Just bought 98 XR 600 R

[Johnboy222]

Hi everybody.

I've been a member on this site for well over a year now and it's my first post! Just picked up '98 XR 600 and love it already!. Never owned this type of bike before, had GSXR 750 and a modified Aprilia SR scooter:thumbsup: , I'm english but living in Tarragona, Spain and everybody has modified scooters over here:ride: but thought I'd give an offroad bike a try.

I was looking for a Suzuki DRZ, Honda XR 400, 600 or 650, wouldn't've minded a Yam 450 or KTM 400 but didn't want extra maintenance as i'm going to use it every day, hopefully. I saw this bike and bought it for 1500 euros, bit of a project for me as well. Gotta read the riding technique forum now to try and stay on the thing when I eventually venture off road:ride:

Bike seems to go great but obviously not had the chance yet to see what jets are in it, if snorkel is removed etc but I do know the baffle is out of the exhaust, bit too noisy!! Been reading every forum on here and gained a wealth of information but can't find a jetting database or anything similar for jetting the bike between sea level and 3000 ft.

What's the basic settings for uncorked?

I noticed that the choke lever is loose. Flip it up and it falls down on its own! Any ideas how to fix it?

Going to get oil, spark plug, filters, look at carb etc this weekend and get some pictures to post on here. Hopefully I'll be able to start it by the weekend:foul: Seen the threads about starting it but still can't do it. I'll try again tomorrow morning when I've rested:bonk: . I want to do a couple of things to it, I like the CR Forks, supermotard wheels, stator, handlebars, maybe carb, not decided which one but there's lots of opinions on every type in the forums.

Thanks.

John

[chpxr]

congrates on your new bike you will have years of fun with it they just keep on going and going these bikes:ride:

[frankstr]

Congrats on the new ride ,Johnboy222 and Welcome to Thumpertalk,

[xr-jorger]

my choke was loose too, when i rejetted i was able to tighten things back up, dont remember exactly what i did but when you have it apart you'll be able to correct it.

[Johnboy222]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

Not had any time to sort bike out yet but have taken a photo of it and rode it yesterday.

Got the starting technique sorted:applause: . But what I did find, when i said in my first post that the choke lever falls down on it's own. It runs better with the choke on.

For example, when the bikes being rode, when the chokes off and you hold it at a steady throttle the bike wants to accelerate then decelerate on it's own, even without moving the throttle and when I stop riding with the choke off, the revs are lower obviously but the bike runs for a while then dies. I started it again and tried to adjust the tickover, so it'd stay running, but the tickover screw is all the way in, you can't adjust it any more.

Has anybody ever come across this before?

I've ordered a 68 pilot jet and a 155 & 160 main to try, I read that they were the base settings to start of with.

Am I correct with these jets?

Any other ideas or things that I could try?

Here's a photo of the bike.

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/torero121/detail?.dir=/2922re2&.dnm=1249re2.jpg&.src=ph

As you can see, it needs a new manifold. It's all rusted and it doesn't have a heatshield. They've tried to fix a hole in the manifold with some sort of sealer like JB Weld but there's still a pinprick hole in it. I've been looking at the XR's Only stainless manifold and the FMF powerbomb.

Any other suggestions on manifolds/exhausts?

Will they connect to the stock exhaust?

Will I need to order anything else for where the two pipes join?

Thanks

John

[xr650l bum]

Love the seat cover. What kind is it? Matches the color on my bike as well. Go with the power bomb header and the Q2 if you are dual sporting. If not you can go with another can! I have seen and heard the xrs only. Did not blow me away! The back order is tremendous! Internet search will get you the FMF cheaper and a lot sooner.

[cbaranski]

Sweet bike man. I have a 96. Check out my page. http:/www.putfile.com/cbaranski

[Javelina]

If you want to get more performance with the stock pipe, the insert can be modified. If you grind through the weld on the inner and outer parts of the smallest inside diameter, you'll see it's not part of the outer insert. It can be driven out and the outer end of the remaining hole can be peened in to hold the baffle tube in place. If I recall on my '95 the stock jetting was #45 or 48 pilot and 152 main. It's in my garage in California and I'm in Florida, so it's a little hard to confirm though. Most of the riding I did was from 1200-4000' above sea level. Also keep in mind that the idle air screw (the little one on the bottom of the carb just in front of the bowl) should be set at 2-2.5 turns out from a lightly bottomed setting.

The choke arm is kept in position by a little spring plate on the carb body that works against the arm directly and if it's bent that may be why the lever isn't holding position.

Bet you could find a good stock header on Ebay (if there's a Euro version) and the stock header gives better low and midrange than the larger diameter aftermarket ones.

Make sure you have your front preload set right and add some tube if you have to. If you don't the front end will "plow" in soft sand. Get yourself a shop manual. It's the best investment you can make in your bike.

[Javelina]

By the way, the modified insert in my previous post gives more power but is still MUCH quieter than running without it.

[Johnboy222]

Thanks for the advice Javelina. I downloaded a workshop manual for it but when I looked at the suspension page, it doesn't give me the basic setup settings for the suspension. I know everybodies different but I thought there would be a baseline setting.

I weigh about 78.5 kg or 173 lbs

You said about getting the preload set right but I wouldn't know where to start:excuseme:

Any advice?

Thanks

John

[Javelina]

Setting preload on either end of the bike is basically the same as far as measuring goes, but each end has different means to get to the desired end result.

1. Park the bike next to a wall so when the bike leans towards the wall it only leans a tiny bit. Basically upright but with enough lean to not tip back.

2. Put on the gear you ride with. All of it.

3. Pull up on the bars to top out the suspension and measure from a spot on the bottom of the forks (axle etc.) to a spot on the triple clamps (pinch bolt etc.).

4. Let go of the bars and measure between your two points. Write it down. This first measurement is called "static sag".

5. Sit on the bike in your normal riding position and have a slave measure the two reference points again. Write it down. This second measurement is called "race sag".

Here's the deal. With you on the bike, it should use slightly less than 1/3 of its total travel. This is about the ideal "race sag". If it uses more, add preload. In the case of the forks, you add preload by adding or lengthening a spacer above the fork spring(s). You can use PVC pipe of the appropriate diameter. Once you have the race sag set, remeasure for static sag. If it's less than 1", you could benefit from stiffer springs. Essentially, to make a spring that's too soft for you weight work you have to add so much preload to it that your static sag goes away. I doubt if the stock springs will be too stiff. They're pretty soft, but you can tell if they're too stiff by the fact that it takes little or no preload to get proper race sag, but the static sag is still not right.

Same rules and procedure apply to the back, but you can adjust the preload with the shock spring seating nuts on the top of the spring. I think the manual talks about a spanner, but nobody in the real world uses one. An aluminum (aluminium to you) punch and a couple of whacks from a ball pein hammer will loosen the lock nut, then a shot of penetrating oil and some more hammer and punch work will allow you to run the adjusting nut on the spring up or down to the desired point. Spin the lock nut back down to the adjuster nut, whack it into a semi-tight state and try 'er out. BTW, it's best to do the shock adjustment on a work stand with the weight off the wheels so you're not fighting the weight of the bike as well as the pressure of the spring. You can do it man.

As far as the valving clickers goes, I think I remember 2 clicks out from full in on the compression valve in the bottom of each fork leg is about right for a "standard" setting. The owners manual tells about it, but like I say, mine's back in the garage in California rotting its tires off.