1982 Honda XR

JH2PD0203CM004757

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I'm selling my 1982 Honda XL500R, which is the very first model of what is currently the XR650L, which is the current model. It is a dual purpose, street legal, on road and off road motorcycle. Its a 500cc single cylinder, and has plenty of power. It also has the mono shock rear suspension, which was revolutionary at the time. 1982 was the year it was introduced on this machine. In fact, it was introduced in the second half of the model year, the first half of the model year had dual shocks. The shop manual that comes with this auction shows a picture of a dual shock model on the cover, and they added technical material to cover the mono shock, which, by the way, is in good shape, no leaks. And, unlike the current XR650L which has a plastic gas tank, the XL500R has a beautiful red steel tank, with a version of the Honda flying wing logo, which is so iconic for Honda motorcycles, especially the older ones. It does have both of the original mirrors too, although I kind of cut them off in the pictures. This XL500R is in good, but not perfect, condition, with under 5000 miles. I'm the third owner, and I've had it for about 13 years. I haven't ridden it much in the last few years, which is why I'm selling it. It's currently registered in California, but I wasn't riding it much and didn't want to pay for insurance, so the State Of California didn't send me the current license plate tag without proof of insurance. Speaking of the license plate, I got a vanity plate, which reads 'XL500R'. I thought that was kind of neat. California buyers can keep this plate if they want it and pay extra every year for it, but if the winner lives outside of California, I'll keep the plate. It runs good, I just recently put a new battery in and started it up. It is complete and original, except for the rear turn signals. The supports were flexible and broke with age, so I replaced the whole turn signal with generic ones. There is a small dent in the top left front of the gas tank, but it didn't chip the paint and its not very noticable, as you can see from the picture. Also, the thumb switch on the high-low beam is broken off. The hand grips are a little mushy and sticky with age, too. It also has the common problem that all of these engines have, which is a slight oil leak from the valve covers when its running. You can either live with it, like I did, the oil burns off while you ride, or replace the gaskets. It also has a little oil leak from the side of the case when its parked and on the kickstand. If you place it upright, its OK. And, the kickstand spring is missing, the one that holds it up when you ride. These are all minor problems, that are easy to fix. There are some scratches on the forks, and a tear in the seam on the back of the seat. Here are things on it that are nearly new in the last few years: - Front and rear tires. I did a lot of research before I bought them, to find what I thought was the best street and off road combination. The brand is IRC, and the model is Trail Winner GP-110. These have a unique block design with rounded edges that provide a good grip and a comfortable ride on the road, and really good bite on sandy and soft dirt trails, which is mainly what I did off road. - Brand new battery, just installed. - Chain - Brakes It also comes with the original keys, owner's manual, tool kit, and the shop manual, too. The shop manual and original tools are handy for doing your own work on it. It could use an oil change and tune up, and probably a carb cleaning, too. But, if you are familiar with them, these are fun, powerful dual purpose, on road off and road machines, and one of the most fun to ride motorcycles that I've ever owned. I guess the phrase 'LOW END POWER' sums it up. Oh, and the compression is very good, which you will find out when you go to kickstart it. You need a strong right leg to start these things. I'll miss riding it, but I know the new owner will enjoy it, too. For payment, I prefer cash from a local buyer, or wire transfer from a non local buyer who will have it shipped.On May-05-11 at 11:24:57 PDT, seller added the following information: Here is some additional information, in response to several questions that I have received: The original front turn signals are there, and they are in good working condition, complete and intact. They don't really show up in the pictures. For buyers in California, the registration for the year ending October 2011 will need to be paid to get the registration current. I checked with the DMV, and with late charges, the cost will be $156. The cost for the vanity license plate is $30, so if you didn't want to keep that, you would save $30. So, bidders who want to register and ride in California should keep this in mind when bidding. Obviously, bidders outside of California will not have to pay this fee.