The XR650R is dead according to Dealer

[Motosprtman]

I think the only reason an L would outlive an R is due to the less abusive environment it lives in - street use and trailriding as opposed to the R's racy lifestyle...

[irondude]

The 2006 Huskies (250,450,510,610) are street legal in all 50 states. Its up to the buyer to tell the dealer if he wants to register it as a street bike or a dirt bike when he buys it new.

Depending on the state it can be up to $100 extra to register it as a street bike when bought new. If registered as a street bike it has a 1 year warranty. If bought as a dirt bike it has a 30 day warranty. The factory dual sport Huskies are the same as the dirt versions-they just come with a emissions cannister, lights, blinkers, mirror, etc. If bought as a street bike it is slightly more $...but the costs are virtually the same as a CRF450X.

This is an interesting model for releasing bikes in the USA and something Honda would be wise to copy with the 600X.

[TahomaTom]

I was at the Dealership this weekend and no R's to be seen.

There was a DR650, 650L right next to each other.

I was actually thinking why are poeple buying the L's when the DR650 sittiing next to it was shorter, thinnner, and 1500.00 Less. And I own and love my L

I dont know anything about the DR650 so I am guessing after a little research I could find why they have sold 3 L' and no DR's since the last time I was in there.

I would love a spanking new E start, plated R

[ghoti]

The L riders will rule this roost when the R is dead.

[Old_Man_Time]

The L riders will rule this roost when the R is dead. ?

The L will have to wait 20 years for all the existing R's to die before it will ever rule the roost. ??

[TahomaTom]

Yep, It will be years before the R's die.

Those trips to Starbucks just dont put the R's through that much punishment.

????

??

[roadcam]

If they would make a xr650rl it would out sell every thing. make the 650 street legal and e-start, it would sell like crazy!!!

they'd never sell one to riders like me ... I crash often enough I couldn't afford all the new radiator replacements ... some of us old-timers just dont like watercooled engines ... just like the BMW Airhead motto: "Simple is Better"

[ghoti]

The L will have to wait 20 years for all the existing R's to die before it will ever rule the roost. ??

Fast forward to 2025.... The XR650L is introduced with new and improved BNG.?

[Motosprtman]

Figure the odds... most all of the old vintage MX bikes are very rare and most died an awful and neglected death - after years of abuse. The R will do the same thing in years to come. The L will live on - although not all - and will be much like my 30 year old XL's that are still running. Racing bikes like the R just don't have a long life expectancy - unless they are well cared for - a highly modified L is in the same boat. Left pretty much to stock or with some mild mods and rountine maintenance and cleaning both the R and the L would live very long lives. The R as it stands by it's very nature of conception (off road racing) is more apt to meet an early demise.

[ghoti]

It is sad that most of the old MX bikes are memories. I wouldn't say they died a neglected death though as they are highly abused and just get plain worn out. The new bikes are so much better than even just a few years ago and the R will have to go the same way because it is intended as a race bike. Think of the new R, V-twin 750cc, 30 pounds lighter than the 650, more horsepower, better suspension.

[qadsan]

Let's not forget the 650R is sold as a dual sport in Euro and Aussie lands.

[Old_Man_Time]

Let's not forget the 650R is sold as a dual sport in Euro and Aussie lands.

Those countries must not have to deal with an EPA or Honda would have shipped that model here long ago. But your right it wouldn't require a lot of retooling to do it.

[qadsan]

Even though the XR's have been dissapearing here in the US and other countries since 2002 (when the CRF's were introduced), Japan is still advertising them in updated versions that we've never seen and thyey're in dual sport & super moto trim. We don't even have a XR230 here in the US. It's called a CRF230, but Japan is using the XR designation on this bike (weird, huh?). We get some cool stuff here in the US, but there's plenty of trick things in other countries that most of us will never see or hear about. Check out the bikes in these links directly from Honda to see what's going on in their dual sport & super moto world. I wish we had them available here.

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/

XR50 dual sport / motard

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/xr50-motard/

XR50 - XR100 motard

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/motard/50-100/index.html

XR230 dual sport

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/xr230/

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/xr/230/index.html

XR250 dual sport

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/xr250/

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/xr/250/index.html

XR250 motard

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/xr-motard/

XR400 motard

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/xr400-motard/

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/motard/400/index.html

XR off road

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/xr/index.html

http://www.honda.co.jp/XR/motard/index.html

[don87xr600]

to tell ya the truth, i havnt seen a 650r or l at any honda dealer....ever!! the l is better than the r in that there is less matinance and it lasts longer......i say keep the L drop the R.....if u want a race bike, why would you get a 650?

A mo-ped has less maintenance than the L, therefore the mo-ped is a better bike.

idiot!

[thecirque]

The newer bikes, 450x and YZF450, seem disposable to me. There is just something more meaty about the XR650R and I don't mean just the weight factor. For Mountain Trails, Moab Slick Rock, dual sport range, and general comfiness, XR650R is the ticket. It's no motocrosser..and neither am I.

Maybe we'll all be buying the "L" version and stripping them down to our liking in the future.

And if the bikes continue to be profitable for Honda, I can't believe they'll scrap out of principal....

[qadsan]

A mo-ped has less maintenance than the L, therefore the mo-ped is a better bike.

Don, this "person" also thinks less maintenance = a better bike .

Hey...hey...hey, guess whose racing the Baja 1000 this year. That's right, it's "Albert" and he's going to win because he's on the better bike

[mmxr650r]

The newer bikes, 450x and YZF450, seem disposable to me. There is just something more meaty about the XR650R and I don't mean just the weight factor. For Mountain Trails, Moab Slick Rock, dual sport range, and general comfiness, XR650R is the ticket. It's no motocrosser..and neither am I.

Maybe we'll all be buying the "L" version and stripping them down to our liking in the future.

And if the bikes continue to be profitable for Honda, I can't believe they'll scrap out of principal....

In addition...It is hard to believe that Honda would discontinue the production of a bike that has been the "King of Baja", since it's inception. That is not me stating my opinion...but a fact of the results. There has been no better two wheeled machine, for tackling the desert terrain, to date. Again, results are no lie. In the top 10 MC's, at the Baja 500 this year, all but the 4th place team of Chris Blais/Andy Grider (KTM), were Honda's. Sad to say that I just sold my BRP...but I am currently focused on MX, on my CRF450R. I needed to let it "run" like it deserved...Again, long live the BRP...as, the "tool perfectly fits the job", when it comes to the Desert...

[huntmaster]

The newer bikes, 450x and YZF450, seem disposable to me. There is just something more meaty about the XR650R and I don't mean just the weight factor. For Mountain Trails, Moab Slick Rock, dual sport range, and general comfiness, XR650R is the ticket. It's no motocrosser..and neither am I.

I'm not sure why these comparisons are constantly made here and also don't see how the XR compares with them for either focus or displacement category? I don't ride MX either and really don't need MX-based rules forcing me into buying a fragile MX-based 450 because that's where the MX displacement limit is! And thus, to make serious power the engine must spin a gazzillion revs with no oil supply or piston rings to speak of! With extra displacement you can make the same or more power AND have reliability and durability! No replacement for displacement as they say!

The 650R really doesn't compete with these bikes, being the ultimate dependable (and durable) cross country bike. It's no MX bike. They sell other bikes for that!

[don87xr600]

Don, this "person" also thinks less maintenance = a better bike?.

Hey...hey...hey, guess whose racing the Baja 1000 this year. That's right, it's "Albert" and he's going to win because he's on the better bike

Let's see if the mo-ped makes it farther than the Winnebago, and hey we can bet on it at Caliente!