My XRR, or "All I want for Christmas is a bionic leg."

My 2000 XR650R, or “All I want for Christmas is a bionic leg.”
I’m looking forward to sharing info, tips, and BS with other XRR owners. It takes a lot of effort to build a forum, maintain it, and keep spammers from hijacking it! Thanks for your work on this!

Time for me to get "pumped up" and grow a pair. Where's the bionic man, give me that leg! No E start for me!





So, I’ve been debating my next dual sport for a long time. My DR650 is a great workhorse of a bike, and I’ve enjoyed the best adventures on it. But, it’s a bit heavy, and has soggy suspension…..so I’ve been hankering for lighter weight, more punch and some long sexy legs. After considering the WR250R, excellent dual sport bike, but maybe I would be underwhelmed by the 250 engine. I went off on a Husaberg bender, but wayyyyy to exotic for me. I settled on a KTM 690 Enduro and started scoping them out, thinking well in a year I can save a good-sized down payment. Well, used they are at $8,500 and new way too rich for my blood, that has to help support two kiddos.


Plenty of power, built by Honda to take on the Baja 1000.


Sports a water-cooled 650 engine in a alloy frame, engine is counterbalance.


Rear swing arm mounts in engine casting.


So, I lurked around the interwebs, looking at XR650Rs. I was very impressed at our first BUTT ride that two of the riders had excellent set ups, and were just rockin along, but also the bike was a bit intimidating for me. On the internet, the problem was the bikes I saw had numerous owners, and with a bike going back to 2000, you could end up with a handful of problems and a thrashed bike. So, along with kick start only, I wrote off the XR650R.



Until……….I spied a CL add in north Austin, and it said all original, including the TIRES! Hummmm…..a 12 year old bike, a dirt bike, with original tires? A good sign. So, at the price, $2,500 it warranted a look. A few phone calls later, and some strategic emails to my bro, I managed to pull it off. Yes, the clutch cover seems a bit too worn for a low miles bike….but everything on the chassis looked great, never touched, no rounded bolt heads, and every little trim part in place.

Call the wife, ok, explain, hummm, $2,500 in cash now, beats $6,000 in a loan later. Ok, you drop by the bank, I will stop at my bank. Drop off the kid at home. Beat it back to work for a meeting. Beat it out of the office to pick up my brother KosmicKLR.

And, here to behold, yes nary a scratch, no dents, not even a tire iron touching the rim! I figured with some ( er a lot) farkeling I can enjoy a powerful, light dual sport, that will be a blast to ride. It’s got Baja in its blood! Stovey can you forgive me its not orange???





First order of business is to strip the bike, grease and lube all the suspension, linkages, fresh oils and fluids, you can bet a wrench has never turned in anger on this bike!







The kick start is a down side, but it seems to fire up very nice. In a pinch I can get a bionic leg, it might be worth it!
Keep posted on this thread, the farkeling will start as I embark on a voyage to convert this to a long distance mile munching, hill crunching, and bone jarring monster dual sport! I will rally on with my good old DR, as I start converting the XR.

OEM rear tire, no knobs shredded!



Started my first work on the XR650R, just cracking it open a bit and doing the usual prep work. First off, the OEM filter is toast, so first thing to order is replacement:

I've learned that these air boxes are a bit different, the side cover fits over top of filter, and seals the air box, which is behind the filter. So the side cover cant come loose, and has to seal good. Any holes in the air box would introduce dirt directly to the intake of the motor. While one mod is to cut holes in the side cover, and put a mesh screen for better flow, trade off is filter gets more dirty. So, I am leaving it as is, just ordering a new filter.


Taking this bike a part is a breeze, and its amazing how precise all the alloy parts are. Hollow rear axel, machined blocks for the chain tension, and even alloy wheel spacers! I am being very careful with my work and tools, because many of the fasters are stuck on hard, never been removed. Have to make sure not to damage any of the parts, which are pretty light, and precision fit.
Glad to see that the rear axel had grease at least. The bearings were nice and solid, no play and tight.




Sweet alloy rear wheel spacers;


I pulled off the rear caliper, plenty of meat on the original brake pads. The caliper slides on to a small locater tab on the swing arm. Also, the brake fluid was brown, so I bled the brake, a breeze.


Next I came up on the rear suspension linkage. The big "knuckle" was easy to take out, but the bolts were way over tightened, needed a firm push with a foot to break them loose. None of the through bolts had grease. The bearings that the dog bones attach to I could not pull out.
The side stand has a steel bracket that bolts to the frame, and this bracket interferes with the linkage bolt. While I tried to remove the bracket, it has round-head allens, and I could feel the big one start to round as I tried to loosen it. So, nope, that’s a job for some heat, penetrating oil, and an impact driver!



Was able to grease the needle bearings inside.




So, I got the rear wheel back in with fresh grease, did some of the linkage bearings, cleaned the chain, bled the brake, and also lubed some of the control cables. Made a lot of progress!

The oil in the bike still looks very good, so I won’t change that just yet.

Well, my first official farkle for the XR650R showed up today! Here are some big ass radiators to provide some super-cooling for our Texas-sized heat waves! In this test, they found about a 40 degree difference (cooler) running the Fluidynes.

Now, one down side may be that KTM radiator fan wont fit behind these, with a big Acerbis tank installed. But, I think to keep the motor running cooler overall, will reduce wear/tear on the oil and keep the engine in better shape. All the other sets of Fluidyne's I saw on e-bay ran $400, so I had to snag these. Also, there are severa1 "knock-off" radiators available for less, but I figured best to stick with a name brand and not risk some shoddy made-in-China parts. Also, Fluidyne Power Sports is now owned by SuperTrapp.

Should anyone attempt to re-create this farkle fest, or something like it, I will keep a running list of farkle-fu coinage, just don’t let my wife see it!

XR650 Farkle-Fu Coinage:
Fluidyne high-performace radiators..............$260, "free" shipping.

PERFORMANCE
Reduce Engine Temperatures Up To 30%
Significant Increase in Fluid Capacity

High Efficiency Brazed Aluminum Cores
Direct Fit Design

DURABILITY
All Joints and Seams are TIG Welded to Maximize Strength
All Structural Components are Double the Strength of OEM Parts
Mandrel Bent and Precision Beaded Connector Tubes
CNC Machined Billet Filler Neck with Stainless Steel Cap
High Crash Survival Rate

First bling for the XR 650R!







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So, about time for an update on the farkle fest and goings on with my XRR.

Last weekend I helped out UlyBrad at his MSF dirt bike class, and was able to jump in and refresh myself on basic skills. I took out my DR650 for a student to use, it was his very first time on a motorcycle :yikes :yikes :yikes Now, I knew my DR would likely get dropped, and was cool with that. Well the kid had to learn how to let out a clutch, turn on the gas and shift, he did it and by end of day was riding the bike around! It did jump out from under him once, he landed on his knee and cut it open.....other than a too-small helmet stuffed on his gourd, no protective gear to speak.

I took the XRR out on the cones, and had to re-gear my brain to get in attack position, weight the inside peg to turn, then hang my hips off the opposite side. Wow, what a work over! I had the XRR doing weaves almost lock-to-lock at a walking pace. I just let the motor idle, and modulated speed with clutch. But, I learned that the bar position on the XRR is very uncomfortable, my shoulders were tensed up trying to turn. The bars are too low and far back, and very awkward feeling. But, that will get sorted soon! :naughty :naughty :naughty So, it felt really good to get a primer in dirt bike basics. Plus, I had a blast helping UlyBrad out, and want my wife to jump in on his class.


Now farkles are starting to roll in, but it’s going to be a long process getting the whole bike ready. It’s going to take time because I need to get the rear swing arm out, which takes a special tool. Also, I plan to have the fork and shock Gold Valved, put in tad firmer springs for my weight and the big tank. While the suspension is out getting done, I can start building the bike up.

Here is the latest to roll in:
Pirelli MT 21 Rally Cross tires. I like this front a lot, it does not cup bad, and can be reversed. The tire sizes for dirt bikes vary just a bit, with the XRR having 80/100-21 and 110/100-18 sizes. But DOT dual sport tires don’t seem to come in that exact size, they tend to be fatter and taller. So the Pirelli MT 21s I got in 90/90-21 and 130/90-18, and look to be a bit taller in profile. I think they will provide more comfort in the ride.

New Pirelli rubber!


Next I was looking at engine protection and want to armor up the XRR best as possible. I have learned on rides that you can bust an oil filter cover, clutch cover, water pump or other critical part. While the more standard alloy bash plate with "ears" works pretty good, I wanted more coverage. The TCI bash plate with side guards fit the bill! I’ve seen this bash plate in action on other bikes at Big Bend Ranch State Park, and it holds up great to baby head rocks and others lurking on the trail and wanting to see you bleed oil!







And, the clutch cover is always ready to get a good bashing, and leave you stranded on the trail. So, I found a nice flying saucer to put on it. Beam me up Scotty!



No XRR dual sport would be complete without the Acerbis tanker! 6.3 gallons of juicy goodness, ready to slate your gas guzzlin thirst! Oh yeah! Can you say flat out WFO in the desert for as long as you want? To go with it, a nice custom hand crafted part, the brain child of Hodakaguyadv, the tanker brace! This brace replaces the more flimsy Acerbis mount, and helps to take any load off your radiators.





And, for when the wheels are ready to roll.....the Baja Designs universal speedo, that plugs right into the stock speedo drive cable. I like that its low tech and simple. Lets me track overall and trip mileage.



More to come as the farkles roll in....and the build will start.....stay tuned!

More farkels are rolling in. First I have to drain the fork oil, but I may just get them out to my buddy Roger at OnRoad/OffRoad in Austin, he specializes in suspension tuning and set up.
The steering head bearings feel tight, but also dry. The top stem nut is a HUGE metric, and I need to go by a special socket, looks like 30mm ……no vise grips on this baby!

The steering cock pit is mocked up, just for grins and see if all the parts play nice in the sand box. Typically some massaging is in order to get everyone to play their part well. I spent hours on the interwebs researching and comparing the height, rise, and sweep of various bars, Renthal and ProTaper. I knew the XR650R bars were at least two inches too low, and too close in. Also, I knew that straight risers will shift the bars back too far, only exacerbating the problem. Bars that are too close in make it feel like your having to do a push up to get out of the seat, and don’t place your weight forward for good control. I considered a 7/8th inch bar with a cross bar, but wanted to get the "flex" and compliance that tapered alloy bars provide.

Getting familiar with these specs, and using a handy internet converter to make mm in to inches, paid off so I could compare specs on bars, including the Henry Reeds on my DR650 as a reference point.



So, after hours of research, and seeing what other folks are running, I went with:

- ProTaper Windham RM Mid bar, which has a more rise, but not as much sweep as the Henry Reed on my DR650. Coolhand made the point you want a bit of a flatter bar (less sweep) for control over the front of the bike.





Next, for risers I opted for the two inch Rox riser, that allows you to pivot the bars back and forth, to further find your sweet spot. This allows me to place the bar a bit forward of the stock bar, and open up the cockpit more. The Rox risers are also well made and sturdy, with great hardware.


Here you see the Rox riser in place holding the bars.





For protection I went with Cycra Pro Bend CRMs, since they will readily fit the bars.

I was really interested in the Highway Dirt Bikes bash guards, which are works of art, but was concerned that with all the mixing of components, like the Rox risers I might have some fitment issues, since with HDB you have to take some measurements and was not sure I would get it right.

Next, I was able to dump the CA model smog kit, which does nothing but make the bike back fire, and take up space against the radiator.



In its place is this neat XRs Only block off kit that seals the holes in the head caused by the smog tubes.



XRs Only also has these very trick billet fuel tank mounts, which hold up better than the stock plastic ones when using oversize tanks.



XRs Only also provided these trick clutch and brake perch clamps that double as mirror mounts, and save room on your bars.



Then, the big Baja Designs dual sport kit showed up! Yes, its pricey, but I dont really have the skills to build the electrics by hand, and rather go with a proven setup.

This has all the main components mounted behind the head light, including a horn, small ni-cad batter back, and regulator/rectifier. The kit also provides an key! The ni-cads take a .7 amp charge, and you can get them to charge more by using just the front "running" light, and not the full light. I wonder if a .7 amp charge is enough to run one of the trick Shorai batteries on the bike to power an e-vest? Getting the dual sport kit installed will take me a long way to getting the XR650R on the street!



Beware the transformed XR650R, stay tuned!

Hmmm 650R bike porn pictures...keep them coming

Now my front forks and rear shock are off to Roger at OnRoad OffRoad in Austin, he specializes in suspension rebuilds, valving, set up and more. Roger is a Race Tech shop, and he's going to get me the correct spring rates for my weight, Gold Valve the forks/shock, and rebuild with all new parts.  This is going to be awesome!  Just by chance he did the full suspension on another XRR that was in his shop, it was dripping in bling, including billet wheels, pumper carb, oversize brakes, and full baja lighting set up.  I highly recommend his services, not just for suspension, but restoration, electical, and regular maintenance.

So, a couple nights ago I had a late-night garage session nightmare almost come true!   :yikes :yikes :yikes  You know how it is, bored, late at night, and gee guess what Im going to work on the bike! So, to get out the shock, have to take the big upper mount bolt out, right?  Yeah, well not so easy!  That thing was seized!  Liberal application of Liquid Wrench did not make it easier.  So, with limited space I slip on my 17mm wrench, and apply tourque, yep, I feel the corner of the nut start to round!   :topes :topes :topes  

Hmmmmm.....so I ponder what to do, if I round this nut Im really screwed.  So, try again with different box end, nope, it rounds more.  So, next are trusty vice grips.  I try sharp blows with a hammer.....no go and my vice grips start getting bent.  Ohh..... :topes :topes :topes  Now I'm sweating bullets.  Next comes out chisel, and try a few sharp blows.....no go, but I manage to mangle the nut good.   Well in one last desparate try, I get the vice grips, get um good and tight, apply some tourque and.......................CLICK!  I hear the bolt break loose and I'm home free.  Whew!  

Here is the end result. Notice that the bolt has lock tabs on it.  This is all making me nervous about swingarm removal, as the pivots are known to seize.  But, I special ordered from England two hand made special tools, out of stainless steel that fit the special swingarm fittings.  I will be soaking all the pivots with Liquid Wrench for several days in advance!



Here is the shock out, ready to go to OnRoad OffRoad for some special lovin!



The subframe pivots off the main frame, allowing you to pull the shock out from the top.  

Don't stress over the pivot bolt and you didn't need to order the tools from over here, just undo the pivot nut and pull the pin out....dead easy the 250R tend to seize as mine did but not to bad but the 650 never had any issues and to be honest not spotted any posts on the forums about sized 650R pivot pins.
The fancy castle nut is just for ensuring you don't crush the frame but once it's in place you shouldn't really need to remove it ?, unless you want to for some reason ?.
Keep the porn coming I am off to the bog now....

Nice!
Apply any bolt with copperpaste, and use water-resistant grease (not so easy to get hold of!) for those part which you don't want to get wet - linkage, steering head, wheelbearings etc.
And you know about the chain-tensioner bolts seizing?
Also, the riveted nuts in the subframe, "lock" them when you're at them!
Take a bolt, put a nut on, then a washer, then turn the bolt into the rivet-nut. Then hold the bolt, tighten the nut so it pushed on the subframe & pulls on the nut - this will 'set' the rivet-nut, some may be dodgily done.
Don't go overboard, and especially on these bolts use copperpaste (but anywhere else too).

Did I mention to use copper-paste / copaslip on all the steel bolts in the aluminium parts? They WILL seize if you don't, as their spontaneous potential-differential (an electric current) will rot them solid over time, especially then when water is added.
Keep it up!

Thanks for all the great tips! On ADV rider I heard some stories of seized swingarm pivots so I guess you never know! I played it safe to order some special tools since the bike will be apart a couple months, and I figured they may come in handy.

Yes, I will be applying anti-seize to all the fittings on the bike, and have some good waterproof grease for the bearings. I want to tread all the main hardware now that I have the bike mostly apart. Here in Texas we have a pretty dry climate, so that may help also.

Thanks!

Mongo make seat for Mongo's twin brother. Mongo butt happy!

Sweet write up! Keep up the good work....

Thanks man, its turning into a big project, will take a couple of months. I will have to transfer the title as a dirtbike, then come back after inspection and hand it that title, for a street legal title. Since the title is backdated a couple of years from the original owner, I would otherwise get stuck with a hefty penatly for late transfer (dirt bikes are exempt from the fee...)

Will keep you all posted!

More bling has arrived, the Leo Vince muffler and mid pipe. The price was good on MC Superstore, so I said what the heck! The pipe is supposed to be fairly quite, and I read great reviews on the build quality. It does not weigh any less than the stock uncorked pipe, and I dont expect any gain in performance. I did it just cause it looks so great and adds to bling factor. I expect the jetting to be pretty close, if not spot on.







Also my stator cover, chain guard, clutch cover, and oil pump cover are off to Ayers Garage, in N Tx, for some Honda Red powder coat. He does great work, specializes in MCs, and knows how to mask off all gasket and fastner surfaces. The header pipe and heat shield are off to him for some silver ceramic coat. Since this is an "RDS signature" bike I want it shine! Here is website: http://www.ayersgarage.com/

This shows the clutch, will need upgraded bushing installed for better oiling.



This shows the oil filter recess and oil pump.

Post a picture of the clutch bush....interesting to see if your baby has the old design fitted.
Great porn pictures keep them coming

Mauser wrote:Post a picture of the clutch bush....interesting to see if your baby has the old design fitted.
Great porn pictures keep them coming

Will do!

With trusty swing arm tools in hand, I attacked removing the rear swingarm to clean and grease all the pivots.  Over the last few weeks, I sprayed several applications of Liquid Wrench on the swingarm pivot points, which I think was critical to getting it out.  The pivot bolt is known to corrode and be a real bear to remove.  I needed to use a brass drift to get the pivot bolt to start to come out, then after about half way it was no problem.  I am glad I got some oversize metric sockets, including a 27mm that fit on the pivot nut.  The special tools worked a treat no problem with the special preload castle nuts on the opposite side. I also managed to remove the sidestand, which has three round head allens securing it to the frame.

Here is the pivot bolt, fairly corroeded, but covered in Liquid Wrench when I took it out.  



Here is the swingarm showing the needle bearings on one side. So, once a year at least I will need to drop the swingarm and keep all the bearings greased up. I am sure it does not take much wear to introduce a fair amount of slop in the rear suspension.  All suspension linkages are now cleaned and greased with Bel Ray waterproof grease. With regular cleanings, the swingarm should be fairly easy to remove from now on.

What we do on our rebuilds is have all the bolts etc refinished.....
http://www.xr650r.co.uk/newparts/refinishing/refinishing.shtml

The re-finish on hardware looks great! I may looking to finding some good cad plating around here! The swingarm pivot looks a bit rough.....

Thanks!

Use waterproof grease - which is not normal, you'll have to look for it! - to grease the swing-arm bearings.
This will give you peace of mind it won't wash off or rust, as normal grease will not.

nice to read all this

Thanks for checking in on the build thread! Now I have some custom powder coat bling rolling in from Ayers Garage in Texas. He is a true artist with the powder coat and ceramic coat! http://www.ayersgarage.com/

You really do need a decent case saver

Woody's Wheels arrived today, quick turnaround!  Oversize stainless spokes/nipples in superlace pattern, new rims since my front was cracked and I did not even know it!  XR650R getting closer to rolling!  They threw in a new cap, which I needed for our upcoming family vacation!

Very nice, how much and did you have the hubs finished with anything or are they just stock dull alloy ?.

Mauser wrote:Very nice, how much and did you have the hubs finished with anything or are they just stock dull alloy ?.

My plan was to use stock rims, and just have the superlacing done. Turns out my front rim was cracked, needed replacement. So, had both rims replaced since it would drive me nuts to have mis-matched rims! Woody's will anodize rims for about$80-100 each, but that was too much extra expense for me. They do not recommend powder coating rims because this can take away the hardening of the rims.

The hubs are stock dull alloy, I will clean them up a bit more where some tough chain lube is still stuck in the nooks and crannies. The stainless spokes and nipples are much more stout than stock. I am sure with attention stock wheels will hold up well, this was just an extra step to hold up better when the bike is loaded down. I plan to balance the wheels and wont be running rim locks. I typically run about 23 rear, 21 front, PSI on the dirt when dual sport riding with a load on the bike.

Making some progress on getting the XRR back together! Thanks to my bro KosmicKLR who helped me get the front forks back on, 100 % rebuilt with RaceTech Gold Valves and sprung for my weight. Same for rear shock got the same treatment. Roger at On Road Off Road did me good! The rear swingarm was installed per the manual, using special tools to tourque the inner and outer castle nuts that set the preload on the swingarm.

Everything I am doing right now is just a "mock up" because I know it will need some fine tuning and adjustment. With a lot of aftermarket parts going on, have to be careful of how it all fits up, and it all works together well. Minor things like cable routing and such will take some fine tuning. All the cables: throttle, clutch, and decompression lever are plus 3" longer than stock.

All the hardware will get Blue Locktite or anti-seize as appropriate for the part. (No Locktite on fender and bodywork bolts that are inside the alloy sub-frame)

Here is a shot of the bash guards installed with new grips. I like these larger size grips because the help quell the vibes abit, I find them comfortable but still give me feel I like. Little things like opening up the end of the throttle sleve, getting the slack out of the longer cables, and routing on the best path all take time.





Here are the Rox Risers, 2", which allow you to pivot the bars further forward to open up the cockpit. If you just added straight risers, the bars would come into close to the chest, making it hard to get into the standing DS position. The further forward bars also get more weight on the front end for better control.





Here is the rebuilt shock, ready to rock and roll!



The oversize rads and new hoses are getting mocked up. The hoses need some trimming because the new rads are thicker, changing the positions of the hoses a bit. Also, have to check very closely for any chaffing of the hoses, because the clearances are now tighter, due to the larger size rads. I found one area I will have to cut up my old hose, and put on the new one to serve as a buffer against chaffing.





Unabiker rad guards also making their way on. Even though I have HodakaGuy's famous Tanker Brace on, I wanted the extra protection of the Unabikers. I think with the big tank, tanker guards, and Unabikers, this will be a bullet proof cooling system!

Have you tried the rad air scoops on ?, when I fitted my Devol rad guards the air scoops didn't fit as well as before, not sure how you will get on with bigger rads and guards ?

Mauser wrote:Have you tried the rad air scoops on ?, when I fitted my Devol rad guards the air scoops didn't fit as well as before, not sure how you will get on with bigger rads and guards ?

If by the air scoops you mean the side scoops that bolt on, no those wont fit with the larger tank and such. The plastic guards also on the stock radiators dont fit, I have to go with just the Unabiker guards. Ive seen the Unabikers, Fluyidine, Acerbis 6.3 gal, and HodakaGuy tanker brace all work together....thats a lot to fit up!