Four stroke, single cylinder, SOHC. 4 valve per
cylinder
Capacity
497 cc / 30.3 cu-in
Bore x Stroke
89 x 80 mm
Cooling System
Air cooled
Compression Ratio
8.6:1
Induction
Single 32mm keihin CV
Ignition
CDI
Starting
Kick
Max Power
32 hp @ 6500 rpm
Max Torque
3.8 kgf-m @ 5000 rpm
Transmission
5 Speed
Final Drive
Chain
Front Suspension
Leading axle coil spring forks
Rear Suspension
Swing arm two dampers. adjustable for preload.
Front Brakes
140mm Drum
Rear Brakes
130mm Drum
Front Tyre
3.00-23
Rear Tyre
4.60-18
Wheelbase
1420 mm / 55.9 in
Seat Height
879 mm / 34.6 in
Ground Clearance
mm / 10.2 in
Dry-Weight
135 Kg / 297 lbs
Fuel Capacity
9.8 Litres / 2.6 gal
Standing
¼ Mile
15.0 sec / 135.5 km/h
Top Speed
146.5 km/h / 91.0 mph
.
The perfect dual purpose bike, according to a Cycle World
comparison of dual purpose bikes last year, remained to be built. It still
remains to be built, even now that Honda has produced the XL500, the closest-
yet to the perfect on-off road machine.
No doubt about it. the XL.500 is the best there is. It has all
the power that a technically sophisticated 500cc four-stroke Single deliver -
plenty. It's as smooth as many Twins, all the normal big Single vibrations
having been cancelled out with the twin counterrotating balancer shafts. It has
enough suspension to make dirt riding fun, not just bearable. And it's perfectly
serviceable as a mid-size street bike. But it's not perfect.
A large measure of the XL's charm comes from the motor. Big
Singles were considered museum pieces until the Yamaha XT-TT500. The Yamaha
motor was an improvement over the traditional British Single because it didn't
leak oil, was reliable and at least a little easier to start with its
compression release and piston indicator window. Honda has improved on the theme
with a four valve head for better breathing the counterbalancers for smoothness,
and an automatic compression limiting device that is supposed to make starting
easier.
A lot of off-road enthusiasts have been excited by the XR500
Honda, but the XL benefits even more from the refined Honda Single.
To meet emission laws in this country the XL has leaner
carburetion than the XR, but makes up for the leanness with an accelerator pump.
What look like larger head pipes on the XL are really double wall pipes with die
same inside diameter, but helping to keep the XL quieter than the XR. There are
still twin head pipes bending back sharply to make room for a 23 inch front
tire. The flywheel on the XL is a couple of pounds heavier than the flywheel on
the XR so the XL will idle easier and will be easier to lug on the street.
Additional windings on the AC generator enable the generator to put out 112
watts of six-volt current on the XL compared to the 47 watt generator on the XR.
The only other change of significance between the two is in the clutch. Outside
the seven fiber discs and six metal clutch plates is a judder spring designed to
ease clutch engagement. The wave-like spring adds to the engagement travel at
the clutch lever giving smoother engagement and a little cushion to the
driveline.
Frame differences amount to some additional brackets hung on
the XL for its required street equipment. Both frames are made from mild steel
and both weigh about 23.5 lb. Brakes are the same size, although there's a
full-width hub in the back of the XL. Suspension is different on the two
machines. There's an additional 0.8 inch of suspension travel at both ends of
the XR compared to the XL's 8 inch of front wheel travel and 7 inch of rear
wheel travel.
If the XR is a great big dirt bike, the XL is a great big dual
purpose bike. Dual purpose machines have traditionally been small-sized. The
250s have been popular for a dozen years and the smallest street legal bikes
available today are all dual purpose mounts. Here, now, is a 304 lb. dual
purpose bike.
.
Only 16 lb. isn't a bad penalty to pay for all the lights and
requirements of street legality. A 304 lb. street bike, after all, is light and
nimble. And when it has the power of 500cc, a claimed 32.4 bhp, it isn't just
nimble, but quick.
In turning the XR into a street-legal machine the rear fender
has changed from plastic to steel, the tool kit has moved from the pouch behind
the seat to a tiny canister, hung below the left side of the seat, that's too
small to carry all the tools included in it. Instruments have curiously been
changed. Instead of the large round speedometer with odometer and tripmeter,
there's a rectangular pod attached to the speedometer, the pod housing the
odometer and tripmeter, while indicator lights for high beam, turn signals and
neutral are tucked away at the bottom of the speedometer where a rider can't see
them anyway.
If it sounds as though Honda created a fine big dirt play bike
and then designed a street legal version of it, you guessed right. The XL is
different from previous dual purpose bikes because it works fine as a dirt play
bike and it's also a capable roadster, instead of being a road bike with
off-road accessories.
On the street the big XL isn't appreciably better than Brand
Y's big dual purpose thumper. The power is about the same, meaning it can easily
pull away from traffic and cruise at any reasonable highway speed up to about 80
mph all day long. Starting is different from other big Singles, but it isn't
effortless. The compression limiter will help the Single spin over, but it won't
eliminate the need for a strong kick. A man with a strong and fast right leg can
hop on the XL and just kick it to life with one or two prods. Most people will
be better off following normal big Single procedure of easing the piston past
top dead center and then jumping on the lever.
When the test XL was delivered, starting it was a five
minute proposition. Gradually every test rider came up with his own technique,
each one different, and each one able to start the Honda in one or two kicks.
With lots of low-end power and the cushioning spring in the
XL's clutch, getting under way is as easy as letting out the clutch. Throttle
response is excellent and the smooth Single lugs well from low speeds. Even cold
the 500 will run well provided the choke (mounted on the handlebars) is kept out
one notch.
The XL motor is not a high speed engine. Maximum power comes
on at 6250, maximum torque at 5000 rpm and maximum engine speed works out to
7200 rpm. On the XR with lower gearing due to a larger rear sprocket, the Honda
500 feels slower than it is because the gearing is unnecessarily low. On the XL
the gearing is an ideal compromise. There's enough low-end torque to plonk along
trails or climb any hill. And there's enough gearing to hit a top speed of 91
mph and cruise at 80. Running 60 to 70 mph on the XL is easy and the motor is
just loafing. On the XR the motor is straining at those speeds.
Fork rake, at 28.5°, is the same as on the XR, so it's
rewarding that the XL handles as well and runs as straight on the highway as it
does. Honda's Claw Action tires, with appropriate on-off road tread pattern on
the XL, allow the 500 to corner at speeds that would have normal trials tires
sliding. As a penalty, the Trail Claws make a loud howl on some surfaces,
particularly asphalt. When the cornering gets heavy or the braking gets hard,
the howl turns into a scream, giving a rider plenty of warning about his
foolishness.
Gas mileage on the big XL varied quite a bit. The regular CW
100 mi. gas mileage loop includes a lot of city streets and the test rider
couldn't keep off the trails running beside the freeway section so the test
mileage came out to 65 mpg. That's actually a bit on the high side compared to
its all-around mileage. Cruising on the highway, the 500 regularly turned in
about 50 mpg and while out cowtrailing it ran between 50 and 60 mpg. With the
2.6 gal. gas tank it has a 125 mi. normal range, but by holding speed down that
can be extended considerably.
Ridden on the street, the XL presents a few disconcerting
problems. Most serious is the relatively meager braking power. In normal hard
braking situations - not emergency situations - the Honda's front brake lever
would be pulled all the way to the grip and the rear brake would be chattering
the rear tire which strangely has a greater brake swept area. The 5.5 in. front
drum and 5.1 in. rear drum look large enough; they just don't provide as much
braking power as the motorcycle should have.
Because Honda didn't put folding lever tips on the XL, the
levers are routed close to the engine cases, particularly the brake pedal which
is hard to reach with a riding boot. However, Honda did feel the XL needed
rubber mounted pegs which don't seem to offer any benefit on the street or off
road. Vibration still gets through the pegs, only the rubber mounted folding
metal pegs droop when a rider stands on them. The sidestand on the XL holds the
bike so upright it won't stand up unless the front wheel is cocked to the left,
but because the wheel has to be turned to the right in order to use the fork
lock, it makes the fork lock useless unless the motorcycle can be parked on a
slant.
Minor servicing on the XL is simple enough. The air cleaner is
accessible behind the left side cover. Valve adjustment only takes normal tools
and the valves are easily reached behind covers on the head. With the CD1 unit
there are no points to adjust, and the CDI pickup unit is mounted in an oil bath
under the side-covers where it's protected and kept at a stable temperature.
Only the oil screen, hidden at the bottom of the engine under the right side
cover, is difficult to reach.
What makes the XL500 such a good dual purpose bike is its
performance off road. It's not a motocrosser or even a good enduro bike, but it
has enough suspension so a rider can take moderate sized jumps without dying
upon landing, and the size holes or rocks that would throw a rider from many
other dual purpose bikes are only a jolt on the 500.
Steering on the XL is a mixed topic. With the big 23 in. front
tire, it doesn't turn quickly. But it does turn quicker than the last Brand Y
dual purpose 500 tested at Cycle World,If a rider will make sure
tire pressure is dropped to 8 or 10 psi, the front tire will turn provided the
rider slides way up forward and muscles the bike a bit. With normal street
pressures the front tire will just slide on most surfaces.
The seating position that felt comfortable on the street does
hinder the XL off road. The most effective position on the machine is to perch
at the front of the seat where the crack between the seat and the gas tank can
be mighty unpleasant.
A 304 lb. motorcycle off road isn't at all the same as a 304
lb. motorcycle on the highway, but the XL handles the weight well. It is big and
heavy and it does require more muscle to turn than a smaller, lighter motorcycle
but the ample power makes the weight manageable and the suspension works better
than any other dual purpose bike's suspension. Taken for what it is, a
motorcycle designed to satisfy a rider on streets or dirt trails, the XL stands
out as the best compromise available. Whatever convenience it gives away on the
street because of its dirt-oriented equipment is more than made up for by the
willing motor. And whatever limitations it has as a dirt play bike are also made
up for by the wonderful motor.
It's not perfect, but it sure is good.
Source Cycle World 1979
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated.