XLV holiday snap, on the helipad on the way into Talbotville ...

Sharkey's Honda XLV750R page

On this site:

Other XLV-related sites:

ADVRIDER.COM and search for xlv750
Jurgen (www.xlv750.de).
Rolf (www.xlv.ch).
The RS750 is in some ways the XLV's granddaddy. The NXR750 is a much more distant relative.

Whatever happened to my XLV?

On the way home from Wintersun 2004 a gearbox bearing failed completely, filling the engine with steel and aluminium scrap, pretty much destroying the engine. Oddly enough, it got home anyway, and it was only when I drained the oil and a ball-bearing or two fell out that I realized just how badly I'd stuffed it. If I'd had the sense to stop in Ouyen, there'd be a lot more recoverable.

This is all terribly out of date. I rebuilt that one around an replacement engine (thanks Greg H) and also I bought a BMW R100GS, and then a few years later I stacked the BMW quite hard and put myself off bikes for a while. I eventually got the XLV back on the road but I'd kind of lost interest by that point and it sat there for ten years until finally, in 2022, I've gotten rid of the XLV and all its parts. Farewell, XLV750R.

More photos:

Somewhere near Talbotville, in the Dargo high plains
On the trail, coastal Gippsland
Two years later, filling the topbox with beer and ice at the Dargo Pub.
XLVs at the Dargo High Plains Rally 2001
My XLV on the trail ... (photo by Anton)
Clean XLV in the National Motorcycle Museum in Nabiac ... (photo by Nev)
The XLV and me at Dargo 2003 ... photo by Simon Ward

What's in a Name?

The XLV is a part of the Honda XL series of road-trail bikes.
The XLV is a V-twin.
The XLV is a 45°V, and 45 is XLV in Roman Numerals.
750 cc is approximately 45 ci

That still doesn't explain the R, of course :-)