The XLV750R Thread

Old fart · Aug 10, 2014

braunj said: ↑

Nice looking bike but what dork engineer put that oil filter there? It must make a real mess every time you change it! VERY unHonda like!
Click to expand...

Not a problem, if you drain the frame and sump first. As with any oil change a wipe with a rag and it's all good. These machines with three valve heads, hydraulic tappets and oil/air cooling are very Honda in their design.

The motor cycle market being fickle and VERY trend and fashion oriented didn't take up this design. You only have to look at the New Africa Twin thread, nobody can agree what they want for what price and how they should be equipped. With the choice of what seems like hundreds of possible adventure bikes the market is getting saturated.
Now unless you have a $20,000 bike with another $5,000 spent on accessories you can't go on a gravel road. We are all getting very spoiled, look how much riding off road (Adventure riding if you want) was done in the 40's and 50's on anything from basic little two stroke commuters through to ex army Beezers and Walla's.
As I've said before this bike was 20 years ahead of it's time, if we weren't such a fickle mob it would have sold by the ship load. :huh

ray3656 · Aug 10, 2014

Don't make that much of a mess
Oil and filter change in 5 mins clutch 20 mins

This engine was designed as the base for the RS750 grass tracker and probably the NSR daker bike
Only 8000 made a very small production run for honda

Very easy to service love mine, the engine is a superb piece of engineering ,

Old fart · Aug 10, 2014

This engine was designed to be an XLV 750 engine, they did happen to use it (highly modified and changed to chain drive) on some of the Flat trackers, they also used a CX 500 engine bored stroked and turned sideways.
The Africa twins were a similar but not the same engine being liquid cooled and chain drive.
Were there any Honda's used on Grass track apart from singles? I thought the poms used mainly slider frames like a dirt track frame with all sorts of engines like Jap's, Eso's and even two stroke road engines like RD 350's in the likes of Hagon frames. In OZ our Dirt track or Short circuit was a similar discipline to Grass track only on an oiled dirt circuit instead of grass but we had similar gear including sprung Hagon frames.

Two Plugs · Aug 11, 2014

OldFart just caught on to me, BraunJ. No Transalp 600 is easier to maintain than the XLV750. Noticed the Transalp XL600V in your avatar, allow me to compare... since I owned 5 XL600V's and still own 2 XLV750's...

- Aifilter on top of fuel tank. On your Transalp you have to take off the entire fueltank.
- Oilfilter easy accesible. On the Transalp you have to take off half the fairing / sumpguard
- Plugs easy accesible
- Hydraulic tapets - if I recall correctly, you have to adjust them on a Transalp.

So the 1983 XLV750 is VERY Honda. Where the 1986 Transalp is very Honda Cashing

And yes... Normally I would drain the old oil before replacing the filter...

ray3656 · Aug 11, 2014

Old fart said: ↑

This engine was designed to be an XLV 750 engine, they did happen to use it (highly modified and changed to chain drive) on some of the Flat trackers, they also used a CX 500 engine bored stroked and turned sideways.
The Africa twins were a similar but not the same engine being liquid cooled and chain drive.
Were there any Honda's used on Grass track apart from singles? I thought the poms used mainly slider frames like a dirt track frame with all sorts of engines like Jap's, Eso's and even two stroke road engines like RD 350's in the likes of Hagon frames. In OZ our Dirt track or Short circuit was a similar discipline to Grass track only on an oiled dirt circuit instead of grass but we had similar gear including sprung Hagon frames.
Click to expand...

Yup heavily modified for the competition bikes, but having been Into this engine, it's clear that it was designed from the outset as the base for compition development, the unused front engine mount, the way the oil galleries are internally piped into the outer casings to name but a few ,

My guess it that the inner casings and crank were used ( clever use of a primary chain and chain drive to the oil pump to change the output rotation for a sprocket and to get the oil pump pumping rather than sucking )

The grass Tracker probably retain the air cooled barrels but with modified heads ( rear exits from from front not the rear)

While the Dakar bike got a water cooled top end and a kick start on the clutch side

Getting back into my Xlvs as I have just rescued two from the breakers, one complete , with knackered electrics the other a rolling chassis spare

There were years ahead of their time, and a great reference is the French mag of the time which had it wiping the floor with the competition, when tested against the BMW 80 g/s of the time, as good bike but 70s tech, the Honda being 21st century

Awesome

ADV67 · Aug 11, 2014

Two Plugs said: ↑

- Aifilter on top of fuel tank. On your Transalp you have to take off the entire fueltank.
- Oilfilter easy accesible. On the Transalp you have to take off half the fairing / sumpguard
- Plugs easy accesible
- Hydraulic tapets - if I recall correctly, you have to adjust them on a Transalp.

So the 1983 XLV750 is VERY Honda. Where the 1986 Transalp is very Honda Cashing
Click to expand...

Exactly! The XLV750 has very easy maintenance. Je hebt de spijker op de kop geslagen, Bernard!

Here are a few ads from french magazines from 1983/84/85 featuring the XLV750:

Two Plugs · Aug 12, 2014

@ ADV67: heb je die brochure ook in groot formaat / PDF?

Oops, sorry... Asked ADV67 if the shown brochures in the posting above, are available in full format or PDF... would appreciate them.

Never knew that the fuel capacity was only 20 L... Always thought that it would be 23/25L... *blush*

ADV67 · Aug 12, 2014

Hi Bernard, sorry but they are jpg pics, I don't have a larger size nor a PDF.
I have downloaded these in the past, I do not have the original brochure.

Here are a few more old mag scans from "Moto Journal" (again, i do not have the originals):

Bell driver · Aug 29, 2014

7000km in 3 weeks. She still has what it takes and is a force to be reckoned with...

Meteora, Greece

Transfargarasan, Romania

Tunnel 'Harry', Stalag Luft III, Zagan, Poland

Two Plugs · Aug 29, 2014

Love the pics. The XLV750R still rocks! Didn't you live in Northern Germany? Groningen (Northern Province of the Netherlands) calling. Have to meet up someday. Would be fun.

Old fart · Sep 23, 2014

Going to thin out our bikes a bit, going to sell this one
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=938499&page=9
Located in Victoria, Oz.

Two Plugs · Oct 30, 2014

Had a great ride with Granny this week. With temperatures still up to 20 Celsius, winter seems to be as remote as it could possibility be @ the end of October

SVJoe · Dec 8, 2014

Can anyone recommend where to locate a set of head and base gaskets? Just recently purchased a '83 red/white/blue one that I have wanted for a really long time. Once I got it delivered it looks and runs great but has a pronounce oil leak at the base of the front cylinder. Is/was that common problem?

Tarka · Dec 8, 2014

SVJoe said: ↑

. Once I got it delivered it looks and runs great but has a pronounce oil leak at the base of the front cylinder. Is/was that common problem?
Click to expand...

Mine did that too.

I just ran a gasket crayon over the seam and it sorted the leak no problem.

Two Plugs · Dec 9, 2014

It will be difficult to find an original gasket for the XLV750R. I just bought a piece of 'gasketpaper' at a local car spare parts shop and used the original as template. Is the oil leakage minor, a seal like suggested above can be a good alternative. There are supplements for use in the oil too.

SVJoe · Dec 9, 2014

I'll try that. Thanks for the suggestions.

Bell driver · Dec 10, 2014

SVJoe said: ↑

Can anyone recommend where to locate a set of head and base gaskets? Just recently purchased a '83 red/white/blue one that I have wanted for a really long time. Once I got it delivered it looks and runs great but has a pronounce oil leak at the base of the front cylinder. Is/was that common problem?
Click to expand...

Contact h(dot)stebler (at) kestenholzgruppe (dot) com

He has gone out of his way, opened his wallet so we all can keep our XLVs running.He has head gaskets made for the XLV750. Got meself four of them

Old fart · Dec 18, 2014

Went for a cruise this afternoon, the weather is warming up and the longer afternoons are great. I have put a trials universal back on the front end. It's only a 300X21 but handles very nicely. The full knobby on the back is a little bit rumbly on the tar but is very good in looser dirt. I would like to get a 500X17 trials universal for the back but as far as I can see nobody makes one. I like the way they handle.

Who needs a new Africa Twin?

blax1 · Dec 18, 2014

She looks great Old fart, that's something I have to do as well, get new rubber all round, mines behaving itself now, start it up every week now, all good.

Merry Christmas to everyone

Cheers

Tonio · Dec 25, 2014

I am getting one (XLV 750) in a few days ! A blue-white-red one.

I'll keep you updated.

Cheers.
Antoine

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