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[Drunk_Uncle]

Originally Posted by Sub Zero

Theres also a helmet cam vid from that very same race by one of the riders. watching it just totally blew my mind! never in my life have I gotten to ride on trails like the ones those guys are haulin the mail on. sure as hell would like to though! for science!

You should ride Missouri. An XR650L would make it throught that course, but would not be competetive. I rode part of the Show Me 200 last year and after 20ish miles I was beat. The XR is an amazing bike. Was thinking about selling her until I saw that video. Thank you!!

[beechum1]

Originally Posted by ShooterDave

I figured before I put these for sale up in the flea market, I'd let you guys get first dibs. I'll put them in the flea market tomorrow (Mon Oct 8). I need money for brake pads and tires.

Cigar Mike center stand $60 + shipping.

Dibs. Pick it up this week on my way back from Oxnard yes?

[Brown Falcon]

Got my box installed on the rear rack. I'll post pictures when I get a chance to take some in the daytime.
Happy with it so far, I went with a pretty large box, big enough to fit a helmet plus a little extra room. Similar to a pelican case, but taller (and cheaper).

[ShooterDave]

Originally Posted by beechum1

Dibs. Pick it up this week on my way back from Oxnard yes?

Sure thing. Please let me know when you're coming thru. PM coming your way.

[ThumpnRed]

Originally Posted by mrfixit54016

Red,

Did you line the cables up next to each other to make sure the amount of inner wire sticking out from the end of the housings was the same on both the OEM XRL cable and the CRF cable?

If they are indeed the same, this will be great news because Motion Pro makes a 3" longer clutch cable, but not a throttle cable. Go figure why??? I called them and asked about the logic in this. My only option apparently was to have custom cables made that were much more expensive.

If the CRF cables fit, then I am in for a new cable!

Yep... the whole mess is longer. I now have cables that are a bit too long. I ended up routing them up over the rubber donuts on the frame.

[KyoXR]

Hey, ThumpnRed,
I was researching the hot start cable to remote choke cable swap for the FCR and I am coming up with several different part numbers between the CRF250/450 R and X, I was researching 2005 because I think that is what you came up with? do you have the part numbers for the cable? or know exactly what year/model the cable you used came off of?
it looks like the 90 degree bend part going into the carb is: START SET,Hot 16019-MEB-671 from what I can tell but I'm lost on what cable.

[Jud]

I've used quite a few Shinko 244s on my old DR650, my XR650, my wife's DR350 and believe it or not, her Ascot VT500. I have to say I will no longer buy a Shinko 244 as I've had three different 244s shed the center knobs. The 1st one was on my DR650 and I thought it might be my fault as I tend to get lazy about airing back up and I tend to scoot pretty hard in the twisties on tarmac. Figured I mighta got the tire too hot when playing hard on the tarmac at too low a pressure then hit rocky trails and that's what ripped the knobbies off. The 1st one lost like 5-10 center knobs, most consecutively with-in 500 miles. I continued to run it and got maybe 2K miles outta it.

I ran another on the DR just to see if it was the tire's fault or mine and that one was good. Got maybe 2K outta it too

Ran a third on my wife's Ascot as a front for a Trans Lab trip. Ended up swapping it to the rear during that same trip when the rear 705 wore out after about 8K miles. That 244 did fine too but it should have as it was used in a touring setting and my wife isn't too hard on tires to say the least.

The 4th was on my XR and it chunked several center knobs with-in 500. That was the the last straw and I will no longer run a Shinko 244 on the rear of one of my bikes. My wife,,,, maybe as she isn't too rough on the throttle.

I have also run several Kenda 270s and have noticed much of the same characteristics some of you have noted. The front 270 honestly feels like crap on tarmac if you tend to ride hard. I didn't notice a huge difference between the 244 front and the 270 front off tarmac but I tend to ride rocky stuff and fairly typical forestry service trails with no real sand or mud.

I have not had a Kenda rear chunk a knob and I've run maybe 3-4 of em.

I now run a 244 front and 270 rear as a compromise tire combo when I'm not running knobbies or some sorta freebie take off. That is a fairly cheap combo that works fairly well on and off tarmac if you ride hard on the tarmac and middling hard on the dirt. If you are doing real mud or real sand or realy charge it off tarmac you shouldn't be running a compromise tire anyway and on the tarmac. If you stick to the tarmac mostly, the 705 really does stick better but the set I tried on my XR absolutely sucked off tarmac and the rear lasted less than 2K miles for me {I tend to be hard on tires}. Cost more than 270s too.

I do use 705s on the DL650 and the Ascot though. Have had nothing but good luck with them on those bikes and the DL gets plenty of off tarmac riding. Have never had a 705 crap up and I've run a crap load of them on the three different bikes {the DL, Ascot and on the XR only once}. 'Spose I've been real luck accourding to the 705 thread. I'm usually not the lucky type.

[RZRob]

Anyone just catch the XR650L this morning on NBC's morning network news program The Today Show? It was a guy riding out of a Shell station on Verdugo near LAX appropriately dressed in shorts and tennis shoes.

OK who was it?

I'll say this, my XR will be my daily driver for awhile. $5+ per gallon is ridiculous.

RZ Rob
PS: I went for a ride in similar garb yesterday.

[oremike]

Originally Posted by Rider11x

Has anyone tried trials tires on their XRL? I am seeing their popularity on the rear of enduro bikes and considered them for front and rear of the xrl. I was only concerned about road cornering on their more squared profile. Any thoughts or experience?

I'm running a Pirelli MT 43 on the rear of my XR-L and love it. I didn't put one on the front because the knobs didn't look deep enough or open enough to dig into gravel very well. I have a Metzler Uni-cross on the front but will be going to a Pirelli MT-21 for better pavement traction. I don't ride much sand or mud, sticking mostly to dirt and gravel roads. I'll see what happens when the rains come but I think the trials tire will be just fine.
Pavement cornering traction is less than a street tire but I keep up just fine with those running other DOT full knobbies and have ground the whiskers off the last row of knobs.
It's not a flat track tire to slide around corners on, the Michelin T-63 is a better choice for that.
What this tire does and why I like it is hook up, and last a long time. I'm running 18 psi and have over 1500 miles on the tire with more than half the tread left. In the past I'm lucky to get 1000 miles out of a rear. Going up a steep gravel hill it just motors right up, coming down it is better to start off and stay slow, but is doable.

[guitarmy21b]

New rider here, just picked up this '04 on Saturday



Love it so far! Only bike I've rode except the DR200 I had during the BRC. Took it on a trail by my house yesterday and dropped it in some loose dirt, no damage other than slightly bending one of the luggage racks, and took the handlebars to the chest which left a pretty nice bruise. I'm gonna be just riding it around the neighborhood for a while until I feel confident enough to take it into traffic. I got it up to 60mph though, which felt insanely fast.

[NC-Okie]

Well with the piston skirt rubbing the bore might be why it won't start!!





Anyway cam and head look nearly new I guess I shouldn't complain with 27.5K on it.

Okie

[taco250]

Originally Posted by guitarmy21b

New rider here, just picked up this '04 on Saturday



Love it so far! Only bike I've rode except the DR200 I had during the BRC. Took it on a trail by my house yesterday and dropped it in some loose dirt, no damage other than slightly bending one of the luggage racks, and took the handlebars to the chest which left a pretty nice bruise. I'm gonna be just riding it around the neighborhood for a while until I feel confident enough to take it into traffic. I got it up to 60mph though, which felt insanely fast.

Thats's what I love about mine: 60 feels like 90. On a sport bike, 90 feels like 55.

[bomber1965]

Originally Posted by guitarmy21b

New rider here, just picked up this '04 on Saturday




..... and took the handlebars to the chest which left a pretty nice bruise. I'm gonna be just riding it around the neighborhood for a while until I feel confident enough to take it into traffic.

Get some gear....

[mcma111]

Originally Posted by NC-Okie

Well with the piston skirt rubbing the bore might be why it won't start!!





Anyway cam and head look nearly new I guess I shouldn't complain with 27.5K on it.

Okie

Looks like it got a little hot at one point.

[NC-Okie]

This is out of my '08 XRL and I have never babied it. It has had many WOT runs done Interstate 40 and I was expecting more damage.






Lifters and cam look good but I have already bugged CW about a cam and now have a head core for his head upgrade.

Last year I had CW did the mods for an 711cc engine on my other XRL but buy the time I got it running right (my issues not his to be clear) I tore 3rd gear out of it so as soon as this motor gets back together I am going to split the case on it again.

Okie