Project complete!!!!

After 3 months my 1979 Honda XR500 restoration project is complete.

Not sure what's next.............maybe a holiday!!

Almost there!

project update

Front and rear mudguards courtesy of dcvmx.com

Original silencer......32 years old!!! but had to slightly modify the end because of corrosion so welded a 3" - 2" reducer.

Sidepanels again the originals used with new decals from reproductionsportdecals.com.

Tank now finished! after a shit load of work this 1982 xl250 dakar tank is ready to go!

Rebuit wheels with a 21" front  and a set of pirelli MT21's.

Swingarm etc.

Was lucky to find a rust free header pipe from the u.s, new shocks from Hagon.

rebuild started.

Finally finished painting earlier this week and started assembly today.....at last!.

New tank fitted!

New (old and in pretty poor shape!) tank fitted today, came from a 1982 - ish xl250 paris dakar, a very rare bike indeed! With a little alteration of the mounting points on the frame and the centre fixing tab it was there,  the seat has had approx 3 inches shaved off the front to accommodate the new larger tank. The rear mudguard in the pic won't be staying i have just ordered new replica guards from the U.S.

In the begining

Picked this little piece of dirtbike history up recently with the intention of fully restoring it.
The bike is an original 1979 UK bike with a very low frame number ( in the low 40's!)

This resto job will however have a slight twist as i intend to build the bike honda never did...... the Honda xr500 desert twinshock. Having seeing many pics of the yamaha twinshock desert blasters i thought i would add a honda as it may have looked if they had built it.