Been lurkin' a while, thought I'd join in and introduce myself.

Just ordered a 2006 XR650L for $5700 OTD. This was an equal deal to going
thru Southern, except I didn't have to drive 1600 miles. :p

Went thru Plano Honda, they were totally professional, friendly, and willing to deal.

Been joyriding since I was a kid, used to ride West Texas enduros for grins,
but mainly just like to ride. For me, the 'L' is for toolin' wherever I choose,
the 'R' is for trails (I am eyeing the CRF6xxR developments :goofy: ), and the
YZF is for my speed fix. The only thing that counts is if it is fun. I'm as
technical as the next guy, but could care less about which bike someone feels
is better or worse. :p They're bikes, and like women, it's hard not to love 'em all. :awww:

Look forward to learning about the board members, and sharing quality info!
:thumbsup:

Glad to hear it! Welcome to the group.

Welcome,
I agree about bikes and women.

Thats a nice choice of toys, just be ready to mod it when you need more speed and grunt in the hills. Much info is around here using search and Daves carb mods etc off other sites. Welcome...and have fun !!!

Obviously you knew what you're getting into by buying an 'L'. Heavy, under suspended & a bit under powered for a big single. But hey, it's a Honda and the best bike is the one you're having the most fun riding, street, dirt or both.

Welcome & let the mods begin.

Hey Phuzz, what part of TX? I am with you on all counts, Picked up a 2006 a month or so ago, once you mod it, its a great ride. Enjoy.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. Seems like lots of good folks/info here. :thumbsup:

I knew what I was getting into, buying the 'L', and believe me, it took a long time with all the considerations involved. I was most definitely going to go with the 650R since it has so many compliments and is so dual-sportable. But I did finally go with the 'L' since I want to be able to essentially go anywhere on it, and especially on a whim. Yes, a DS'ed R can go anywhere, but I do have a fun 250R, and it has the BD DS kit as well. I guess the L, for me, fit better into what I was looking for in a Big Block DS bike. I still love your R's (lucky bastards! :) ), the DRZ's, the WR's...heck, I even would like a Hodaka Road Toad.

My 250R is still fun and light for the tight trails, but i will probably replace it on down the line witha 650R or something else that is attractive at that time. Or maybe I'll just keep it. It is, and always has been, a blast to ride for me.

I know I have my homework cut out to tweak the L, but many bikes get tweaked as well, so this is nothing specific to the L. The weight is actually a benefit (or at least no biggie) on the road. I'll probably do some jetting/carb changes, larger gas tank, tires for starters and then see how she behaves.

Most awkward thing for me in this decision was to buy "outdated" hardware, and not go for the "latest & greatest" like the CRF450X or the reasonably new XR650R. But I use the term "outdated" loosely here since not everything on Earth has to be made with the newest technology/ideas for what you want. Many of the industry magazines/shows end up placing much emphasis on things that just don't necessarily matter in the real world. Most bikes, especially these days, are all good, all fast, all reliable, all the fastest, all fun to ride. Unless you get caught up in the minute variances (my ABC1000RRR is .00003 seconds faster, therefore, your XYZ1200 is junk. Besides, mine has two more 'R's than yours, which makes it MUCH better!) This was the realization that allowed me to buy a "yesterday's news" kind of bike, and I honestly believe it is EXACTLY the tool for the job I intend to use it for; that being "miles of smiles". Right on. :ride:

Edit...PS: GrayGhost...I am in the DFW metromess.... :confused:

All very good points, and the other bike in my price range was a KLR 650.
Talk about dated!! It seems to work very well as a whole. Same with the Honda.
I wanted something that was reliable/easy to work on myself /aftermarket support/ quiet!!! I did not want watercooling either, unless it was there was
no other option. Simple is what I wanted and that is what I got. :ride:

Welcome to a fellow Bubba and airhead. :thumbsup:

Been lurking as well. This is a great site for info. I am trying to decide between the DRZ400 and the XR650L. I am going to look at the XR today since I haven't actually seen one in person. How do you like yours? Any pros or cons? This will be my first DS bike...just street bikes about 10 years ago.

I just picked up an L about two weeks ago. I haven't ridden since I was a teenager...ummm, quite awhile back. Anyways, I'm stoked as hell with it. I don't know what took me so long to get back into it but better late than never I guess. With gas prices what they are it's all that much better.
Oh yeah, kick a** site ya'll got here, just been lurking trying to learn as much as I can.

chronos said:

That was a tough choice for me as well. I like the DRZ, the XRL, XRR...heck, I like them all.

But for what I intend to do with the 650L, it is the right choice for me. That being enough street/highway to warrant not getting a more trail oriented bike like the 650R or DRZ400 or KDX220 or ... :ride:

Cons?
It's heavy. But for highway, that's a good thing.

Pro's?
It's a Honda.
It's a Honda XR.
Miles of smiles.
'Nuff said... :thumbsup:

Great choice on the L. I bought mine a few months ago and it has been a lot of fun riding. Before I made my decision on the Honda, I rode 200-500 miles on bikes my friends own. That included a DR650 and a KLR. The first time I sat on the L after that was all it took.

The guys aren't kidding about the mods! It is almost irresistible!

Hi from Albuquerque just got an 05 lots of mods. what part of texas are you in? also looking for riders from Albuquerque or close for trail rides.
Take care
Steve :ride: