Scored a cheap '85 Odyssey on Craigslist

[MojaveRider]

During my daily Craigslist browsing I found an ad for an '85 Odyssey in town. Ad said it ran great but it was short on details. I disappear from work and go look at it, and it's not too bad. Runs and drives, but electric start isn't working, and it's badly sun faded. Rear fenders are gone, front fenders/foot area/seat are badly sun damaged. It has Works brand shocks on 3 corners, but what looks to be an OE shock on the RR, and an aftermarket pipe. I bought it for $1000, which I thought was a pretty good deal. He said he had several other people ready go come look at it.

After getting it home it appears to be in pretty decent mechanical shape. The wiring issue is related to no power getting to ignition switch, but I didn't get any further than that. I'm going to get some better pictures this weekend when the rain stops.

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[Ghostv2]

Its a 350 right? I always wanted one but they can get expensive. Especially the 350's. How much gas does that tank hold?

[MojaveRider]

Its a 350 right? I always wanted one but they can get expensive. Especially the 350's. How much gas does that tank hold?

Yes, the '85 is the 350cc with the front and rear suspension. According to Wikipedia the tank holds 3.1 gallons of premix with a .7 gal reserve.

I didn't know this before buying it but apparently there was a recall for engine overheating for the '85, and a different cylinder was installed that dropped the displacement down to 329cc. I believe mine had the recall done.

[tri again]

That looks crazy fun.
I wonder why they made them.
Psycho roll over dunes machine?
Were they ever raced?
I guess with a 350 - 2 stroke, they almost had to be for something special.
Did they have any competition?
Were there any 4 stroke models like a utility type?

Just asking as my neighbor has one for sale and I just never looked into it.

[MojaveRider]

That looks crazy fun.
I wonder why they made them.
Psycho roll over dunes machine?
Were they ever raced?
I guess with a 350 - 2 stroke, they almost had to be for something special.
Did they have any competition?
Were there any 4 stroke models like a utility type?

Just asking as my neighbor has one for sale and I just never looked into it.

Honda made these in some form for quite a while:
76-84: 250cc air cooled 2 stroke, front suspension only, pull start no reverse
85: 350cc air cooled 2 stroke, front and rear suspension, electric start with reverse
89: 400cc liquid cooled 2 stroke, longer travel front and rear suspension, electric start with reverse

I would assume they were raced at some point. Honda never made a 4 stroke utility one.

[Ghostv2]

WOW, i need to find myself a '89. I was kinda looking for a nice smaller 2 seater go-kart/buggy for me and the lady to ride. Most of them are not really gonna make it in the mountains here. If the fl350 or 400 was a 2 seater it would be a dream.

[MojaveRider]

WOW, i need to find myself a '89. I was kinda looking for a nice smaller 2 seater go-kart/buggy for me and the lady to ride. Most of them are not really gonna make it in the mountains here. If the fl350 or 400 was a 2 seater it would be a dream.

The '89's were renamed to Pilot. They are somewhat rare and demand a premium.

[Rider414]

My neighbor growing up had a 350 FL Odyssey. We use ride that thing all day all summer.

Super fun buggy - I would love to have one.

[rg97]

If I remeber right the liquid ones had trouble with overheating

[jb2wheels]

Nice find - good price too!

[6speedthumper]

Damn you are a super lucky SOB!!! I've been wanting either the 350 Odyssey or 400 Pilot. Actually, my Yamaha dealer has an 85 350 for sale! And, super clean! Near new tires, aftermarket exhaust, sweet fenders and seat... BUT... $4000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MojaveRider]

Damn you are a super lucky SOB!!! I've been wanting either the 350 Odyssey or 400 Pilot. Actually, my Yamaha dealer has an 85 350 for sale! And, super clean! Near new tires, aftermarket exhaust, sweet fenders and seat... BUT... $4000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really nice ones seem to demand quite the premium. This one is far from super clean, but hopefully it will work out to be a nice runner.

I think I've got the front brakes working. The shaft connected to the front brake lever was all corroded in the steering wheel. After cleaning it up and applying some grease it works smoothly. The brake fluid looks way better than I expected: clear, not all gummed up. I still need to inspect inside the front drums. The rear disc works, but the parking brake is gummed up. Hopefully some cleaning will get it working too.

[RDH/86200X]

What would a nice fl250 go for. Just a ball park.

[MojaveRider]

What would a nice fl250 go for. Just a ball park.

That's a good question. There is a really clean and original FL250 near me that has been for sale for some time for $1800. I'd guess $500-1000 for a running one.

[JasonB]

im jealous!!! looks like a solid runner, i want one real bad

[DohcBikes]

Damn you are a super lucky SOB!!! I've been wanting either the 350 Odyssey or 400 Pilot. Actually, my Yamaha dealer has an 85 350 for sale! And, super clean! Near new tires, aftermarket exhaust, sweet fenders and seat... BUT... $4000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still worth every penny in my opinion. If you've ever driven an odyssey you know what I'm talking about!

[MojaveRider]

I got some good work done this week. I finally traced down the ignition power wiring problem. Someone has clearly been in that wiring before. There were not one but TWO splices in the red/white wire that goes from the battery, to the rectifier, up to the ignition switch, but both of them were good. At one point that particular wire came out of the loom, and went in between the frame and skid plate instead of above the frame like the rest of them. I found a spot where the insulation was good but you could feel the cooper inside was broken. I re-loomed all the wires properly and now all the electronics are working: starter, headlights, tail light, and the stator is charging.

I pulled the front drums and the shoes looked OK. I made a minor adjustment to the front cable and the front brakes seem to be working properly. I also went ahead and bled the front and rear brakes. I haven't looked at the parking brake yet. I opened the air box and of course there is no trace of an air filter.

Here are some better pictures. I pulled off the nasty seat cover. It sucks how much damage the sun has done to the plastics and seat. You can see where the harness was sitting on the seat. The tub is brittle but not too broken up. There is some damage to the column cover but it's holding together. The fenders are rough, with a few holes and several home made braces. You can see the outline of a "Works Shock" sticker that must have been on there for years.

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[6speedthumper]

Way cool! When will we get a vid of it running?

[samuraiguys]

Cool man I have a 350 odyssey, ive had several and have had pilots aswell. The fl350 is faster then a pilot when built up right but the pilots ride and handle way better plus are super reliable. Those dam 350s always melt top ends down. I blew mine up 3 times in one year.. and yes it was jetted correctly and I even ran a digitron egt monitor..

[trike savior]

I forget what brand but there is a common 500cc snowmobile engine guys throw in those and go stupid fast.

ghostv2 Google search "red line buggy" smaller company that make some sweet buggys that spank the Honda/ Yamaha side by sides. They make them in 1 and 2 seaters.

There is a guy on Indianapolis CL that has 2 250's and a 350. I know he wanted 1000 for the 350, running but no fenders. I cant remember what he wanted for the 250's

[MojaveRider]

Way cool! When will we get a vid of it running?

I could probably do that at some point, but right now it's buried in my garage. I had been storing a car outside while I worked on it, but to get everything back in it is packed pretty tight.


Cool man I have a 350 odyssey, ive had several and have had pilots aswell. The fl350 is faster then a pilot when built up right but the pilots ride and handle way better plus are super reliable. Those dam 350s always melt top ends down. I blew mine up 3 times in one year.. and yes it was jetted correctly and I even ran a digitron egt monitor..

Did you ever run a water cooled head?

[6speedthumper]

I saw the Redline Buggies on Nitro Circus! Looked cool. To bad the price isn't :/ A liquid cooled head would be sweet, is there one? I know there were liquid cooled top ends for the air cooled R.

[90guy]

I feel like a caveman with mine haha! 79 FL250.

[MojaveRider]

I saw the Redline Buggies on Nitro Circus! Looked cool. To bad the price isn't :/ A liquid cooled head would be sweet, is there one? I know there were liquid cooled top ends for the air cooled R.

Yes, there are several liquid cooled heads on the market, and I think some have even run a liquid cooled cylinder, though that is much more involved.


I feel like a caveman with mine haha! 79 FL250.

It's a Honda and better than any crappy imported go-kart with a Briggs and Scrap Iron engine. :)

[TatTooL23]

$1,000 is a steal for an FL350 in that shape. i have 3 of them, and an FL400 Pilot. they made the pilots in '89 + '90.

y o u r cylinder is the updated one. u can tell by the head. the fins r angled to match the air shrouds angles. the original head had straight cooling fins.

[MojaveRider]

$1,000 is a steal for an FL350 in that shape. i have 3 of them, and an FL400 Pilot. they made the pilots in '89 + '90.

y o u r cylinder is the updated one. u can tell by the head. the fins r angled to match the air shrouds angles. the original head had straight cooling fins.

Good to know! I thought it had the updated parts, as there is an X scratched after the VIN, but I didn't know you could tell by looking at the head.

[MojaveRider]

Check out pilotodyssey.com they are to pilots and odysseys what 3ww is to three wheelers. And the some of the members are on here aswell.Site mod/owner goes by on hoser on here and there. Nice score.

I've already made an account and I've got a thread going :D

[aldochina]

My buddy used to have one when we were like 15! Only thing is he never let any of us ride it!! We used to hang on to the outside of the cage down the fire road:crazy: Thats as close to riding one that I ever got. I have never seen one for 1000.00 bucks. Great deal on that!

[czac]

my neighbor had one of these just sitting on a trailer in his yard until Hurricane sandy or one of the recent storms we had caused a giant tree to fall on it and crush it and the trailer it was on! I wish I had thought to ask him to sell it to me before all that!

[MojaveRider]

I haven't updated this thread in a bit. A friend of mine was driving it around my yard, and the stock clutch on the engine side exploded :( I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it came completely apart and bent up all the belt guards. I replaced it with a Comet 94C with a new belt, and she's back to running again.

[petesatc]

All the Q&A are here http://www.pilotodyssey.com/PO/index.php?sid=c6764cabe0e31a00a884157caf7ca826