1979 Honda XR500

[@kermit8619]

My first bike was a brand new 1979 XL500S . The differences between XR and XL was different sprockets , lighter flywheel on the XR and 34MM carb vs 32MM carb on the XL. You never forget your very first bike. So many good memories :-) Selling price back in 1979 was $ 2,200 Canadian.

[@E-Bike_reviews]

Was the XL 500s good? the drum brakes are a lil bit of a bummer for me, thinkin to get one (that's gonna be my first bike then)

[@PaulHarkey44]

Heck yes!!! I’ve been waiting on this one and y’all absolutely did not disappoint!! I love everything about this bike. I have a 1980 and a 1982. My dad had 2 1980’s and a 1981...all 500’s. His first, he bought off the showroom floor for $1,500. He has kept the oil changed and the oil screen clean. Motor has never been off the bike nor the carb. It still starts the first or second kick. A true testament to the durability of this amazing masterpiece of a machine. Very very well done, gentlemen. Must be like a dream to work there! God bless America!

[@PaulHarkey44]

Correction: dad “has” two 1980s...not had.

[@SteveTheCanadian]

Nice machine, one around here sold for 2200$ last week. Love the fact that you guys make these videos, get to see the evolution of these machines and learn alot.

[@wirebrush]

Dad had an 80 or 81 in the early 90s. He put a good pumper carb on it. I've never ridden anything with so much instant of idle torque. What a hoot! Something about that big front wheel and low center of gravity made it so easy to hang the rear out flat track style and drift through curves. I ride a 650R now and I'd still love to have that 500!

[@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243]

I couldn’t imagine wanting a new bike. I like the old ones.

[@biggzygaming2115]

Imagine the front washing out on you every time you try to turn then you will imagine a new bike but what I can say is In my opinion the old bikes LOOK better so much better

[@SamClarkschannel]

@@biggzygaming2115 What kind of turn? I take my xr500 on everything

[@martycech5844]

New bikes = more Performance than 95% of us can use. Most Older bikes look Great…👍🏻😎👍🏻🏆

[@SmoothJohnson]

I commute one of these, and it’s a warhorse…but I would rather have 12v electrics, disc brakes, and 21” tire options. 🤷‍♂️

[@H24-o9v]

First time i see this 500! A beautiful vintage!

[@dougcoleburn1579]

I like my new bikes and all hi tech - but man the old bikes are just so fun to ride! Nice XR!

[@mainebigfoothunter7088]

I love watching these videos of classic bikes. I've got a 1981 XR500R that needs some work. I've got to find someone here in Maine who knows their way around these bikes

[@cheifreal]

Nice bike. I love my 79 . Paid 800, just under 1400 miles all original except carb. a 21 inch front wheel, brake light, and airshocks. It's a beast of a bike. Plan on doing 5000 miles on trans American trail hopefully next spring.

[@dirtbikedave]

Man, my buddies uncle parked his 79 XL500 in the back of the garage, in 1982. In 1985 we found the key and that beast fired right up in about 5 kicks! Old gas, dead battery. WHACK! Shenanigans followed. That was a very special day.

[@sonnyseabury4051]

First time I've seen one of these. You barely even hear the bike running. Sharp looking bike. Looks brand new.

[@jmerwood9]

Fantastic bike and a great restoration! Would love to see you guys refurbish a 83 TT600.

[@teamtoyota9048]

Great video and info. Great job guys. I got a 84. Haven't had a good chance to ride it but getting there soon

[@8power0]

Nothing like the big bore four stroke singles , and Honda makes some of the meanest !

[@Fb6.Nan0]

Hell yeah man best Bikes ever

[@tomlindeman9950]

I had the 1980 xl500s, it was an amazing bike and had the 23 inch front wheel.

[@angelbernes740]

Like always good content. I love those xr 500 motors. I know One by the sound when passing by. Thanks for sharing.

[@jamescarlucci9867]

Not only is that bike amazing, so is the Bell Helmet..

[@mikestowe6136]

raced one of these for many yrs flat track motocross class great bike alot of easy mods

[@hegantetamboktyanak6368]

The first thumper I rode was one of these . And I was hooked ever since on thumpers. I think 10 is too high of a compression ratio 9.5 is a sweet spot 4 pump gas

[@hondaxl250k0]

I have one of these. Picked it up for 400$ running and in good shape side a pin hole in the tank. Weeleee king of the xr!!! Torque monster and all around great bike

[@charlieanddadreviewsandcha2243]

You look like 1979. Awesome bike.

[@dragon291000]

Very cool . I bought the first XR200 twin shocks road registered in in 1980 i paid $1200 AU brand new and i was 16 thought I was the shit . ha ha ha . Have had quite a few XR's . 75/200/350 & 600 very sad they are no longer available . Not a big fan of the CRF . dreaming of when Honda brings out 500/ 600 modern XR ??? love seeing these old bikes brings back so many great memories . Thanks KAPLAN AMERICA ✌

[@davedavies5403]

Fantastic bike. Wow, thanks Ken. Old school four strokes. Never had an XR/XL 500, but had an XL250S. Great, solid, Honda quality. 😁 🏍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@MitchDaRealist]

My friend just dropped one off so I can get it running. I just got it started and took it for a spin, it's a strong bike. All it needs is a wizard tune and we'd be golden. 😂😂😂

[@karelkrt1085]

Zdravíme Kaplana z České republiky a jsme rádi že u něj nechybí taková moto legenda jako ,, naše,, ČZ motokros 😍😍 ahoj a hodně zdaru do budoucna Tazzy..

[@damonjarvis9398]

Had one loved it but hated that 23 inch wheel. Love the vids keep up the great work

[@timgthatsit6756]

My dad and his best friend both had a '79 XR500. My dad removed the muffler & added a straight pipe to his. In My Opinion = That was The Most BADASS Sounding 4 stroke I have Ever Heard. On a quiet & calm evening just before the sun went down, That bike could be heard for Miles away

[@sandonsowers4831]

Just got the wifey one today, she loves it

[@JackTheSkunk]

I always thought these would make a great street tracker conversation.

[@huskypoop4917]

i never seen a 500 xr a friend got a xr 250 looks the same as this but a 250 its a real joy to ride nice machines

[@paulchambers969]

I used To run that big 23 front wheel on my 1979 fully worked blueprinted Suzuki 80 .cc It seemed to slow it down a bit ,but had no problem pulling up a fairly steep mountain.

[@peacefulwarrior4078]

REAL NICE XR 👍 3rd kick ! Have a old 99 XR-100pit bike that I named it ONE KICK no explanation needed 👍😁

[@christopherwatkins2479]

Absolutely love y'all guys wonderful video

[@OnfloorAudio]

Cool ol Bike ... it looks like new !!

[@jerrycoon3369]

I had an 82 500 and an 88 600. Great bikes. The 82 500 was the best wheelie machine

[@cndboy2962]

its so hard to get a 500 here . dream machine on the wish list

[@Fb6.Nan0]

God bless all 70’s-90’s Honda’s 👏🏻👏🏻

[@pbmachines972]

That thing’s sweet Ken back in the day a guy at the local pit had one same bike 👍🏻

[@shanedavis6191]

Ill post my SL100 mx er' when i get it all done, its mid build now. But TOO HOT IN ARIZONA to even go outside let alone work on the darn thing. Ill show it off this winter

[@jaysweet8126]

Ken that is so beautiful lol your a kid love your pashon

[@brandonballenger133]

im proud to say this XR500 has not had a drink since 1994..

[@tommulhall3865]

You guys are amazing! Great video 👌

[@jamespolucha6911]

Nice ride, I was looking for one but ran across a Yamaha tt500 and got that instead, those Honda’s are hard to find

[@PeterSmith-or3pq]

Hi. I havent seen a 76 KX 450, in a while , that was a very Loud Pipe.

[@ericrouse8188]

I had that exact bike with a White Bros Swing arm ..love that buke.

[@mdemartile]

Inhad a 79 XR250 and an 80 XR500. Both great bikes.

[@Hutch_moto]

Sweet! Love to see ya send it on a XR600 ,if ya come across one those to bring back to prestine

[@dennissawyer8496]

I bought one of those brand new in 79 from Coeur d Alene Honda in Coeur d Alene Idaho👍

[@robertnocerajr3985]

Yeah thanks again for sharing this message here

[@coreyvail3837]

One of my very favourite bikes you have done. My big brother had one of these, and I used to rip the shit out of it. I was 14 at the time lol. Great job guys!

[@darren2935]

Love the Honda reminds me of my Yamaha xt500

[@danielarney9729]

Might be able to shoehorn a soft 21 on front. You could run that bike 5 in the morning without waking up the game warden.

[@jcmartinez3888]

Love your shirt original

[@KaplanCycles]

Click here to view the 1979 Honda XR500 live auction! www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Honda-Other/392918203845?hash=item5b7bbffdc5:g:2CMAAOSwNsVfNSTr

[@garettanderson6772]

I like the height of the XR500 it's real comfortable. It makes it feel kind of small and nimble (to me). I have an 1986 XR600 too and it's way taller.

[@garettanderson6772]

Not small, just nimble.

[@zombie_slayertcd613]

got one same year needs a little work but the thing is a beast

[@barrycuda3769]

I had a 1978 TT500 ( and a '76 XT500) , and there was no buzzing through the handlebars, vibration wasnt a thing with them at all .

[@rickwhite3181]

Great Bikes they last forever with just some common sense maintenance . You could literally buy that bike back in 1979 and it will last your entire life and bequest it to your family

[@rollieblue6879]

Dakine79... da year I was born, beautiful!

[@robertnocerajr3985]

Yeah my xr650l right now will hit at least 96 mph according to the speedometer with knobby tires and stock gears

[@twisted-xh6066]

The vintage big bore Honda's often we're endearingly called tanks. Which is true, more so if you have ever dropped one, I dropped my 1985 Yamaha IT 250. Dam getting that beast upright again was a pain in the ass! But in my opinion, that's a good thing because if you combine the weight and the torque of a big bore it firmly plants the bike in place giving you extra traction. I don't know if the engineers over in Japan had that in mind while designing and building the bike but along with a highly reliable motor I'm seeing a perfect balance. It makes me think why did Honda discontinue the XR 650's? Don't get me wrong I love the vintage two strokes for many reasons, primarily because they are obnoxiously loud, cranky, violent and that smell two strokes produce. While all the same some may argue I disagree. Each bike back then had a separate personality. That aside I can't think of anything more enjoyable than riding that bike down trails up hills or just cruising down logging roads. Another quality is they have friendly predictable power which permits a fresh intermediate rider to enjoy without the same threat two strokes offer up. It's a given that hauling down an open stretch of gravel road at 100mph would be badass! Dam I'm looking at another bike for my growing fantasy collection! Thanks for sharing the badass machines!

[@thra5herxb12s]

I was wondering how good or bad that front brake would be with all the performance it needs to hold back.

[@michaelirwin8632]

Pretty bike great colors

[@slipknotrob666]

My dirtbike has one of those front light/number plates, and it isn't one of those... Lol, it is a 1979 Honda though, just not as big... mine isn't stock though 👍.

[@albertboersma7294]

oh ya catwalk city SR...its fantastic

[@teamtoyota9048]

Good day CA. Will removing a muffler hurt the engine and will it affect performance?

[@korymanuel6759]

Awesome beautiful bike

[@GMCBigBlock420]

Living the dream!

[@bigtrev761]

Mine did 160 kms per hour on the flat with ease

[@semajniffirg230]

Missing the factory skid plate, really needs that or an aftermarket one.

[@PaulHarkey44]

eBay has quite a few. Last two I’ve bought, I’ve had to buy. The speedo is really hard to find for a decent price.

[@hondaxl250k0]

I have one I’ll give to ya... just pay the shipping

[@PaulHarkey44]

hondaxl250k0 what? A speedo?

[@hondaxl250k0]

Paul Harkey Paul Harkey lol no .. bash pan . that was meant for Kaplan

[@PaulHarkey44]

hondaxl250k0 Ha! Cool! My bad.

[@chevelleburke7252]

hell ya the beast had two ankle breaker it would spit bolders for 10 feet behind i think the most bad ass 70s honda ever made i get the chills endless power god bless America🇺🇸🏁🇺🇸🏁

[@alrightythen1466]

“Under stressed” man that bike sounds like it’s barely doing. My uncle had a wore out 82-83 model. Such a easy going bike with big torque at very low rpm I wish I had this one right here

[@williamheeber3290]

My buddy had that bike, was a beast, but my 84XR500 TWIN CARB was more comfy!!!

[@teamtoyota9048]

How many km can you comfortably do on a 500 when riding on the street? I done 300km full throttle. Is that advisable though mates?

[@funkoff5]

How much do you guys charge hourly?My bike needs some much needed TLC and i dont have the time.

[@KaplanCycles]

90

[@funkoff5]

@@KaplanCycles Thanks bro,ill be calling.

[@WesleyDanken]

I got one just like this wish to have that bigger piston

[@thodoris3790]

Hey mr Kaplan, what helmet is this?

[@allanschmidt8859]

Are the parts for these engines hard to find?

[@stanleybaker8707]

That bike is freaking awesome plus the Kawasaki is pretty cool too😎😎😎😎😎😎😎🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@jeeplvr2000]

I just inherited a 79 xr500 basket case that destroyed the piston, rod, cylinder and crank. I need a used motor.

[@BusaniWenzyNgcobo]

Good day mate. My XR500R jumps out of 1st if i hit 35km/h. Do you know what might be the problem? Thankx

[@robertnocerajr3985]

Where are you going to get a 23 inch tire

[@hondaxl250k0]

The answer is you won’t.. on my Cr125 and my xr500 I had to find an original claw action tire that was not rotten. It’s hard. That’s y now the 23in wheel hondas don’t come out but a few times a year to save the rubber

[@markkus1134]

Have to change it to a 21???

[@hondaxl250k0]

Mark Kus you can swap but no hub matches. So you gotta lace up on oem hub

[@markkus1134]

hondaxl250k0 that sucks glad I have a mint XR 400 titled street legal!

[@hondaxl250k0]

Mark Kus I have 68 bikes . I have other choices . But I do have a video of me my daughter and my dog all riding on my xr500 at the local state forest on my channel. Check it out . Lately I’ve been riding my 86tt350 and my 85xr600.

[@davelambardo6464]

I can't even believe its taken me so long to find your channel! Also that there is a person out there who is crazy into the 80s and old iron as I am! Are these bikes forsale to any buyer or are they built for clients?

[@KaplanCycles]

They are all built and then sold on eBay

[@saulcarvajal7911]

Is it true these are hard to find nowadays?

[@redback491]

Das ist mein Bike 😎 auch als xl 500s 👍👍👍👍👍 Regards from Germany

[@libertyman3072]

🤘😷 VAS Y MON KAPLAN 🔥 T'ES BON BON BON 💪😜 🏍🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️ 🏁 🏍️

[@michaelmacleod6654]

Would you believe some knuckle head scrapped one at the local scrap yard I picked it up for $20 just needed a new plug and carb cleaned started 2nd kick I traded it for a RM 500 wish I had keeped the XR tho ☹️☹️be safe in the hurricane I remember living in Massachusetts how bad those storms can get

[@dylano7242]

2024 in my area colorado a 1985 xr500 no lights, 5k miles is $2000, a 1982 xl500 street legal, 8.5k miles is $1800.

[@KaplanCycles]

Value depends on condition with antiques. Most shops round here charge $100+ an hour plus parts so over 5k for a resto. Only an idiot would sell a resto for 1800

[@stephenbatdorf8928]

Kaplan Kool Kaptain

[@bennettostrander7774]

That is awesome

[@jaysweet8126]

Sun day fun day

[@DCzookster]

Hey dont be dogging thos Sazooks....LOL....Love you guys...Brraaaap...

[@ilovecheesecake516]

What’s the top speed on that thing?

[@thesteelstud3610]

That 23 inch front wheel was awful in turns but great for wheelies and driving over obstacles.

[@Brendenrittervogel]

U should get a xr 250 the xrs are amazing bikes

[@KaplanCycles]

I have one for my daily rider! Love it

[@Brendenrittervogel]

Would u put a walk around up on KZbin

[@stevemaxwell7341]

lovely

[@thusharachandana8543]

Hai sir 💯💯💯💯

[@1991enduro]

Really quiet sounding for a 500

[@stabbincabbincowbboy3770]

It is What it is haha And Then The Power Bands Right to the Right of Then on The Show Room Floor 👍🏻🤠🇺🇸

[@redtobertshateshandles]

DR500's rocked too. But vacuum carb on most models sucked.

[@deborahchesser7375]

Red Toberts a pumper wakes em right up