Help/advice Needed On Honda Xr/xlr/xrl 250

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Hi there,

I am new to biking, but have decided to try and learn to ride a bike.

I bought a Honda 250 recently and would like to get a repair manual, the problem is, I am not sure exactly which version my bike is.

How to tell the difference between XR/XLR/XRL etc.?

The bike is a 1990 (round about) it has a single small rectangular headlight. 249CC "RFVS" Engine and no battery.

Enclose a photo - any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

PS - why does the throttle on this thing have two cables??

[LivinLOS]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

[jackcorbett]

I had a total of three XL models. I believe the XR models and your bike's picture indicates this is what it is, were more suitable for the dirt whereas the XL models were intended more as a dual purpose bike. I believe they had bigger headlights for one thing. Also your bike clearly shows it has a more aggressive tread design that is not going to fare well on the street but it's going to be grippier in the dirt.

My first XL was a 185 XL. It was just what I needed on the farm as it was just small enough to be easily put into the back of a pickup truck. It would do around 70 miles an hour, and from what I'm reading now the 250 XL was really no faster. Had about 18 horsepower. And it weighed around 250 lbs or so. Thinking bigger has got to be better I later got a 500 XL. It weighed around 290 pounds. I could take it on the interstate and still have plenty of acceleration at 80 miles per hour. And it wasn't that bad on pavement. However due to its weight and huge amounts of torque it was a scary when I took it out into the woods. I then got a couple of street bikes, first a 650 BMW twin and then a K-100 RS first trading in the 500 XL in for the 650 and then I had nothing that I could drive out into the fields. So when I still had that 1000 c.c. BMW I got a good price on a new 185 Honda XL. By this time i had learned my lesson. The 185 started a lot easier than the 500 XL and it was a lot of fun driving fast on the dirt roads. You could really feel how stable you were and how well the tires were gripping. By contrast I didn't get this kind of sensory input from the 500 XL. I also had a lot of fun driving it through the drainage ditches and would drive straight down them and right up the opposite side. That would be six to eight feet and close to 90 degrees. That 185 was a real handy bike I could drive on asphalt or dirt roads at 50-60 miles an hour (or faster) to get to a field and then I could drive it into the field whether it had a crop of beans on it or not, to take soil samples or check out the weed control.

The XR models weighed in at a little less and were probably not as road worthy as the dual purpose engineered XL's. Here's a 185 XL I found doing a Yahoo search. http://w2.bikepics.com/pics/2007%5C01%5C05...763829-full.jpg

Edited September 17, 2007 by jackcorbett

[goldfish]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

Thank you, I'm still smiling 5 minutes later. Ok, I don't know your bike but suspect the twin throttle cables wrap around the throttle grip. What I'm trying to explain is one cable opens the throttle, the other cable closes the throttle. This way there should be no chance of the throttle jamming open, pretty handy idea, and gives you faster and more accurate control over the closing of the throttle.

As I say, I don't know your bike but believe the earlier versions had the cam running directly in the head, which is naturally made of aluminium, with no seperate bearings. This would wear the head necessitating a complete replacement. Worth checking if they remedied this problem for your model, and if not check if a top end lubrication mod has been made. Either way, don't be mean with the oil changes

Enjoy your bike, I'm jealous

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

Your powers of duduction amaze me!

The tank says XLR, Honda I believe, do NOT make an XLR -they make XR and XRL -The bike is about 17 years old, the tank appears to be new, it could say "Harley Fuxxing Davidson", but I would not believe it!

and no the cables are not one throttle and one electric, both are cables.

Thanks for the help!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

I had a total of three XL models. I believe the XR models and your bike's picture indicates this is what it is, were more suitable for the dirt whereas the XL models were intended more as a dual purpose bike. I believe they had bigger headlights for one thing. Also your bike clearly shows it has a more aggressive tread design that is not going to fare well on the street but it's going to be grippier in the dirt.

My first XL was a 185 XL. It was just what I needed on the farm as it was just small enough to be easily put into the back of a pickup truck. It would do around 70 miles an hour, and from what I'm reading now the 250 XL was really no faster. Had about 18 horsepower. And it weighed around 250 lbs or so. Thinking bigger has got to be better I later got a 500 XL. It weighed around 290 pounds. I could take it on the interstate and still have plenty of acceleration at 80 miles per hour. And it wasn't that bad on pavement. However due to its weight and huge amounts of torque it was a scary when I took it out into the woods. I then got a couple of street bikes, first a 650 BMW twin and then a K-100 RS first trading in the 500 XL in for the 650 and then I had nothing that I could drive out into the fields. So when I still had that 1000 c.c. BMW I got a good price on a new 185 Honda XL. By this time i had learned my lesson. The 185 started a lot easier than the 500 XL and it was a lot of fun driving fast on the dirt roads. You could really feel how stable you were and how well the tires were gripping. By contrast I didn't get this kind of sensory input from the 500 XL. I also had a lot of fun driving it through the drainage ditches and would drive straight down them and right up the opposite side. That would be six to eight feet and close to 90 degrees. That 185 was a real handy bike I could drive on asphalt or dirt roads at 50-60 miles an hour (or faster) to get to a field and then I could drive it into the field whether it had a crop of beans on it or not, to take soil samples or check out the weed control.

The XR models weighed in at a little less and were probably not as road worthy as the dual purpose engineered XL's. Here's a 185 XL I found doing a Yahoo search. http://w2.bikepics.com/pics/2007%5C01%5C05...763829-full.jpg

Thanks for the advice,

I will look for an XR Manual.

This thing is not bad on the road, it seems quite stable, not want to get caught in the rain with it though.

I mainly intend to use it off road, just something to learn on, never having had a bike before.

I was just confused as to how you can tell between the various models. This thing is about 110Kg though it feels more when it comes down on you, and a sod of a thing to kick over-will take the bandages off my leg soon LOL!

It will be a while before I am ready for drainage ditches!

Thanks again!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

Thank you, I'm still smiling 5 minutes later. Ok, I don't know your bike but suspect the twin throttle cables wrap around the throttle grip. What I'm trying to explain is one cable opens the throttle, the other cable closes the throttle. This way there should be no chance of the throttle jamming open, pretty handy idea, and gives you faster and more accurate control over the closing of the throttle.

As I say, I don't know your bike but believe the earlier versions had the cam running directly in the head, which is naturally made of aluminium, with no seperate bearings. This would wear the head necessitating a complete replacement. Worth checking if they remedied this problem for your model, and if not check if a top end lubrication mod has been made. Either way, don't be mean with the oil changes

Enjoy your bike, I'm jealous

Thanks,

you may be right on the cable business, will check later.

The motor has an oil cooler which appears to pipe oil into the head, yhere are various inlets and outlets around the engine, which feed into the cooling system mounted on the top of the forks.

It appears to "burn" oil a bit, but what the hel_l it is not going to go around the world so I can live with that.

If I can't learn to ride it....you wanna buy it? No need to be jealous LOL

[madjbs]

Honda made a bike with the name XLR.

Now who looks silly!

[canuckamuck]

Here is a 1999 XLR 125

Striking resemblance

[mikethevigoman]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

Your powers of duduction amaze me!

The tank says XLR, Honda I believe, do NOT make an XLR -they make XR and XRL -The bike is about 17 years old, the tank appears to be new, it could say "Harley Fuxxing Davidson", but I would not believe it!

and no the cables are not one throttle and one electric, both are cables.

Thanks for the help!

honda made the xlr between 88 and 96, they were mainly japan home market and a bit "softer " than the xr,.they had a stronger rear subframe and also did a baja with 2 different tank sizes and double headlights,.the double throttle cables are "push and pull ",. Edited September 18, 2007 by mikethevigoman

[mikethevigoman]

Honda made a bike with the name XLR.

Now who looks silly!

[bino]

Not exactly sure about your bike, as I had an XR 350 R model (Dirt only, non street legal). I do know that the dual throttle cable yu refer to is in fact a double action push / pull on the throttle slide... exactly as goldfish described. I forgt the "buzzword" Honda used. It was something like "Positive Response Throttle" or similar.

I do remember RFVC = Radial Four Valve Combustion. The engine is dual overhead cams, two intake and two exhaust valves with a bizzarre arrangement of "rocker arms" to accommodate the weird valve angles on a hemispherical combustion chamber. They do indeed have lubrication problems. This is likely the source of your burning oil. It is running down the valve stems into the combustion chamber. It wasn't a cheap or easy fix. so, do as goldfish suggests, and check out a supplementary lube system, and change your oil often.

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

Your powers of duduction amaze me!

The tank says XLR, Honda I believe, do NOT make an XLR -they make XR and XRL -The bike is about 17 years old, the tank appears to be new, it could say "Harley Fuxxing Davidson", but I would not believe it!

and no the cables are not one throttle and one electric, both are cables.

Thanks for the help!

honda made the xlr between 88 and 96, they were mainly japan home market and a bit "softer " than the xr,.they had a stronger rear subframe and also did a baja with 2 different tank sizes and double headlights,.the double throttle cables are "push and pull ",.

Cheers for the advice, the Thais here keep telling me "Baja" all a bit confusing, never mind though...I only wanted to try and make sure whatever manual I bought covered the bike I had, nothing more.

The "Push /Pull" throttle cable sounds right, that is why it doesn't "cruise"....it is either ON or OFF...no in between, numb fingers on a run keeping it at a constant speed.

Without appearing to be a complete arse, (as I said previously, never had a bike before) do you know if the rear sprocket can be tightened independantly from the wheel bearings?

i.e. the sprocket has a couple of mm's of play, whilst the wheel is fine, are they like a pushbike? with cones? If I remove the rear wheel, can I adjust the play on the sprocket...it looks like it has a plastic cover over the bearings which may be a cover to an adjustable bearing or similar, or is it a complete assembly that needs to be renewed? Sorry, I know, I need to buy the manual, just curious...and appreciate the advice.

Thanks!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Honda made a bike with the name XLR.

Now who looks silly!

Mr. f???king Silly apologises! Pardon my ignorance, that is why I posted in the first place....if I knew what the bike was I wouldn't have bothered asking!

Simple question, nonetheless, I shall go and stand in the corner with my pointy hat wit

 a big "D" on it, why oh why was I not born clever!..it must be my genes or maybe I should blame society.

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

As I mentioned before I am new to motorbikes, when I was a kid (long time ago...I am 40+) my mother and father simply refused to allow me to have one, I saw a few good mates killed when they were 16/18 years old on 250's and damned Suzuki 280's. I never got the chance to try a bike, except one time when my old man bought an old Yamaha 80 cc piece of rubbish!

He had BSA 500cc single cylinder things, with and without sidecars, some of my earliest memories were go

ng around the garden on the front of this BSA monster that he had difficulty con

rolling!

The thing I would like to know, what is the best way to learn? The roads here are a lot different to the UK...roadsense etc, I find once I get going, things are fine, it's only when you get to junctions or in an unpredictable situation that I tend to make an arse of things.

Junctions....the ###### bike stalls and you cannot kick it over on the bike, hence you look like a prick getting off and kicking it over from the "wrong side"...also..hill starts...what is the best way to pull away on a hill...footbrake or handbrake?...I tend to just fall off!

Anyone want to spend a few hours coaching? in the Chiang Mai area? can pay!

It reminds me of when I was 16/17 learning to drive a car...everything happens too quickly, you tend to panic a bit and don't appear to learn.

I am fine off the road, can blast around and slide the ###### thing on the dirt, but put me at a junction on the local dual carriageway with the 30 ton trucks and.......panic!

[mikethevigoman]

Hi there,

I am new to biking, but have decided to try and learn to ride a bike.

I bought a Honda 250 recently and would like to get a repair manual, the problem is, I am not sure exactly which version my bike is.

How to tell the difference between XR/XLR/XRL etc.?

The bike is a 1990 (round about) it has a single small rectangular headlight. 249CC "RFVS" Engine and no battery.

Enclose a photo - any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

PS - why does the throttle on this thing have two cables??

Go onto this forum and join, they are based in chiang mai, and you will find a lot of useful info and someone for tuition,

http://board.gt-rider.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2844

[goldfish]

These are cush drive rubbers, they avoid the metal on metal contact between the rear wheel and sprocket and give a smoother drive. There are many different styles, but all do the same job. Sometimes they wear. If you remove the rear wheel you should be able to just pull the sprocket straight off and see, remembering that any parts you need are going to take ages to get to you. Please take extreme care if you have a look and remember exactly how they go back together. I bought a 2yr old R1 which had the rubbers put back upside down and back to front. The front sprocket nut had also fallen off. This was in the Uk. Also remembering the chain runs a lot looser on a trials bike to accomodate the extra suspension travel

Edited September 19, 2007 by goldfish

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Many thanks Mikethevigoman! Will check out the link, appreciated.

Thanks too goldfish, thanks for the picture, understand what you are telling me. I guess if it is only a little wear in the rubbers then it will not be a major problem short term. The advice on the chain is most useful, I was about to attempt to take up some of the "slack" but you have saved me a job! LOL.

Where do you guys get your spare parts from? I worry about getting things repaired here in some of these side of the road repair shops, as if the parts are not available, they often seem to "use their initiative"....with some unexpected results.

I have been lucky up to now, took the bike to my local repair joint, was going to get it checked out and had a list of a few points for the guy to go through, a little oil burning in the exhaust - difficulty starting it on occaision not a lot but a bit of work for him nonetheless.

He took the bike, kicked it over a few times - yes it appears I need to learn the technique! it fired up first time and every time for him...embarrasing or what! Then he took the bike for a spin, brought it back and checked oil engine etc.

Despite this work - he said the bike was fine and needed none of the work doing that I had suggested. He wouldn't even take the 100 baht I offered him as a thank you.

He could have kept the bike for half a day and pretended to repair things and got a few hundred baht out of me but didn't, good to get this happen here, as I always seem to hear a lot of negative feedback about Thais conning farang.

Anyway - thanks again for all the advice, much appreciated.

[Daewoo]

Anyone want to spend a few hours coaching? in the Chiang Mai area? can pay!

As Mike said (G'day Mike) get thee over too www.board.gt-rider.com but be prepared to put something back in, in the form of ride reports...

Thailand is the perfect place to learn to ride, as you can concentrate on learning instead of road rules , but I do agree that the junctions can be a bit daunting...

GT-Rider will also tell you all the good rides to take, on and off-road.

I'll be up in CM and looking for riding and drinking buddies from 20/10 till 27/10 so if you want to catch up let me know.

Cheers,

Daewoo

[LivinLOS]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

Your powers of duduction amaze me!

The tank says XLR, Honda I believe, do NOT make an XLR -they make XR and XRL -The bike is about 17 years old, the tank appears to be new, it could say "Harley Fuxxing Davidson", but I would not believe it!

and no the cables are not one throttle and one electric, both are cables.

Thanks for the help!

Well looking online.. It looks like what it claims to be..

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews87111.html

http://www.bikepics.com/honda/xlr250/

http://images.google.com/images?q=honda+xl...sa=N&tab=wi

However I admit I was trying (badly) to be funny..

Good luck with it.. Looks a fun little thumper..

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Anyone want to spend a few hours coaching? in the Chiang Mai area? can pay!

As Mike said (G'day Mike) get thee over too www.board.gt-rider.com but be prepared to put something back in, in the form of ride reports...

Thailand is the perfect place to learn to ride, as you can concentrate on learning instead of road rules , but I do agree that the junctions can be a bit daunting...

GT-Rider will also tell you all the good rides to take, on and off-road.

I'll be up in CM and looking for riding and drinking buddies from 20/10 till 27/10 so if you want to catch up let me know.

Cheers,

Daewoo

My problems are down to a few basics -

1: Starting the ###### thing - needs a certain oomph with the leg... I am stronger on the left leg than the right - needless to say, problem 2  - stalling when pulling away! this doesn't help, if I stall the bugger, I have to climb off and kick it over with the left leg...look like a complete tit a a red light or junction! LOL

2: Stalling - it seems to have a bit of a snatchy clutch... compared to a car...can you compare this??? I can hold the car on a sixpence...but the bike..it wants to go or stop..there is no mid point. (Things are improving though...I guess it is all to do with confidence and the feel for the machine) And if you over rev the thing it snatches even more...it nearly rips the steering from you.

3:If you are around in Chiang Mai on the dates you say, drop me n PM, would be good to meet up, providing you are not the spitting image of Mikethevigoman's avitar...he he!

4: Problem 4 concerns the lack of plates and registration - I have neither! I have a set of "Invoices" from customs and importers from Japan....the guy I bought the bike from told me no problem around the back roads..but don't go to the city!

Anyone know the REAL score with that one?

5: The last one - I can see from GT Rider they have a lot of routes and info.. I haven't quite got enough confidence in the machine to see if it is capable of a decent run...got about a 50km run the other day without too much headache...but I dread a breakdown, not even sure if you can lock the steering.

Appreciate your post, look forward to hearing from you...PS I am up for a beer anytime!!!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Well the bloody big letters on the tank say XLR...

May have a clue in that ??

2 cables ?? Is one the throttle cable and one the electrics wiring ??

Your powers of duduction amaze me!

The tank says XLR, Honda I believe, do NOT make an XLR -they make XR and XRL -The bike is about 17 years old, the tank appears to be new, it could say "Harley Fuxxing Davidson", but I would not believe it!

and no the cables are not one throttle and one electric, both are cables.

Thanks for the help!

Well looking online.. It looks like what it claims to be..

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews87111.html

http://www.bikepics.com/honda/xlr250/

http://images.google.com/images?q=honda+xl...sa=N&tab=wi

However I admit I was trying (badly) to be funny..

Good luck with it.. Looks a fun little thumper..

I'llrite this reply for the 4th time..###### internet connection.

I was only worried because the tank looks about 18 years newer than the bike..and in

Thailand you order a Dog and they give you a cat....and don't bat an eyelid.

As I said earlier, completely new to bikes, so I only hoped I had got a REAL Honda, not some

piece of crap copied in China!

I reckon the thing is real now though.. had rain the last few days and this thing sticks to

the ground like glue... the missus has a Honda 125 semi auto - may as well be on ice skates

with a blindfold on! and one eye one arm and a broken leg...wouldn't dare go out on it!

Got the thing going a bit today..can move too...the soil is a bit wet, but this thing will

not slide..took a major step forward by attempting some jumps (3 foot mounds LOL) but the

feeling was great! I should have done this 25 years AGO!!!

[Lickey]

Albert, you mentioned adjustable wheel bearings, Motobikes dont have them, 1 poster gave you pics of the cush-drive in the rear hub, yes, these do get worn, but pics of your bike suggest to me that it has been pressure/steam cleaned a lot, high pressure washes will get into sealed bearings and wash the grease out, causing them to colapse over time, try dropping the chain off, release the rear brake and spin the wheel, if there is any rumbling or roughness, it will be a bearing shot, same applies to the front, release the brake cable or remove the caliper, spin and listen, or put your fingers on the fork leg and feel for vibration, and the stop or go clutch, probaly warped plates having been overheated at some point,

Hope this helps maintain your new bike and happy riding, Cheers, Lickey.

[Daewoo]

My problems are down to a few basics -

I wish I could say the same about my problems... most of mine are serious, as in people always say... "Daewoo, you have some serious problems"

1: Starting the ###### thing - needs a certain oomph with the leg... I am stronger on the left leg than the right - needless to say, problem 2 - stalling when pulling away! this doesn't help, if I stall the bugger, I have to climb off and kick it over with the left leg...look like a complete tit a a red light or junction! LOL

I never listened to those that knew better, just used to push the kick start until it became hard, then give it a big bootful, and the bike would start eventually... then I actually listened to them and did what they say...

You need to get the piston just past the point where the kick starter gets very hard (top of stroke)... you can do this by using the decompression lever (the second lever under the clutch) to let you push it just past the top, or by just kicking it past the top, but not a full kick like you are trying to start it... return the lever to the top position and give it a kick and it starts HEAPS easier...

2: Stalling - it seems to have a bit of a snatchy clutch... compared to a car...can you compare this??? I can hold the car on a sixpence...but the bike..it wants to go or stop..there is no mid point. (Things are improving though...I guess it is all to do with confidence and the feel for the machine) And if you over rev the thing it snatches even more...it nearly rips the steering from you.

The clutch on my XR (not sure about yours) is a 'wet clucth' as in, it is inside the gearbox, and therefore in the oil (same same oil as engine, all one sump)... because of that, the oil is very important to the operation of the clutch... when mine gets low on oil, or I have been slack changing it, the clutch becomes much more 'grabby' and difficult to select gears... change the oil to a good oil designed for the bike and see how it goes...

3:If you are around in Chiang Mai on the dates you say, drop me n PM, would be good to meet up, providing you are not the spitting image of Mikethevigoman's avitar...he he!

I am most likely going to push my trip back to the week before/of Loi Krathong... Nov 15-25... I am always looking for locals to catch up with, so I will give you a yell closer to the dates...

4: Problem 4 concerns the lack of plates and registration - I have neither! I have a set of "Invoices" from customs and importers from Japan....the guy I bought the bike from told me no problem around the back roads..but don't go to the city!

Anyone know the REAL score with that one?

I think the story here is that you will be stopped and have to pay tea money at check points and such... there are a few ways around it, but GT-Rider is where you will get the real answers... I think you are looking at 50K THB to get it registered on a dodgy book...

5: The last one - I can see from GT Rider they have a lot of routes and info.. I haven't quite got enough confidence in the machine to see if it is capable of a decent run...got about a 50km run the other day without too much headache...but I dread a breakdown, not even sure if you can lock the steering.

Appreciate your post, look forward to hearing from you...PS I am up for a beer anytime!!!

I would go and see Pikey at Joe's Big Bikes, and get them to give it a look over, and get their number... that way if it breaks down you can call them to come and pick you up in their pick-up... They seem to be the most popular mechanics with the farrang riders in CM... but I am about the least experienced person to talk to about anything... I just spend too much time on GT-Rider and dreaming about getting back up north...

mmmm beeeeeer...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[Daewoo]

I would go and see Pikey at Joe's Big Bikes, and get them to give it a look over, and get their number... that way if it breaks down you can call them to come and pick you up in their pick-up... They seem to be the most popular mechanics with the farrang riders in CM... but I am about the least experienced person to talk to about anything... I just spend too much time on GT-Rider and dreaming about getting back up north...

Sorry for the bum steer... Pikey is at Joe's bike team...

JOE'S BIKE TEAM. Big bike service. 26/1 Soi 2 Chang Moi Rd. Probably the most reliable shop for big bike service in Chiang Mai. Run by German. Tel 053 251186.

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Albert, you mentioned adjustable wheel bearings, Motobikes dont have them, 1 poster gave you pics of the cush-drive in the rear hub, yes, these do get worn, but pics of your bike suggest to me that it has been pressure/steam cleaned a lot, high pressure washes will get into sealed bearings and wash the grease out, causing them to colapse over time, try dropping the chain off, release the rear brake and spin the wheel, if there is any rumbling or roughness, it will be a bearing shot, same applies to the front, release the brake cable or remove the caliper, spin and listen, or put your fingers on the fork leg and feel for vibration, and the stop or go clutch, probaly warped plates having been overheated at some point,

Hope this helps maintain your new bike and happy riding, Cheers, Lickey.

Cheers Lickey,

had a look at the back wheel today, no noise no grating so I guess the bearings are pretty much OK - eough for today - christ what did they us to put the wheel nuts on....levered by a JCB - when I regain the use of my legs and arms I will try the front, however it appears to spin freely without taking off anything. The only worry with the back end is the disc states a min. of 3.5mm...mine is 2mm, however that should not be a problem as I can never use the back brake.... like I say I only ever drove cars and using the footbrake- even though it's the same foot I use on a car feels totally ALIEN! Maybe when the fron end locks up and slides I'll eventually get round to it!

For me it is like a Giant Pushbike...brakes are on the handlebars LOL!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

My problems are down to a few basics -

I wish I could say the same about my problems... most of mine are serious, as in people always say... "Daewoo, you have some serious problems"

1: Starting the ###### thing - needs a certain oomph with the leg... I am stronger on the left leg than the right - needless to say, problem 2 - stalling when pulling away! this doesn't help, if I stall the bugger, I have to climb off and kick it over with the left leg...look like a complete tit a a red light or junction! LOL

I never listened to those that knew better, just used to push the kick start until it became hard, then give it a big bootful, and the bike would start eventually... then I actually listened to them and did what they say...

You need to get the piston just past the point where the kick starter gets very hard (top of stroke)... you can do this by using the decompression lever (the second lever under the clutch) to let you push it just past the top, or by just kicking it past the top, but not a full kick like you are trying to start it... return the lever to the top position and give it a kick and it starts HEAPS easier...

Thanks Daewoo,I dont seem to have another lever under the clutch???

So I seem to end up taking a lot of the compression kickbak on my shins..alternating legs at the minute due to the wounds..the right leg is still leaking blood as I type!

2: Stalling - it seems to have a bit of a snatchy clutch... compared to a car...can you compare this??? I can hold the car on a sixpence...but the bike..it wants to go or stop..there is no mid point. (Things are improving though...I guess it is all to do with confidence and the feel for the machine) And if you over rev the thing it snatches even more...it nearly rips the steering from you.

The clutch on my XR (not sure about yours) is a 'wet clucth' as in, it is inside the gearbox, and therefore in the oil (same same oil as engine, all one sump)... because of that, the oil is very important to the operation of the clutch... when mine gets low on oil, or I have been slack changing it, the clutch becomes much more 'grabby' and difficult to select gears... change the oil to a good oil designed for the bike and see how it goes...

Spot on their!! topped up the oil and I can get neutral 6/10 before was 0/50, seem to be able to get neutral going down from 2nd rather than up from first for some reason?

3:If you are around in Chiang Mai on the dates you say, drop me n PM, would be good to meet up, providing you are not the spitting image of Mikethevigoman's avitar...he he!

I am most likely going to push my trip back to the week before/of Loi Krathong... Nov 15-25... I am always looking for locals to catch up with, so I will give you a yell closer to the dates...

4: Problem 4 concerns the lack of plates and registration - I have neither! I have a set of "Invoices" from customs and importers from Japan....the guy I bought the bike from told me no problem around the back roads..but don't go to the city!

Anyone know the REAL score with that one?

I think the story here is that you will be stopped and have to pay tea money at check points and such... there are a few ways around it, but GT-Rider is where you will get the real answers... I think you are looking at 50K THB to get it registered on a dodgy book...

WOW 50K! more than the bike...I'll settle for Tea Money

5: The last one - I can see from GT Rider they have a lot of routes and info.. I haven't quite got enough confidence in the machine to see if it is capable of a decent run...got about a 50km run the other day without too much headache...but I dread a breakdown, not even sure if you can lock the steering.

Appreciate your post, look forward to hearing from you...PS I am up for a beer anytime!!!

I would go and see Pikey at Joe's Big Bikes, and get them to give it a look over, and get their number... that way if it breaks down you can call them to come and pick you up in their pick-up... They seem to be the most popular mechanics with the farrang riders in CM... but I am about the least experienced person to talk to about anything... I just spend too much time on GT-Rider and dreaming about getting back up north...

mmmm beeeeeer...

MMMmmmm... BEER INDEED, one of lifes little pleasures!

Cheers,

Daewoo