XR 600 VS XR 650
SCIMITAR
Does anyone have the specs for the two bikes ?
which is the better bike ?
Does the 650 look anything like the 600 ?
XR4TOM
Are you riding street or dirt?
if the dirt then the 600 will kill the 650. My 600 is heavy but the 650 is
50 lbs. heavier.
Bruce Arnold
--
XR4TOM <xr4...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970208224...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> Are you riding street or dirt?
> if the dirt then the 600 will kill the 650.
Yes, but the XR-600 is the ONLY bike that I have ever had any trouble
keeping up with in the dirt.
> My 600 is heavy but the 650 is
> 50 lbs. heavier.
True.
This was a very hard decision to make when I bought my XR. I went with
the XR-650L because of the electric starter, and fork lock. BUT, I also
had a smaller, "real" dirt bike (a 1985 XR-250R) for hard core trail
riding. The XR-650L is a better trail bike than many people will lead you
to believe, but still it is really too heavy for riding in slick mud. In
addition to trail riding, I like to blast backroads, and occasionally ride
to work, so if I could only have one bike it would be the XR-650L (or maybe
the one of the new KTMs). But, if you just want to ride trails, and only
need something legal enough to ride to the trail, then the XR-600 would be
the better choice.
This might shed some light on what you are facing with the XR-L. I visited
one of my friends back home this weekend. He has stripped the lights off
of his XR-650L, installed Dunlop D-752s, and has been using it as a hard
core trail bike. His comments were "I'm gonna put the lights back on the
damn thing and turn it into a KTM Duke. It's sick of picking up the heavy
bastard." But, even in the worst conditions, he is able to run off and
leave an equally good rider on a CR-125 and two almost-as-good riders on
XR-250Rs.
As always, I will be glad to try and answer any questions that anyone has
about my XR-650L.
Bruce Arnold Honda XR-650L 1993
Gruley, AL (Hunstville area) KTM 250-T/XC 1992
br...@hmi.com Honda XR-100 1992
altavoz
Subject:
Re: XR 600 VS XR 650
Date:
10 Feb 1997 22:26:15 GMT
From:
"Bruce Arnold" <br...@hmi.com>
Organization:
HiWAAY Information Services
Newsgroups:
rec.motorcycles.dirt
References:
1 , 2
True.
altavoz: Off road fun is directly related to WEIGHT !
The 1979 XL500S was what started it all . At 278 lbs and
a very well tuned engine ( compliments to HONDA ) , it was
a winner . Then they detuned the 500 in '81 and then
they made the 600.
But all the while it was getting heavier . 1991 it came dn to 262 .
You can't have fun , offroad with a 400 lb bike ( wet) .
Same with the 900RR . Honda made a pig (1000 interceptor) then
years later after many complaints , made the BLADE .
XL500S ( old man)
______End of text from altavoz___________
Bruce Arnold
> altavoz: Off road fun is directly related to WEIGHT !
> The 1979 XL500S was what started it all . At 278 lbs and
> a very well tuned engine ( compliments to HONDA ) , it was
> a winner .
I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe that the 1979 XL-500 only
weighed 278lbs (with lights). My 1976 XL-350 weighed about 315lbs (dry).
> You can't have fun , offroad with a 400 lb bike ( wet) .
Sure you can, although you might not win many races. I certainly can have
plenty of fun offroad on my 340 lbs (wet) bike. I think this weight thing
is over rated for trail riding. I can't tell any big difference in my
ability to conquore difficult sections, or in my lap times between my
XR-650L and my KTM-250. The only time the XRs weight is a problem is when
you don't make an obstacle, and then have to man-handle it. I am an
average rider (for a semi-old guy) and in the 4 years I have had the bike
(including riding in 5 national dual-sport events) the only bikes that have
ever passed me on my XR-650L are a XR-600R, a Suzuki RMX (I passed him
back), a XR-650L, and a highly modified Suzuki DR-440 (man, that guy was
flying).
> XL500S ( old man)
Bruce Arnold
altavoz
"Bruce Arnold" <br...@hmi.com>
> altavoz: Off road fun is directly related to WEIGHT !
> The 1979 XL500S was what started it all . At 278 lbs and
> a very well tuned engine ( compliments to HONDA ) , it was
> a winner .
I may be wrong, but I find it hard to believe that the 1979 XL-500 only
weighed 278lbs (with lights). My 1976 XL-350 weighed about 315lbs
(dry).
altavoz : Do you also find it hard to beleive that some CBR600's
weigh more than the CBR900 ?
Bruce Arnold