1973 XR75

CamP
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CamP
Edited Date/Time 5/17/2014 4:41pm
Well, I've had this '73 XR75 sitting in the back of my garage for 8 years and I finally got around to doing something with it. Everything was there, but the tank was dented and the fenders were scratched up. I decided that instead of doing a full blown restoration and turning it into a trailer queen, I would just paint the tank, fenders, pipe and call it a day. It still needs some fresh rubber to replace the 40 year old tires, but it's almost ready to serve as my pit bike for the 2012 vintage racing season.

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newmann
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newmann 1/25/2012 9:34am
1/25/2012 9:34am
I like it not being a garage queen. Ride it, don't hide it! Sweet bike, nice and original.
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 9:51am
1/25/2012 9:51am
Thanks Joe. I had the local Dupont supplier computer match the original Rubber Grey paint from the side plates and it came up with Kia Sage Green Metallic. Turned out to be a dead nuts match. Like the original rubber gray, it turns green in direct light and goes gray when the light is muted. Only downside was the $100/quart price for the paint.
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 9:57am
1/25/2012 9:57am
An interesting tidbit about this bike is that it has a 3 digit serial number, making it one of the very first XR75's to hit the dirt in the US.
pete24
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pete24 1/25/2012 10:24am
1/25/2012 10:24am
i had one i dont know how good it was it prolly pretty good as it was about 1975 when i had it, i "laid" down the shocks, via, a peice of threaded rod and some u bolts going across the frame under the seat. When that broke and the shock went through my ridding pants (levis) i hurt a lot!
i did a 74 for a guy, came out pretty good re-mx sells a really good copy of that pipe

The Shop

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newmann
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newmann 1/25/2012 12:02pm
1/25/2012 12:02pm
CamP wrote:
Thanks Joe. I had the local Dupont supplier computer match the original Rubber Grey paint from the side plates and it came up with Kia Sage...
Thanks Joe. I had the local Dupont supplier computer match the original Rubber Grey paint from the side plates and it came up with Kia Sage Green Metallic. Turned out to be a dead nuts match. Like the original rubber gray, it turns green in direct light and goes gray when the light is muted. Only downside was the $100/quart price for the paint.
I hand matched some paint for those several years ago and that was the first thing I pointed out. Definite green cast to the color. $100.00 a quart? You got the cheap stuff!! Depending on the brand and type of paint, most modern basecoats go a really long way. A pint should have been plenty to do a couple XR's. I did nine complete sets of 73 and 74 XR parts with just a little over a quart of base color. Of course, having a mixing system in house, I can mix as little as an ounce. Comes in handy for the stripes.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 1/25/2012 12:10pm
1/25/2012 12:10pm
Wow, my first real bike. And quite a few other riders too I'd reckon.
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 12:52pm
1/25/2012 12:52pm
newmann wrote:
I hand matched some paint for those several years ago and that was the first thing I pointed out. Definite green cast to the color. $100.00...
I hand matched some paint for those several years ago and that was the first thing I pointed out. Definite green cast to the color. $100.00 a quart? You got the cheap stuff!! Depending on the brand and type of paint, most modern basecoats go a really long way. A pint should have been plenty to do a couple XR's. I did nine complete sets of 73 and 74 XR parts with just a little over a quart of base color. Of course, having a mixing system in house, I can mix as little as an ounce. Comes in handy for the stripes.
Yeah, Jeff Long shot the paint and used less than 8oz of base coat. That subtle green tint in the rubber gray is cool and it's often missed on restored 73-74 XR's. They just don't look right without it.
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 12:56pm
1/25/2012 12:56pm
Dropbear wrote:
Wow, my first real bike. And quite a few other riders too I'd reckon.[img]http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq138/WFO_01/74minitrail004.jpg[/img]
Wow, my first real bike. And quite a few other riders too I'd reckon.
Cool pic! I see you had the right number on your XR!
NetMXer
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NetMXer 1/25/2012 1:42pm
1/25/2012 1:42pm
I've got a 74 XR75 waiting to restore. Do you guys know if that used the same grey?
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 1:52pm
1/25/2012 1:52pm
NetMXer wrote:
I've got a 74 XR75 waiting to restore. Do you guys know if that used the same grey?
I'm pretty sure the '74 is also painted Rubber Gray Metallic.
Zeke27G
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Zeke27G 1/25/2012 4:33pm
1/25/2012 4:33pm Edited Date/Time 1/25/2012 4:34pm
You've got one bitchin' XR75 there!!

Not as cool as the 70's XR75's, but this is me abusing the wife's '82 XR80!! Picked it up for $300, it was running great, just needed a new clutch perch and throttle tube. My local Honda dealer still had an OEM throttle tube on the shelf!!

CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 6:39pm
1/25/2012 6:39pm
Zeke27G wrote:
You've got one bitchin' XR75 there!! Not as cool as the 70's XR75's, but this is me abusing the wife's '82 XR80!! Picked it up for...
You've got one bitchin' XR75 there!!

Not as cool as the 70's XR75's, but this is me abusing the wife's '82 XR80!! Picked it up for $300, it was running great, just needed a new clutch perch and throttle tube. My local Honda dealer still had an OEM throttle tube on the shelf!!

Right on! My better half has a '78 that runs circles around the '73, but mine is cooler. lol
leeroy
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leeroy 1/25/2012 9:56pm
1/25/2012 9:56pm
hey cam, sweet little bike !!
did you ever get your tank sorted out ?
CamP
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CamP 1/25/2012 10:05pm
1/25/2012 10:05pm
leeroy wrote:
hey cam, sweet little bike !!
did you ever get your tank sorted out ?
Thanks Leeroy.

You talking about the '83 RM125 tank? I was never able to track down a NOS tank. I tried with Eric Geboer's brother he didn't end up having one.
oldschoolmxr203 1/26/2012 7:40pm
1/26/2012 7:40pm
Had a friend in my nieghborhood had that same bike, when i had a Kawi 90, we used to swtich back and forth on each others bikes, then in 74 his dad got him a TM 100 Suzuki, i got to ride it also, cool bike though
CamP
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CamP 1/26/2012 7:44pm
1/26/2012 7:44pm
oldschoolmxr203 wrote:
Had a friend in my nieghborhood had that same bike, when i had a Kawi 90, we used to swtich back and forth on each others...
Had a friend in my nieghborhood had that same bike, when i had a Kawi 90, we used to swtich back and forth on each others bikes, then in 74 his dad got him a TM 100 Suzuki, i got to ride it also, cool bike though
That's cool. My older brother had a '74 TM100. He was pissed off when his new bike turned out to be slower than my modified XR, but as soon as he put a FMF pipe on that TM, his bike would smoke mine.

Pit Row

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EastFlorida
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EastFlorida 1/27/2012 5:22am
1/27/2012 5:22am
oldschoolmxr203 wrote:
Had a friend in my nieghborhood had that same bike, when i had a Kawi 90, we used to swtich back and forth on each others...
Had a friend in my nieghborhood had that same bike, when i had a Kawi 90, we used to swtich back and forth on each others bikes, then in 74 his dad got him a TM 100 Suzuki, i got to ride it also, cool bike though
I had a Kawi MC90 back in 1975... Not too many had those...
MCfan4life
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MCfan4life 3/17/2012 2:41am
3/17/2012 2:41am
Cam we have got to see a picture of your 5'18" frame on that thing Laughing
backinthesaddleagain 3/17/2012 8:30pm
3/17/2012 8:30pm
Dropbear wrote:
Wow, my first real bike. And quite a few other riders too I'd reckon.[img]http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq138/WFO_01/74minitrail004.jpg[/img]
Wow, my first real bike. And quite a few other riders too I'd reckon.
That pic is pure mx. No energy drinks, no advertising tuff blocks, just a track defined with tires, sensible jumps. Take me back in time.
slowvet
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slowvet 3/18/2012 8:24am
3/18/2012 8:24am
CamP wrote:
Well, I've had this '73 XR75 sitting in the back of my garage for 8 years and I finally got around to doing something with it...
Well, I've had this '73 XR75 sitting in the back of my garage for 8 years and I finally got around to doing something with it. Everything was there, but the tank was dented and the fenders were scratched up. I decided that instead of doing a full blown restoration and turning it into a trailer queen, I would just paint the tank, fenders, pipe and call it a day. It still needs some fresh rubber to replace the 40 year old tires, but it's almost ready to serve as my pit bike for the 2012 vintage racing season.

I see that nice XR and can't help but to think Hooker exausts. I think every neighborhood had that one rich kid down the street that had one of these enviable Honda's.
CamP
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CamP 3/18/2012 9:57am
3/18/2012 9:57am
slowvet wrote:
I see that nice XR and can't help but to think Hooker exausts. I think every neighborhood had that one rich kid down the street that...
I see that nice XR and can't help but to think Hooker exausts. I think every neighborhood had that one rich kid down the street that had one of these enviable Honda's.
That explains why I got a used one! My spoon was just silver plated.

I got it for my 10th b-day in late '73 and it was a mini expert's race bike. It had a Bassani pipe, Powroll 82cc big bore, Powroll cam and ported head. It was faster than the stock 2-stroke 100's of the day, which pissed off my older brother when he brought home a new '74 TM100.

Unfortunately, I'm sure that bike ended up in a landfill.
MT MX
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MT MX 3/20/2012 10:53am
3/20/2012 10:53am
Zeke27G wrote:
You've got one bitchin' XR75 there!! Not as cool as the 70's XR75's, but this is me abusing the wife's '82 XR80!! Picked it up for...
You've got one bitchin' XR75 there!!

Not as cool as the 70's XR75's, but this is me abusing the wife's '82 XR80!! Picked it up for $300, it was running great, just needed a new clutch perch and throttle tube. My local Honda dealer still had an OEM throttle tube on the shelf!!

That was my first motorcycle.....a 1982 XR80. Hoping to find one some day so that I can restore it.
reded
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reded 3/20/2012 11:22am
3/20/2012 11:22am
I've still got my '73 XR, we were both 7yrs old when I got it. I used it as a play bike up until I was 13 and the motor gave up the ghost. I think the timing chain finally broke, poor little bike must've had close to a million miles on it. The chrome is worn off of both shock shafts and the fork tubes. I'd like to restore the damned thing but I'm afraid it'll cost me more than a new bike to get it back to original.
19673ontree
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19673ontree 5/17/2014 4:22am
5/17/2014 4:22am
Yep I also have a 73 I actually wanted a 74 but after I got this cherry 73 I soon forgot about a 74 LOL
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brysgrfx
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brysgrfx 5/17/2014 4:41pm
5/17/2014 4:41pm


I also have one that has been waiting on a restore for about 20 years along with an MR50, but here is a photo of my first bike that was mine only, not a family bike. My dad built the motor with Poweroll parts and a Bassani exhaust enough until the YZ80B or C came out and we had to upgrade. I still wonder where all the trick XR frames ended up, you never see them around.
jmjenk34
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jmjenk34 9/15/2022 6:31pm
9/15/2022 6:31pm
CamP wrote:
Thanks Joe. I had the local Dupont supplier computer match the original Rubber Grey paint from the side plates and it came up with Kia Sage...
Thanks Joe. I had the local Dupont supplier computer match the original Rubber Grey paint from the side plates and it came up with Kia Sage Green Metallic. Turned out to be a dead nuts match. Like the original rubber gray, it turns green in direct light and goes gray when the light is muted. Only downside was the $100/quart price for the paint.
My dad is having a couple tanks painted for his 1973 right now. The guy painting them says that two codes come up for the Kia sage green. G8 and EAB. Do you know which one you used?

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