Honda XR650R

Anyone have experience with Honda's XR650R?

The WRX is my first supermoto, and as much as I love it, I am seriously tempted by the Honda, especially as a SM set up. I know it would take a kit to make it street legal, but other than that, what would the drawbacks be coming from the X?

Most of my riding, unfortunately, is my 20mi highway commute.

I've had 2 XXR's. They are torgue monsters! You'll go through gas, tires and tickets faster with one.

cannon wrote:

Anyone have experience with Honda's XR650R?

The WRX is my first supermoto, and as much as I love it, I am seriously tempted by the Honda, especially as a SM set up. I know it would take a kit to make it street legal, but other than that, what would the drawbacks be coming from the X?

Most of my riding, unfortunately, is my 20mi highway commute.

I've got a 2000 XRR sitting next to the WRR in the garage. It is street legal, tagged and titled. I've said it here in other threads that the WRR is a total wimp when compared to the XRR. They weigh about the same with the XRR going 10 or so lbs heavier but putting out nearly double the horsepower of the WRR.

The XRR is more like a 69 hemi Cuda while the WRR is like a 2010 Lexus--brute force vs sophisticated operations. The XRR is kick start only, gets horrible gas mileage and parts are getting harder to find, fornt light is abysmal, stator output is less than 100watts and no stop lights etc--stock. But oh that power--it never fails to put a smile on my face.

On the other hand the unmodified--except for gearing--WRR is easy to start, gets great gas mileage, keeps up with traffic and has all the nice electroics such as speedo, signals, 300+ watts available and on and on.

Daily rider for going 20 miles to work--ummm--most likely I would jump on the WRR.

I've ridden them and the motors are great! The suspension needs lots of work but that's easily fixed. If I could find a street legal one in my area, I would own one.

As mentioned, they are kickstart only.

I was shocked to see they are so similar in weight. The weight was a big draw for the WRX, coming from a 400+lb street bike, but the XRR has low weight and higher power.

Akasy, you would commute the WRR based on gas mileage? I hadn't considered the stator and available wattage. It produces enough to run the street legal kit stock, or are there additional electric concerns?

Is the kickstart so bad?

Only if you don't like to do it.
I don't mind, myself, because I've owned more bikes that had only kickstarting than those with electric starting.
It is a big single, remember.

The weights are similar, but thinking the XR will feel like the WR-250R is not telling the whole story because the rotating crankshaft mass is much more, and you will be reminded from time-to-time that it is a big single.

Myself, I like big thumpers for their king of power and engine characteristics that makes fans of them everywhere, but thinking the bike might pass for a 250cc bike in handlng feel in a daydream. ;)

Gas mileage to me is only of concerrn as to how far can I get on a tank--not a $ issue. On the XRR--the way I ride--it gets 40mpg AT BEST--so on the stock tank you will get less than 90 miles. I've got a Clarke for it and that adds another gallon but you have to dump it on it's side to get gas from the low left side to the petcock on the right. So then you go to the Acerbis 6+ gallon which when full puts almost 50lb more on the bike and it gets piggy in the dirt.

I will disagree on the handling of the XRR vs WRR--in tight single track--both stock--they are nearly identical in handling. In more open dirt dual track the XRR will outperform the WRR in power to the ground so with identical handling the XRR shines, same on the road, nearly identical in handling, XRR shines due to power.

Neither are exceptional in the handling department--my KTM is the one if you want handling.

That said you just can't go as far on the XRR as the WRR in stock configuration so you add fuel capacity and weight--the dual sport kit--and it's high power light weight advantage starts to diminish.

As to electrics, if you street the XRR most likely you will be wanting the Ricky Stator upgrade to 200+watts. Whole thread over on ADV under thumpers on that topic. if you ride the stock XRR on the street at night stock stator you will quickly find out just how well you can see with a 35w non-halogen headlight.

Commuter--the WRR--pure grins the XRR--handling and power KTM everytime. It's a dual sported 380 2T.