When I bought this 1983 Honda XR500R, the plastics were faded; the seat cover was black and ripped; the fender light didn't work and the headlight was missing; the front brake didn't function properly; the decals were missing; the air filter was tattered; the grips were shot; and the choke wouldn't stick. It ran and drove, but not as well as it does now.

I scraped the old plastic with a blade, revealing the original Honda colour. I bought a replica of the original seat cover, fender bag, air filter and decal kit off of ebay. I bought the grips, headlight and handlebar pad at the local Honda dealer (Southland Honda). They also rebuilt the carb for me. The choke issue was solved by adding foam padding between the frame and fuel tank, which was missing. This raised the tank to the intended height, allowing the choke to open up to where it catches and stays open. Reg's 4-Seasons RV rebuilt the front brake.

There is a tiny oil leak that still needs to be fixed. I believe it's coming from the stator area of the crankcase. I'd also like to get some racing numbers for it, even thought I have no plans to get competitive with this beast.

It's a great bike. It's fun to work on, and it's fun to ride.

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