DIRTHAMMER SAYS

Own Keith Turk's 1980 Honda XL 500S!

In 1979, Cycle World issued concise praise for the 1980 Honda XL 500S.

"No doubt about it," the review read. "The Honda XL500 S is the best there is." That kind of praise is hard to argue with. It's direct, declarative, and unequivocal. And, at least by 1979 standards, they weren't wrong. The big Honda, with its counterbalanced single, plastic fenders, and gorgeous build quality, was a much more refined than the capable-but-agricultural Yamaha XT500. The XL had plenty of grunt, a smooth, capable chassis with balanced suspension, and enough horsepower to get away from 55 mph freeway traffic.

And, in true Honda fashion, the big single proved not just refined, but dead reliable, too. In some form or other, the air-cooled single in the XL soldiered on until 2025, when Honda finally put the antediluvian XR650L out to pasture. This 500cc thumper paved the way, and further cemented Honda's reputation for stoic reliability.

This 1980 Honda XL 500S is a fantastic example, with just 1,645 miles on the odometer, and precious few blemishes. It ain't perfect, but it is about as nice as un-restored, 46-year-old machines get. The paint and decals are as deep and bright as they day they were new, and cosmetic faults are limited to some scratches and paint flaking off the aluminum wheel hubs and brake drums. It's quite clear that this bike was stored inside, and we wouldn't be surprised if has never seen dirt.

Legendary Bonneville racer Keith Turk (if you're unfamiliar, his antics with David Freiburger and Alex Taylor at Bonneville are worth Googling) found this bike and spent some time cleaning it and waking it up from a long-term hibernation. That meant cleaning the tank and carburetor, throwing a battery in it, and miscellaneous other small jobs. It now starts and idles beautifully and the inside of the tank is spotless.

This bike is probably best suited to a collector, but it would be just as happy as a coffee shop or back road cruiser. The last five decades have produced a whole bunch of machines better suited for true off-roading, but few are as nice to look at as this old Honda, and none carry the history and swagger.