Restoring a Beautiful 1982 Honda XL185s Dual Sport Bike

[@TheAmericanUhate]

Looks exactly like my first bike i ever had. I was about 8 or 9 years old and my dad took me to this field and said, see that big dirt hill over there? I said yes, and he said go jump it. I did, and loved it and ended up getting a better bike later and started racing. I raced MX, Arenacross, and cross country for 15 years. I'm old and beat up now, and miss riding every single day.

[@motorman1873]

He said what? Hold it till the swelling goes down? Yeah wow

[@Gixie-R]

Old and beat up. But still willing to have a go i presume?

[@TheAmericanUhate]

@@Gixie-R I keep telling my wife all the reasons I need another bike 😂 Man I'd love to get back into it, even just trail riding would be great. Last time I got to ride was in 2007, lost everything and rebuilt my life basically. Only thing missing is my bikes. I tried an electric mountain bike, it's alright, not the same but it's fun at least lol

[@TheAmericanUhate]

@@motorman1873 I have looked back and questioned if that was necessary at my age on that size bike but glad it worked out lmao. When I was about 12, he got me a KDX250 2 stroke enduro bike, and my feet wasn't even near the ground. I'd have to lean it on a fence to climb on and get going. Way too fast for me but I rode it 😂

[@dnali4361]

Llpllllllallllllllĺllllll

[@systomattic8469]

Thanks Doug for joining the team

[@toddabbott781]

You are making me feel old (53). When I was 14 (1983) I bought a 1970 Honda Trail 70. The tires were almost bald, it had no first gear, the handlebars were bent, and took me about an hour to start the first time. I rode it hard for 2 years. Not bad for $20.

[@josealmeida8731]

Seriously, now we are on one of restoration, I like this channel more and more

[@franciscolopez3229]

Another tip is one I read in an article from Bob Hannah's mechanic. When changing tires, if the rubber band on the inner rims are worn out, wrapped it with electrical tape at least 5 times, this are to prevent the tubes from being punctured in the even a spoke gets loose and protrudes. Lastly, before installing new tubes, put it inside a plastic bag and put a generous amount of talcum powder then shake so it is evenly coated. This is to prevent the tube from sticking on the inner side walls of the tires that is one reasons that causes flats and will just play around inside. I congratulate you guys for having that bike coz those are almost indestructable just by having regular oil change.

[@Nvenus27]

I like the new addition of Doug to the channel. Happy Father’s Day to you guys if it applies.

[@markebedwell4360]

Hey Doug how are you welcome to rather b welding.

[@glenpiro313]

Take a look at the comments in regards to the tire swaps, your answers are all there. A “C” clamp is beyond helpful, as is a number of Motion Pro tools , the Bead Buddy being key. Chris atc made a comment that is the key to your biggest woes; always keep the opposite side UNDER the drop center of the rim. Do that, use a small amount of air in the tube, some lube on the tire, never bring your tire irons past 90 degrees, take small bites with your irons, and youll never pinch a tube again, and your tire mounting will be beyond easy. That is an absolute survivor of a Honda, your muffler was excellent, it even sounded stock!

[@larrydavidson3402]

Great looking bike, amazing that it's 40 years old and looks almost as good as new.

[@davidowen888]

Ah memories I graduated in 83, bikes like these were always blasting around the neighborhood 👌

[@kd5dvt1]

LOVE IT!!! My very first street bike was a 1982 XL125 back in 1984. Miss that bike so badly.

[@blazeallday6334]

I love too see that u have some one to help u with stuff so that not all the stress goes on u man u can tell that u not having to do so much work is better for your health 💯🤟💪

[@chrishorst6993]

That is a beautiful motorcycle. It’s good that they kept it inside

[@bryduhbikeguy]

People always find cars hidden in barns that wash right up,but not bikes.That's a Real Win there.Great find,and runs good.Happy Trails !

[@jimdoran1396]

Great video, I had a 1978 version at age 13 back in 1980, Manchester, UK, Off road use only, bought cheap due to smashed crank case, I had to get that welded and then install a new gear shift selector, Great fun bike, heavy for a short kid though.

[@mrshaneyt43]

I’m old so this is from my era . I had the 125 version when I was a young fella . And that is honestly a amazing find , as you was working on it I was thinking the frame looked brand new . Great video 👍

[@playinwithfirecustoms7954]

That bike is nothing short of amazing!! Beautiful bike, nice save!! Your buddy is a lucky guy!!!!

[@carlzrx]

I had a 185 way back when,it was one of the best little bikes I’ve ever owned,it never let me down.

[@Rideaholic069]

Judging by the shape that bike is in I’d be willing to think that chain is original. That’s a rare bike. It should be quick because it has the same engine as the 185s three wheelers of that era and they were decently fast. If memory serves me the ones I had would do between 50 & 60 mph which was fast back then especially on a three wheeler. Those motors were practically bullet proof and extremely user friendly. Very easy to work on. The only issue they had that I recall was if they sat a while or had a lot of hours on the motor the rings would go bad. They are so easy to replace that I literally drove one I had a few miles from home to work on it in a friends garage and drove it home less than an hour later. Very good machine and if you need to know anything about that engine reply to this comment and we can exchange contact info. I’m more than glad to share my knowledge with you on that.

[@leadgindairy3709]

you would be willing to think...😂 😂

[@TrackMania753]

I’m fixing up a 1981 Honda Goldwing GL1100 with my dad. It’s in similar shape as this. It has 4 carbs though and that took awhile. I was born in 90 but I’m fascinated by cars and bikes made in the 80’s

[@RTDragonCommando]

My first bike was a 1977 xl75, then just a few years later I upgraded to a 1981 XL125S. I loved that bike, but I couldn't keep it, and haven't owned a ridable motorcycle since, due to financial and health reasons. I still regret giving it up, that thing was reliable as hell even in the state I got it, which was absolutely thrashed.

[@200mmonster4]

Wow that bike is clean for the year. Amazing job on the muffler.

[@winksongs]

Had the XL125 and it got nicked. Used the insurance to buy the 175 version and later replaced it with a 400 Four... Now gota 1980 Xl 185 to complete the XL set. Reliable starter, has only let me down when I've run out of fuel and is so easy to maintain. Parts can be hard to find but I can always buy a similar Honda part and bodge it to fit. Easy and fun to ride if, like me, you live in the country and don't need speed.

[@Persiantramp]

I live in Iran and we still produce and run these engines on approximately 80 percent of bikes in my country, they're a pretty bulletproof engine and very cheap to maintain

[@motorman1873]

I live in we don't run!!.....

[@jonstorey6414]

Wow this brings back some memory's. When i was younger i had the HONDA SL 125. I loved them old bikes

[@dukie1616]

I found/captured a black widow right above our shop sink and let it go behind the shop out back a ways. Two days later it or one about the same size was back in the same spot! Lesson; I dispatched it like I should’ve done in the first place.

[@M-oneeleven-M111]

These dual sport bikes are so much fun, I have a 89 Yamaha Xt225 Serow it will go anywhere it just don't go that fast. That's a lovely Honda XL enjoyed watching this man 👍

[@jacksonms212]

I had one when I was a kid . It was a Christmas gift when I was 14 and I road the crap out of till I was in my mid 20's . I still have it but it's in the storage . Almost in the same shape as this one . I started it about a year ago but I could tell the gas was crap and the carb needed some cleaning .

[@TheHemiphil81]

Beauty. This was the very first motorcycle I bought on my own when I was 18 years old. Lol .I rode the wheels off of that bike..

[@peppem94marsala]

9:47 I think the trick is to press the opposite side of the tire in the middle of the rim where the circumference is a bit smaller

[@EngineeredToDesign]

Looks awesome blast from the past! I like the vlog style type of video

[@thomasdausch8557]

Wow so nice to see another honda back up and running good,,,,i had a 1979 xl-185s it was the 1st bike i owned, brought back fond memories,, tks guys for making my day,,, ride safe on your upcoming trip

[@martinrutherford4562]

put a little air in the tube before you put the tire on so the tube won't get pinch with a hole.

[@danf4616]

I still have a 86 XL250 I bought new. Ran it in the California desert for 20 years. Still runs fine. Great bikes.

[@Gixie-R]

I had one of those back in the day. Bullet proof as standard, they go on and on with the minimum of fuss. Almost the C90 of the dirt world. That bike beat off British winters with nothing more than a wet plug cap. Tape that up and there the perfect commuter .

[@andrewbaker234]

Great project.

[@johnpinard4539]

That's the first bike that I ever owned. It was great to see it running!😊

[@ZrubekFamily]

Nice bike, I had a 1975 Honda XL 125. Love riding that thing all around the trails and town.

[@oldhillbillybuckkowalski]

I've got a 1982 Honda XL185S, not quite as clean and pretty as that one but up until a couple months ago I was riding the snot out of it daily. I use it for transportation on our rural county roads and for getting out to some remote areas where I hunt deer and feral hogs. It'll run comfortably at 50 mph all day, with bursts up to 62 or so and a measured top speed of 70 mph. They all seem to need a muffler, mine is no exception. I parked it because it needs a top end overhaul and since I got a Kawasaki Bayou 250 for offroad stuff and I built a Massimo Baja Warrior MB 200 minibike and put a Briggs and Stratton Vanguard Vtwin 479cc for on road use ( minibike cruises at 50mph all day, tops out at 65mph with a 36 tooth rear sprocket) I now can give my XL185S the tlc it deserves. These really are great on/off road go anywhere bikes as long as your not in a hurry to get there. At 215 lbs I'm not a little guy and it has pulled me up every hill, over every sand dunes, and through every mud pit I've ever asked it to. Super simple mechanically, keep oil in it, keep your cam chain adjusted, keep your valves adjusted, and don't try to do stuff it wasn't ment to do and it'll last forever. Piece of trivia, in the movie First Blood, the main character, John Rambo escapes from jail and knocks som guy off a 1982 Honda XL185S to make his get away, although in the high speed action shots of him being chased buy the sheriff they switch to a Honda CR 250 two stroke.

[@Hjerte_Verke]

Don't be the bane of motorcycle owners. People like you treat their bikes like crap "riding the snot" out of them and then simply trash them when they break. That's why there's so few of these in nice condition and people are rightly shocked when they see one like this. The disposable mindset never allows a bike like this 1982 XL a chance at being a classic or a survivor. You're absolutely incorrect about the motorcycle in First Blood, it is so easily verified by high definition DVD & other reference materials that it's a bit laughable at this point. Rambo's stolen bike is a 1982 Yamaha XT250 and is the same bike throughout all scenes or at least the scenes where it is Stallone and not the stuntman. Perhaps the worst crime is they added 2-stroke sounds to a 4-stroke bike. I suppose that was done with 'artistic license' to make the chase sound more hectic.

[@Teammizera]

I had an 83’ was my first bike. The side panel is sitting in a muck hole deep in the woods on a trail that was closed for elk or something. Like earned

[@sicks6six]

Ah the Honda XL from the 80s, had many versions of this bike, I had that 185 engine in a small frame 100xl, that was fun, being small wheeled with the bigger engine,

[@JohnkTaylor987]

I would absolutely love to have one of those. Awesome video. 👍🏻

[@fishingwithfilitsa]

Great video👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@BUILDNIGHT]

Awesome old Honda! FANTASTIC condition!

[@_zzpza]

That bike is sooo clean. :)

[@MaNNeRz91]

I'd of killed that spider too tbh.. I know people will go mad but he can't have them nesting multiplying and hiding up in his tools and projects waiting to ruin his day

[@LogicalJay]

No more "camera guy". You do a great job with your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@Silverlyx]

This was my dream bike ! I had the XL125s (UK) same age bike - my first and only bike

[@thercbarn5001]

Wow that's a sweet looking bike! My uncle had one way back in the day.

[@theseaatstorm8044]

I had an 85 350xl many years ago, dual sports are my favorite because they can literally go pretty much anywhere. Now riding a 07 dr200 that's about the same thing.

[@HickabillyTim]

Awesome, what a blast from the past. Nice bike!

[@_zzpza]

12:20 - I think it's a centrifugal oil filter. So the filter needs cleaning when servicing, not replacing.

[@CainSample]

I'm shocked to see someone else in your shed and videos with you....movin on up with a camera man I see 🤙

[@edwardthompson3213]

I hade one exactly the same when i was a kid. Road the wheels off it for years. Veary capable bike of road . Honda build quality back then was excellent .love this video brings back so many good memories 👍👍

[@motorman1873]

Everyone has exactly the same thing at one point geez

[@Hjerte_Verke]

You "rode the wheels off" of it, which is why it didn't survive your "disposable bike" mindset. Even then, people hated them because they were a cheap "jap bike" and were considered junk.

[@franciscolopez3229]

If I may, the shocks are positioned correctly from the factory. The muffler is the one in the middle of the frame. The that was cut off is just a spark arrestor. I know, coz I had one a long long time ago, when mine started to rust, what we did was cut it off diagonally near the shock mount, it made a greater sound and added a little more torque.

[@JNC1973]

YOU FREAKING SPIDER MURDERER !!!! 😆---- Just Kidding !! 😉 My Uncle used to have that same exact bike the Honda 185 XL. I used to love that thing. This brings back real memories for me. 80s bikes were the best !!

[@Bobbingalong]

I rode one of these back in 1985 as a daily ride amazing bikes. I wish i still owned it.

[@martinrutherford4562]

Great shape , I had a 1979 XL500 , loved it

[@aserta]

8:57 rather than using soapy water, use copious amounts of talcum powder for these kinds of things (bicycle, narrow motorcycle wheels etc). Works much better and allows the tube to move around. Talcum powder acts like a lubricant. Also, when you apply it, you'll feel any bumps and nicks that might catch the tube and pop it, the talcum makes it easier to feel them because of its slippery nature, where as with a naked hand, you wouldn't, normally.

[@InnocentMiscreant]

Great bike even the simple home made muffler sounds stock

[@johnmorgan1629]

Looks good for 40 years old.

[@shaharsdechen2537]

great stuff! good to see doug on camera

[@adamfierstine]

I cant believe ive been whatching your channel for years and i just realized i never knew your first name until today!

[@edwardweisenburg16]

I had a new 1976 XL 350. Sooooo much fun 😊. Awesome 👍😎

[@joevendramin9509]

The bike's mint! What a find.

[@ronsherfy6291]

Nice Honda and the shocks are on correctly!

[@davidbaker9667]

I had an xr 185 and I loved that thing as a pre teen early teen that thing took a beating and keeped on ticking it looked almost exactly like that one

[@Skiridr22]

That’s an holy grail it’s in mint condition for its age

[@projectbumblejeep4190]

Very nice bike. Great job on the "restoration". Bike looks terrific. God bless and stay well.

[@jackreacher1963]

That honda is in amazing shape for a 40 year old bike. You did the right thing black widow. There name black widow because there fun to play with. Haha.

[@bradwilsey9426]

I love the old school off-road bikes. I’ve got a 1978 Suzuki Ds185 (2troke). The off-road version of the Ts185.

[@jeremycable51]

You two have a good dynamic looking forward to you guys growing as a team it’s about time to finally upgrade to a full-size shop with a gantry crane to ditch those sketchy ratchet straps ups easy but the down can be a mess if you ain’t careful

[@michaelblacktree]

That's quite a find!

[@DetroitMicroSound]

It's not far off the famous XL250 flat track bike!!!! 🤙🤙🤙🤙 Rather B custom badass.......... Gorgeous bike. DO WHAT HONDA RACING WOULD DO....... Spray stuff with Steel-It.

[@Motor-City_Ben-Diesel]

Love it. I have a 78 Yamaha xl175 I got from my dad. I’ll never sell it

[@shanedavis4963]

the camera man was a nice interaction to see along with just building an awesome bike

[@brambob9510]

Nice work. I wish I had a dad.

[@VisorView]

Yup, I had one. Lovely bike.

[@ChernobylPoptart]

Nyce! Looks like new! It reminds of the bike in an old 80s movie called Firstborn.

[@barrypritchard2306]

Bit of information when you put new tyres on when you put back the inertube put same air in the tube .👍👍👍

[@richardsteele6776]

Excellent classic Honda. 👍

[@fergusonhr]

It's called drop center, the middle of the rim is smaller, put the opposite side wall down into that area and the hard side will pop right on...

[@Jonesec1]

Great job man, I always before seating the tire bead put the tube in the tire and inflate it maybe 1 or 2 psi to just fill up the void inside the tire this in my opinion lessens the likelihood of pinching it.

[@jamesmcgee9279]

Well done guys!

[@Josh-ut9fp]

Good job man

[@arafatmotogarage]

Great to see improvements and the biggest of all is having a camera man with u...keep improving by making a bigger and better workplace...

[@fotisvaleontis3495]

legendary dual sport love these things

[@emilioolvera8874]

@@Nicole-mn9oy de que hablas?

[@45acp]

Awesome find. Wish I could find one like that.

[@notimegarage8632]

Such a nice bike!!! Have your camera man check his distance tho, use to your wide shots, don't know if that's just me

[@jpwhre]

Haven’t started watching yet. In 1989 my first bike was a 79 XL185. It was fun, for what it was, but I would have kids on CR50’s blow past like I was standing still, and I had to get off and push when I hit sand. Gutless old dog.

[@namtech425]

Those are indestructible, I had the 200cc version they are so nice.

[@hakimchannel]

you brought your bike to the right place, this dude is an expert

[@ericwilson2585]

Yeah, that's a beautiful machine you guys, wish it were mine...

[@firefighter494]

My first bike was a 1990 xr200r. Great video

[@pongping1378]

I was stomping the floor for you when that spider made an appearance haha

[@markmckeachnie4484]

Remember where theirs one theirs usually more be carful

[@musicauthority3516]

That bike is a time capsule

[@apexaero]

Try Liquid Tape on the Gash in the Seat! It will last quite a while!

[@apexaero]

Liquid Tape

[@liamdtraxxas2011]

The reason that tyre was hard to get on is cos if u hav the other side of the tyre your working on pushed into the centre of the wheel where there's an indent for the tyre to sit in so there's more room the side your working on the tyre was on the bead. 👍👍👍👊👊👊

[@davidstephens81]

Did a good job man