Having used my ’01 KTM520exc for everything I could (Tauranga to Invercargill and back for Burt Monroe, day to day transport to work and back, trail rides, and adventure riding) I have now taken it off the road and use it solely for trail rides.
I rebuilt it not so long ago into a 540 with big cam, high comp, porting etc… full ground up rebuild of the whole bike…
Anyway, I have been given a complete running ’88 XL600r with rego on hold.
A good mate sadly passed away and it was left to me.
It hadn’t been run for 20+ years but I rebuild the carbs, tuned them and it starts and runs pretty good now.
I’ve fitted a muffler from a CRF450 as the original is stuffed.
Other than that it’s bog stock.
It shows it’s age obviously and will need a tidy up cosmetically eventually..
Is this a good bike for adventure work as well as general road riding?
Essentially I want to use it for all the stuff I used to do on the KTM except the trail bush rides..
Yes or no?
yes, why not?
Tried many bikes, now I use an ’82 XL500R, and love it.
Might as well then I reckon.
It pulls like a school boy, has a mountain of torque so it should lope along pretty well…
It’s a big old couch compared to the KTM but that suits me just fine…
I think I’ll throw some new oil and a filter at it and just use it for a while…. see what happens.
Awesome, If you are on FB you could Join our XR/XL page (I have a road registered XR500 twin shocker but sadly its a garage queen)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1608452939473551/