Thread: XR650R

I used to use a 1989 KX500, and currently use a 2002 XR250R, and am looking at a 650R for the larger areas I hunt in the Wairarapa, my lil sis is in Cairo for a year at the moment and some of my holidays could be spent in the sand dunes over there.

With that in mind I just had to show you this...

Desert ride after the rain - XR650R and KTM 525 near Dubai - YouTube



And a 650 doing what it does best... 110mph on the beach !

Honda XR650R Baja 1000 - YouTube

Looks like fun

And kicking up a fair bit of dust at speed...

Baja 1000 - YouTube

Two words SAND PADDEL in big dunes these make it so much easyer its almost like cheating (almost) but of course your pretty much limited to soft sand or you will lose all your fillings

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Two words SAND PADDEL in big dunes these make it so much easyer its almost like cheating (almost) but of course your pretty much limited to soft sand or you will lose all your fillings

Had tht problem on my yzf250 when over Anatori way on the dunes the soft stuff was mint fun but you hit the hard wet stuff an your on the back wheel the whole time

I had the first model XR500 when the came out in the late seventys, I got 105mph out of her by swapping the front sproket to the biggest you could put on her without the chain rubbing on the crankcase and by memory reducing the rear sprocket to 39 teeth, it could still pull 3rd gear wheel stands without flogging it.
When I spent a few years working offshore around Sth East Asia I imported the first disc brake model from Japan, took a shit load of paper work to get it registered in Singapore. As soon as I got it I got a mate back in NZ to send me the same sproket arrangement I had from back home, once fitted I use to clean up at the midnight races in Singapore against the local Chinese gangs, they got pissed off cause they were limited to 250cc.

They are one of the most under rated bikes.

I could mention 20 bikes that would be BETTER than a XR650.. pigs of things..

I've had 3 XR600's and raced them in the clubmans class, but when I looked at the 650's they are just to big and clumsy. For more power I went to a CR500 which smokes the XR's.....

Now, if I went back to riding dirt I'm not sure what I'd get. The new CRF's and RMZ's etc are to explosive to trail ride for me, the warm DRZ400 would be ok.

I can thank dirt bikes for 2 buggered knees which is why I went to road bikes..... Hayabusa all the way

The xr250 is doing all that I want at the moment, I put in a glass headlight and a 55w Halogen bulb from the xr400 and a LED tail light bulb, this cured the dim night rides back to the ute, a oil temp dipstick shows me when to give it a rest, and im still looking for the standard muffler insert/baffle to quieten it down, but its great as it is now.

I think those 650's are 148kg? good for fast areas but you are right, too tricky in hill country, the uncles farms in the Wairarapa are huge and you waste a day getting from one corner to the other, the bike is perfect to cover ground.

There's a Motard one on Trademe at the moment for $2900, bloody cheap as its tidy as.

I wouldnt like to ever be without a bike, or a V8, or a Hilux D/Cab, or a Rem Mag, or a Dog.

Yeah those 650's are big heavy slugs. A smaller lighter bike would be a much better option. Think XR/DRZ 400. If you want a bit more grunt a WRF400 would be an option too. They are really quiet as well. If I was going back racing hare scrambles & trail riding (handbrake doesn't like bikes...) I would be looking at a KTM, probably a 350 4 stroke. I used to race a 125 in the open class, easily faster than the big bikes in the tight shit, just have to be really committed and keep them tapped out... In the wide open going they get smoked by the big bikes but I could catch them again when it got knarly. Then I got a CRF450... Was good for 1/2hr then I would be getting buggered and would have been faster on a 250...

A 2 stroke is also worth looking at I reckon. Plenty of power in a light bike. So easy to work on too compared to 4 stroke. If a 4 stroke goes bang its big $$. Once again a KTM would be my choice. The later models are elec start too which is nice...

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Husaberg FE550e 2005 | Trade Me

Here's a good buy for someone that likes power. Made in the KTM factory and are a quality bike. Those 350's seem to be a good thing too.

Originally Posted by Tussock

Looked at the KTM510s and Im still thinking about it. Going from plenty of pay and ZERO time to ride to lots of time and FA pay, so I think I will stick with the DRZ400.

That would be my recommendation 7mmSaum, a good DRZ400. Would be perfect for what your describing.

Out of curiosity, I want to use the DRZ for shooting, but my brother is adamant its not possible and would be too much hassle.

Easy just paint a target on it
Seriously tho nothing wrong with a bike for hunting/shooting gets a bit tricky on the way back with more than one deer tho

Yeah they are very easy to shoot from with a light rifle, especially when the farmer uses a bike/quad to get around and the farm animals are used to them.

Ive had XR's 200-250 600, Brother XR200 KTM 250 XR400 CRF250...The CRF 250 could do more than the XR400, a little lost down low but man is it good to ride and has every bit as much up top. Stall it clutch it hit the start button and dump the clutch again, real handy in tricky spots. Andy has the CRF 450 and I would have that over the 600 anyday... I'm back to an old dunger XR250 as a bush bash as I cant afford time of work with broken bits from hooning around..

If you intend to road on road as well it sort of changes the ball a little...

No road riding leathel but uncles farm track is 14km long from one end to the other, and its a mother when its wet, or heinously windy, and a widowmaker when its both.

I was just musing over a larger bike making the job easier, but it seems the negatives outweigh the positives.

I might look for a soft top Suzuki SJ413 to leave down there, I can make up a good roll cage for it and a fold down windscreen, but there not that easy to find in good condition these days.

I have used a large polaris countless times, and apart from it being gutless, noisy, hard to steer, crap brakes and the drive belt slips when you dont want it to, Id rather walk.

They have 3 or 4 quads on the farm, Fuel inj Hondas, 420cc from memory, auto with push button on the handlebars, 4wd, and they are very good, unless you load them up with stags, then they feel like a death trap.

I could just shoot the little ones I suppose....

I had an XL250RC then traded it on and XR200RD, quite a few years back, and went down in weight and up in power. Loved that wee thing, though was red lining at 105km/h in top. Really the front wheel was only there so you could have three points touching the ground when you parked it. Scary tall and light with me on it, and certainly got blown around something wicked when the wind hit with a southerly change going between the tall buildings that no linger exist.

If I bought another bike would probably go for a DRZ400, a hard call for a Honda fan. Man I miss going for a blat.