There's always someone willing to put the boot in, isn't there? On the ride home from purchasing the XL, the bugger stalled dead at a busy junction. The engine clacked away for what seemed like hours whilst the cagers played a symphony on their horns. Finally it spat into life, drowning out the horns and any passing aeroplanes. Though the XL had been polished up nicely for the sale, it sported 42000 miles and way too much temperament for my liking. Low rev work was hard going, the engine always feeling like it was about to die a death. The test ride, on the pillion, had been flat out when the big thumper appeared like joy personified and I'd written the owner off as a mad bugger rather than a cunning bastard.
By the time I reached home the exhaust was smoking heavily...at first I'd thought the rings had gone but the air-filter had collapsed, restricting air flow and making it run far too rich. The local Honda dealer more or less told me to piss off when I asked if I might be able to buy a replacement. Charmed, I decided to try the bike without a filter - with only one piston I didn't really want to risk holing it, but there didn't seem much choice in the matter. Low speed work was the same series of stutters, then a mid-range dip where nothing happened for a few moments, the power finally pouring in with something like fury. The engine was effectively turned into an on/off switch, only one way to ride the beastly thing.
As a 600cc thumper it didn't take all that kindly to flat out work. A great deal of vibration poured out of the unit, its balancer system sabotaged by age and wear. Twenty minutes was all it took for the white-finger effect to take hold. The serrated metal footrests shook so much they cut a groove in the soles of my lightweight shoes, practically cut the buggers in half! The seat also thrummed a little, the padding sagged so that the edges of its base cut my thighs. Any mileage equalled major discomfort but the riding position did allow me to stand up on the pegs to relieve some of the aches.
Although it was a tall motorcycle, the bars weren't too outlandish, relatively easy to get my head down and the speedo up to the ton mark. More speed might've been possible but the way the engine was shaking and the chassis weaving meant I never found the nerve to try for it. Using the throttle, acceleration was surprisingly good - as long as I didn't mess up on the gearchange, which was out of the ark but pretty much what you'd expect on an old, somewhat tired Honda.
Forty horses were claimed for the motor, but I don't think mine was putting out much more than thirty, judging by the way acceleration fell off as speed was gained. Its gearing meant it snapped away from the traffic lights at an unlikely pace - I had to lean forwards over the bars to stop the thing doing a wheelie. Not that I had anything against wheelies, just that the small front disc and SLS rear drum only had enough stopping power under combined use - lose the use of the front disc to a wheelie, there was no way of successfully slowing the bike down.
I didn't like the way slamming the throttle shut had the back end and chain hammering away. I'm not sure if this was caused by the length of the swinging arm or the state of Pro-link rear end; or, indeed, the lack of springing in the shock. During part of its life, the XL was launched off cliff tops and thrown over fallen trees, and had other disturbing and destructive off-road adventures. These all added up to suspension that was close to sagging on its springs but was tolerable with a rider who weighed next to nowt and used the bike on the tarmac. I wouldn't have liked to try it with a pillion.
Why did I bother with a bike with so many limits? It only cost £350; enough said! You pays your money and takes your choice. On the good side, the lean running engine turned in 65 to 75mpg despite the need to wrench open the throttle all the time. At around 350lbs it was heavy for a trailster but light for a large capacity roadster, easy to shove where I wanted it to go. The worn knobblies showed no sign of wearing out but reacted to wet roads by skating along with a mind of their own - just as well that it was a long, hot summer.
If the engine gave every impression of being very tired it was also a tough old thing that just needed the odd oil change to keep it going. Over 10,000 miles in less than six months proved that there was life left in the old dog yet. I even became used to the vibration - helped by proper rubber footrests and thicker hand-grips - and the seat, 75 miles in one sitting just about possible (the range with the huge tank and good economy was much greater). The vibes made the mirrors useless, to the extent that when one fell off I didn't bother replacing it (or even stopping to pick up the pieces).
Big thumpers were supposed to be relaxing to ride, wafting along on a modicum of throttle and excess of torque, but there was little of that with the Honda. More a matter of steeling my eardrums to the blare and fighting the bars into submission - it was one of those bikes that loved to wander all over the road if the rider's attention was distracted by the scenery or half naked ladies in the cages. I almost fell off once when I clocked some babe with legs up to her armpits in a micro-skirt that was pulled up to her waist by her contorted body in the passenger seat. Hmmm!
Over that six months various bits fell off as well as the mirror. The useful rack cracked up and hung on for a few miles until it was battered into submission. The side-stand buckled - awkward as there weren't any other stands. The minimal chainguard disappeared. One of the sidepanels split and the headlamp bulbs kept blowing. Pretty much what you'd expect on an ageing Japanese motorcycle and nothing to cause much concern.
As I hadn't done much maintenance to the engine I decided it was time to move on before something expensive happened. The bike sold very quickly for five hundred notes and I heard later that it'd skidded off the road during the autumn showers but was still going with 60,000 miles on the clock. Ironically, the replacement CX650 blew up after three months of abuse. The XL was certainly rough and ready, far from the sophistication of new bikes, but as old hacks go it's one of the better examples that I've had the dubious pleasure of experiencing.
C.C.