Picked up an '86 350X

[MojaveRider]

I haven't posted in a while, but I scored a pretty nice '86 350X the other day. Overall it is in pretty decent shape: metal tank looks pretty straight, all original plastic in good shape with only minor scuffs. The engine looks very fresh, possibly an NOS engine swapped in? It runs really well, and has a ton of power. This is my first time on a 350X, but it definitely makes more power than I expected, maybe more than my old '85 250R? I'm a big guy but I still have to give it a pretty mean kick to get it started, even though the decompression setup appears to be hooked up and working. Luckily it starts in 1-2 kicks hot or cold.

It needs a front master cylinder, parking brake cable, clutch cable, and some general clean up, but it seems pretty original and unmolested. I want to keep it in good condition, but not so nice that I'm afraid to ride it (that's what happened with my 250R).

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[BigRedRider85]

sweet find man...wish I could find one fairly close in this condition.

[MojaveRider]

sweet find man...wish I could find one fairly close in this condition.

I was lucky, it was only about a 30 min drive to pick it up, definitely the best 3 wheeler I've seen for sale that close to me.

[ShaftDrive225dx]

very nice score! looks in real good riding shape i have to agree with u, i perfer to ride them too bougut my 200x that was very well kept with very few to no scuffs and i felt the same way at first didnt want to realy meas with it but im glad ive come to my senses ive rode a couple times and have had a blast!

[Buck Snort]

Looks good! You will have a blast with that machine.

[dougspcs]

Best kind of machine to find..nice enough to ride, but not so nice you don't want to ride it!!

Good score

[RodKnockRacing]

nice score looks good

[MojaveRider]

Thanks for all the comments, should be fun!

[Flossyb20]

Nice find...you'll really want to find a heat shield for your exhaust though...after about 20 min of trail riding she'll turn your leg red...

[Worden18]

Wow nice score; congrats and have fun with it :)

[jdm97ek4]

nice, my 86 350x restore build is almost done im gonna ride it tho. take care of it but ride it no sence having it sit may as well enjoy it just be careful while riding so you dont bust it up

[the great gazoo]

Nice X, man!
If you have the cash, I'd pick up a set of Maier rear fenders for it & shelf the OEMs, you'll be glad you did 10 years down the road..........

[MojaveRider]

Nice find...you'll really want to find a heat shield for your exhaust though...after about 20 min of trail riding she'll turn your leg red...

I want one. I've been looking, but they seem to be hard to find and a bit pricey. I'm going to keep an eye out.


Nice X, man!
If you have the cash, I'd pick up a set of Maier rear fenders for it & shelf the OEMs, you'll be glad you did 10 years down the road..........

I think this is a great idea, and I've already started looking for a cheap set of Maiers or beat factory fenders to use. With some clean up this set could be really nice, and I would hate to trash $500+ fenders.

[MojaveRider]

I checked the VIN and it turns out it's an '85, not an '86. But, I'm pretty sure it has an '86 engine, since the clutch pull is from left to right, not front to back, and someone routed the clutch cable on the left side. The clutch cable that was on it was probably an aftermarket replacement 85, because it had the spring cover and was too short (with a stock clutch perch the clutch will slip, can't adjust it enough to engage the clutch). Not realizing it was an '86 motor, I ordered another '85 cable, and it exactly matches the cable that was on the bike. So I guess I'll see if I can return the '85 and get an '86, and hopefully it will be the proper length.

[aldochina]

nice score man! motor does look alot cleaner then the rest. be a wonderful bonus if it was a swapped in take out motor! the bolts in the engine look fresh, as does the greenish black anodizing of the shift lever! everything looks 85 other than fenders and front rim. you should be able to check the motor vin also somewhere.

[Jeb]

It's nice, congrats! I've learned alot about the 85-86 differences since I picked up my 86 last year and started replacing parts on it. You have an 86 front rim, but the front disc is 85. The shrouds are 86. Gas tank logo is 85. The head pipe is 86, (notice lower rear heat shield mount.) Obviously the plastic is OEM 86. Rear rims are 85. You also have the 86 model front sprocket guard. Judging by that, the head pipe and the cable routing I bet your motor is 86.

Anyway, it has flat driven me nuts, the minor not so noticable differences between them. Mine had one wheel in the grave but it's much better now. Not perfect but much better!

[MojaveRider]

It's nice, congrats! I've learned alot about the 85-86 differences since I picked up my 86 last year and started replacing parts on it. You have an 86 front rim, but the front disc is 85. The shrouds are 86. Gas tank logo is 85. The head pipe is 86, (notice lower rear heat shield mount.) Obviously the plastic is OEM 86. Rear rims are 85. You also have the 86 model front sprocket guard. Judging by that, the head pipe and the cable routing I bet your motor is 86.

Anyway, it has flat driven me nuts, the minor not so noticable differences between them. Mine had one wheel in the grave but it's much better now. Not perfect but much better!

Wow, thanks for the info, I would never have spotted all those differences.

[aldochina]

yup, 85 triples, and switch, we could go on and on! Its a real nice mutt is what it is!!

[MojaveRider]

I've been busy on this guy lately. I got the proper '86 clutch cable and a stock clutch perch, installed a new e-brake cable and hardware, cleaned up and repainted the exhaust, installed a heat shield (still missing the guard), and oh yeah, installed a set of inverted front forks. :naughty: This is the setup made I think by Jason Hall using CR500 forks. I found some old posts about it but not too much info. I got a pretty good deal on it, and so far it's pretty epic. I have the forks pushed up all the way to keep the front end down, and it still is a tad high in the front I think. I wouldn't mind doing a +2 swingarm, but that will have to wait a while (gotta let the bank account cool off a bit haha).

It definitely rides a lot smoother than the old stock forks, which I'm sure need a rebuild. I may look into stiffer springs, it may be a bit too soft for a big guy like me. I haven't ridden it too much, just messing around a bit in the yard. I can't wait to get out on a trail!

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[HONDA_ATC_FREAK]

very nice forks would love to do that to mine someday.