
Cheers Trevor, I know it's a shame bikes are so complicated now, though as you say those Mash bikes don't look half bad .. I'd always prefer one of these XL's (or an XT500) to scratch the single cylinder itch though .. even compared to new bikes they still ride really well.
Now imagine, only one lifetime before this, and all we had was a horse and buggy, maybe a bicycle, or on foot. Out of thousands of years of mankind's existence, why did THIS take so long to happen? What changed? Look what we can do if we are free to do so. Nice bike. Doug in Michigan
Yes Sir ! I thought it was reasonable back in 1981 . I was 15 years old working as a restaurant dish washer/ cook . Wish I had my XL 250 for a restoration project. Enjoy your beautiful XL 500 . Thanks for sharing!
A really clean nice example Ed 👍👍 sounds perfect and looks very clean and tidy , if I was after one just now that would be perfect !!! Sticking with the xr for another while here. Would love a xl 500s right enough . 😁 but two bikes enough just now .I'm sure someone will snap that up quickly .👍 best of luck .
Cheers mate, yeah it's a bit of a gem, like I didn't think you could get them to run that well with the stock kehin carb .. I had one years ago and had to put a mikuni on it. What XR have you got?
@@edwards0matic got the xr 400 , 03 model carb is rubbish in it bogs down at low revs a lot so changing the jets see if that helps going for a 60/ 160 😮
@@wattie1050 Yeah you can't get anything in the UK, has to come from abroad as you say then the import tax makes it not worth it! If it helps I've heard you can tune that low end bog out though saying that it probably still won't be as good as if you had a mikuni.
looks as well kept as mine, only I couldn't hear it run, Your well-thought-out audio has taken anything good that you were attempting to highlight and went straight down the shitter.
@@edwards0matic The European versions were different, it's true. Mine has a rev counter and the headlight is different. Different colors too. Les versions européennes étaient différentes , c'est vrai . La mienne a un compte-tour et le phare est différent. Les couleurs différentes aussi.
You always have the cleanest bikes
I'm very picky :D
mate thats an absolute ripper.
I covered most of the south Florida coast on that same machine, it was my first bank loan .
Brings back some good times 👍
Nice, that certainly sounds better than bopping around West Yorkshire :D
A beauty. The Design, the Colours, the Sound. I wish a new Version of this powerfull lightly bike. Exactly like the original, maybe with little changes like oilfilter and a long life Engine. Its perfect :-)
100% .. They could just put their 500cc RFVC engine in it (better head design, dedicated oil filter) and it would be perfect.
Your bike is a beauty! I had a Honda XL125 in the 80s for my first bike and it was a really reliable and fun bike. I've had loads of bikes since and still have three old Kawasaki's but miss the single cylinder air-cooled and I'd love to get a big thumper bike to knock about Somerset. Might have to go down the Mash 650 route to get close to what you have ... shame the big manufacturers don't still make such nice straightforward bikes now. 🇬🇧👍
Cheers Trevor, I know it's a shame bikes are so complicated now, though as you say those Mash bikes don't look half bad .. I'd always prefer one of these XL's (or an XT500) to scratch the single cylinder itch though .. even compared to new bikes they still ride really well.
You're right. The Mash bike would never match an XL or XT for cool factor. The electric start is tempting though. 😄👍
Now imagine, only one lifetime before this, and all we had was a horse and buggy, maybe a bicycle, or on foot.
Out of thousands of years of mankind's existence, why did THIS take so long to happen? What changed?
Look what we can do if we are free to do so. Nice bike.
Doug in Michigan
Cheers Doug and very true! Makes you think.
Yes i think the same. We should never forget how special it is to have a motorcycle. Even its just an "old" or Very cheap One.
I purchased the 1981 XL 250s new for $1350. the bigger brother (XL500) was $400 more..same color. Cheers !
Amazing, that's about $5900 for the XL500S in todays money. Imagine how quickly they'd sell if they started selling it again today for $5.9k. Cheers!
Yes Sir ! I thought it was reasonable back in 1981 . I was 15 years old working as a restaurant dish washer/ cook . Wish I had my XL 250 for a restoration project. Enjoy your beautiful XL 500 . Thanks for sharing!
Damn dude adjusted for inflation that’s only $4,600 today, that’s not much to pay for a bike like that everything’s just got more expensive sadly.
The Honda shop was a busy and exciting place in 1981 . Rows of motorcycles. Full of almost every model .
SIMPLEMENTE ES HERMOSA....!!!!
A really clean nice example Ed 👍👍 sounds perfect and looks very clean and tidy , if I was after one just now that would be perfect !!! Sticking with the xr for another while here.
Would love a xl 500s right enough . 😁 but two bikes enough just now .I'm sure someone will snap that up quickly .👍 best of luck .
Cheers mate, yeah it's a bit of a gem, like I didn't think you could get them to run that well with the stock kehin carb .. I had one years ago and had to put a mikuni on it.
What XR have you got?
@@edwards0matic got the xr 400 , 03 model carb is rubbish in it bogs down at low revs a lot so changing the jets see if that helps going for a 60/ 160 😮
Was thinking of.A pumper carb !! But all seem to be abroad none in uk !! So worried about tax now buying anything from usa 🤷♂️
@@wattie1050 Yeah you can't get anything in the UK, has to come from abroad as you say then the import tax makes it not worth it!
If it helps I've heard you can tune that low end bog out though saying that it probably still won't be as good as if you had a mikuni.
What is the difference?
Die XL habe ich als 250s von 1979. 🙂👍 ♥
I had the gun metal grey one. Was decent for 12 months but then the engine started to break down. Since then I have never bought anything Honda again.
The engine started to break down after 12 months? Did you change the oil at all? This one is 42 years old and is still running good.
@@edwards0maticsadly enough not even a Honda could withstand an idiot 😂
looks as well kept as mine, only I couldn't hear it run, Your well-thought-out audio has taken anything good that you were attempting to highlight and went straight down the shitter.
What do you mean you can't hear it run?
Someone took the time to change that front wheels as well
Yeah I did, the 23" isn't the best .. though good to have for the sake of originality
How perched this bike
Music.
Not 1981. 79 or 80.
Nope, it's a 1981 .. and it's 100% correct for 1981.
I had a 79 . Got it new. Yellow and black stripe on a red tank. So this is not a 79....
@@edwards0matic The European versions were different, it's true.
Mine has a rev counter and the headlight is different.
Different colors too.
Les versions européennes étaient différentes , c'est vrai .
La mienne a un compte-tour et le phare est différent.
Les couleurs différentes aussi.
This is such a great bike, hard to find one for sale these days