ignorant & uneducated, need brief history

[germanturbo]

600 & 650

what years made? which are kick start and which are electric? just got an 85 600, love it, trying to learn more about the family

thanks

[snaggleXR650]

Hey,

Good question.

In the early 80's they had XR500's, the XR600's first year should be right around '84/'85. The XR600's were made up until '00, all were kick start. Around '84-'87 or so, the XR600 had dual carbs, but that didn't last long. Also, XR600's are known to break your foot/ankle during kickstarting if the motor kicks back.

The XR650L, used to be XL600 then XL650 were started in the late 80's early 90's I believe. Street legal from the factory, and had E-start. The XR650L is still made today, and Is mostly the same bike as the early XR600's.

In 2000 the XR600 was replaced with the XR650R. Not street legal, no kick start, but a totally new aluminum frame, liquid cooling, and alot more grunt than the XR650L.

[TimBrp]

On the 7th day God farted and created the winds...On the 8th day God created the XR.

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Hey,

Good question.

[snip]

In 2000 the XR600 was replaced with the XR650R. Not street legal, no kick start, but a totally new aluminum frame, liquid cooling, and alot more grunt than the XR650L.

uhm... ...I am pretty sure 650R's have a kickstarter, otherwise I have been flailing the crap outta the right footpeg.... maybe this is why they break?

[gaucho]

XR 600 history

http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/xrhst.html

[Ret09]

More.....XR 600s have disc front break thru most the 80's. In 91, they add the rear disc break as well.

All XR 650s are kick start. All XRL 650s are ES only.

XR 650 are water cooled

XRL 650s are air cooled.

most all XR 650s will eventually suffer from a right side foot peg breakage unless corrected early on. The fix is to replace the entire footpeg with after market unit that wraps itself around the frame to insure no breakage during riding. A MUST UNLESS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO FALLING ON DAY.

XR 650's run way better with the Honda Power Up kit (carb, pipe changes).

Some years XR 650s have option at new to purchase 4 year bumper to bumper warranties. They are transferable. Great deal then. I had one on my 03. ?

[JoeBlow Kokomo]

Some years XR 650s have option at new to purchase 4 year bumper to bumper warranties. They are transferable. Great deal then. I had one on my 03. ?

Have you needed it?

[snaggleXR650]

Sorry about the typo. The 650R is definitely kick start, and aftermarket E-starts are available for $1000+. Boy, I would hate to try to start the PIG with "no kick start." Thanks for catching my mistake...

[Motosprtman]

? The XR's are a derivative of the legendary XL line that ran from 1972-1987, begining with the XL250 Motosport and ending with the 1987 XL600R. The XL line consisted of many displacement variations from 70cc to 600cc.

The XR's began in 1979 and also had varying displacement from 250-350-500 and 600.

CRF's are a further derivative of the XR's - in evolving technlogy.

The XR650L came about as a result from the failure of Honda's introduction of the NX series in 1988. The NX250 and 650. Both of these bikes sported a Paris-Dakar motive / look, but were not welll accepted. Honda recouped ther losses in observing an aftermarkeket installation of the NX-650 motor (which had e-start btw) into a XR600R frame. Thus the XR650L was born and introduced to the public in 1993. It has sold like aspirin at income tax time and is one of the most legendary production lines to date. The XR650L is known for a bulletproof motor, simplistic design and a general workhorse. It is not a race bike. It is what it is, a playbike. It's newer brother - although completely different - the XR650R is a water cooled version and is competition capable.

[rkuckkahn]

Thanks for the question and all the answers. Alls I can say my 04 650 L (lady) gives me more, much more, than I expected and it's great doing mods (modaholic).

A buddy of mine has the 600 and that's a real kick too. Even more power to weight but both will wear us out long before they're worn out.

The electric start is nice only once did I have to role downhill to "kick-start" in cold weather when I hit the kill switch left the key on and sat around a campfire until it got dark enough to see the error of my ways. Hate to try "kick-start" on flat sand or something like that. My only wish is that they would have put an emergency kick on the L but then you're talking a decompression lever and all that. Anyway love my L enjoy your 600.

[HRCMan]

Good history lesson. Was the SL Series the parent of the XL's? The SL70, SL100, SL125, SL175, SL350 were all in production in the late 60's to around 72. Or were they just a transition from scrambler (CL) models to more specific XL to XR off road motorcycles?

[Ret09]

In my case, the XR 650 warranty was a good one. When a friends foot peg broke off, sending him into an endo and breaking his wrist, he called Honda when we got home. Honda told him they had never heard of foot pegs breaking off the XR 650's. RIGHT! But to take it to the local dealer and they would fix it for free. This happened about 100 miles south in Mexico and had already been fixed down there.

So my friend sold his XR rather than worry about this happening again. Since then, there are several after market fixes to prevent this. Of course Honda has never admitted to this to any one. Imagine the lawsuits if they did and the product recalls to fix it. Oh well, you live, you learn. ?

I know a couple guys who have blown up their XR 650s racing them. They just brought them in, said it happened while riding (not racing) and got new engines. So the warranty does work when needed. ?

[Ret09]

Good history lesson. Was the SL Series the parent of the XL's? The SL70, SL100, SL125, SL175, SL350 were all in production in the late 60's to around 72. Or were they just a transition from scrambler (CL) models to more specific XL to XR off road motorcycles?

Scrambler was the first dirt oriented bike Honda tried out and had up swept pipes. they raced Baja in the late 60's and elsewhere. My friends brother had a 305 which was blast to ride back then. After the scramblers, came the SLs and then the XLs and then the XRs. The SL90 was a fun bike to ride in the early 70's with 'long' travel forks and shocks. But by then, a lot of us had DT Yamaha's to trail ride on and a slew of bike brands to race on. ?

[HRCMan]

Thanks for reminding me of the SL90, forgot that one. Still have my 70'-SL70, 72'-SL125, and 74'-XL350. Those were great rides in their day, but they can't compare to 100 mph+ passes through the pasture behind the house to relax after work. What's the next iteration of the 650R?

[Motosprtman]

The SL's were in a way predecessors to the XL line, but personally I only consider the SL125 as it resembled the XL250 Motosport paint scheme and all. The XL250 Motosport in 1972 was revoultionary as it was the first Japanese SOHC single with a four valve head. None of the SL's nor CL's had this. The early "scramblers" if you will dating back to the CL250 and 305 in the early to mid 60's were just the begining of the vast interest in off raod riding in America at that time and begot what we have today, pretty impressive technology now, compared to then.

Sometimes we take it for granted, but think of it like this, your stock XR,

XR-L or CRF would are WAY better than any "works" production motocrosser of that time! yet we all continue to thirst for even better supension, power handling etc.