Cxr600r

[Owyhee]

Pig Pilots,

At long last I received permission from the wife to spend some bucks upgrading Notorious P.I.G.'s flaccid suspension. I picked up a 1995 CR500 roller for cheap and made a tentitive plan:

1) Swap the CR500 forks and shock onto the XR600

2) Swap the XR600 forks and shock onto the CR500 roller

3) Buy a tired XR200, yank the motor, freshen it up, and install it in the CR500 roller to make The Ultra Wife Bike (to replace her current ride, an '02 XR200 with upgraded 1980s suspension).

Aside from any real or imagined performance advantages, I want to do it "just because." It's been 10 years since I've really "worked" on bikes (one of the benefits of XR ownership?) and I'd like to get back to getting my hands dirty again.

This morning I took apart the back of the CR500 and pulled the shock. I learned:

1) Removeable subframes are REALLY nice. I wish the 600 had one.

2) In no way shape or form will a CR500 shock EVER fit an XR600. It's about 3 inches longer, although the mount holes sort of line up. A CR500 shock install would need the shock flipped 180 degrees to clear the intake boot and that messes up the top eye alignment.

3) The steering stems are both 7 1/4 inches which gives me hope that the bearings and other bits will be somewhat compatible.

Your bits of wisdom, insite, sarcasm, and random quips are more than welcome; I don't profess to know much (okay, anything) about what I'm doing here.

"O"

[Owyhee]

Update:

Forks and clamps off both bikes. Top and bottom bearing is the same on the 600, but different on the 500. The top bearing is the same on the 500 and 600. The stem is a thicker diameter on the bottom of the 500's stem than the 600's. The bearing as a larger I.D. and O.D. than the 600's bottom bearing. The pressed-in diameter of both stems is the same. I'm leaving to the local suspension place to get the stems swapped.

Also, both stems are the same length.

"O"

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

LOL....before I even read your post I was thinking to myself "the rear shock swap will never work". The XR shock is very good, just let your suspension guys rework it for your weight and riding style. That will be far better than the CR shock even if you could swap it out.

The stems are pretty easy to swap out.

Thats a pretty cool project you have going on there! The CXR200 sounds like it will be a blast in the tight stuff.

[Owyhee]

LOL....before I even read your post I was thinking to myself "the rear shock swap will never work". The XR shock is very good, just let your suspension guys rework it for your weight and riding style. That will be far better than the CR shock even if you could swap it out.

I was just wishful thinking that the 500 shock would swap right in. Oh well, now I have a leftover CR500 shock sitting in the garage.

On the flip side, the XR600 shock DOES fit, and it lowers the bike A LOT, which is very good for the wife. The XR600 shock and the forks dropped an inch or three in the clamps would make a fine trail cruiser for the wife.

The stems are pretty easy to swap out.

Thats a pretty cool project you have going on there! The CXR200 sounds like it will be a blast in the tight stuff.

I'm hoping that the suspension guy I talked to on the phone will have the stems done today. I'm "in the zone" on the project and don't want to lose steam. Also, the longer things are apart, the less I remember how to put it together.

The CXR200 should be fun. The dry weight of both bikes is 225lbs and I'm willing to bet that the XR200 motor and the CR500 motor are pretty close in weight so the CXR200 will be the same weight as an XR200 but with real suspension.

The XR200's motor is lame, even for a trail cruiser. The motor plan is: 218cc kit, 11:1 piston, roller bearing torque cam, big fin barrel (off of an early-80s ATC200X. I'm guessing it would make about 18hp from the original 12hp or so. Fun fun fun.

I tape measured the CR500's engine space and my XR200's motor this morning... It'll fit with room to spare... except for the header.

"O"

[Owyhee]

UPDATE: It's going to be a few weeks until the shop can press out my stems, maybe two weeks. That sucks.

What's left of the CR500.

The XR600 awaiting the fork swap and a linkage lube.

"O"

[Owyhee]

UPDATE: The CR500's stem is NOT the same diameter of the XR600's where it presses into the lower clamp. I've decided to take both stems to a machine shop to have the CR500's lower stem necked down to take a 600's bearing. The 600's bearing will fit in the 500's steering stem (with a spacer or two) but not the other way around.

"O"

[Owyhee]

It lives!

The CR500 stem, once machined down, fits like a glove. The rubber mounted handlebars are a bit of a pain... the wires and cables can't be routed the same way. Anything that runs between the fork and the tank (IMS 4.3) gets pinched. There is about 1mm between the fork and the tank with the steering at left and right stop.

When I peeled the stickers off the forks it left faux carbon fiber residue... some sticker remover will take care of that tonite.

"O"

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

Very nice! Why don't you like the rubber monted clamps? I'm getting ready to have my upper clamped machined to accept rubber monts to reduce the vibes when I'm on the road.

[Owyhee]

Very nice! Why don't you like the rubber monted clamps? I'm getting ready to have my upper clamped machined to accept rubber monts to reduce the vibes when I'm on the road.

I'm sure I'll like the clamps once I get rolling but the extra height is creating some problems with routing the wires and cables. I didn't think that an extra 1/2 inch would matter much but I also thought that I could swap stems from 500 to 600 with no extra work.

"O"

[rmhrc630]

I'm sure I'll like the clamps once I get rolling but the extra height is creating some problems with routing the wires and cables. I didn't think that an extra 1/2 inch would matter much but I also thought that I could swap stems from 500 to 600 with no extra work.

"O"

It reall shouldn't cause any probs

I run CRf450R forks on my XR and BRP submount and it's fine - route the cables behind the triples maybe?

[Owyhee]

It reall shouldn't cause any probs

I run CRf450R forks on my XR and BRP submount and it's fine - route the cables behind the triples maybe?

I looked at it again last night (I put the bike together in one 5-hour marathon session) and I think that the big IMS tank is causing all the grief.

As there is no room for the cables to be routed between the fork and the tank, the cables have to be routed down the frame (decompressor cable) or stuck out in the breeze (clutch cable). The throttle cables and decompressor cables are slightly bound up.

I have a few spare cables from the CR500 that I'm going to try out (I'm getting rid of the push-pull throttle and will try to use the CR500s throttle pipe and cable). Time will tell.

"O"

[cbaranski]

I used a 01 cr125 front end on my 96 xr600r. I have a IMS 4.3 tank and have tons od clearance. I routed my cables and wires in the normal location with no problems at all.

[jhobbs]

Would an xr 600 RFVC engine fit in a cr 500 frame?

[rmhrc630]

Would an xr 600 RFVC engine fit in a cr 500 frame?

ah, no.

nor would you want it to.

XR600 engine - 50Kgs

CRF450R engine 29Kgs

[Owyhee]

Would an xr 600 RFVC engine fit in a cr 500 frame?

XR600 motor = 13 inches long X 18 inches high

CR500 frame = 11.5 inches long x 14 inches high

You could go with the government approach and throw money at it until it fits.

Personally, I'd like to see an XR600AF... just for the hell of it.

"O"

[rickmancc]

with the cr 500 or any cr to XR swap for forks, will the front wheel for the xr600 work?

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

No, you will need the wheel that matches the CR forks.

[nichri78]

Hey mate, great write up! really useful information.

I am looking at doing the same to a 1987 XL600R. I've found a 1991 CR500 rolling chassis with a good USD front end, upgraded street rims and good swing arm.

I 'm assuming the font end will be the same process on an XL, but wondered if you considered fitting the swing arm from the CR to the XL?

I wouldn't mind upgrading the rear wheel too, the one from the CR 500. I haven't thought about the chain line, but figure that this could be adjusted...(famous last words).

I haven't bought either bikes, but would really like to own an XL600, my main goal would be to convert it into a street bike. I picked the CR500 as it seems like the bike with the greatest compatibility/minimal fuss.

I really like this bike, they fitted a Kawasaki Zx6-r front end... I'd like to do something similar...

http://www.bikeexif....classified-moto

Thanks guys!