So clean and at idle it's fairly manageable for sound! This is truly what's missing in the showrooms of today so I'm glad you're all bringing them to life classic w/ new
This is an add for the new Suzuki 400. Ugly as sin but affordable and available. We would all prefer this but 99% of us can't afford it. Thanks for the reminder of how nice these bikes are.
that's really nice! The front edge of the seat could use some shape massaging (maybe just a little extra soft foam, more so on the right side) to make the edge that covers the tank flange softer and more congruous with the rest of the lines
I thought the same thing about the front seat/tank juncture; Kind of wrapped around the entire welded seem at the back of the tank and then scalloped back to the 'straight line' where seat meets frame
I'd like to see a modern-retro version of the FT500 Ascot. Maybe with the 450 motor, some spoked wheels, and the street tracker look. I had an 82 or 83 FT500 as my first bike. Great memories for sure.
That's a good-looking bike. I really like dual-sport bikes. It'd be cool to be able to afford to have my old Honda 500 Rubicon atv brought back to new and custom condition like that. Honda makes the most bulletproof powersport products in the world to begin with, so I wouldn't have much changed, only modernized a little.
I like the look of that, ❤ I owned a xl500r when i was 18 and you could pull tree trunks out of the ground with it !! Been a big fan of the honda big thumper bikes ever since and own a mint xr600r and a xr650r, only thing I don't like is the exhaust , it should be satin black in my humble opinion , great job none the less on the xl500
@PurposeBuiltMoto look at cerakote , alot tougher that ceramic coating and heat resistance is up to 1800 degrees 👍 I had ceramic coatings done on a couple sports bikes and it's been fine . Black used to fade back in the day but the new stuff is alot better but try cerakote on a sample and abuse it lol
Side question: How long are the shocks on that XT in the background with the KLX swingarm? I just scored one of those arms for my build and I'm trying to find decent shocks of the right length. Oh and what rear hub did you use? I'm trying to find a disc brake hub that'll work. I have lathes and mills and such but a hint on a good starting point is always welcome :)
@@bennyb.1742 you’ll have to wait for details on that build. You can listen to the info on the rear hub in the video, or check out the blog on our website
You will find that 17.5inch should be about right with KLX swingarm in XT frame to lift the rear but not make it silly tall; Also depends on what length forks you plan on using; I've fabricated a few 'specials' and find the swingarm pivot/countershaft/rear sprocket horizontal to be deciding factor on shock length; We really don't want chain to be constantly rubbing on swingarm pivot point; We should aim for countershaft spline to be level with swingarm pivot bolt which (mostly) eliminates chain torque effecting rear suspension compression/rebound; Suggestion: Have bike levelled out on a stand under lower rails, Front end mounted and at least bottom end of motor in place; Countershaft sprocket on (so we can later run chain to rear sprocket) for alignment; Mount swingarm and rear wheel; Make sure your happy with the front to rear balance; (High at the back will have a twitchy effect on steering; Low at back will slow steering) then measure shock mount holes/studs centre to centre; You now know what length shock you need; Next step is to measure what shock travel is limited to; Raise rear wheel to just shy of touching rear guard and measure 'maximum compressed length'; You don't want so much travel that the rear tyre will hit the rear guard so add 25-30mm to 'maximum compressed length' to be safe; Now you're ready to go shock hunting; For the rear wheel hub, anyone's guess but grab your swingarm and go visit a bike wrecker but keep in mind sprocket offset; More space on sprocket side, less on brake side is general rule of thumb; Making/machining axle spacers is easier than machining magnesium hubs; I know the later 'prolink' XL500 cush drive rear hub fits nice in the KLX swingarm but you want disc brake so can't help ya there; Have fun; Reads like you've got a decent shed with all you need for a DIY build.
@@PurposeBuiltMoto Would it really be so hard to tell the man what rear hub you used? It's obvious he wants to build his own bike so he's no threat to your business; What happened to the days when us bike blokes all helped each other with tips and tricks?
@@markhills3922 yeah, I've built championship winning flat track bikes and such so I understand the principals pretty well. Just looking for a starting point so I don't have to wait for wheels to get shocks to get it on the ground, to set fork height ect ect ect. I'm in Canada so getting parts can take months. Getting multiple things ordered at once can save me months of build time. Same with the hub. I can machine it to whatever width, or use a quick change Barns hub but I've gotta start somewhere and without access to a big pile of them it can be tedious to guess and check which to start with. I'm not a fan of building quick changes for street bikes because it's a crap load bolts to keep an eye on. Tips on where to start with fitment are really valuable to me because it saves so much time. Thanks!
That was my first bike I owned when I was 14yr old I’m now 40yr old sware ya can’t kill them I flogged mine for couple years straight on the farm in the end the cam chain tensioner went cam chain slapping around ended up buying a kx500 1989 model when I was 16yr old all my mates had little 80cc bikes that’s where I think I got my nick name the rooster
Inverted fork and dual shocks. Hose clamps on the intake boot. Some other great features but these not so great. FYI, 82 XL500R electrical will bolt straight on to the 81 and you get 12 volts and fully electronic ignition with electronic advance as well.
Not a fan of pod airfilters on dirt bikes either; They have a nasty habit of falling off and sucking water at the first sign of rain or puddles; this model XL had a half decent airbox just needs a bit more breathing room; Easy enough to do as it's plastic; I've made 3 'oversize' airboxes for the early XL500 Twin shock XR500 out of the original 'boxes with a sacrificed 'old crappy airbox for extra plastic and a hot soldering iron for welding; Bit of time measuring with cardboard templates, cutting and welding but the end result is a 'stock' looking airbox that holds more positive air and can mount a bigger area foam filter... and the filter is protected from the elements; but that's just me; Each to their own I guess.
Nice build, well done, but... Damn, I hate black rims almost as much as I hate Tattoos. A really weird fad. Why make otherwise light and attractive rims look heavy and dark? Everyone goes to great lengths to make their hot rod bike light, and then they go and add 30kg in imaginary weight with slug-like hoops. That engine is superb. With the 570 kit and 10:1 cpmpression etc, she'd be a quick machine. I was working in New Guinea in 1981 and imported one of these in White, from Japan. I have cruised the PNG highlands on an XL500, what an experience. All the local kids found it entertaining to throw rocks at me. Little bastards...
Black or any coloured rims should be banned on old bikes.... Polished aluminum looks fantastic and period correct; Being a 'road scrambler' even chrome rims would look great.
At least you are someone who's a bit sympathetic to the original bike in that you didn't chop the frame to pieces; I'm all for making a bike a better machine with engine mods etc but to try making a 'modern' bike from an appreciating and iconic motorcycle that is getting hard to find is a hard pill for me to swallow; I admit that what you build looks good and the fabrication work is great but motorcycle history is being erased; I have a soft spot for old Honda dirt bikes so maybe I'm a bit biased...or maybe one of them dinosaurs I hear about but why people do these mods to old, fairly rare bikes is beyond me; There are plenty of 'modern classics' out there to build into something different or old basket cases that will (now) cost a fortune to restore original just waiting to be turned into a dream build... I see in the column next to this video 'DT400 scrambler'.... I can't bring myself to look at it; Do you know how rare the DT400 these days?
You built how my mind imagines a motorcycle should look and be.
The best real world custom bike I've seen in years, and maybe ever!
@@wayneknodel3347 that’s a big call, but we’ll take it 👌🏽
So clean and at idle it's fairly manageable for sound! This is truly what's missing in the showrooms of today so I'm glad you're all bringing them to life classic w/ new
Let’s hope Honda is watching. I’d love a new one of these
That’s the nuts ……fantastic job 🎉
Such an awesome functional build - nicely done once again 👏👏
This is awesome! Sick build!
That is so cool!
This is an add for the new Suzuki 400. Ugly as sin but affordable and available. We would all prefer this but 99% of us can't afford it. Thanks for the reminder of how nice these bikes are.
Nice work 😊
That's a Healthy looking bike. NICE ""RIDE ON""
Another fantastic build.
Cheers mark, make sure you check out the release on pipeburn later tonight
that's really nice! The front edge of the seat could use some shape massaging (maybe just a little extra soft foam, more so on the right side) to make the edge that covers the tank flange softer and more congruous with the rest of the lines
I thought the same thing about the front seat/tank juncture; Kind of wrapped around the entire welded seem at the back of the tank and then scalloped back to the 'straight line' where seat meets frame
What a nice build, must be a blast to ride!
Such a pleasure to ride this one ☝️
Beautiful build!
Just started my new job today. I'm gonna be saving up for my first motorcycle, learn to ride it and then I'm gonna start building my own custom.
@@Austin_Soares go get it!
I'd like to see a modern-retro version of the FT500 Ascot. Maybe with the 450 motor, some spoked wheels, and the street tracker look. I had an 82 or 83 FT500 as my first bike. Great memories for sure.
@@jakahl1470 those were an epic bike. Where is the re-release Honda!?
That's a good-looking bike. I really like dual-sport bikes. It'd be cool to be able to afford to have my old Honda 500 Rubicon atv brought back to new and custom condition like that. Honda makes the most bulletproof powersport products in the world to begin with, so I wouldn't have much changed, only modernized a little.
@@shadow7796 we can’t ride ATV on the streets here but if we could that would be a fun project
Awesome build ! I wish someone would come up with an aftermarket electric start kit for this type of bikes
Cheers!
@@ferkuzuel there’s Xstart in France but they only do XT500
I like the look of that, ❤ I owned a xl500r when i was 18 and you could pull tree trunks out of the ground with it !! Been a big fan of the honda big thumper bikes ever since and own a mint xr600r and a xr650r, only thing I don't like is the exhaust , it should be satin black in my humble opinion , great job none the less on the xl500
@@Rust_valley_adventures satin black is a risky move, I find the ceramic coat tends to chip and stain on dirt bikes
@PurposeBuiltMoto look at cerakote , alot tougher that ceramic coating and heat resistance is up to 1800 degrees 👍 I had ceramic coatings done on a couple sports bikes and it's been fine . Black used to fade back in the day but the new stuff is alot better but try cerakote on a sample and abuse it lol
@@Rust_valley_adventures yeah we’ve done it before to varying degrees of success
Side question: How long are the shocks on that XT in the background with the KLX swingarm? I just scored one of those arms for my build and I'm trying to find decent shocks of the right length. Oh and what rear hub did you use? I'm trying to find a disc brake hub that'll work. I have lathes and mills and such but a hint on a good starting point is always welcome :)
@@bennyb.1742 you’ll have to wait for details on that build. You can listen to the info on the rear hub in the video, or check out the blog on our website
You will find that 17.5inch should be about right with KLX swingarm in XT frame to lift the rear but not make it silly tall; Also depends on what length forks you plan on using; I've fabricated a few 'specials' and find the swingarm pivot/countershaft/rear sprocket horizontal to be deciding factor on shock length; We really don't want chain to be constantly rubbing on swingarm pivot point; We should aim for countershaft spline to be level with swingarm pivot bolt which (mostly) eliminates chain torque effecting rear suspension compression/rebound; Suggestion: Have bike levelled out on a stand under lower rails, Front end mounted and at least bottom end of motor in place; Countershaft sprocket on (so we can later run chain to rear sprocket) for alignment; Mount swingarm and rear wheel; Make sure your happy with the front to rear balance; (High at the back will have a twitchy effect on steering; Low at back will slow steering) then measure shock mount holes/studs centre to centre; You now know what length shock you need; Next step is to measure what shock travel is limited to; Raise rear wheel to just shy of touching rear guard and measure 'maximum compressed length'; You don't want so much travel that the rear tyre will hit the rear guard so add 25-30mm to 'maximum compressed length' to be safe; Now you're ready to go shock hunting;
For the rear wheel hub, anyone's guess but grab your swingarm and go visit a bike wrecker but keep in mind sprocket offset; More space on sprocket side, less on brake side is general rule of thumb; Making/machining axle spacers is easier than machining magnesium hubs;
I know the later 'prolink' XL500 cush drive rear hub fits nice in the KLX swingarm but you want disc brake so can't help ya there;
Have fun; Reads like you've got a decent shed with all you need for a DIY build.
@@PurposeBuiltMoto Would it really be so hard to tell the man what rear hub you used? It's obvious he wants to build his own bike so he's no threat to your business; What happened to the days when us bike blokes all helped each other with tips and tricks?
@@markhills3922 yeah, I've built championship winning flat track bikes and such so I understand the principals pretty well. Just looking for a starting point so I don't have to wait for wheels to get shocks to get it on the ground, to set fork height ect ect ect. I'm in Canada so getting parts can take months. Getting multiple things ordered at once can save me months of build time. Same with the hub. I can machine it to whatever width, or use a quick change Barns hub but I've gotta start somewhere and without access to a big pile of them it can be tedious to guess and check which to start with. I'm not a fan of building quick changes for street bikes because it's a crap load bolts to keep an eye on. Tips on where to start with fitment are really valuable to me because it saves so much time. Thanks!
That was my first bike I owned when I was 14yr old I’m now 40yr old sware ya can’t kill them I flogged mine for couple years straight on the farm in the end the cam chain tensioner went cam chain slapping around ended up buying a kx500 1989 model when I was 16yr old all my mates had little 80cc bikes that’s where I think I got my nick name the rooster
We love hearing stories like this!
Inverted fork and dual shocks. Hose clamps on the intake boot. Some other great features but these not so great.
FYI, 82 XL500R electrical will bolt straight on to the 81 and you get 12 volts and fully electronic ignition with electronic advance as well.
Not a fan of pod airfilters on dirt bikes either; They have a nasty habit of falling off and sucking water at the first sign of rain or puddles; this model XL had a half decent airbox just needs a bit more breathing room; Easy enough to do as it's plastic; I've made 3 'oversize' airboxes for the early XL500 Twin shock XR500 out of the original 'boxes with a sacrificed 'old crappy airbox for extra plastic and a hot soldering iron for welding; Bit of time measuring with cardboard templates, cutting and welding but the end result is a 'stock' looking airbox that holds more positive air and can mount a bigger area foam filter... and the filter is protected from the elements; but that's just me; Each to their own I guess.
why does it say XL500R? Is it not an XL500S?
Pretty cool but I don't know if you call it a scrambler
We definitely call it a scrambler
Nice build, well done, but... Damn, I hate black rims almost as much as I hate Tattoos. A really weird fad. Why make otherwise light and attractive rims look heavy and dark? Everyone goes to great lengths to make their hot rod bike light, and then they go and add 30kg in imaginary weight with slug-like hoops. That engine is superb. With the 570 kit and 10:1 cpmpression etc, she'd be a quick machine. I was working in New Guinea in 1981 and imported one of these in White, from Japan. I have cruised the PNG highlands on an XL500, what an experience. All the local kids found it entertaining to throw rocks at me. Little bastards...
@@aussiebaz5363 horses for corses I guess. I love black rims on the right bike
Black or any coloured rims should be banned on old bikes.... Polished aluminum looks fantastic and period correct; Being a 'road scrambler' even chrome rims would look great.
At least you are someone who's a bit sympathetic to the original bike in that you didn't chop the frame to pieces; I'm all for making a bike a better machine with engine mods etc but to try making a 'modern' bike from an appreciating and iconic motorcycle that is getting hard to find is a hard pill for me to swallow; I admit that what you build looks good and the fabrication work is great but motorcycle history is being erased; I have a soft spot for old Honda dirt bikes so maybe I'm a bit biased...or maybe one of them dinosaurs I hear about but why people do these mods to old, fairly rare bikes is beyond me; There are plenty of 'modern classics' out there to build into something different or old basket cases that will (now) cost a fortune to restore original just waiting to be turned into a dream build...
I see in the column next to this video 'DT400 scrambler'.... I can't bring myself to look at it; Do you know how rare the DT400 these days?