Loved this bike. Rode it 130.000 km, no works on the engine, 1 piston, 1 cylinder. Best I ever had, Model from 1984, red with black seat. Owned it from September 1984 until 1988.
I both owned and LOVED my 1983 XL600 ....BEST WHEELIE machine I EVER owned! IF it only STARTED reliably? I NEVER would have sold that bike! But sadly it more often than not would NOT restart when hot! I had to simply WAIT like for a LOOOOONG time before starting it again!...main problem? NO electric start....THAT motor and chassis with electric start? TOTAL KEEPER! ....owned many many bike and NONE wheelied as well PERIOD....
@@nigelwolfe6150 EXACTLTY and the ONLY reason I sold mine and no doubt the reason I got it so cheap from the previous owner with such low miles lol ....I wonder how many owneres some of these went through? EASY to sell first guy that came to look at it I wheelied up and down the street handed to him to test and he parked and said "SOLD!" lol Was praying he did not know of the hot start issue! Which I mean sometimes it would fire right back up but often NOT Would have been fine for a commuter so long as you didnt make stops on the way home lol
mine was bone stock I think and it wheelied so NICE better than ANY bike before or since ....IF you can pop up on other bikes you would have no trouble staying up on this model ....unless something is wrong idk maybe the gearing was changed on mine? I did buy her low milage used I thought it was stock but maybe not idk
I never even clutched up I simply got it at right rpm and pulled her up every time. ...VERY willing motorcycle which so many are NOT A "willing" bike its just a matter of the right speed and throttle JUST as it hits power band you simply whack it open shifting weight in anticipation feeling the front come up you feather to keep it up ....I could up the rpm even and shift while lofted getting to some scary speeds as I recall ....which on the street in traffic? LOL just asking for trouble!
Something was wrong then a well tuned STOCK example is the sweetest bike in the world to wheelie....you sound like you are talking about the XR650R which is a WHOLE other animal! EASY to loft but scary as hell having WAY more power! either that or it has been messed with maybe different sprockets and revised jetting/air box pipe etc but stock? Just have in the band goose it shifting weight bit and she comes right up super easy to feather there forever
The only one I rode for a few minutes was what I believe to be the original 1983 model. I couldn't start it (the owner started it for me. I didn't know anything about piston positioning, manual decompression purpose, then automatic decompression purpose) Once the bike was started.... All I can say is that I'm lucky not being bars as I'm writing this. Nobody got hurt. Still, just thinking about it decades later gives me nightmares. It's not about the bike. It's about the possible negative consequences in case you forget about them.
I Bought a used '83 back in like 85 and except for hot restart problem? man I LOVED that bike for it's wheelie factor! Just could not live with the hard (impossible most often) hot restart...no E button on the '83 ....did the ' have this?
The new xr650l has the e start basically the same bike since the 1990's, Honda still makes it. But, 1983 xl600r had the most hp out of all the aircooled xl/xr bikes. I don't understand how honda increased the displacement and compression from the xl600r but lost power.
@@johnmeurer4780 You would think so but sorry it is not the same at all wheely wise even though it is based on same basic platform ... I have a 2005 XR650L and it is nothing like the the XL600 in wheely catagory ...Now I also DID own the XR650R which was an absolute wheelie monster but actuially kind of scary compared to the PERFECT XL600R all time BEST wheelie machine eveer manufactured! You can ride a wheeile forever on these things even if you are otherwise not good at it at all ....a lot of bikes I can easily loft but then cant keep em up endlessly like I COULD ALWAYS from day one do on my 83 XL600R ....I would have kept that bike forever just to do wheelies on but alas the hot start issue is SO unforgivably terrible I could not live with it....I HATE unfixable issues in various models it always blows my mind a manufacturer allowed them to be sold before resolving the problem. The proclivity to loft might relate to the dual carb set up...I have read were (SUPPOSEDLY) someone found a remedy drilling on a passage on one carb ...Damn I miss that bike to this day! I could loft at will and shift through the gears even made me look like a much better rider than I actually was lol
@@dougiequick1 i agree 100% i think 😅. The xl600r is the best rfvc honda made, Its the best wheelie bike. I actually stunt a 1983 xl600r, I'm pretty much the only person that seriously stunts one. Made mine a supermoto and put a disc brake with a brembo caliper on the back wheel for my wheelies. I've built a 12 o clock bar so I could scrape my wheelies, had to chop my rear fender 5-6 inches shorter so I could drop it back deep. Check out some of the videos on my channel, I uploaded some old videos of me on my xl600r. I need to get some new video I've gotten alot better.
no not stock unless u r talented...the XL600 requires very little talent ....I am not even good and could wheelie forever since day 1 i own a 2005 XR650L and even with jet kit it does nor WANT to
Compared to a CRF it’s a big heavy slug so I’m not sure you would like it unless you just want to putt around nice and easy the only thing that might give you more thrilled experience then a CRF 450 is the XR650R with the right carburetor
Loved this bike. Rode it 130.000 km, no works on the engine, 1 piston, 1 cylinder. Best I ever had, Model from 1984, red with black seat. Owned it from September 1984 until 1988.
How did you live with the hot start issue??
Excellentes Bike :-) Many People have long forgotten about the glory days of the Honda XL600R
Cool!! Aircooled greetings from germany. I like your video and i like wheelies.
I both owned and LOVED my 1983 XL600 ....BEST WHEELIE machine I EVER owned! IF it only STARTED reliably? I NEVER would have sold that bike! But sadly it more often than not would NOT restart when hot! I had to simply WAIT like for a LOOOOONG time before starting it again!...main problem? NO electric start....THAT motor and chassis with electric start? TOTAL KEEPER! ....owned many many bike and NONE wheelied as well PERIOD....
Dope man I love my xl600r
Do you still have it? I’m tryin to find a 350-600
Wow! A lovely bike. Thinking of getting one of these and costomising like you.
Beautiful bike 👍👍
And here I am actively pursuing the xl600. I know you gotta miss that bike
NO ONE misses trying to START the thing hot! NO ONE! LOL...it SO needed Ebutton!
@@nigelwolfe6150 EXACTLTY and the ONLY reason I sold mine and no doubt the reason I got it so cheap from the previous owner with such low miles lol ....I wonder how many owneres some of these went through? EASY to sell first guy that came to look at it I wheelied up and down the street handed to him to test and he parked and said "SOLD!" lol Was praying he did not know of the hot start issue! Which I mean sometimes it would fire right back up but often NOT Would have been fine for a commuter so long as you didnt make stops on the way home lol
Beautiful
Was just wondering where you got the exhaust
A most Excellent Video I could feel the wheelie,
A friend had one and he called it "Boy George" LOL
Is your engine tired? These bikes are almost 30 years old, most have had a engine rebuild in that time.
Very nice bike and awesome video!! Those older XL 600's would fly! Did you paint your bike?
I just got a 1984 one...she s a rocket on every ground...suspensions are hard and gearbox is a bit long for gravel, especially the 1st...
How stock is your bike, are you just poping the cluch in 3rd because I have a 1983 xl 600r and I just can't get it to just pop up like that.
mine was bone stock I think and it wheelied so NICE better than ANY bike before or since ....IF you can pop up on other bikes you would have no trouble staying up on this model ....unless something is wrong idk maybe the gearing was changed on mine? I did buy her low milage used I thought it was stock but maybe not idk
I never even clutched up I simply got it at right rpm and pulled her up every time. ...VERY willing motorcycle which so many are NOT A "willing" bike its just a matter of the right speed and throttle JUST as it hits power band you simply whack it open shifting weight in anticipation feeling the front come up you feather to keep it up ....I could up the rpm even and shift while lofted getting to some scary speeds as I recall ....which on the street in traffic? LOL just asking for trouble!
XL600R is better than a DRZ400S.
Where can i find like exhaust systems?
Not sure they discontinued that it was never meant to be put on an XL it’s for an XR600
Same bike, but no problem on wheelies lol It's really angry and hard to control on wheelies. Doesn't come up or wreck, no halfways
Something was wrong then a well tuned STOCK example is the sweetest bike in the world to wheelie....you sound like you are talking about the XR650R which is a WHOLE other animal! EASY to loft but scary as hell having WAY more power! either that or it has been messed with maybe different sprockets and revised jetting/air box pipe etc but stock? Just have in the band goose it shifting weight bit and she comes right up super easy to feather there forever
The only one I rode for a few minutes was what I believe to be the original 1983 model.
I couldn't start it (the owner started it for me. I didn't know anything about piston positioning, manual decompression purpose, then automatic decompression purpose)
Once the bike was started....
All I can say is that I'm lucky not being bars as I'm writing this.
Nobody got hurt.
Still, just thinking about it decades later gives me nightmares.
It's not about the bike.
It's about the possible negative consequences in case you forget about them.
I Bought a used '83 back in like 85 and except for hot restart problem? man I LOVED that bike for it's wheelie factor! Just could not live with the hard (impossible most often) hot restart...no E button on the '83 ....did the ' have this?
The new xr650l has the e start basically the same bike since the 1990's, Honda still makes it. But, 1983 xl600r had the most hp out of all the aircooled xl/xr bikes.
I don't understand how honda increased the displacement and compression from the xl600r but lost power.
@@johnmeurer4780 You would think so but sorry it is not the same at all wheely wise even though it is based on same basic platform ... I have a 2005 XR650L and it is nothing like the the XL600 in wheely catagory ...Now I also DID own the XR650R which was an absolute wheelie monster but actuially kind of scary compared to the PERFECT XL600R all time BEST wheelie machine eveer manufactured! You can ride a wheeile forever on these things even if you are otherwise not good at it at all ....a lot of bikes I can easily loft but then cant keep em up endlessly like I COULD ALWAYS from day one do on my 83 XL600R ....I would have kept that bike forever just to do wheelies on but alas the hot start issue is SO unforgivably terrible I could not live with it....I HATE unfixable issues in various models it always blows my mind a manufacturer allowed them to be sold before resolving the problem. The proclivity to loft might relate to the dual carb set up...I have read were (SUPPOSEDLY) someone found a remedy drilling on a passage on one carb ...Damn I miss that bike to this day! I could loft at will and shift through the gears even made me look like a much better rider than I actually was lol
@@dougiequick1 i agree 100% i think 😅. The xl600r is the best rfvc honda made, Its the best wheelie bike. I actually stunt a 1983 xl600r, I'm pretty much the only person that seriously stunts one. Made mine a supermoto and put a disc brake with a brembo caliper on the back wheel for my wheelies. I've built a 12 o clock bar so I could scrape my wheelies, had to chop my rear fender 5-6 inches shorter so I could drop it back deep. Check out some of the videos on my channel, I uploaded some old videos of me on my xl600r. I need to get some new video I've gotten alot better.
What kind of gas mileage do these old things get?? Might pick one up to run back and forth to work
Like 48 mpg i believe probably more
Beatiful bike😁
what final drive are you running?
Can you wheeling with the L version? Im looking for one but im also a Wheelie fan. Maybe L version is too front heavy
They are wheelie monsters ! Even stock they are
no not stock unless u r talented...the XL600 requires very little talent ....I am not even good and could wheelie forever since day 1 i own a 2005 XR650L and even with jet kit it does nor WANT to
Where is this ? Looks like Wisco.
skorchedearth1 Indiana
skorchedearth1 I ride in Wisco. On a 1985 XR600R
How Mutch per mile?
What gearing are you running on your rear sprocket
I don’t remember because I sold that bike a long time ago but I I think it was stock gear ratio on the back
Una moto fantastica ,,la mia toccava i 170 kh,,,, che tempi,,,,,,
what sprockets front and back were you running on that beast
It has stock gear ratio made by sun
was thinking of trading my crf450r for one of these but I'm not sure if I'll like it
Compared to a CRF it’s a big heavy slug so I’m not sure you would like it unless you just want to putt around nice and easy the only thing that might give you more thrilled experience then a CRF 450 is the XR650R with the right carburetor
Mint
Music?
WOW!
looks like vermont
Are you selling it ?
Mourot Jules already sold
Wish I could hear the bike and not the stupid music
Wow! A lovely bike. Thinking of getting one of these and costomising like you.