Honda xl 350

This Retrospective article was printed in the June issue of Rider Magazine. This four-stroke woodser was an immediate hit with honda xl 350 casual rider, and could even seduce two-stroke lovers away from their mounts.

Bumbling down the road near our office recently was a barely mobile example of how oddly illogical the human animal can be. It was an old, English sedan from the era of little pointing hands that popped from the roof to signal turns. Even allowing for changing times, these cars were not good cars. In exchange for looking funny, they were cramped. To make up for lack of speed, they were also unreliable.

Honda xl 350

Others agree to the sound aspect, but favor the wail of a Single straining under full load again that image of power. And, there are those that love big Thumpers for their characteristic low end grunt. The Thumper, then, is more than an engineering exercise in simplicity. They leaked oil, were hard starting, had less than reliable electrical components in many cases, and they were heavy! If things had continued that way, the big Single, in spite of the nostalgia, would have become a dead issue. The Single, you see, is just large enough, and just powerful enough to fit the image the buying public has conjured up, yet it has none of the vices 1 of the Thumpers of yesteryear. These are very similar to Dohertys in design, but are softer and considerably less durable. The fuel tank has been reshaped somewhat, but still holds 2. The exhaust system is immense, mounted low on the left hand side, and there are turn signals to aid in warding off city traffic. The turn signals, incidentally, are rubber mounted to aid survivability, and are easily removed and disconnected from the electrical system for serious off-road jaunts. Both tachometer and speedometer are present. The seat is large, almost overly so. It feels comfortable at first, but after a while the soft padding lets the rider bang against the seat bottom.

Under the left case is a flywheel stramable assembly that allows the engine to operate with or without the battery and accompanying electrical system. La tienes todavia? A lot of thought went into the majority of small components, honda xl 350, so much so, in fact, that you have to call them trick.

Discussion in ' Thumpers ' started by ricksax , Apr 18, Log in or Join. Adventure Rider. What I want is a simple, low, reliable, street-legal four stroke that can take me to the forest roads and back. So here is the start of my project, a derelict Honda XL Carb is clogged, it runs strong but does not idle. So once I get a baseline engine service done, I'll decide whether to keep it stock, or make improvements.

Make Honda. This bike has been modified with a FT cc engine. All components work as they should. Tires are New. Chain and Sprockets are in good working order. All Cables and Switches function as they should smooth and crisp. I am no longer able to ride. This machine has been hand crafted. I rode it about 3 years ago.

Honda xl 350

Claimed horsepower was The engine was a air cooled single cylinder, four-stroke. Fuel was supplied via a overhead cams ohc. It came with a 3. Stopping was achieved via expanding brake in the front and a expanding brake in the rear. The XLR was fitted with a 2. The gas tank, fenders, and headlight shell were silver. The stripes on the gas tank and fender were blue. The side covers were matte black. The "XL" side cover decal was orange and white.

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Beachside , Jeremy K , manx16 and 7 others like this. And at that speed it gets over 60 miles per gallon of gasoline! So here is the start of my project, a derelict Honda XL And the miniscule XL at pounds appeared in for riders who really wanted light weight. Still trying to source a new header pipe, and also a better kick start lever. I eventually gave it to my brother who wanted a cheap to run scoot to get to his classes. In reality the tuning was such that it was more of a plodder than a screaming banshee. Brakes and tires were obviously needed, so I began disassembly. Do you have yet? It appears most of the parts I need are available. Two batteries are all that is required for race day — this provides sufficient spark for up to 8 races. This message will self-destruct in 60 seconds. The Single, you see, is just large enough, and just powerful enough to fit the image the buying public has conjured up, yet it has none of the vices 1 of the Thumpers of yesteryear. So, we get those lights and signals for free?

This Retrospective article was printed in the June issue of Rider Magazine.

At times the is also the big brother who gives you a whack upside the head, just to remind who's in charge. In doing so is there anything I should be concerned about? Single gas shocks, fully adjustable. The XL is good. EvapoRust is my friend. Despite that, the has temperament. Until you've spent your lunch hour doing wheelies on your own, private, deserted beach, you'll never know what the XL can offer. Spent quite a bit of time on a 74 XL and rode the tires off of it going back and forth to classes. The rear hub was a pain, and I will post my solutions with photos. It works beautifully and ducts in plenty of air both through the top and at the rear of the air box, but removing, cleaning, and reinstalling the foam element is a min. Engine was completely stock, I did adapt an aftermarket muffler, after original rusted out. In the third world, Southeast Asia and South America, Honda is still making similar singles, mostly cc. Even though the bike is geared fairly tall fitting a 1-tooth smaller countershaft sprocket would help in enduros , it can be lugged down to under rpm on steep sections with turns too sharp to allow any speed at all. But the Honda salesman gets to offer the traditional sizes and if the customer wants more of this, less of that, why.