XR650 'R' versus 'L'

[BWB63]

Dudes, if you're really after that much performance, why are you riding an XR at all??

Because of the "Type" of riding the XR650"R" handles so well. Once you move down here to California you'lll understand. The CRF450R give way more "performance" then a stock engine XR650 but, once you get out in the open trail or any two track, the XR650R just smokes it with two good riders on both bikes. Just like the XR650R has more performance then the XL650L but, can't compete with it parked in front of StarBucks

Racers have done a lot in a short time making the CRF450 more Baja raceable but, the XR650R is still King. It fills a Type of riding near perfect, once setup right. There are many "performance" bikes that do much better on single track, MX track but, the torque of the XR650R helps make up for some of that.

There is only one other bike out there that can compete with the XL650"L" parked in front of StarBucks and that is the KLX650!

[hill5150]

Dudes, if you're really after that much performance, why are you riding an XR at all??

Put the pipe down son ............Your mistaken once again...............Your learning..............

[Jayzonk]

I actually agree with you, and I'm well aware of the suitability of the R for wide open desert racing. In fact, I'd like to ride some of that track myself on an R, and not on my L. It's just that all of the reasons proffered to Nanoo Nanoo have to do wtih "beating" the L as opposed to looking at the type of riding he's doing. He never once mentioned he was doing flat out desert racing. Geez, the guy wants to spend his time on roads and trails! He doesn't even want to leave the road! If he came to us and asked us what bike he'd want if he was going to be riding in the desert all the time, of course we'd tell him something else. I want to see an R guy stand up and admit that this guy doesn't need an R - he just needs an L! C'mon! Say it!!

[Jayzonk]

Forget it. This guy wants 'useful' comments when he should be able to figure this stuff out from his own riding tastes and abilities. He doesn't need an L or an R. He needs a riding lesson more than anything. I'm not going to waste my time on him or these types of arguments any more. If he read through enough threads, he could've gotten the general idea without bugging anyone. He's going off to do an MA, so he doesn't even have time to ride. Why waste our time? My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it. Knuckle down and forget about it.....better yet....just dream about riding anything other than a desk chair with four castor wheels.

[al_piv]

The L works fine on rough pavement and smooth graded dirt roads. On dirt with any water bars or whoops or rocks it will feel very front end heavy compared to the R. The R is much more stable and planted at speed in sand and rocks.

If your riding is 60% commuting to work and 40% easy exploring then look at 650L or KLR650. If your riding is 100% serious dual sport with some single track look at 650R. If you need bike for 50% serious dual sport and 50% hard core dirt single track check out an XR400 or 450/400EXC.

On the note of the EXC -- I would not hit high speeds on roads and would have to say you need more oil -- The thing only holds 1.2 liters of oil -- Also needs an oil cooler...

I have had mine for three years now with no down time --

I do 50-50 dual sport and 100% tight trails on it.. Works great.

Yet the XR has larger oil capacity.. Not to mention the XR's both have dual compression and oil rings, the EXC has single compression and oil rings -- Failure point.

Now I am only speaking form past experiance on an XR400 the suspension sucked compared to the KTM -- Have no idea on comparison to the XR650R to the KTM -- Yet I would love to take the XR650R motor and place it in the KTM frame...

Now to my question, I am wanting to do long distance dual sport/Endurance runs -- Trans-America-trail-- Continental divide -- and others..

The KTM will not last for any of those rides (Period). Now I have read everyone's opions on the "L" and the "R" which one is right for me -- I like the power of the "R" and both are reliable as heck --..

I am planning on obtaining an "R" this winter and performing surgery on it to uncork it and add mutiple things to to it to make it fit what I want to do.

No different than the KTM's, That is why KTM has so many version of their bikes, each is setup for its purpose.

Ride on and live strong!

[hill5150]

Forget it. This guy wants 'useful' comments when he should be able to figure this stuff out from his own riding tastes and abilities. He doesn't need an L or an R. He needs a riding lesson more than anything. I'm not going to waste my time on him or these types of arguments any more. If he read through enough threads, he could've gotten the general idea without bugging anyone. He's going off to do an MA, so he doesn't even have time to ride. Why waste our time? My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it. Knuckle down and forget about it.....better yet....just dream about riding anything other than a desk chair with four castor wheels.

You need to relax, go take a ride on the "L" and relax, it's slow enough, you can catch your breath..........

[ghoti]

Cost- The slight extra cost of 650R is the most bang for buck you can spend on engine and suspension performance. No amount of money spent on 650L could ever match performance of R.

:

Well $1000.00 is a lot of frogskins and certainly not slight by my wallet. From the looks of the mods thread, many R riders feel they need to spend and few thousand dollars to get it right. I hope they don't forget the footpeg fix. It must suck to have your footpeg fall off when you're cruising 120 mph

[nanoonanook]

Forget it. This guy wants 'useful' comments when he should be able to figure this stuff out from his own riding tastes and abilities. He doesn't need an L or an R. He needs a riding lesson more than anything. I'm not going to waste my time on him or these types of arguments any more. If he read through enough threads, he could've gotten the general idea without bugging anyone. He's going off to do an MA, so he doesn't even have time to ride. Why waste our time? My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it. Knuckle down and forget about it.....better yet....just dream about riding anything other than a desk chair with four castor wheels

DUDE !!! You need to relax. For the record, I don't think I'm going to be needing any riding lessons anytime soon. I've been riding since I was 8, I'm 28 now. JUST because someone may be new to your forum does not mean that they are a newbie. I've been riding street bikes and sub- 400cc. dual sports and MX bikes. I was hoping to get some 'useful' comments on the big-bore bike market that I have ignored until very recently.

I tried to search the forum, but what I came up with was the longest, most starbuck laiden threads where after 2 hours of reading did not amount to a great deal of information, hence the question.

It does appear to me that this is a great on-line community with more than it's fair share of ribbing. Nothing wrong with that, just not what I'm used to.

Thanks for the comments again folks, they are apprecitated.

AW

P.S. My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it...... You may want to get off this horse 'DUDE' you have NO idea what you are talking about and it's irellevant in more way's then one.

[hill5150]

Forget it. This guy wants 'useful' comments when he should be able to figure this stuff out from his own riding tastes and abilities. He doesn't need an L or an R. He needs a riding lesson more than anything. I'm not going to waste my time on him or these types of arguments any more. If he read through enough threads, he could've gotten the general idea without bugging anyone. He's going off to do an MA, so he doesn't even have time to ride. Why waste our time? My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it. Knuckle down and forget about it.....better yet....just dream about riding anything other than a desk chair with four castor wheels

DUDE !!! You need to relax. For the record, I don't think I'm going to be needing any riding lessons anytime soon. I've been riding since I was 8, I'm 28 now. JUST because someone may be new to your forum does not mean that they are a newbie. I've been riding street bikes and sub- 400cc. dual sports and MX bikes. I was hoping to get some 'useful' comments on the big-bore bike market that I have ignored until very recently.

I tried to search the forum, but what I came up with was the longest, most starbuck laiden threads where after 2 hours of reading did not amount to a great deal of information, hence the question.

It does appear to me that this is a great on-line community with more than it's fair share of ribbing. Nothing wrong with that, just not what I'm used to.

Thanks for the comments again folks, they are apprecitated.

AW

P.S. My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it...... You may want to get off this horse 'DUDE' you have NO idea what you are talking about and it's irellevant in more way's then one.

Well said, he rides an "L" whaddaya expect..........

[BWB63]

Nanoonanook, as you found that there is a lot of ribbing and joking and some flat out trolling. Some have been here a long time and the jokes keep it alive so, we stick around to answer questions about the important stuff.

Jayzonk, is stuck on the anti bling thing and has taken a beating for it but, means no harm.

There are a few that can't separate their love for there bike and take offense from the "R" guys that race there bikes or push them to the limit. They view it as a threat, that others see the XL650L as a weekend warrior bike only good parked if front of a starbucks but, who cares what others write about. It's only the attitude you read it with and that is what you'll get out of it. (But, you already knew that, theres others that don't) The smiley faces are over looked by some and these take things personal. You'll here them say, stop it were all here just to ride or leave our bikes alone I am not a racer just here to ride stop it, stop it sooner or later they join in on the fun or move on.

Ghoti, wrote a good come back @ the XR650R crowd, "Well $1000.00 is a lot of frogskins and certainly not slight by my wallet. From the looks of the mods thread, many R riders feel they need to spend and few thousand dollars to get it right. I hope they don't forget the footpeg fix. It must suck to have your footpeg fall off when you're cruising 120 mph "

but, we know, he knows, that they are race bikes not just a bike to cruse around on fire roads or ride back and forth to work on. Most don't put anymore $$$$ into there "R's" then any of the "L" guys do. The type of bikes draw different personalities to them and sometimes an "L" guy buys a "R" bike and the other way around and that really screws things up. The "R" guy that buys an "L" bike and try's to race it gets hurt and the "L" guy on the "R" bike never rides it or he gets hurt.

My bike has more bling then ever needed and 80% is not needed to win a race but, it was a cheap mid-life fun and a lot cheaper then a vet and another women destroying my home.

Everyone knew sooner or later this thread would go this way....to bad it didn't stay on the "XR650L, best bike in the world" thread but, it didn't so, it rages on

[Supplicate]

Jayzonk, is stuck on the anti bling thing and has taken a beating for it but, means no harm.

Thats where I get confused.

My bike has a lot (a LOT) of aftermarket stuff, but I only consider maybe one or two pieces "bling." The rest are purely functional. I have had two wrecks where the skidplate has saved my a$$ some major cash. Not a single piece of plastic isn't scratched all to hell, the bark busters look like they have been hit with an angle grinder numerous times (gravel does a number on aluminum), even the billet rear disk guard has taken some serious poundings that would have (and did) shatter the chinsy little plastic guard that came stock.

But, as you said, the difference between someone who milks their bike for everything its worth and someone who just likes to go out and cruise.

[BWB63]

My billet triple clamp put the handle bars in the right place, I can't live without the scotts dampener, the seat cover replaced the stock one that got ripped in a high speed crash and now this one has a rip from a high speed crash, the billet chain guide replaces the cracked stock one, the billet shark fin replaces the one that got ripped off, I could carry more gas in a prestone bottle instead of the clarke 4.3, XR's only chain guard hasn't been needed yet because I replace the chain and spockets every year, I could buy new stock bars every month instead of Renthal bars, The Ims Radiators were not needed but, I wanted the extra cooling when I went to Evens, The Rad hubs and Excel rims are not needed, I like the SuperBrace fork brace, most of what has been replaced was because I broke something or just can't ride good enough without it. I could have stayed with stock suspension?? If I just crused on Duel sport Sunday rides the whole bike is all bling compared to an "L" Bottom line I just can't ride good enough so, I got a bike that makes it look like I can

Sure couldn't do any of this on an "L"

[Jayzonk]

P.S. My school's done dude, but you're just embarking on it...... You may want to get off this horse 'DUDE' you have NO idea what you are talking about and it's irellevant in more way's then one.

Ditto for you Mork. If you want to wield your academic weapons, let 'em loose! If you think you're doing something beyond me, you're grossly mistaken. But go ahead....keep living in your little world !

[Supplicate]

whoa man... no need to take this personal.

it is, after all, just the internet.

and this pic, I do believe pretty much sums up the whole R vs L thing:

[hill5150]

Ditto for you Mork. If you want to wield your academic weapons, let 'em loose! If you think you're doing something beyond me, you're grossly mistaken. But go ahead....keep living in your little world !

Dude, relax, you are in the wrong company to start making threats ....................Rewind and check yourself.............

[XR650L_Dave]

Fireroads.

That's funny!

D

[jwriott]

This thread is a crack up. My buddy has an 00' XR650R. He's beat the living crap out of that thing with probably 5K of hard off road miles and endless 1/2-1 mile wheelies. The foot peg, sub frame bolt, thermostat problems are super easy to fix. Other than that, ULTRA RELIABLE.

I'm going to get a used one this winter and turn it into a dual sport. The ONLY advantage the L has over the R is e-start. Other than that, the R is better in EVERY single way. Honda needs to update the L by slightly modifying the R and ditch the old school technology.

As far as the R being able to handle tight trails, it's all rider. My buddy is 5'7" and weighs about 155 lbs. and flat out hauls ass on the thing in the tight singletrack.

[ghoti]

This thread is a crack up. My buddy has an 00' XR650R. He's beat the living crap out of that thing with probably 5K of hard off road miles and endless 1/2-1 mile wheelies. The foot peg, sub frame bolt, thermostat problems are super easy to fix. Other than that, ULTRA RELIABLE.

I'm going to get a used one this winter and turn it into a dual sport. The ONLY advantage the L has over the R is e-start. Other than that, the R is better in EVERY single way. Honda needs to update the L by slightly modifying the R and ditch the old school technology.

As far as the R being able to handle tight trails, it's all rider. My buddy is 5'7" and weighs about 155 lbs. and flat out hauls ass on the thing in the tight singletrack.

While we're wishing how about a 700cc, 10:1, pumper, kick/electric, water cooled, aluminum framed, comes with 17" and 21"/18" wheels, quick disconnect light kitted L

Spot-on with the comment "it's all about the rider"

[lespaul85]

While we're wishing how about a 700cc, 10:1, pumper, kick/electric, water cooled, aluminum framed, comes with 17" and 21"/18" wheels, quick disconnect light kitted L

2007 XR700RL

C'mon Honda!

[Triumphs]

Seems to me that XR's stood at the pinacle of four stroke high performance long before it was even fashionable...or at least until they started calling "XL" models "XR's"!

Dudes, if you're really after that much performance, why are you riding an XR at all??