crf650x

[x400r]

Any honda insiders around here? I thought I heard somewhere that Honda makes a four wheeler with the xr650 motor. I am sure it has e start, why could they not put e-start on the xr650?

[rmhrc630]

Yes they do make an estart TRX650

But I think it is a transverse motor?

I just looked

HOnda make a 680 EFI motor??

&%$#@! are they doing feeding us carbed crap?

[cheezy]

crf tank on xr

that looks nice

[wickedsprint]

Any honda insiders around here? I thought I heard somewhere that Honda makes a four wheeler with the xr650 motor. I am sure it has e start, why could they not put e-start on the xr650?

Why put e-start on a bike that always starts first kick? The last thing our 650R needs is more weight.

[x400r]

ok sorry. anyone got any leads on a 650 on this side of the mississippi?

[skyriver]

Why put e-start on a bike that always starts first kick? The last thing our 650R needs is more weight.

I'm with you there... Of course, I'll be singing a different tune the next time I kill it while skirting a steep rightside hill... Besides that, I do find myself having to make sure I'm ready before my e-start comrades since they can start in a sec and just take off. Of course, I can always catch them!

[XR6's_rule]

Personally, I think E-start is a luxury bikes and some riders could do without. For beginners that dont know how to find TDC and are starting riding, of course E-start is a godsend. But for guys like myself that have ridden for years now (and there are plenty of us!) and can start bikes with our tongue, it is a liablity and a detriment to a bikes performance. I work on bikes part-time for a living. Last week I had a '04 WR250F which is of course an e-start model. I couldn't believe how things had gone backwards since I rode the first (2001) model released. For starters, the bike felt much heavier and hardly any lighter than my XR4,which in this day and age, is considered heavy, those starter motors and batteries etc dont come lightly. Second, the battery is mounted atop the airbox which makes for a much smaller intake into the airbox, robbing the bike of horsepower for sure. So now Yamaha WR riders are left with a bike that is considerably heavier and has less horsepower, but wasnt the whole point of developing the light/high revving 4-stroke to make the bikes lighter? It seems the clock is being turned back again. E-start is a novelty which will quickly wear off and I think shouldnt be engineered into any new Honda big-bore model, especially when what we are after is something that has lower overall weight.

[XR6's_rule]

To add weight to this argument, I have weighed a DRZ400E (e-start) and and the XR600/400's. The XR's were standard with the roadgear stripped off and were full of fuel- wet weight, the XR6 came in at 138 kilograms and the XR4 129, both of these bikes obviously are kickstart only. Interestingly, the DRZ4 came in at a "sorry" 136 kilograms full of fuel but without blinkers etc.

[huntmaster]

Why put e-start on a bike that always starts first kick? The last thing our 650R needs is more weight.

Yep. 280+ lbs will quickly become 300 + lbs. OK perhaps for a future proper dualsport version (if indeed a CRF600X off-road emerges) and probably more then competitve with other 650 D/S bikes out there....but I don't see Honda making the changes to the bike in it's existing form.

[uncleroby]

To add weight to this argument, I have weighed a DRZ400E (e-start) and and the XR600/400's. The XR's were standard with the roadgear stripped off and were full of fuel- wet weight, the XR6 came in at 138 kilograms and the XR4 129, both of these bikes obviously are kickstart only. Interestingly, the DRZ4 came in at a "sorry" 136 kilograms full of fuel but without blinkers etc.

Motociclismo, the best Italian magazine says:

XR600R --> 131,5 kg

XR400R--> 121 kg

DRZ400E --> 129 kg

(XR650R --> 137 kg)

All dry weight with dual sport kits. This data are very close to XR6's_rule's ones.

Uncleroby

[ThunderChicken]

Yep. 280+ lbs will quickly become 300 + lbs. OK perhaps for a future proper dualsport version (if indeed a CRF600X off-road emerges) and probably more then competitve with other 650 D/S bikes out there....but I don't see Honda making the changes to the bike in it's existing form.

Hey huntmaster, just for fun... I'll bet my left nut Honda rolls out a XR650R in street-ready form with the button either for the 2008 or 2009 model year.

If I lose, I'll mail it to you.

[cheezy]

xr650s are very light and flickable.

[x400r]

Hey huntmaster, just for fun... I'll bet my left nut Honda rolls out a XR650R in street-ready form with the button either for the 2008 or 2009 model year.

If I lose, I'll mail it to you.

that would be kinda late but would not surprise me.

[huntmaster]

Hey huntmaster, just for fun... I'll bet my left nut Honda rolls out a XR650R in street-ready form with the button either for the 2008 or 2009 model year. If I lose, I'll mail it to you.

Yep. That's pretty much what I said. You're betting against that? A re-packaged street ready 650R could debut after a pure-dirt CRF replacement comes forward...possibly as a 650L replacement as speculated elsewhere here. But that's not the XR in it's existing form...a pure off road bike.

[XR_mad]

if so i still reckon the R will put its replacement in its place the R will Rule for many years to come, its too soon for honda to throw away the technology they put into the R they like to get as much use out of designs as they can

[x400r]

they turned the xr600 into the xr650l 15 years ago. why not the 650r into a dualsport?

[XR_mad]

the major issue of the footpeg, they get away with it over here though i have no idea how

[ThunderChicken]

Yep. That's pretty much what I said. You're betting against that? A re-packaged street ready 650R could debut after a pure-dirt CRF replacement comes forward...possibly as a 650L replacement as speculated elsewhere here. But that's not the XR in it's existing form...a pure off road bike.

I'm not sure. I'm confused now. LOL.

I thought you said that they wouldn't change current version of the XR650R...meaning they will either phase it out, or, just keep producing it as is.

I'm betting that they will take the 650R, change it by making it street legal and adding an electric starter. Rebadging it as a dual sport bike.

[huntmaster]

I'm betting that they will take the 650R, change it by making it street legal and adding an electric starter. Rebadging it as a dual sport bike.

Agreed. That would be the XR repackaged in an all-new form. Street legal...as perhaps it always should have been, and as in other markets. Extra weight of a starter (and button) would be less of an issue... and the new 600X, or whatever would be along to cater to the pure off-road crowd. Of course, the release of this new bike will be followed by a thousand "how do I street plate my new CRF600" posts!

[uncleroby]

Of course, the release of this new bike will be followed by a thousand "how do I street plate my new CRF600" posts! ?

Yep, I agree: Honda dual sported XR400R coming out with an hooorrribbble bike! A scooter would be more exciting!

18 kilograms more, no chance to install kickstarter, horrible metal subframe to mount spoilers, etc

Honda just did the supermoto version but Dallara, the italian importer makes an enduro from it (http://www.dallarahonda.com/xr400r_new.htm).

I hope they will not do the same with the BRP, in may opinion it is ALREADY a dual sport!

Uncleroby