The Honda XR75 & XR80 Story — The Bikes That Started a Generation

Who would down vote this? Love everything this guy does and puts his time into.

Here's mine😎

growing up in my neighborhood in San Diego, most started with Honda mini trail 50 or 70. Some got lucky and had Yamaha mini Enduro 60. SL70 replaced mini trails and mx/gt80s replaced jt1 mini enduros. Most of us moved on to 100s or 125s, then 250s. Never did see XR75 in the area, even at local races.

Tony B., is not wrong. The XR75 got a lot of youngsters racing on two wheels.

Heck, Jeff Ward graduated from a Z50 onto one. His dad made special parts and complete bikes he sold. JWRP. Jeff was a demon on his hopped upped XR's. They made 100cc kits for the Elsinore also.

I have had many XR75's over the years.  Still have an original 1973, 1978 and many pieces and special parts. Hacienda Honda, Powroll, Bassani etc.

I started on a ‘76 XR75. Powroll cam, Mulholland shocks, exhaust, though I don't recall the brand.

A bit later, but I started on an 01 XR80. To this day have a soft spot for the 01 Honda graphics, would love to restore a 125 to clean stock trim to keep around.

Those motors were almost unbreakable. Once guys started adding suspension travel the frames could be a problem. Old grainy photo is my little brother on his Powroll kitted 83cc XR in 1975.

my dad had a z50 when we were growing up. I must have driven that damn thing 10,000 miles and it was indestructible. Every year he'd change the oil and I swear that was the only maintenance in 20 years. And we beat the holy hell out of it. Good memories...RIP Pop.

My first bike, too. A used '74 XR75. I was stoked to get a motorcycle, but the thing didn't run too well (I didn't know about stale gas back then and didn't ride it enough to burn through all the fuel.) 

my 1st was a 1970 Mini Trail 50 with hard tail frame, pogo stick springs added to flimsy "forks" and 8" wheels. Was a 1st motorized bike after years of thrashing Stingray style bicycles. Removed the lights and cut off muffler and replaced with a Coors can stuffed with steel wool 🤣 Frequently broke the frame and bent the folding pegs straight down and had to have repaired. Gas was 16-25 cents a gallon. The local Texaco station owner was really cool helping us out with free welding and other stuff to keep us riding 🙂

Mine

This is my Cousin, I learned how to Ride on this Babie! 

I would have taken a full DG kitted YZ80 with lay down shocks over any 4 stroke back in those days, but it was after my time on minis.

Can't go wrong with one of these bikes. Probably the best bike ever built. I have had two. This one I turned into a 50s BSA Goldstar recreation.

My current one.

I think this was my second race ever. Real riding gear was a luxury! 

Artwork

Here is mine, a 1977 that I restored 15 years ago. My dad bought my brother and I brand new XR75's in 1977 and we put those bikes through hell and although they weren't the fastest bikes around, they were pretty indestructible. 

My first bike was a 79 xr75 . My dad and I got tired of trying to push start it so we devised a clever plan to pull start it behind his pick up truck . I still remember laying in the street with my knee hyper extended watching him drag my bike for another 50 feet before stopping LoL. Turns out I had the points installed wrong.

Mulholland shocks! I had a pair of those on my’74. I also had a Bassani pipe. My first motorcycle and first race bike.

Three brothers.

xr100

xr80

xr70?  All mid-90s.

What a great childhood on my dads millworker maintenance man salary

I had the yz 80 at the time, one time I rode my friends xr75 and I couldnt believe the corner speed / traction available.

My Dad was a roadrace guy. My uncle  owned Kawasaki,  Arcticat  shops. Being 3-12 years old I was all about 2 strokes. My hero's were Jeff Ward and Rick Johnson, but ward wore green. It was drilled in my head moto was 2 strokes, 4 strokes were trail bikes. The first time I rode a XR75 I felt like I was sitting still. Then I realized it was so easy and fun to ride without getting tired and out of breath. 

That being said any 4 stroke I ever road and owned, I would break every frame. MY poor Dad would have to weld EVERY frame just to have me break them again. Then we bought a 85 KX80. Broke that too. Lol

Kept my Dad busy 

Yz 80 rider " im full throttle and this things going no where " Immediately hits the power band and loops out   Xr 75 rider "this things slow " Immediately goes over the bars from engine braking ..... Moral of the story.. Don't EVER forget the importance of the clutch.  My Dad taught me, when ( not if) you get in a situation, pull the clutch in. Best advice I've ever got in my life

My XR75 from back in the 80s and then one I picked up about 10 years ago