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Newbie Needs Info on 07 XR650L

By CR2CRF,
in XR600R & XR650R/L

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Grand Master

CR2CRF

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Picking up a used 07 XR650L with 600 miles. I am a 30 year honda owner but it has always been CR's and CRF's (early Elsinore green background). So what am I looking at with this bike? Need it mostly to commute up and over canyon to work ten miles away. How reliable is the XR650L? Maintenance needs? Things to look for? Good tires for street?

Thanks - best site ever.

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Mentor

Bibleman

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Hi there and welcome:ride: ? It seems like the two weakest links on the XRL is it tends to run hot and the valve train can have issues, probably related to the heat issue. Other than that, it seems that with decent maintenence it's a very reliable bike. After rejetting, depending on your climate, you should be good to go. You can always add an oil cooler as some have. Do a search for Dave's mods and you'll find all you need to know to "uncork" your new bike:prof:

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Grand Master

martinfan30

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Welcome to the pig family!

Be sure to check the FAQ for common L mods.

With only 600 miles, it should be still new. Just check for obvious signs of abuse. Also check to make sure the shifter has not been poked through the stator cover and been repaired. Not that replacing the cover is a big deal, just something to look at.

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Grand Master

CR2CRF

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I've seen a few in my search to buy one where the owner took off the tank shrouds. Both said it looked better and the shrouds didn't really provide anthing other than make it look more like a two stroke. Is that true?

How often should the valves be adjusted? What kind of effort is involved?

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Grand Master

martinfan30

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I've seen a few in my search to buy one where the owner took off the tank shrouds. Both said it looked better and the shrouds didn't really provide anthing other than make it look more like a two stroke. Is that true?

How often should the valves be adjusted? What kind of effort is involved?

The shrouds I took off before I installed my Clarke 4.0 tank. It ran a few degrees hotter, no big deal.

I check my valves every 1500-2000 miles. Almost never need any adjustment. It's an easy job, and is detailed in the FAQ(manual).

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Grand Master

Rascal420

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Make sure you keep all of your smog stuff when you take it off. :worthy:

There's been a lot of grumbling lately in CA about requiring smog inspections for motorcycles. I don't know if and when it's going to happen, or if it's just for new vehicles or retroactive for older ones?

I also heard that it may be just a visual inspection for smog device equipment. Either way, I'm holding on to mine (in a box in the garage) until they get it all worked out. ?

Good luck and have fun with your new ride :D

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Grand Master

martinfan30

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Or you could just leave the smog stuff on, pollute less, and not worry about it. There's no performance increase for removing it.

That's the funny thing about the smog pump. It really does nothing to help pollute less. All it does is add fresh air to the exhaust gasses.

It only dilutes the exhaust leaving the bike with that fresh air.

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Grand Master

Rascal420

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Or you could just leave the smog stuff on, pollute less, and not worry about it. There's no performance increase for removing it.

My bike stopped backfiring on deceleration after I removed the smog pump. :D

Plus, less weight = better performance ?

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Grand Master

Kenzo

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That's the funny thing about the smog pump. It really does nothing to help pollute less. All it does is add fresh air to the exhaust gasses.

It only dilutes the exhaust leaving the bike with that fresh air.

?

actually it allows sum of the unburnt fuel in the form of hydrocarbons & CO to combust reducing the total hydrocarbons emissions but increasing CO2 emissions...:ride:

the "afterburning" can also make ur header glow a nice cherry red :worthy:

:D

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Grand Master

HeadTrauma

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Smog pumps are really of more benefit when an exhaust gas catalyst is used since they usually require excess oxygen to function properly. Just wait, dirtbikes will eventually have those too. Perhaps even exhaust gas recirculation will be implemented, although I don't know what the average NOx levels are for motorcycles.

I would say that adjusting the valves requires a little bit of an acquired feel for these engines. The area around the rocker adjusters is limited and there isn't a straight shot, so the feeler gages have to be arced to get in there. It's not hard, just a little tedious and fortunately it doesn't need to be done that often.

If you are only going to use it for commuting, then just rejet it and/or do Dave's Mods(see FAQ) and leave the rest stock. Properly maintained, it will be reliable and last a very long time.

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Grand Master

Kenzo

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Smog pumps are really of more benefit when an exhaust gas catalyst is used since they usually require excess oxygen to function properly. Just wait, dirtbikes will eventually have those too. Perhaps even exhaust gas recirculation will be implemented, although I don't know what the average NOx levels are for motorcycles.

catalytic converters use an air pump(different from a smog pump) primarily at start-up to bring the cat up to operating temperature quickly...once at operating temps the lean combustion provides the excess air for the cat to operate...automotive cats also reduce NOx along with other pollutants...

i sold FGR's(Flue Gas Recirculation system) and other pollution control devices to large industrial customers and electric utilities for many years...

...i know a little bit about all of them...expert at none.

...u know, the typical salesman :D

?

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Grand Master

HeadTrauma

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That's just it; all a "smog" pump does is pump air into the exhaust regardless of whether there is a cat converter downstream. The '89 Mustang I once had used a smog pump to inject air into the exhaust ports(like a 650L) during warmup to get the first pair of cats (colloquially know as "precats") up to temp faster(like you said). After that, it bypassed the exhaust ports and injected air in front of the second pair of cats. In my personal experience with cars, "smog pump" and "air pump" are terms used interchangeably. YMMV. :D

There is also vapor recovery and PCV systems, but all CR2CRF wanted to know was about taking the smog junk off. ?

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