• The Honda XL line is among the most utilitarian motorcycles ever made. Designed as an on-road/off-road machine, it could go just about anywhere while being fully street-legal and able to navigate city roads adequately. The 1984 XL was no exception. A step up from Junior sizes, this entry in the XL line was ideal for a small adult.
  
  

XL Basics

• Nearly every Honda XL was a single-cylindered four-stroke with a single overhead cam. It was a dirtbike adapted to street use, not the other way around. While very well adapted to trail or enduro riding, it was only serviceable on roads. This made the XL an ideal choice for long off-road adventures that had some highway or surface street segments, or as a ranch bike or rural bike for places with mixed dirt roads and surface streets. The XL was also known to be among the most durable, reliable bikes made.
  
  

Engine Specifics

• The XL was air-cooled. With a bore of 65.5 mm and a stroke of 57.8 mm, it displaced 196 cubic centimeters and had a compression ratio of 9.2:1 generating 18 peak horsepower at 8,000 rpm. The single overhead cam operated two valves: one intake and one exhaust. Ignition was managed with a CDI system. The XL200 breathed in through a single 24 mm Keihin carburetor and breathed out through a distinct twin exhaust-port system.
  
  

Suspension

• The XL tracked with a 21-inch front tire, measuring 2.75 inches wide. The rear was a chain-driven 18-inch tire, measuring 4.1 inches wide. It had a steel tube frame, 38 mm Showa front forks and a Pro-Link rear suspension. The XL stopped with drum brakes, front and rear.