83 xr500r users

[big g]

Hey, I am new to this site and am wondering how many XR500R people are out there. I just got one to ease myself back into biking but there is not thread title for the 500, just all the rest.

PS. My timing chain slipped and I am now rebuilding my engine. Any tips for performance upgrade while I am in there poking around? I have ordered a 10.25:1 piston but the rest of the parts are stock form.

[big g]

Oh ya, one more thing. Would a 600 engine from a newer bike drop in?

[XL500R]

i got a 82 XL500R thats almost done just waiting for the petcock

[Kyle C]

i own a 1983 honda xr500. sense your going with a different piston setup you will probably have to rejet it. a new airfilter (uni) probably wouldnt hurt and maybe a new pipe? other then that its all based on what you want for performance parts. i just have a wiseco piston(10 over) and a uni airfilter with basic gordon mods. i had to buy a new cam chain and cam gear after i didnt torque the bolts right on the cam gear. the cam gear broke in 2 pieces and the chain broke in like 5 sections oh and i also had to heli coil all the head bolt holes on the cylinder because the magneseum is a soft metal and i pulled the threads out of the head when i rebuilt it i had alot of headaches rebuilding mine one thing i would deffently suggest is picking up an original shop manual for it. it helped alot.

i dont know if the 600 motor would bolt right in. it might i think they were pretty similar but once again im not sure. hope this helps!

[Shawn_Mc]

a guy just gave me a rolling basket case. 1983 XR500. The only thing that really concerns me is the little arm that links one carb to the other is missing. They had it jury rigged with bailing wire

I needs some work, but Im still missing a bucket of parts...mostly nuts and bolts. Looks like the engine had an oil leak (probably at the oil lines, my 600 leaked like a sive there too) and they were pulling the engine and stopped about at about 80% of they way of getting it out...

XR's only still shows slip on exhausts available and a bunch of other stuff too...

Im all excited about riding a 23 year old bike that wasnt that great new

[big g]

Thansk for the info radar2512. I will be extra careful with the cam chain sprocket and head bolt installation. I am putting in a new cam chain so I don't want to buy another right away!

I never thought about the jetting so I guess I had better look into it. Does anyone know what size I will probably need by going to 10.25: from 9:1?

Thanks again.

[HarveyMushman]

I have an 84 xr500r, the 83 and 84 were almost identical. It is semi retired now that I have a WR, but that bike was bullet proof for 21 years of desert abuse. All I did was remove the stock baffle add a K&N filter and rejet. I had the top end rebuild at about 16 years and it is still running strong. If you lurk on ebay you will find parts for the 83 and 84 occasionally. I did see a set of carbs on there not long ago that went for less than $25 Pipes are hard to come buy now, I think if a 600 engine is going to slip in it would be the 85 model, they were very close.

The bike never was much fun in tight nasty stuff, but in the open desert it is at home.

[Shawn_Mc]

Thansk for the info radar2512. I will be extra careful with the cam chain sprocket and head bolt installation. I am putting in a new cam chain so I don't want to buy another right away!

I never thought about the jetting so I guess I had better look into it. Does anyone know what size I will probably need by going to 10.25: from 9:1?

Thanks again.

A simple compression change doesnt hit the jetting all that much. Id put it together and ride it and see how it runs. If anything it wouldnt be more than one size down on the mains. The bike was pretty lean from the factory.

[big g]

Thanks dude, I'll run it and see how it is with the current jetting.

I will post the results when it is back together. I ride this beast in tight sand tracks often and it is very difficult to keep up to even 125 two strokes but in the larger tracks or pasture hills the only bike that keeps up is a KLX400R (in our group that is, we have no 450's). I wonder what the higher compression will actually do for me.

Pretty good for a 22 year old bike nontheless.