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[enzorover]

My contribution is a 2001 with the standard mods...re-jetted, de-smoged, Corbin seat, Venture bag, IMS tank, Acerbi bark busters, removed passenger pegs, cruise control, and I made some nice road pegs. I have tons of pictures but they all need to go on a serious byte diet before I can post them.

Back in Sept my uncle (on a Sportster) and I started in St. Louis and drove north through MO, MN, MI, around Lake Michigan, then through WI, IN, IL and back to St. Louis. We did over 2600 miles in 6 days. During a couple long super-slab stretches I set the cruise, put my feet up on the pegs and leaned back on the Venture bag with my arms crossed. As everyone has said, the Corbin seat is a fantastic addition if not a little hard to initially install. I would also recomend the cruise control (throttle lock) if you do long highway miles. Especially when it's cold so you can take your hand off and stick it behind the engine to warm it up. The Venture bag (find it here: http://www.cycleventure.com/fitments...?fitment_id=34 ) is a little pricey but well worth it because not only does it hold tons of stuff (and can be expanded) but once it's filled makes a terrific back rest. When you want to stretch out just turn it around and you have the full seat again. I would also highly recommend the bark busters. Save your money and get the most expensive nicest ones you can. The ones with the aluminum that wraps around and ties into the bar ends. You will have to trim the levers a bit but I guarantee you won't break one. I took a dive going about 15mph on a back road and all it did was scratch up the plastic. No broken brake lever and the throttle worked like a champ...got me out of a part of town that I didn't want to be stranded.

That's the best thing about these bikes...when they fall nothing breaks. I have a Ducati 750SS that fell off the kick stand once and caused over $700 worth of damage. The Honda fell off of a plastic crate and a cooler (me and a buddy were changing the tires) landing directly on it's side and it only suffered a broken clutch lever. I was still able to drive it.

A couple things I still need: GPS and a wind screen. I didn't even know you could get a wind screen. Please, please tell me where!!!

I'll work on some pictures.

[enzorover]

Here's one I hope:

[enzorover]

Hmmm...that's not a very impressive picture size. How do you post bigger pictures? The thing says I can only put up 154kb (or something like that) jpg's.

[Boojum]

...........See my ad in the Flea Market! 95-XRL

Boojum!

[mgs781]

The most modified L.

MGS

[lvdukerider]

Originally Posted by mgs781

The most modified L.

MGS

I think ive seen your bike on Supermotojunkie before but i'll say it again, you did a beautiful job on it, I almost wish I held on to my 93 so I could turn it into somthing like that. Send a picture of it to Honda, thats what they should be building.

[murgatroid42]

Originally Posted by enzorover

...A couple things I still need: GPS and a wind screen. I didn't even know you could get a wind screen. Please, please tell me where!!!

You mean a windscreen like this one:


I have received several PM's asking the windscreen on my XR650L. The windscreen is a Maier windscreen from JCWhitney, here. It is the Type 4 (square bottom fits on top of my rectangular headlight), clear, 7/8 in. bar type, $69.99. I broke one of the plastic mounts where it attaches to the windscreen, and could not find any replacement parts, so I made some from some sprinkler heads which work.

An alternative windshield that 2 coworkers have is the National Spitfire which seems to have a more durable mouting system to the windshield than the Maier. Slipstream might also make an equivalent.

The windshield doesn't stop all the wind, just keeps some off my chest. I really don't know if it is worth it, but it does look cool. It will give you some headshake in crosswinds or from large trucks on the highway. With new D606's on the front on my XR650L, it could shake at 65-70 mph, about 5mph lower than without it. A coworker with an XR650L has the same problem. I put a TKC80 up front, and now I can go 80+ without headshake, but still large semis will make the front move around. I'm just telling you what I experienced. In spite of this, I have it on almost all the time, and I have ridden the bike on 400+ mile days.

[RRob]

Originally Posted by mgs781

The most modified L.

Looks awsome! Please post some details on the parts you used; exhaust, rear fender, seat, tank, forks etc.

[mgs781]

Originally Posted by RebelRob

Looks awsome! Please post some details on the parts you used; exhaust, rear fender, seat, tank, forks etc.

2004 Honda XR650L SM

ECW 17s, cr250 front hub, Excel rims with Talon hubs
Marzoochi 45mm USD forks with CRF triples
MotoMaster 320mm disk
Galfer SS lines
Genmar risers with Answer SE bars (not shown)
Acerbis plastic, UFO hand gaurds
Aloop tank kit
Aftermarket battery moved to under the seat, XR600R side panel
Trailtech computer
Edelbrock pumper carb
Twin air filter
Yosh headers with FMF Q2 modified to fit (not shown)
Weisco 10.25:1 piston
Hotcams stage 1
ported head
3 angle valve job

I am going to dyno the bike this year, I would bet it has 45ish at the wheel.

Next project is going to be a widened swing arm with a 5.5" rear rim and 180 tire. Probably not this bike. I would like to start over and do a L with a 2006 CRF250 sub frame with dual exhaust.

I would also like to do a Paris Dakar L with full KTM style fairing. Too many ideas and not enough time or money.

MGS

[Wattner]

Here are a coupla' photos of my 650L outside of Breckenridge, Co.

[Denisesewa]

I just bought a 93 XRL last weekend and am in the process of going through it, due to a knee injury i cant ride my R-6 anymore ( at least not for very long), the last bike I was "DS ing" was a TDM, so far I like the XR although being a lightwieght I am putting it on a seriuse diet, so far i have installed a supertrap IDS2 Exhaust, moved a smaller battery inside the airbox along with the other electronics and removed the original battery box, pod type air filter, smog removed,motard front fender, desert tank. still to come - jet kit,rear fender and light, skid plate , bars, 2004 XR seat , tires, headlight/number plate . things that bother me and would appreciate advice on-- bars are too low and too far back , front end feels like a wet noodle, rear brake feels weak, very tall seat hieght for me ( 5'11") yet seat to pegs feels cramped. I loved extended weelies on the R-6 but cant seem to get this thing to cooperate with its lack of power ( at least it feels that way to me) perhaps the jet kit will bring it alive? Anything else for advice?
By the way, a cheap source for batteries is at your local hobby shop, its a flight box battry for RC airplanes, it is only 7 amps instead of 9 but hasnt been a problem so far, ran one in my R-6 for two years without issue and its only 20 bucks as well as being almost 2 Lbs lighter than the original also fits nicely in the XR airbox if you do that mod, you will have to solder some 10 guage wire to the terminals.
Also looking for some DS routes here in the San Diego area, just moved here and dont know anyone or where to ride.
Denise

[mgs781]

New pic with exhaust and new seat cover. Wish the damn handle bar would show up.

MGS

[CBXMan]

This is my 2001 XR650L that got me into dual sports. Now it shares the garage with it R1200GS brother.

The first thing I added was a Devol lowering link. 1" lower really made a big difference. Then came the Summers Racing rear rack, Progrip grips, IDS2 pipe, jet kit, Avon Venoms, and a few stickers to change the appearance a little. This little jewel has never been off-road and the Avon Venoms turned it into a wanna-be road racer.

P.S.: The IDS2 pipe is for sale. It's been on the bike for 400 miles and is in perfect condition. It's a little too loud for me, or I'm too old. Either way I'm going back to super quiet. It cost $250.00 new and I'll ship it to you in the lower 48 for $190.00. PM me if you interested.

[CBXMan]

Hope this qualifies. This started out as a 2003 650L. It belonged to one of my customers that got a little bored last winter and made a couple of changes to the frame and wheels.

[onaXR]

Originally Posted by Denisesewa

I just bought a 93 XRL last weekend and am in the process of going through it, due to a knee injury i cant ride my R-6 anymore ( at least not for very long), the last bike I was "DS ing" was a TDM, so far I like the XR although being a lightwieght I am putting it on a seriuse diet, so far i have installed a supertrap IDS2 Exhaust, moved a smaller battery inside the airbox along with the other electronics and removed the original battery box, pod type air filter, smog removed,motard front fender, desert tank. still to come - jet kit,rear fender and light, skid plate , bars, 2004 XR seat , tires, headlight/number plate . things that bother me and would appreciate advice on-- bars are too low and too far back , front end feels like a wet noodle, rear brake feels weak, very tall seat hieght for me ( 5'11") yet seat to pegs feels cramped. I loved extended weelies on the R-6 but cant seem to get this thing to cooperate with its lack of power ( at least it feels that way to me) perhaps the jet kit will bring it alive? Anything else for advice?
By the way, a cheap source for batteries is at your local hobby shop, its a flight box battry for RC airplanes, it is only 7 amps instead of 9 but hasnt been a problem so far, ran one in my R-6 for two years without issue and its only 20 bucks as well as being almost 2 Lbs lighter than the original also fits nicely in the XR airbox if you do that mod, you will have to solder some 10 guage wire to the terminals.
Also looking for some DS routes here in the San Diego area, just moved here and dont know anyone or where to ride.
Denise

I had the same feelings about the XR when I first bought it but then I realized I was comparing it to my R1 LOL! Then I was like wow you have to shift this thing alot, I was comparing it to my Valkyrie, Cant do that. It will feel like a wet noodle compared to a sportbike, it wont wheelie as easy as a sportbike. But its not a sportbike. Its a XR. Cool tip on the battery, thanks.
Bars are no problem buy a set of CR high bend.