After over 40 years of riding, I went back to my roots and got a 2023 XRL, and I’m not looking back. Love it. I did a nice setup on it, lots of logical mods, nothing crazy, just what she needed. It just works. 🇯🇵🏁
I just bought a 2024 xr650l and is my favorite bike so far, I have dirt bikes street bikes vintage bikes and this is the most fun I’ve ever had on a motorcycle, what a simple and reliable bike
Congrats and welcome to the club! It's and Oldie but a Goodie!!! I bought 2021 (XR650L) this June with 647 original miles from a life-long MX racer. He had put most of the popular mods on including the Fritzco 15t front sprocket. Since you've already got that onboard you should be good. However, a couple other nice "sooner-than-later" extras are a bigger fuel tank and wider foot pegs. Those are immediate, noticeable improvements (and I'm glad the PO did them).
@@fm4695 woohoo! Thanks!! I will continue to create new content and update my old content with new versions. As I practice my speaking and production, you’ll be better informed and better entertained at the same time. My content for now is a series of peace-meal attempts to show you the bigger picture. As time moves forward, I will start daisy-chaining these videos together to help you build the ultimate bike.
Welcome to the club! Got a few local XR riders here in Santa Fe NM. If you want to try before you buy...mods that is, you are welcome to ride my XR650L with all the goodies!
No, not really... Interesting that you asked that, one rider has a UA-cam blog, another rider I met on an adventure foru m , another Rider I met on craigslist@@geraldklein750
New Mexico! My old stomping grounds. Born in Albuquerque. Grew up by the big Arrow on Indian School and Carlisle. Great video! XR650L is the O.G Dual Sport /Adventure bike.
Wow what a small world!!! What if I told you I'm moving out of an apartment right behind that sign this week. Been hoping whoever is moving into the old wholefoods keeps the Iconic arrow sign, the whole parking lot is fenced of at current.
@ Oh wow!! What a weird coincidence! It used to be a pretty nice area from what I remember. Lots of trees and neighborhoods. Montezuma School near by. That place by the Arrow was once a Mecca of retail stores. Our source for models and comics, clothes and shoes. With a K-Mart across the street! Time is a ruthless bastard! Looking forward to some more vids on the new machine. Mine came De Smogged already. All I added was the FMF pipe, and adjusted the fuel screw to get rid of the de-cel pop. Left the paper air filter. (Although I’m not sure on that, it’s hard to blow out on a long trip)… As far as jetting goes you might be fine at 5000’ there in the Burque. Forgot to add: Hell yeah Ese!! That’s All Sick.
My 2016 XR650L just turned 17,000 miles with almost no maintenance. A couple valve adjustments, a new chain and rear sprocket, have changed the front a few times, tires and brakes, oil, filter, etc. Still has the OEM battery! I left mine pretty much bone stock except bar risers, brush guards and skid plate. I pretty much always get 52 mpg but I’m really smooth on the throttle. I was only riding back roads (blacktop, gravel, dirt) with it. The last 3-4 years I’ve been taking it on sanctioned dual sports and adventure rides. Typically 2 day events of 100 or 150 miles a day. I use to take my KTM 350 EXC-F but there’s just something FUN about riding XR. I can go a lot faster on the KTM and it handles better but for the easier rides the XR is more comfortable. Good luck! Make sure you get the thicker counter sprocket.
The longevity that riders like yourself get out of these bikes is a huge reason I got this bike. Totally agree, its objectively a bit of a dinosaur, but these days that makes it a unique and FUN ride. Forgot to mention the counter sprocket because I already got it in the mail, will be installing that at my nearest convenience! Thank you for the advice and for sharing about your Xr!
Good video. I put on the Mikuni pumper. I bought a kit from pro cycle I believe it was. Had a machined adapter. Installation was simple enough. Really accelerates. No hesitation. My only complaint is the return spring on it is quite heavy over time. But it’s a beast. Starts and runs great.
I know this is water cooled and XL650 isnt but whats the difference between xr650r and xl650? Is this just the new XL? Did they just put the L at the end of the model name? Or are their still XL650 in 2024?
I was misunderstanding product line. So its all XR there is 650L and 650R I thought yours was water cooled since the hoses but i guess not? I thought there was XL650 and XR 650 yours being Xr650 and both had turn signals..... But I see yours is L model so that all makes sense
Yep you got it! Those hoses are for the "Smog" emissions restrictions, some Honda old/new school bike magic going on there. @@KenMrKLC If Honda brought back the 650r we would all be very excited I think :)
If you have not purchased a new carburetor for your bike, don’t. People keep going on and on about how a flat side carburetor is going to do so much good…. And make the bike breathe better. Well, OK, maybe it will make the bike breathe better. The carburetor that’s on the XR 650 L as it is works fine. With modifications, you can take it from 90% to 95% of what you can expect to get out of the bike. After that, your gains are from intake and exhaust modifications. There are so many different ways to set this bike up to push power into the bottom end or push power into the top end. You can run lean for power and run rich for hot weather for safety. After owning three of these bikes, there’s only so much you can do to make your bike work year-round safely and get almost all the power you would want out of this bike. No matter what you’re gonna do, yer gonna be somewhere between 40 and 50 hp anyway. The old design single piston will only give you so much torque. If you want 70 hp to 90 hp, then you need to go to a transalp. But then you’re gonna gain 100 to 150 pounds. And that’s like having somebody on the back with you. What’s the point of having all that extra horsepower if the bike feels like you have a passenger. So. Remove the smog pump. Open the airbox. Put a pipe on it. Swap main and idle jets. Put a dynojet needle in it. And be done with it. The bike will run reliably year-round. It will start fast and pull wheelies all day long. You can’t ask for more than that. But some people do this stuff like a hobby. Many people change stuff just because they can change stuff. And they open up all kinds of stinky smelly cans of worms. That is the part they won’t tell you. It’s always happy happy happy success success success. They won’t tell you about the whole month they spent tuning the bike and not actually enjoying it. Take it from Rider at the Storm. There is a simple formula to knowing that you are almost as good as it’s ever gonna get. Want more power? Put a high compression piston in it with a racing rod. Put a hot cam in it. You might get 60 hp out of it. With that kind of power, you can burn through a tire in about a week. I burned through a lot of tires. I fried the motor after 10 years on the road. It all happened on one very hot Texas day. And the engine cratered. This is what you can expect from high compression and hot cams.
Hey Rider Of the Storm! You have some excellent content, your guide for smog removal is very comprehensive and I'm looking forward to following it during my own removal. Thank you for your advice! A carb would be the absolute last thing on my list with this bike, I plan on upgrading the exhaust, jetting, and opening up the airbox long before considering a carb. My goal for this bike is to have a reliable, fun, do anything machine, I'm not worried about cutting weight or changing the looks of 'er. Thanks Rider!
@ You are very welcome! My third iteration of this motorcycle is very far along and very different from version number two. It performs very well on the track and on the bumps. I need about four more inches of distance from the seat to the bars. Also, about four more inches from the pegs to my hips. This is something that I don’t think I can fix. The bike is only so big. if you feel squashed when you ride, you’re not alone. This is why I ride an NC700. It is only slightly heavier, and gives me more room to comfortably navigate a track. I will probably never give up the XR 650 L. I will probably take it with me to Malaysia when I am older. But the NC700 with it gives me a new perspective on dirt riding. The XR is mean and raw. It is tough. And the suspension will help you survive terrain that No other bike can match.
I chose between the XR and the DR. I definitely would love to get an XR as well and make it my dedicated off-road machine, whereas my DR is set up as my daily commuter and weekend trail Rider. I like keeping up with Ken Kaplan and the XRS that he sets up.
This is sort of my plan with my Xr, Minus the second bike. I want to get it set up for a balance between optimal performance and longevity, I do want a Supermoto wheel set for this bike which I will run most of the time swapping for adventure/ trail rides. Never ridden a DR650, I've heard all over the net that despite the heavier weight, the lower center of gravity provides a similar, if not more comfortable ride!
@ enjoy your XR! Never heard anyone ever say a bad thing about em. All good. That’s why they still exist! Simple and reliable. I’ll stay tuned. All bikes have a quirk or two as expected but its track record is overall pleasing.
The only thing I don't like is a tiny fuel tamk 2.5 gallon aleast a 3.5 to 4 gallon tank as I ride a 22 africa twin 5 gallon tank and 55 miles a gallon in two yrs I've put 17 on it now that's a do anything go anywhere bike. Great video sir.
Ive owned 2 Honda xr650 .. Good bikes but kinda heavy, I prefer my 1999 k.t.m.LC-4 640c.c dual-sport. I've owned 3 over the past 20 years now and the one i got now im keeping forever.
My blood runs red brother 😎 Jk, I probably wont buy a European bike for a decade or two mostly due to pricing and the maintenance required on newer spiffy models. I have heard fantastic things about those KTMs, glad you enjoy yours!
Im on the fence between the dr650 and xr650l. Lot of pluses on the DR like the oil cooler and soft drive. I also like the low CG. But, the XR is good-looking and more dirt bike.
I checked out a Dr while my deposit was down, they're pretty sweet too, but I'm an XR fanboy through and through. I like the reduced weight, extra clearance, and general aesthetic. You can get an oil cooler for the XR, namely the right off a 400, but the 650L does not need it stock, says a lot, in my humble opinions. Swanky cat here on UA-cam has a lot of comparison videos between these two bikes.
I love this bike, always have.. Especially this particular color scheme. With that said, I prefer my fully modded 300s more. I notice every bit of weight I can loose, and it’s easier for me to throw around off road. I don’t do very much HWY riding either. But if I have to, my 300s will do 70mph all day.
i run a 84 xl600 geeked out to the max ,absolutely love it but......i think there may be a xr650 in my future....we will see how my 55 year old knee holds up to kicking........
@@spikeman68 That is awesome. My dad had an early 80s xl600 when he was in college. That is why he got his Xr650L, and his is why I later got mine. It's as close to old school as it gets. Enjoy your Xl!!
we put the Fritzco on too we went stock in the front cant remember if stock is 15 or 16 less where and tear on the counter shaft with the stock you can go up 4 in the rear with out cutting the chain i did on the sm rims sprocket
I considered pumper carbs on my DR650 (currently using the stock carb). The problem with pumper carbs, TM40, is that they constantly need adjustment, despite performing extremely well when dialed in. The better solution in my opinion is the Lectron carburetors, which are like a poor man’s fuel injection. I’ll be switching as soon as my stock carb takes a dive.
Thank you for the suggestion! poked around a little, looks intriguing. I'm going to be doing just about everything I can to the bike before I get to swapping the carb out, gives me time to ponder
Ridinf for 20 years 250l and 650l, and for the trail it juat eats the trail. Like chocolate. Leav snokle alone, carb ia fone just get get 38 low jet and get od that marxiat Californial smug bs.
Thing does eat the trail all day any day, stock tires don't love the mud. This Marxist (me), will be removing the smog asap ;). Read up brother times are a changing
After over 40 years of riding, I went back to my roots and got a 2023 XRL, and I’m not looking back. Love it. I did a nice setup on it, lots of logical mods, nothing crazy, just what she needed. It just works. 🇯🇵🏁
Sure does!!!
I just bought a 2024 xr650l and is my favorite bike so far, I have dirt bikes street bikes vintage bikes and this is the most fun I’ve ever had on a motorcycle, what a simple and reliable bike
Congrats and welcome to the club! It's and Oldie but a Goodie!!! I bought 2021 (XR650L) this June with 647 original miles from a life-long MX racer. He had put most of the popular mods on including the Fritzco 15t front sprocket. Since you've already got that onboard you should be good. However, a couple other nice "sooner-than-later" extras are a bigger fuel tank and wider foot pegs. Those are immediate, noticeable improvements (and I'm glad the PO did them).
@@fm4695 woohoo! Thanks!! I will continue to create new content and update my old content with new versions. As I practice my speaking and production, you’ll be better informed and better entertained at the same time. My content for now is a series of peace-meal attempts to show you the bigger picture. As time moves forward, I will start daisy-chaining these videos together to help you build the ultimate bike.
congrats we love our 2021. wish i was out chasing with you . mikey gotz some good videos on his too
Welcome to the club!
Got a few local XR riders here in Santa Fe NM.
If you want to try before you buy...mods that is, you are welcome to ride my XR650L with all the goodies!
That is quite the generous offer!! Love NM hospitality. Do y'all have a group on FB or something like that?
No, not really... Interesting that you asked that, one rider has a UA-cam blog, another rider I met on an adventure foru m , another Rider I met on craigslist@@geraldklein750
New Mexico! My old stomping grounds. Born in Albuquerque. Grew up by the big Arrow on Indian School and Carlisle. Great video!
XR650L is the O.G Dual Sport /Adventure bike.
Wow what a small world!!! What if I told you I'm moving out of an apartment right behind that sign this week. Been hoping whoever is moving into the old wholefoods keeps the Iconic arrow sign, the whole parking lot is fenced of at current.
@ Oh wow!! What a weird coincidence!
It used to be a pretty nice area from what I remember.
Lots of trees and neighborhoods. Montezuma School near by.
That place by the Arrow was once a Mecca of retail stores. Our source for models and comics, clothes and shoes.
With a K-Mart across the street!
Time is a ruthless bastard!
Looking forward to some more vids on the new machine. Mine came De Smogged already.
All I added was the FMF pipe, and adjusted the fuel screw to get rid of the de-cel pop.
Left the paper air filter. (Although I’m not sure on that, it’s hard to blow out on a long trip)…
As far as jetting goes you might be fine at 5000’ there in the Burque.
Forgot to add:
Hell yeah Ese!! That’s All Sick.
My 2016 XR650L just turned 17,000 miles with almost no maintenance. A couple valve adjustments, a new chain and rear sprocket, have changed the front a few times, tires and brakes, oil, filter, etc. Still has the OEM battery! I left mine pretty much bone stock except bar risers, brush guards and skid plate. I pretty much always get 52 mpg but I’m really smooth on the throttle. I was only riding back roads (blacktop, gravel, dirt) with it. The last 3-4 years I’ve been taking it on sanctioned dual sports and adventure rides. Typically 2 day events of 100 or 150 miles a day. I use to take my KTM 350 EXC-F but there’s just something FUN about riding XR. I can go a lot faster on the KTM and it handles better but for the easier rides the XR is more comfortable. Good luck! Make sure you get the thicker counter sprocket.
The longevity that riders like yourself get out of these bikes is a huge reason I got this bike. Totally agree, its objectively a bit of a dinosaur, but these days that makes it a unique and FUN ride. Forgot to mention the counter sprocket because I already got it in the mail, will be installing that at my nearest convenience! Thank you for the advice and for sharing about your Xr!
there frickn Awesome
Good video. I put on the Mikuni pumper. I bought a kit from pro cycle I believe it was. Had a machined adapter. Installation was simple enough. Really accelerates. No hesitation. My only complaint is the return spring on it is quite heavy over time. But it’s a beast. Starts and runs great.
looks like a fun bike! would be a massive upgrade from my 1978 XL185 😅
I know this is water cooled and XL650 isnt but whats the difference between xr650r and xl650? Is this just the new XL? Did they just put the L at the end of the model name? Or are their still XL650 in 2024?
I was misunderstanding product line. So its all XR there is 650L and 650R I thought yours was water cooled since the hoses but i guess not? I thought there was XL650 and XR 650 yours being Xr650 and both had turn signals..... But I see yours is L model so that all makes sense
Yep you got it! Those hoses are for the "Smog" emissions restrictions, some Honda old/new school bike magic going on there. @@KenMrKLC
If Honda brought back the 650r we would all be very excited I think :)
If you have not purchased a new carburetor for your bike, don’t. People keep going on and on about how a flat side carburetor is going to do so much good…. And make the bike breathe better. Well, OK, maybe it will make the bike breathe better. The carburetor that’s on the XR 650 L as it is works fine. With modifications, you can take it from 90% to 95% of what you can expect to get out of the bike. After that, your gains are from intake and exhaust modifications. There are so many different ways to set this bike up to push power into the bottom end or push power into the top end. You can run lean for power and run rich for hot weather for safety. After owning three of these bikes, there’s only so much you can do to make your bike work year-round safely and get almost all the power you would want out of this bike. No matter what you’re gonna do, yer gonna be somewhere between 40 and 50 hp anyway. The old design single piston will only give you so much torque. If you want 70 hp to 90 hp, then you need to go to a transalp. But then you’re gonna gain 100 to 150 pounds. And that’s like having somebody on the back with you. What’s the point of having all that extra horsepower if the bike feels like you have a passenger. So. Remove the smog pump. Open the airbox. Put a pipe on it. Swap main and idle jets. Put a dynojet needle in it. And be done with it. The bike will run reliably year-round. It will start fast and pull wheelies all day long. You can’t ask for more than that. But some people do this stuff like a hobby. Many people change stuff just because they can change stuff. And they open up all kinds of stinky smelly cans of worms. That is the part they won’t tell you. It’s always happy happy happy success success success. They won’t tell you about the whole month they spent tuning the bike and not actually enjoying it. Take it from Rider at the Storm. There is a simple formula to knowing that you are almost as good as it’s ever gonna get. Want more power? Put a high compression piston in it with a racing rod. Put a hot cam in it. You might get 60 hp out of it. With that kind of power, you can burn through a tire in about a week. I burned through a lot of tires. I fried the motor after 10 years on the road. It all happened on one very hot Texas day. And the engine cratered. This is what you can expect from high compression and hot cams.
Hey Rider Of the Storm! You have some excellent content, your guide for smog removal is very comprehensive and I'm looking forward to following it during my own removal. Thank you for your advice! A carb would be the absolute last thing on my list with this bike, I plan on upgrading the exhaust, jetting, and opening up the airbox long before considering a carb. My goal for this bike is to have a reliable, fun, do anything machine, I'm not worried about cutting weight or changing the looks of 'er. Thanks Rider!
@ You are very welcome! My third iteration of this motorcycle is very far along and very different from version number two. It performs very well on the track and on the bumps. I need about four more inches of distance from the seat to the bars. Also, about four more inches from the pegs to my hips. This is something that I don’t think I can fix. The bike is only so big. if you feel squashed when you ride, you’re not alone. This is why I ride an NC700. It is only slightly heavier, and gives me more room to comfortably navigate a track. I will probably never give up the XR 650 L. I will probably take it with me to Malaysia when I am older. But the NC700 with it gives me a new perspective on dirt riding. The XR is mean and raw. It is tough. And the suspension will help you survive terrain that No other bike can match.
I chose between the XR and the DR. I definitely would love to get an XR as well and make it my dedicated off-road machine, whereas my DR is set up as my daily commuter and weekend trail Rider. I like keeping up with Ken Kaplan and the XRS that he sets up.
This is sort of my plan with my Xr, Minus the second bike. I want to get it set up for a balance between optimal performance and longevity, I do want a Supermoto wheel set for this bike which I will run most of the time swapping for adventure/ trail rides. Never ridden a DR650, I've heard all over the net that despite the heavier weight, the lower center of gravity provides a similar, if not more comfortable ride!
@ enjoy your XR! Never heard anyone ever say a bad thing about em. All good. That’s why they still exist! Simple and reliable. I’ll stay tuned. All bikes have a quirk or two as expected but its track record is overall pleasing.
The only thing I don't like is a tiny fuel tamk 2.5 gallon aleast a 3.5 to 4 gallon tank as I ride a 22 africa twin 5 gallon tank and 55 miles a gallon in two yrs I've put 17 on it now that's a do anything go anywhere bike. Great video sir.
Ive owned 2 Honda xr650 ..
Good bikes but kinda heavy,
I prefer my 1999 k.t.m.LC-4 640c.c dual-sport.
I've owned 3 over the past 20 years now and the one i got now im keeping forever.
My blood runs red brother 😎
Jk, I probably wont buy a European bike for a decade or two mostly due to pricing and the maintenance required on newer spiffy models. I have heard fantastic things about those KTMs, glad you enjoy yours!
Nice machine, good luck with it. I have a 2006 DR 650 and i love it.
Heck yeah, can't tell you how many times I peeked at a DR while waiting for the bike :)
Im on the fence between the dr650 and xr650l. Lot of pluses on the DR like the oil cooler and soft drive. I also like the low CG. But, the XR is good-looking and more dirt bike.
I checked out a Dr while my deposit was down, they're pretty sweet too, but I'm an XR fanboy through and through. I like the reduced weight, extra clearance, and general aesthetic. You can get an oil cooler for the XR, namely the right off a 400, but the 650L does not need it stock, says a lot, in my humble opinions. Swanky cat here on UA-cam has a lot of comparison videos between these two bikes.
bulletproof and simplistic!..............great bikes always have been
I absolutely love the feel of these bikes and this is coming from a dr650 owner. How tall are you?
I'm a gangly one. I'm 6'4" and like 160lbs soaking wet. 36" inseam, can stand almost 100% flat footed with both feet down.
@ lucky bastard lol I’m 5’7 that’s the only reason I chose the Suzuki but still considering switching back to the mighty XR I just love how it rides!!
I love this bike, always have.. Especially this particular color scheme. With that said, I prefer my fully modded 300s more. I notice every bit of weight I can loose, and it’s easier for me to throw around off road. I don’t do very much HWY riding either. But if I have to, my 300s will do 70mph all day.
I've heard great things about those 300s, who knows maybe that's next... Gimme a few years lol.
i run a 84 xl600 geeked out to the max ,absolutely love it but......i think there may be a xr650 in my future....we will see how my 55 year old knee holds up to kicking........
@@spikeman68 That is awesome. My dad had an early 80s xl600 when he was in college. That is why he got his Xr650L, and his is why I later got mine. It's as close to old school as it gets. Enjoy your Xl!!
@@geraldklein750 ride safe brother
What front sprocket did you order? from where?
I got the Fritzco 15 tooth from Pro cycle, came very fast.
@@geraldklein750 Okay thanks.
we put the Fritzco on too we went stock in the front cant remember if stock is 15 or 16 less where and tear on the counter shaft with the stock you can go up 4 in the rear with out cutting the chain i did on the sm rims sprocket
I have two bikes a dirt and road.
I always enjoyed enduros.
I'd like to sell and get a Xr650l.
Not many dealers have this bike.
I had the deposit for this bike down for over a year before it was my turn. Worth the wait!
hope you find one
I considered pumper carbs on my DR650 (currently using the stock carb). The problem with pumper carbs, TM40, is that they constantly need adjustment, despite performing extremely well when dialed in. The better solution in my opinion is the Lectron carburetors, which are like a poor man’s fuel injection. I’ll be switching as soon as my stock carb takes a dive.
Thank you for the suggestion! poked around a little, looks intriguing. I'm going to be doing just about everything I can to the bike before I get to swapping the carb out, gives me time to ponder
Duuuude stop giving away our spots! 🤣🍻
Whhooops! It's a dirt road 🤣 nothing crazy up there
Take those shrouds off and you’ll rid yourself the instability at higher speeds.
They're there for a reason. Those bikes tend to get really hot in warm climates, especially with stock jetting.
Fair enough I hadn't thought of that, my dad took them off of his way back in the day. Probably will keep em, for now
Ridinf for 20 years 250l and 650l, and for the trail it juat eats the trail. Like chocolate.
Leav snokle alone, carb ia fone just get get 38 low jet and get od that marxiat Californial smug bs.
Thing does eat the trail all day any day, stock tires don't love the mud. This Marxist (me), will be removing the smog asap ;). Read up brother times are a changing