OzVMX Forum

Marketplace => Wanted => Topic started by: ricakk on May 20, 2009, 08:45:00 pm

Title: xl 175
Post by: ricakk on May 20, 2009, 08:45:00 pm

Does any one happen to have a kick starter for 1973 XL 175

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: Nathan S on May 20, 2009, 08:50:49 pm

No spares, but I'm interested in knowing why you want one.... (and I mean, beyond the really obvious "I have an XL175 without a kickstarter").

I thought I was the only XL175 weirdo here.

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: ricakk on May 24, 2009, 06:02:30 pm

Love them, got one for my daughter to ride.

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: ricakk on May 29, 2009, 05:59:03 am

Just thought I would say something to bring it back to the top

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: MX? on May 29, 2009, 09:30:49 am

Probably regret this....but I found this from a looong time ago. ::)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d14/photos2u/Odds%20and%20Ends/glennHonda175.jpg)

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: JC on May 29, 2009, 09:37:24 am

Are they as gutless as the mag tests of the day claimed?

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: MX? on May 29, 2009, 09:48:52 am

Don't think they were as bad as made out....serious. ;D They were a "trail bike" not a racer. I do remember Trail & Track reporting on how well they jumped...........and boy did I test out that theory....to the point the front downtube ended up breaking.  ::)
There was quite a few of 'em around our way at the time.
All in all, as my first bike I had a ball on it.

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: Nathan S on May 29, 2009, 09:50:08 pm

+1.

Mine was a typical paddock bike - but it always went far better than anyone expected.

Stripped of the road gear, it wasn't all that heavy (lighter than a DT250A in the same spec, I reckon), nice and slim between the legs, good throttle response, steered nicely... Not a lot left to complain about, really.

I guess they're one of those bikes that works well as a package - doesn't do anything particularly well, but everything makes sense and encourages you to explore the (trail bike) limits.

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: ricakk on May 30, 2009, 01:34:05 pm

Always thought they looked a bit like a xr 75 but bigger

Title: Re: xl 175
Post by: firko on May 30, 2009, 01:54:18 pm

The all time classic XL175 was owned by a bloke named "Rattles" Randall, a Bilpin feral who raced in the early days of VMX. He was the consumate fiddler who managed to get 320cc of his XL175. Bilpin legend has it that he used a CR250 Elsinore 2 stroke crankshaft and some weird road bike rod. Not sure what piston he used but you could see the weld build up between the fins. I rode the bike at Condo one year and it flew but quickly ran out of puff if you didn'y keep the throttle pinned, sorta like a really fast, ported 125...hardly my riding style. It looked like a stock 175 except for the Elsinore 125 wheels.  I ran into him at CD5 and he threatened to come back racing it again but so far that hasn't happened.