Author Topic: xl 175  (Read 2088 times)

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Offline ricakk

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xl 175
« on: May 20, 2009, 08:45:00 pm »
Does any one happen to have a kick starter for 1973 XL 175

Offline Nathan S

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #1 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.
The good thing about telling the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

Offline ricakk

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2009, 06:02:30 pm »
Love them, got one for my daughter to ride.

Offline ricakk

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2009, 05:59:03 am »
Just thought I would say something to bring it back to the top

Offline MX?

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2009, 09:30:49 am »
Probably regret this....but I found this from a looong time ago. ::)

Offline JC

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2009, 09:37:24 am »
Are they as gutless as the mag tests of the day claimed?

Offline MX?

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #6 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.

Offline Nathan S

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #7 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.
The good thing about telling the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

Offline ricakk

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2009, 01:34:05 pm »
Always thought they looked a bit like a xr 75 but bigger

firko

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Re: xl 175
« Reply #9 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.