Hi all. I'm currently looking for a used XR600, and wanted to hear what, if any, suggestions current owners might have in terms of finding the best bike for the best price, and also maybe some suggestions of questions I might ask the seller, and things to look for when checking out the bike. I grew up riding two strokes, have never owned a thumper, and it's been quite a while since I've owned a bike period.

There are a few bikes for sale in my area- not nearly as many as I'd like- but since they're not manufactured anymore it's not surprising. Some bikes look beat to heck, and others not so much. One guy told me the bike has "only been down a dozen times or so". That sounded like a lot of wrecks, to me, but perhaps the fact I've just turned 40 and am looking for something that has been putt-putted around by someone my age or older has warped my perception. :cripple:

As far as price- I've come to the conclusion that fair market value is basically what I'm willing to spend and someone else is willing to sell for. It seems that for a mid to late 90's bike, they range from roughly $1750 to $2500. I've found some other forums where people have located screaming deals and I just don't understand where they're finding them. It seems that people around here are, a lot of times, dreaming. It probably doesn't help that the local Honda dealership charges an arm and a leg for new XR's, and much cheaper prices can be had in CA.

Anyway, that's about it for now. I'm stoked to start riding again. I've had these dreams of maybe even entering some desert races, etc. Maybe I'm delusional, but I've just recently realized how much I miss riding, and I want to get back into it. Perhaps I can meet some like minded individuals along the way. Cheers!

Although the thought of a bike "being down" a dozen times is kind of alarming to hear it`s probably not that much for an older bike,depending on how hard it was dropped...

I`ve dropped mine about 6 or so times this year,but all were when i stopped or turned sharply at almost a stop and couldn`t get my feet to reach the ground,all were just set down as i couldn`t seem to get it upright easily,so i set it down and got arround her to pry the heavy bugger upright:lol:


This did nothing except real light scratches to the side panels and pop a few mirrors...


I think dropping a bike in the dirt is "PAR THE COURSE" with dirt bikes...dropping it on pavement at speed is different in my book...:lol:


Brian

As far as asking the seller anything..Have you got any receipts for work done. Normally I can pretty much tell by looking at a bike what kind of life it's had..Worn left and right casings indicate high dirt use. Not in itself bad depending on the riders makeup. From what I see of a lot of the 600's in the States they look as though they have a fairly easy life. If you go to look at a bike and it starts easily with a half dozen kicks from cold, doesn't smoke,doesn't rattle to much and starts easily when warm it's a good buy. All in all though you can tell by looking at the owner and his general usage of the bike as to what your likely to end up with. Always better to buy one from some guy who's fastidious about oil changes as well, Indicates he knows the vehicle and what makes them tick for long life.

Get the latest model you can afford, not that the latest ones are any better but they are obviously newer and likely to be in better condition/lower hours. Like Horri said, if it starts easily without smoke or rattles/weird noises, it rides/shifts good and the rest of the bike is pretty straight, it's hard to go wrong with the big XR's. Ask for any documentation and spare parts, and try to get a feel for how the bike has been treated/ridden, if this is the 2nd or 3rd or 4th owner, etc. Finally, this may sound strange but don't judge a bike too much by its appearance --- I once bought a very pretty bike that ended up having all kinds of issues. Also I once bought a really beat-up and thrashed old XR250 that just kept ticking, it ended up being one of the best bikes I've ever had. go figure

Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I am, now, aiming for a newer bike. I'm torn between the XR600R, and the XR650R. I was, initially, thinking the 600 because I don't want to deal with cooling problems. Instead of limiting my search to NV, I'm really checking out CA and there are tons of bikes. Proper maintenance is very important to me. I'm the kind of guy who is religious about following such schedules, and I'm hoping to find a seller who's the same. I'd rather get something with 20k that's been properly maintained, than something with less miles with the same oil in it since it came out of the showroom. My sister is the classic example of the kind of person to never buy from. Her cars shine with the best of them, but the motor oil has 25k on it.

Rather than post an entirely new thread (there are so many I have trouble finding the right information), I thought I would pose a question here. What are the differences, specifically performance wise, between the XR600R, and the XR650L? My initial plan was to purchase a clean 600, and make it street legal so I could plate it. After doing a bit of research, it seems the 650L shares a lot of similarities- steel frame, air cooled, etc. I've decided against the XR650R, because I don't want to deal with a liquid cooled bike. I could see myself wiping out and piercing the radiator 100 miles from home, by myself. That would not be good. There have been some negative comments (not necessarily on this forum) about the performance of the 650L, so I do wonder if it's a bit slower, less punchy than the 600R. I would greatly appreciate some commentary from those familiar with both bikes. Thanks!

I have an supernice XR600 with alot of new parts for 1800.00 firm. if interested please call me 317-682-7317 ask for Ray.

600R is a better dirtbike and 650L is a better street and part time dirt bike. Its been awhile since I road either but from memory the 600 has more power than the 650L. For all day exploring it would be hard to beat either one of them - both comfy. If the terrain gets nasty I would rather have the 600. The only thing I didnt like about my 600 was it was hard to start after a spill. With all that said - I would get a plated 650R and not look back. Lots more performance than either bike. Get some radiator guards and take a stop leak with you since you are running solo.

Hondaman4ever said:

1.) This thread is eight months old,
2.) MountainBear got a bike last year, and
3.) the forum rules specifically prohibit blatantly trying to sell things in the technical discussion areas.

I saw this this morning but held off, HT covered it better.

Wow, so this is why Ray sent me a private message. I had forgotten that I posted this thread last year. Seems I should have come back and ended it by announcing my purchase, but I did that in another thread. Hard to believe it's been almost a year. I still want to ride an XR600 to see the difference between that and my L in terms of performance.