XR400 at extreme temps?

[pembell]

Hi guys,

A friend has the possibility of picking up an XR400 out here (Saudi). Just wondering if anyone has much experience of riding at extreme temperatures on one?

Summer temps can get to 50C+(122F), and 40-44C (104-111F) is normal. I have no idea what the temps are in direct sunlight - those are obviously in shade, and there ain't much of that around here......!

Thanks in advance.

[Alex 400]

Hi guys,

A friend has the possibility of picking up an XR400 out here (Saudi). Just wondering if anyone has much experience of riding at extreme temperatures on one?

Summer temps can get to 50C+(122F), and 40-44C (104-111F) is normal. I have no idea what the temps are in direct sunlight - those are obviously in shade, and there ain't much of that around here......!

Thanks in advance.

I would say no long term idling and run some oil that can take the heat. Synthetic 20w-50 would be good. Make sure that you jet it properly as they come stock quite lean and that would detrimental to the engine at those temperatures. I would try and get a temperature dipstick so that you can monitor the oil temperatures as well. they are very reliable bikes but you got to take precautions to make sure they stay reliable.

Try messaging Baja Trail Rider. He has multiple xr400's that he runs in baja which can be quite hot.

[wblake]

I go along with the write up above, in Cyprus this year i went riding in temps over 40c, and only once i felt the lag of power and the engine heat higher after pushing it for long, i took a break and everything back to normal

am under the idea if i was using better quality oil i wouldnt have any issues...

[84XR250R]

i would put a big old oil cooler on it and run fully synthetic oil (20-50w) or

(20-60w maybe).

and i would rejet it to run a little bit richer.

regards.🤣👍

[pembell]

Thanks guys,

These responses, plus a couple of private replies,have been very helpful.

Best regards,

Paul

[Baja trail Rider]

We are using 15/50 mobile 1 oil.No over heating problems.Too bad I cant say the same for our water cooled bikes.Even the 440s ,the XRs are tuff bikes.

[Alex 400]

We are using 15/50 mobile 1 oil.No over heating problems.Too bad I cant say the same for our water cooled bikes.Even the 440s ,the XRs are tuff bikes.

No clutch problems with the 15w-50 Mobil? if not that would be a good synthetic option to my standard 20w-50 motorcycle dino oil.

[Baja trail Rider]

Well a fleet of bikes,from XRs-WRs-Even Cr500-Ktm 200.Last 10 years or more No clutch problems.My own 98-440 went 8 years on clutch,(I onlt replaced it because Im the lead rider)More rides on this bike then any ten in our fleet,also thousands of miles two up.The bikes ride hard single track,hill climbs,rode hard.

[Alex 400]

Well a fleet of bikes,from XRs-WRs-Even Cr500-Ktm 200.Last 10 years or more No clutch problems.My own 98-440 went 8 years on clutch,(I onlt replaced it because Im the lead rider)More rides on this bike then any ten in our fleet,also thousands of miles two up.The bikes ride hard single track,hill climbs,rode hard.

is the gold cap stuff still good? I have heard that the red cap from days gone by are better but the quality of the gold cap was still questionable. if it is fair game that would be awesome. My dad runs it in his ford pickup and it has been awesome.

[Baja trail Rider]

Dont know about gold cap-red cap,Only I buy it 8 gal at a time.Im not the only guy,my Calif riding buddys been using it many years.They hillclimb Jawbone,cant get harder then that on the clutch.Also just the fact that the bikes we have sometimes,go for over 10 day rides.With out oil change.I dont like to go that long,but when your on trail in Baja.Cant carry it with you.Best for me is to change it 4-5 days hard riding.

[Alex 400]

Dont know about gold cap-red cap,Only I buy it 8 gal at a time.Im not the only guy,my Calif riding buddys been using it many years.They hillclimb Jawbone,cant get harder then that on the clutch.Also just the fact that the bikes we have sometimes,go for over 10 day rides.With out oil change.I dont like to go that long,but when your on trail in Baja.Cant carry it with you.Best for me is to change it 4-5 days hard riding.

so you can still get the red cap 15w-50? where do you buy it?

[Baja trail Rider]

Opps I dont remember color of cap.I buy at walmart .

[Alex 400]

Opps I dont remember color of cap.I buy at walmart .

well, alright good deal then. 👍

[pembell]

Thanks again, guys.

Paul

[scott_01_xr400]

these bikes are pretty stout. The testing procedure for the XR series in development was to run the bike wide open for 100hours. Think the XR650R was 150 hours. They can take the heat.

[Alex 400]

these bikes are pretty stout. The testing procedure for the XR series in development was to run the bike wide open for 100hours. Think the XR650R was 150 hours. They can take the heat.

you mean at the rev limiter under load or just in the mid-upper revs under load wide open? I could believe it though.

[scott_01_xr400]

here is the blurb about the 650. Could not find the 400 info quickly.

The development of the XR650R began with Honda's commitment to better the mighty XR600R in every area-power, speed, handling, comfort. Engineers called on two decades of unrivaled off-road experience everywhere from the Baja 1000 to the International Six Days Enduro. They integrated the most innovative off-road tech nologies available. Refined the engine so it will survive 120 wide-open hours on the dyno, and bolted it into the most sophisticated aluminum alloy chassis ever in an off-road motorcycle. Then they subjected it to hundreds of development hours in the hands of riders such as Bruce Ogilvie, Johnny Campbell and Scott Summers.

http://www.motorsports-network.com/HONDA/mc2000/XR650.htm