86ish XLV750?

[Woodman]

I had a hoon on one in the 80's during a Honda ride day thing. Was pretty cool, first big bike I ever rode.

There is one I see quite often parked on Motuekas main street. Looks ok too.

[_Shrek_]

Have to agree D,that pic you posted the thing looks like a heap of fun,wonder how it weighs in compared to a modernish Beemer etc.

well it looks lighter than the sherman.... & it looks like you could have fun on it to

D..... get round to ellipsis's shed & take it for a sooner rather than later

[dangerous]

well it looks lighter than the sherman.... & it looks like you could have fun on it to

D..... get round to ellipsis's shed & take it for a sooner rather than later

Ive been in his many sheds... nothing prety about any of the contents LOL but they all seem to go... if all else fails wonder how one would go as a post classic motard

MEAN

[98tls]

Ive been in his many sheds... nothing prety about any of the contents LOL but they all seem to go... if all else fails wonder how one would go as a post classic motard

MEAN

How about sliding a VTR motor in there,ive a pic somewhere of a TL1000 based tard some Jap put together,farkin awesome thing.

[Motu]

You called...? The XLV750 has no relationship to any other Honda V Twin - a 45 degree aircooled dry sumped engine is not something Honda does, but the XLV750 is the exception. There are theories why - a Paris/Dakar bike to go up against the BMW twins...air cooling and shaft drive was considered the way to go back then. Simplicity of servicing - spin on oil filter, an airfilter in the tank, a 1/4 turn and it's out, hydraulic lash adjusters...they only had 30 minutes at the end of the day to work on the bike. But it was a privateers bike, not a factory racer, Honda did that a bit later.

Then there is the Harley XR750 - a 45 degree aircooled dry sump V Twin....with the same bore and stroke as the XLV750. The engine cases were used as homogulated items to build the RS750 - the bike that could beat the XR750 on the dirttracks.

I loved my XLV750, but for a petite 5' 7'' bloke it was way too big off road. Weighs as much as a BMW, but it's like riding with 2 bags of cement on your lap, the CG is just too much too high. I used mine for back roads and gravel....but did get sucked into going off road a few times - a bike you can't pick up is way too embarrassing to ride. Good fun on gravel, but like most big bikes it takes a lot to get it slowed down for corners - the same size tyres as a bike half it's weight, so laws of nature come into effect.

The gorgeous French colours D model didn't come to NZ, but the ugly F model did. Most were black/ maroon, rare was the black/blue (Cave Weta had/has one) and even more rare was the black/silver. The early model had some cam chain issues (it's a Honda) supposed to be sorted on the F model. I couldn't keep buying bikes and rotating them to the back of the shed, so was really, really sad to see my XLV750 go. I think it ended up in the Sth Is.

To me it rode like a huge XR250 on seal and gravel, so I painted it XR red.

Saw one in town last week - I was going somewhere, when i got back 10 mins later it was gone....

[98tls]

Nice M,looks like a heap of fun to me.

[98tls]

Found pic of said TL tard.

[ellipsis]

...my tartan paint job seems to attract piss-takers around here, but here we go again......the guard and dash cover and seat are in the shed...the mufflers rusted out and they got replaced with whatever I had to hand at the the...hd I think...

[Transalper]

ok best I google that, never heard nor seen a XRV, were did you see the XRV, in NZ?....

The XLV definitely looks more dirt worthy than the XRV, XRV has fairing similar to a bigger version of the 600 Transalp.
I've seen two XRV's in Christchurch (KBers thepom and thetourist both had them) and there's another up French Pass way... and a whole thread for the XRV650 and 750 here on KB and the tourist can be seen sliding about in mud on road tyres on his in one of my videos.

But again XRV quite a different bike to the XLV which has your interest.

[_Shrek_]

...my tartan paint job seems to attract piss-takers around here

I wonder why

[dangerous]

The XLV750 has no relationship to any other Honda V Twin - a 45 degree aircooled dry sumped engine is not something Honda does, but the XLV750 is the exception. There are theories why - a Paris/Dakar bike to go up against the BMW twins...air cooling and shaft drive was considered the way to go back then. Simplicity of servicing - spin on oil filter, an airfilter in the tank, a 1/4 turn and it's out, hydraulic lash adjusters...

ahhh, very interesting I was sure they were a VT engine but there ya go aye... what are lash adjusters, tappits? and Im now thinking parts would be hard to get.

one of my videos.

awesome, bit of damage going on tho, did you have to drain ya bike after ditching it in the river and the poor xrv diving in the stones after the same crossing, that would done the tank in. Where was that trip?

[Motu]

ahhh, very interesting I was sure they were a VT engine but there ya go aye... what are lash adjusters, tappits? and Im now thinking parts would be hard to get.

Malcolm at Econohonda has owned an XLV750, so no need to explain to the parts person what you are talking about. Anything I ever wanted for the XLV750 he got or had on shelf.

And the 45 degree engine has an offset crank, it fires as a 90 deg engine - like a Ducati.

[Transalper]

.....awesome, bit of damage going on tho, did you have to drain ya bike after ditching it in the river and the poor xrv diving in the stones after the same crossing, that would done the tank in. Where was that trip?

Yes, squeezed the air filter, pulled the sparkplug and tipped on end for exhaust but the oil did not turn white so all good and going again in half an hour to continue the ride.
The ride started at North Loburn in to Lees Valley then on to private land where the river was which we each paid a small fee for access to. It was one of my favourite rides but we've only been in there a couple of times all told.

[nudemetalz]

Found pic of said TL tard.

Bet it wheelies pretty good

I have always liked the XLV's. Sorta a forerunner to the V-Strom 650 but with more style.

[neels]

So you really did enjoy offroading on the AG100 then

hmmmm.... yeah, that wrong of me?

Nope, nothing wrong with that at all, being a recent born again offroader I understand completely.

The 750 sounds like a good compromise for you D, an offroader but you still get a v-twin engine, and not a lot heavier than the new KLR650 I saw at the dealers the other day

Mentioned this to a guy at work, his comment was that it sounds like the same engine as a NV750, a quick trip to the interwebs and it looks like he's right.....

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/mod...lv750%2085.htm

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/mod...750_custom.htm