XR650l or XR600r 1992-00 any expierience

[81cr450]

Hi I'm looking at getting another bike as I cant get my parts to finish my kx500af build yet & really need to ride. I'm wanting a thumper " I know sucky 4 stroke & not kawasaki" to tour & boonies travel with, while having relliablity & gas mileage.  I'd use the 500af but gas mileage & realiability would leave my sphyncter in a knot, as well as  waiting for it to puke in BFE or how do I carry a case of premix.
      What I'm hoping to find is someone who has had either bike afore mentioned & some pointers on problem areas, & info on miles before a rebuild & some info on the head oil feed mod certain years or all? I realize I'm not at xr's.com but most of us have had some expierience with other makes & models. & I'm hoping one of you could help here           
     I know a klx or klr 650 would be cool too but price is a factor for me as well, but if someone has some oppinions on them like big bore, cam, tips  tricks, & how many miles the motor is good for, I'll listen but it comes down to what I can find for cheap when I round up the cash in the next month or so 
  Oh yeah & thanks Motorrad for the link to advriders.com , really helping my addicttion there sir   

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

I had a 93 XR650L that I bought new. It was a good bike, never had any problems with it. I even raced it in the A open and A 4 stroke class in our local enduro and hare scramble series. I even won some XR contingency money with it. Its heavy and tall though. I sold it to my brother with around 4000 miles on it, he put another couple thousand on it, replaced one clutch and sold it to a guy who rode it home from NJ to California riding as much offroad as he could. I do like my 07 DRZ400S alot better though.

[ID KX500]

I've had both and just returned from a 250 mile ride on a 03 XR650L. The 96 XR600R served me well as a trail bike,,, but it helps to be as big and in good shape as Scott Summers was in the day. I'm using the XRL mostly for DS. XRL will be best for easier riding. I put on an oil cooler, and did a fork swap.

[81cr450]

Thanks for the oil cooler tip ,ID KX500. I am leaning to the xr650l cause I'll have the 500af for the play bike. What the difference between the 2 , I'd figgured that the 600 would be the easier to handle with less added weight, electrical & all

Heavy & tall sounds about right ,Flyin Hawaiian, thats why I've never looked into these bikes much. Love 2 stroke motox bikes. I'm thinking the dual sport thing could be quite fun for 2 up travel though. I've been looking at building a one wheel trailer to put behind it as well. Something you can ride 1000 miles  & still play on a dirtbike when you get there. Cheap gas of course too

Oh man I sound old...

[454SS]

I had an xr650l also.  Used to put a couple hundred dirt road exploring miles a day.  Semi comfortable for the long haul, gets decent gas mileage and the suspension can be made to work well...it's really a bored out xr600 with E-start...the xr6 comes only in kick.  Heavy bike but if you can man-handle it, it runs pretty well in more serious offroad conditions...meaning not in a straight line on dirt roads.  I enjoyed it at the time but my bro let me ride his cr250 at the time and that nailed the coffin on the 650L.  Good luck!

[alward25]

650l is a lower compression e-start version of the XR 600.  xr600 is 97mm bore 97mm stroke.  650L is 100mm stroke and 100mm bore.  Both are great running bikes if you want more down the road I would get the 650L.

[81cr450]

Yeah 650l looks like the better route for what I want to do, & the bigger down the road, like 720cc's I believe, sounds good too. I am a big fan of parts availlability & with the long production run it really should fit the bill. I've got a banshee I need to part out & a rebuilt set of 1967 BBC heads I need sell, once I've got that done. I just need to find a good price & low miles. I'm thinking $1500 - $2000 & under 7500mi. Another month or 2 ughhhhh

[Motorrad]

I liked the Xr500's better..  (plated of course)...   Very Doable still to this day..

better trail bike..

they were much shorter wheel base so they would actually turn

Motors down the road decent.   and best of all... its not as freeking tall.

and a claimed 277Lb dry weight.. (which is a terrible LIE on hondas part)

[Danger4u2]

I have both a KLR650 and a KLX250.  The KLR does everything well.  It does nothing great other than fuel range.  I have 2 sets of wheels for the KLR, one with off road tires and a set with street tires.  I only run the street wheels now that I have the KLX.
To make the KLR a good bike you have to do many add on's.  The only way I can get my moneys worth is to use it.  No one would pay any where near what I have in it.  The KLX250 is only a good bike for me after putting the Bill Blue big bore kit on it.  It's bored out to a 351cc with a 36mm pumper carb and full FMF pipe.  The small tank only gives it 60 to 75 miles if your gassing it.  It's no fun on the street for any length of time because of the seat.  If your moving at a good clip in the woods or on the trail, you know, standing up, leaning into the corners, moving around on the bike, I'm good for all day.
I have always liked the XR650R.  We have a few guys that ride the L version on the dual sport rides I attend.  The kind of riding I do I would only want the XR650R because it's water cooled.  It's very easy to tag a dirt bike in Oklahoma so no problem there.
I have 2 friends that have XR400's.  They won't ride them in the wooded area we go to if it's real hot.  Last year we did the real tight and slow woods area and their bikes boiled the oil.  Sounded like a percolating coffee pot.  I was on my KX500 and didn't have any heat problems.  The KLX has a fan and I have never had a heat problem on it.  I tax the suspension because of my size.  I bottom quite a bit if I ride hard.  I don't do jumps on it.  Once I got the 650 stuck in the mud and it took 3 of us to get it out.
I can pick up either end of the 250 by myself.

[81cr450]

Thanks Danger4u2 4 chiming in on the KLR650 I was kinda thinking that way as an option & was a little suprised I wasnt getting any input for it on a kawaski site. Granted my heading.  The xr650r really would be my 1st choice if it wasnt for the fuel range , from what I'm hearing they get about half the mileage on fuel, seems odd, must be a hotter cam stock. The ktm525 kinda calls to me but the thin seat of the newer bikes just sucks. Like ID KX500  commented "oil cooler" is a must. If I heard the oil boil like your talking about, oh man, it'd be so hard not to tear it down for fear something was messed up inside. Since I asked this question I've found an xr650l section on advrider.com, but they say it overheats on the freeway above 80mph when you ditch the shrouds & ad a bigger tank, the tight stuff is supposed to be ok though.             

Thanks again for the link to advriders, Motorrad, just a great site. Some of the most awesome pics I've ever sean. I've definitly thought of the xr500 & you can about steal them $ wise. My concern is displacement , & the older bikes can be a bit of a challenge to find common wear parts like the chain slider, guide, cable's, electrics  & higher cost for the parts when you do find em. I will search on it a bit tonight though, as I haven't yet. Gotta search rebuild parts bigger tank & the odds & ends to get it in shape and keep it going.

Thanks again guys I appreciate all the input & if theres a DS bike I'm not thinking about you'd reccomend feel free.

[snoopjonnyjon]

If you could find a clean KLX650C, it would be an excellent choice. I have the R model which is pure offroad. It has very near KX500 performance. Much different than a KLR. Very similar to an XR650R. The C model is street legal. They only sold these in USA for a couple years, but were sold for quite some time on other continents.

The only issue is expensive parts... but I haven't needed any. Most chassis parts interchange with KX500, and a lot of plastics are common to the KLX300R.

[81cr450]

Yeah this one has been on the list

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=16160376&cat=&lpid=&search=klx650

 Just the running issue & expensive parts are a hang up. Are  the frame tabs made out of steel foil like the k5, or is it a little beefier?

BTW you cant get XR500 rods, so thats out, one "1" in israel on ebay made by an off brand but, none of the big guys are making them NE more

[Motorrad]

If you can find it...

KTM LC4 640 Enduro..

They run around 3-3500$ here local for a NICE ONE.. (talking under 6,000 miles)

Awsome bike...
Get off of one and get on a KLR it feels like your riding a Stove with handlebars... handles just as good too... (sorry Danger... have to be honest)

BIG HORSEPOWER. (mine will smoke the tire down the street in 2nd gear)
5gal tank so BIG RANGE.
Killer suspension
and great long distance bikes (steel subframe) so you can hang bags etc.
299Lbs 
Mine pulled 55MPG running across country in the dirt (the entire time)

we lowered ours 1" (emig racing lower links, and pull the forks up)... Im 5'10" and I can flat foot one foot...

I bought my KTM 640 Adventure Brand new...    Since then.. Both my Father and My Uncle have sold their ATK, and KLR 650  to get the KTM...

The first time My uncle tryed to follow Us on the KTM's in the sand... he sold his KLR a week later...


If you havnt stumbled on this thread.. some nice pictures of the bikes
http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php/topic,5305.0.html

[snoopjonnyjon]

Yeah this one has been on the list

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=16160376&cat=&lpid=&search=klx650

 Just the running issue & expensive parts are a hang up. Are  the frame tabs made out of steel foil like the k5, or is it a little beefier?

BTW you cant get XR500 rods, so thats out, one "1" in israel on ebay made by an off brand but, none of the big guys are making them NE more

The "subframe" area of the frame is weak. And it is not removeable, so you are stuck straighten it.  Everything else has been solid on my bike. It's a perimeter frame, so feels a little less flexy than a K5. I consider it to be the best handling bike I own.

I probably wouldn't buy the one you posted. Seems a little rough.

Motorrad's probably right that a KTM LC4 is the best bet. Those are probably more common than the Japanese bike now.

[81cr450]

Yeah klx does look a bit rough, but part of my damage is getting something & messing with till its new again. I'd have a really hard time buying new because I'd wanna tear it down & go through it.

Yeah that lc4 looks awesome. Theres a 625 version with less than 2000 miles about an hour from here. The funds are tight with the af build though aghhh
   
Motorrad I had stumbled on that thread thats the one I found the link on. You kinda glassed over Utard a touch though. It's a little more than the red sandstone desert , although that has definitly got to be a highlight. There is some really green high elevation pine forrest thats pretty cool as well as some lunar looking crap , & some hill climbing stuff that 500 heaven. Suprise's me that the stoners in Colorado would be such douche's, potheads are generally more laid back & accepting. Musta really been roosting through tree hugger land.