1983 Honda XL600 [Archive]

robomatic

11-03-2007, 01:12 AM

I just bought this bike from an auction yesterday, any of you guys own this bike? From looking it over it seems the oil is kept in a seperate resovoir in the frame. 10-40 to fill it up? I'm going to be removing the motor and taking a look at the internals and I'm pretty sure the carbs need rebuilding.

robomatic

11-05-2007, 01:07 AM

anything you know would be great guys

grundlegrabber

12-05-2007, 09:19 PM

I have an '85 XL600R, same bike with different colors. Dry sump oil system. Oil pump pumps oil out of the reservoir (which is part of the frame) and into the motor. This system generally works better than a wet sump, where the pump sucks oil out of the crankcase. Good bikes but older ones often burn oil (usually valve guides/seals).

Huffa

12-09-2007, 08:29 PM

I bought one brand new in 83, it was my favorite dual sport bike of all the ones I ever owned until I bought this 94 XR650L in the summer of 07.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/huffa/DSC04662.jpg

The 83 actually had more power then my 94 but let me tell ya, the 83 had a twilight zone starting issue! Cold it started OK and totally warmed up hot it was OK but take a short jaunt where it's in between, :mad: it would make a fool out of you trying to start it sometimes and in extreme cold weather it wasn't any fun either.

My 650 has electric start, so that issue is gone with me now, thank god!

The oil check system on both is the same and is strange, you start it up from cold, let it run 5 minutes or so till warmed up, kill it and check in a few minutes. Sometimes it's right on while other times it's low.

My 650 is the same way. Honda insist 2 quarts, I and many other guys insist that's wrong and say it's 2 & 3/4 to fill. It's been a debate between owners for a long time, some say theirs is filled with two quarts like manual, no way for mine or others, very strange !

The 83 is a great bike though, I never had any other issues with it at all and it was a much better wheelie machine them my 94 because it had better low end grunt, both have a top speed of around 100 mph. You should expect to get between 45-60 mpg with yours. I get in the upper 50's with the 650 almost all the time. I clamed down in my old age so hardly ever really get it on like I did with the 600, I'm just thrilled to have one again, been 23 years!

I took a pic of a pic here of the 83 so it's a bit fuzzy but here she be .........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/huffa/DSC05037.jpg