"stupid people shouldn't own motorcycles." -Why we ride big XR's

[shredlightly]

I have a testament to the good 'ol honda xr big thumper reliability that we all know and love--

I have been riding my '97 600R for the last 4 months with the oil filter in backwards. . Surprisingly, or not surprisingly depending on how well you know these bikes, Those four months included daily driver duty, plus play romps in the mud and ice, PLUS...a 1000 mile round trip slab journey to Vegas and back! She even seized on me outside of vegas heading home. Just put another quart of oil in her, checked it every fill-up/break and kept it topped off all the way home!?

Obviously, I have since learned of and from my mistake. Fried the head and valve train and half the valve train in the replacement parts engine before I found the culprit of my lubrication issues

Speaking of which, anybody know if you can rebuild the center camshaft cradle in the head of a 600/650L? Maybe a little welding and machining perhaps? Planning on taking the head down to the machinist but just haven't had a chance yet.

Thanks for keeping the ridicule to a minimum, I know what a jackass mechanic I am! ?

Cheers to the good old 'get you home no matter what' Honda XR?

[Ryanthegreat1]

Speaking of which, anybody know if you can rebuild the center camshaft cradle in the head of a 600/650L? Maybe a little welding and machining perhaps? Planning on taking the head down to the machinist but just haven't had a chance yet.

Yes.

Don't ask how much.

[Beyond The Pale]

Yes, XRs Only offers this service. I think they want $140.

One thing I would like to know is how bad does it have to be before this work is really needed. If it's not too bad can the surface just be made smooth with some fine sandpaper?

[beezerjoe]

The last XR600 I built I sent to XR's Only the head because there was some scoring in the center journal but not deep. They just polished it and coated it with some uknown substance out and sent back. Worked out fine and well worth the money spent. As far as I know they are the only game in town unless you know somebody at a high rent machine shop.

[Owyhee]

Yes, XRs Only offers this service. I think they want $140.

One thing I would like to know is how bad does it have to be before this work is really needed. If it's not too bad can the surface just be made smooth with some fine sandpaper?

Good used heads go for $50-$100 on eBay. It's a risk that you'll end up with another head with a bad center journal.

"O"

[Kenzo]

...actually stupid people on motorcycles helps to speed up the natural selection process.?

get'n the filter in bacwards can happen to anyone i guess...were u get'n sum unusual valvetrain noise?

it seized up and u just added more oil and continued to ride?!??

[NMNORGE]

...actually stupid people on motorcycles helps to speed up the natural selection process.?

get'n the filter in bacwards can happen to anyone i guess...were u get'n sum unusual valvetrain noise?

it seized up and u just added more oil and continued to ride?!??

Last fall a rider behind me went off a 60ft cliff straight down on boulders. He and the XR suffered major damage. The oil filter housing was all cracked up among many other problems. After some epoxy I used a cow trail to get his XR back to the single trak. Loosing oil along the way. After a couple miles the bike would seize up. I let her cool down add more oil and ride the cat walking XR some more. The bike seized 4 times trying to get out, but would still restart. I made it back to the 2track just as the bike ran out of oil and seized. Winter was coming so I tied up the XR to a tree and took the forks with me on my back. Good times

[Kenzo]

Last fall a rider behind me went off a 60ft cliff straight down on boulders. He and the XR suffered major damage. The oil filter housing was all cracked up among many other problems. After some epoxy I used a cow trail to get his XR back to the single trak. Loosing oil along the way. After a couple miles the bike would seize up. I let her cool down add more oil and ride the cat walking XR some more. The bike seized 4 times trying to get out, but would still restart. I made it back to the 2track just as the bike ran out of oil and seized. Winter was coming so I tied up the XR to a tree and took the forks with me on my back. Good times

hahahaaaa...?

[NMNORGE]

hahahaaaa...?

Wow, a guy with 2 broken femurs, broken arm and ribs is funny? Only in Texas:lame: ...Anyway the point to this story is XR's are bulletproof...way way outdated but very indestructible. Put that filter in the right way and keep on riding.

[freestylette]

I ran my XR5 out of oil on a trail way back in. There were already two of us on the bike because my buddy's WR250F died too. Well, I didn't know I was losing oil until it was gone. We had gotten to the highway and were heading back to camp going about 65 mph when the rear wheel locked up solid. After screeching to a halt and realizing we were out of oil, we coasted back down the hill to a Chevron. Filled 'er up and hit the road again just like it never happened.

I did end up rebuilding the thing once I got home, but it did a lot better than the WR that required $1400 in repairs to get it to start again!

(that's actually the bike I am on in my avatar...)

[Kenzo]

Wow, a guy with 2 broken femurs, broken arm and ribs is funny? Only in Texas:lame: ...Anyway the point to this story is XR's are bulletproof...way way outdated but very indestructible. Put that filter in the right way and keep on riding.

"Todd", i wus laugh'n at the suggestion that ur weak azz cud even lift the forks!?

it's time for u to go back to the kiddie board...?

...or buy an XR!

?

[NMNORGE]

"Todd", i wus laugh'n at the suggestion that ur weak azz cud even lift the forks!

it's time for u to go back to the kiddie board...

...or buy an XR!

Who the hell is Todd? My name is Dan or Mr. Dan to you.

Pretty sure you were just whining in another thread about riding your pig on a trail with heat and humidity. You even mentioned getting another bike...so check out the fine kiddie forums we have at TT and good luck to you.

[Kenzo]

Who the hell is Todd? My name is Dan or Mr. Dan to you.

Pretty sure you were just whining in another thread about riding your pig on a trail with heat and humidity. You even mentioned getting another bike...so check out the fine kiddie forums we have at TT and good luck to you.

u know...

...re-"Todd"

[bikedude127]

Comedy gold in here.. My buddy and I were riding down Devils Gulch, and just before the medallion marking the center of the state, my buddy hooked his foot on a root, which pulled him back on the bike causing severe whiskey throttle.. The bike took about a 30 ft leap off the side of the trail dumping my buddy where the bike landed, the bike then continued another 15-20 ft down.. I went down and shut off the fuel and hiked back up.. As it was late, we decided to leave it til morning.. I doubled him out down the single track for bout 8 miles to the truck on my YZ250 dinger..

Took six of us, 80ft of rope, two pulleys and about 45 minutes to get that bastard back on the trail.. I was elected to ride it since Im smallest and easiest to double in.. Cycled it through about five kicks, and then... Thump thump thump thump... No bike damage other than cosmetic scratches.. .. Crazy times

[akarob]

Cycled it through about five kicks, and then... Thump thump thump thump... No bike damage other than cosmetic scratches.. .. Crazy times

Gotta love that in an XR! Just don't let it fall to the left in the driveway, DOH!

[bikedude127]

Gotta love that in an XR! Just don't let it fall to the left in the driveway, DOH!

Thats why I ran down the hill and shut off the fuel!!

[shredlightly]

Now that I know you can repair the center cam journal in the head, I am gonna ride the bike as is with the oil filter installed properly this time. . Lets see how long you can ride an XR600 with a worn center cam journal, slightly damaged camshaft lobes and damaged rocker arms. Any wagers? I am hoping to make it through the summer and then give the 'ol girl a frame-up restoration this winter. She definitely deserves it after what i have put her through.