General Comments:

I bought this bike new in 1983; it was a brand new model and the first XL 600 that was sold in Missouri. I've owned many single cylinder bikes before I bought this one - a 1969 BSA Victor 500, and a 1974 Honda XL-350 to name a few, so I was pretty much sold on the design. The bike was everything I'd hoped for and more. It became my daily driver to commute to work, and then my off road play bike on the weekends.

I moved to Santa Barbara Cal. for work in 1986 and the bike was perfect for tearing up the fire roads high in the Sierras or racing on some remote beach by the ocean,I have lots of great memories on that bike. Anyway I moved back to Missouri, got married, and started a business. I began buying old Italian motorcycles to tinker with and ride. I still rode the Honda once in a while, but for some reason I stopped and the bike kept getting pushed farther and farther into the back of the garage; it got covered up and forgotten.

Years pass, I retired from my job. Now I have all this free time, I pull the old Honda out of the back of the garage, I pressure wash all those years of dirt and neglect away. I went to work, cleaning, polishing, painting, new tires, chains and sprockets, etc. carburetors needed a good cleaning of course, but amazingly after putting in fresh gas and oil, and going through the cold start procedure, the bike started on the first kick. I had tears in my eyes when I heard the beautiful engine purring like I had remembered. The 14 years of neglect and zero use just melted away, the Honda was saying come on, get your helmet, let's go!!! And I immediately obliged. This bike is 37 years old now and I still love it...

Faults:

The bike took some muscle to kick, had no problems with it besides being a bit heavy, but it's a 600 thumper! It had sat for several years in an old house on a farm when I found it. I took the carbs off and cleaned it, changed the gas, and with a lil' persuasion from pulling it, it fired right up!!!

General Comments:

Awesome bike! Loved it and would like to find another. Mainly used it offroad, with some road riding getting to the hills. Smooth riding on paved roads, even with off road knobbies! It had plenty of torque to climb hills in 2nd gear, and could pull nice little wheelies in the straights. The hills of eastern KY are rocky, muddy and dusty on a ride, and it had no problems. Kept an eye on the air filter; it's the life of it here.

My buddy aggravated me to death about it til I sold it to him, and I still regret it LOL, but that's how it goes. We would ride thru three counties and back, it never let me down and I didn't have to refuel much, AWESOME BIKE!! It was way ahead of its time...

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

The very best motorcycle ever built!

Took it through the Darien Gap in 1985, Vancouver to Peru.

Faults:

Stator coil replaced.

Carb rebuild.

New piston and rings (replaced original).

Every bearing on the body.

General Comments:

Fantastic torque like very few other in its class.

Old but still a serious bike off road; not the best but good. A road toy because of that fantastic pulling power and sound, it really makes the old school bikers think back to the day I bought a FJ1100, but no way I was selling my red rocket.

Highly recommendable flag stone model right through the range. People, this bike knows Africa and even she can't break it...