My new 1983 XR500r, the cheapest supermoto on Craigslist. Can I even start it?

[@sloppyoppie]

Cheap but worthy! I got mine after riding 2strokes for 25 years ...and I still get a little willy time to time starting it. I never start it sitting- only from the pro-link standing.- fack that I'm 5'6. Got rid of the auto decomp system after fiddling with it for years. I just slowly, blipping the manual decomp lever if equipped, kick it just barely past tdc (you'l know it well with this bike) then give it all I've got. It hasn't popped back at me yet with that method. Ever. But forget to start from TDC and it'll leave a mark. If I feel like its gonna give me a leg workout... hold open throttle and squeeze the manual decomp lever and kick it over ten or so times quickish' then it should start like normal within a few tries after that. The manual decomp also helps w/ pop starting it too. I never liked the front brakes either but a cr250 front end swap worked great and is an easy, cheap upgrade. Plus the forks rock! (allballz has the conversion bearing). As far as the rattle goes... no matter how my valves are adjusted.. it'll rattle. Mines got all new stuff and still the cam chain rattles, the rod- big end and small end rattle, piston rattles, valves tap, balancer rattles.... but as long as the cam journals are good (mines an '82 non rfvc) / I don't see severe sparklies when I change the oil I got a lot of confidence in the thing. It's rattled for a lot of hard desert miles. Ohh yeah forgot to mention....... ZINC! Lots of it. Good luck!

[@GarageAddiction]

Haha glad to hear about the rattling, I didn’t see anything in the oil so that was a nice relief. I think this beast is going to go back to street duty until I find a 17 front and potentially the cr250 swap. Thanks for the awesome info!

[@83tbjsm]

I just got one of these about 3 weeks ago. Went through the carbs got em cleaned. Freed the throttle cables up. Runs like an absolute champ! Lots of power had it rapped up to 73mph yesterday. But to my main comment. She kicked me back yesterday. My boot slipped off the kickstart lever and she fired back. Shin is very very swollen 😂

[@GarageAddiction]

Haha this was the only bike I've ever been afraid to kick! Glad you got yours sorted out!

[@83tbjsm]

@@GarageAddiction i dont have alot of bike experience. I cant coubt it on one hand lol. Boss picked it uo for me. Him and his son boh ride 125's. Well they let me take the yamaha ahen we go riding, im just a little heavy for that poor thing 😂

[@GarageAddiction]

Sounds like a perfect fit!

[@jacques5379]

Could you perhaps advise how you did the electric wiring to street legal🤷‍♂️I have the same but having a battle with wiring.

[@paulhaines5755]

Nice! Hopefully the rattly ticking isn't your conrod top bore... If you ever stall one of these like for example let the RPMs get a little low then it dies, they can be really tough to start. Trick is to pull decompression, open throttle wide open then slow kick it over about 10 times. Usually they start up nice after that little treatment. Mid 80's XR's were notorious for that.

[@GarageAddiction]

Yeah I’m hoping it’s just a the cam chain tensioner. At the track it took a good 10 minutes to start. Doing that in full leathers was... fun. I need to replace the decomp setup haha

[@maximuslongrod6361]

i just visited my uncle who is beyond his riding years, pulled his 83 500r out of his shop and loaded it into my truck. looks like i have a project for the winter

[@GarageAddiction]

Sounds like a fun project, nothing like a family bike!

[@andrewlewis3429]

Michigan Plate? I’m from Newaygo, MI. Where are you from

[@GarageAddiction]

CA plate, I'm in Southern California :D I'm originally from Michigan though, near Lansing

[@mattfstephens]

That's a really cool bike. A little bit of imagination and it will be awesome looking. What I'm hearing is a timing chain slop clack. I think on that motor you have to external bolts on the right side of throttle body was n the head. If you loosen those two just a couple turns the slack tensioner on the Chain will adjust and that noise might go away. Do this while its off. If it doesn't go away you might need to buy a new cam chain being that it is stretched out too much for the slack tensioner to adjust for. Some people don't know about this and they ride them until the chain wears through the head. Much luck, ride for the cause!

[@GarageAddiction]

Many thanks! I ripped the engine apart after the decompression arm broke, hanging a valve which gave the piston a little kiss. Going to check the tensioner when she goes back together. Whenever this pandemic allows me to get my head back.

[@MasonStankey]

I got the same bike with my decomp level with no cables I think it’s your ticking on your valve cover

[@GarageAddiction]

It was definitely part of it and resulted in a bent valve, I removed the arm and filled the hole with a freeze plug before sending it to it's new home.

[@deborahchesser7375]

The valves are screaming, check those and the cam chain FAST

[@GarageAddiction]

Yeah the valves were actually pretty good but I’m thinking that cam chain tensioner is having a bad day haha

[@deborahchesser7375]

Garage Addiction try holding the decompression arm up and see if it quiets down any. That maybe your rattle

[@GarageAddiction]

It helps quiet the arm tick but there is definitely another source as well. At some point it's going to come apart for some inspection :D

[@deborahchesser7375]

Garage Addiction it’s worth doing, that bike will be bulletproof once you freshen her up. Keep us posted, thanks

[@GarageAddiction]

She's definitely on the ever growing list of projects to tackle! I got reaaaaal busy at work these last couple months haha.

[@theboat9311]

This is exactly the same as the bike i learned to ride on, sitting in the garage about to start rebuilding it

[@GarageAddiction]

That’s awesome, I wish I still owned the bike I learned to ride on!

[@sloppyoppie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGLXf2N-nNOJebM The guy at 4mins is awesome!

[@GarageAddiction]

This is an amazing ad!

[@ricgsy7825]

Had aYZ490. kickstarted like this guy kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJvPlHalebB0htE for 10 mins to get it started. Thats the only way to start a big 490. I always hold the clutch in too when I start a bike so my hand ached after 10 mins of hard kicking. Always get guys watching you when your kicking the shit out of a bike high and hard and having a hard time getting it to start.

[@GarageAddiction]

Haha yeah it seems to come with the territory. I kicked the XR for a good 5 minutes straight once before realizing the gas was off, then another 5 to actually get it going!