My XR650R DS Build or "All I want for Christmas is a bionic leg"

[DoctorXRR]

My 2000 XR650R, or “All I want for Christmas is a bionic leg.”

Here is the story of my 2000 XR650R build, my first dirt bike conversion to dual sport. I've edited and clean up this info, so its all together after the build. Hope this motivates some folks to try out an XR650R!

Started in May 1012 with buying the bike for $2,500, and ended up with a lot more into it by September, when the bike was finally finished! Ready to hit Roll the Bones here in Texas in October! http://www.rollthebonesrally.com/

I’ve gained a lot of new appreciation for Honda’s design. Yes, not ever intended as a dual sport, but it’s a great desert sled platform to build off of. The chassis is very sophisticated, and even delicate in some ways.
Ham-fisted wrenching does not sit well with it. Having an aluminum frame, it wont tolerate some screw-up’s!
I also think that spare parts will start getting harder to find. So, I want to snag a good top end sometime and I scored a complete clutch assy in great shape to have on hand.

So here is the before pic:


Here is the after pic:


Here is the list of mods and parts:
- Suspension with RaceTech Gold Valves, full rebuild and re-sprung for my 185ish pounds. OnRoad OffRoad Cycles in Austin. http://www.ororcycle.com/
- Fresh oil, filter, Uni Filter, valve check
- Seat Concepts seat
- ProTaper bars, Cycra bark busters, 2” Rox Risers, MSR lever set
- Custom Honda Red powder coat by Ayers Garage http://twtex.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=138
- RDS reflecto gama-gama on fork
- Updated clutch bushing
- Baja Design dual sport kit and speedo
- Woody’s Wheels, oversize stainless spokes/Excell rims, stock hubs
- Steel layered rear wheel spacers
- Acerbis 6.3 gal tank
- HodakaGuyAdv’s tanker brace
- XRs Only billet tank mounts, smog block off, mirror mounts, magnetic plugs
- Motion Pro plus 3 inch throttle, clutch, and hot start cables
- Leo Vince X3 slip on exhaust
- CV4 radiator hose kit
- Fluidyne oversize radiators
- Unabiker deep radiator guards
- Turbo City bash plate and side guards
- Manracks luggage rack and clutch cover/stator cover guards
- Steel subframe by Globetrottin: http://shop.globetrottin.com/product...&categoryId=14
- Swing arm Buddy axel adj repair kit
- Pirelli Rallycross front 90/90 -21 and rear 130/90-18
- About a $100 worth of OEM seals, gaskets, hardware and misc bits

So, I was debating my next dual sport for a long time. My DR650 was 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 was 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 swingarm mounts in engine casting.


So, I lurked around the interwebs, looking at XR650Rs. I was very impressed at our first RDS Big Bend Ranch State Park 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,. Hummmm…..a 12 year old dirt bike, with barely used 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 KosmicKLR, my bro, I managed to pull it off. And, here to behold, yes nary a scratch, no dents, not even a tire iron touching the rim! I figured with some farkeling I can enjoy a powerful, light dual sport, that will be a blast to ride. It’s got Baja in its blood!





All the nice original body work is getting the bubble wrap treatment! Thx to suggestion from KosmicKLR, with a bike this age, OEM body work would be very pricey and hard to find. So, up in the rafters with it, and I will get after market plastics.

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!







OEM rear tire, no knobs shredded!



The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

ENGINE:
Engine Type 649cc liquid-cooled dry-sump single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and Stroke 100.0mm x 82.6mm
Compression Ratio 10.0:1
Carburetion Keihin 40mm piston-valve
Ignition Solid-state CD with electronic advance

DRIVE TRAIN:
Transmission Five-speed
Final Drive #520 O-ring-sealed endless chain; 14T/48T
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES:
Front Suspension 46mm leading-axle Kayaba cartridge fork with compression- and rebound-damping adjustability; 11.2-inch travel
Rear Suspension Pro-Link Kayaba single-shock with spring-preload, compression- and rebound-damping adjustability; 12.1-inch travel
Front Brake Single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear Brake Single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper
Front Tire 80/100-21
Rear Tire 110/100-18

DIMENSIONS:
Rake 27.8 degrees
Trail 111.0mm (4.3 inches)
Wheelbase 58.3 inches
Seat Height 36.8 inches
Ground Clearance 12.0 inches
Dry Weight 277.0 pounds
Fuel Capacity 2.6 gallons, including 0.5 gallon reserve

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.

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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.





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!

My first official farkle for the XR650R showed up! Here are some big *** 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. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/394/74...or-Review.aspx

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 several "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.

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!








I helped out my buddy 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 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.

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 dont 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. However, I know some folks have strong negative opinions about these tires…..I will see how it plays out!

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 guzzling 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.



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 dont 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.

http://www.protaper.com/products/handlebars/contour





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.
http://www.roxspeedfx.com/cgi-bin/ca...ublabel_id=268

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. http://store.cycraracing.com/ceremo.html
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!

http://www.bajadesigns.com/ProductDe...nt-Kick-Led-Rd

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!



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 would love to see that bike posted up on RDS!)

Here is OnRoad OffRoad's website: http://www.ororcycle.com/ 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! You know how it is, bored, late at night, and gee guess what I’m 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 torque, yep, I feel the corner of the nut start to round! 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. 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 desperate try, I get the vice grips, get um good and tight, apply some torque 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 loving!








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





Mongo make seat for Mongo's twin brother.









Well, my custom XR650R swingarm tools came in from England! On Ebay I found this seller Turbo Suzuki’s that makes custom stainless steel tools for numerous makes of motorcycles, including KTMs, Yamahas and lots more. I paid via PayPal, a total of 31 GBP, or $49 including shipping. They arrived at my house one week later! Easy and painless! These are very high quality and have a 1/2 drive on the back so you can use a torque wrench. You can reach Kev Drake directly at: TURBOSUZUKIS@YAHOO.CO.UK
These tools fit outer and inner locking rings on the swingarm.

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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. Initial rides does not indicate need to change the jetting!







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 fastener 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.



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 side stand, which has three round head allens securing it to the frame. Here is the pivot bolt, fairly corroded, 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.



I finally caught a break on this rainy weather so I could get some decent pictures.

I've been taking a beating on the clutch cover logo deal. I'm having trouble keeping the red from bleeding into the white. Luckily I had my wife make 5 of the decals so I could re-do a few times. I just took a picture to give you an idea of the logo. I'm about to re-do it again. The white is kind of yellowed if you look close.









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!









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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 torque the inner and outer castle nuts that set the preload on the swingarm.

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



IMG]http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv210/Buell78753/XR650R%20pics/BarGuard.jpg[/img]

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!



Here is the latest farkle to roll in, steel sub-frame to replace the alloy one. This will give me more security in carrying heavier loads, or at least not be too worried about tweaking the stock one. Its available with integrated luggage rack, but I like the small ManRack I got, which will bolt on easy.

My only complaint was the sub-frame was poorly packed, no bubble wrap or padding, only a plastic bag in a box. The box was badly damaged, but I think the sub-frame came out. I will email them and mention the need for better packing.





The Baja Designs dual sport kit is going on nicely, 50wt halogen headlight, handlebar switch, keyed kill switch, brake light, LED tail-light and a speedometer. The kit comes with turn signals, but we won't be using them since they are not necessary to pass the inspection.







also took the opportunity to remove the original skid plate and to clean the motor and frame more:





The chain adjusting bolts snapped off in the swingarm, due to corrosion on the threads.
All I can say is thank goodness for the SwingArm Buddy!

The most difficult (and most important) part of the procedure is drilling out the broken bolts. You have to work your way up to with two smaller diameter drill bits before using the 3/8" bit provided in the kit. At least one of the smaller bits needs to be extra-long, otherwise your it will not clear the swingarm and you will drill crooked. Also critical, is making a very deep center punch mark - in the center of the broken bolt.

I hit the center punch several times to be sure to get a deep punch mark. The finished 3/8" hole must be centered in the swingarm... not a procedure for the squeamish! The kit makes a very solid repair and I applied anti-seize to the new adjusting bolts. The only down-side to the kit, is the new bolts are 5/16" American, which means you have to use a 1/2 wrench to adjust your chain, which may mean having to pack an extra wrench in your tool kit, although you might still get away with using a 13mm metric.

The steel insert is slightly over-sized compared to the 3/8" drill bit, so it is a good press fit into the swingarm.









Made a big push this weekend, by installing an upgraded clutch hub bushing, installing the tank, finalizing the baja designs install, tightening all frame fittings, routing cables and installing the TCI Products skid plate and engine guards.

The beast runs, and is ready to roll bones at the Roll The Bones Rally and go to Big Bend Ranch State Park!















READY TO GET DURTY! WILL CHECK IN AFTER ROLL THE BONES! http://www.rollthebonesrally.com/
(Might just have to get a new CRF250L for a back up!)

[Gravel Guy]

Sweet Honda!

[John Dirt]

I really enjoyed your build thread.

[Rman of 237]

Originally Posted by DoctorXRR

WOW!!!!! Great write up, very nice bike!!!

[DoctorXRR]

Thanks dudes, today Im taking it for its first shake down run, now that there is a break in the rain.

[Mudclod]

Great job Doc, you seem to have left no detail unattended. I'm interested in your thoughts on the tires after you've ridden them some. Rock on dude!

[Thrasherg]

How do you like the acerbic tank? I run the 6.6 gallon version on my crf450x and found that it puts way too much weight on the front wheel, messed up the handling, made it difficult to lift the front wheel to clear obstacles and made the front end really push out in sand. It does give good range, but I ended up going back to a 4 gallon tank as I did not like the handling with the bigger tank? Will carry some Jerry cans on the back to better balance the weight but still give me the range. Just wondered what the big tank did to the 650's handling?

Gary

[Fangs]

Nice work! I have a 650R as well. I still enjoy it.

[M38A1]

Now that's how a build report should look...



.

[HANCOCK]

that was a great build report.
that's a great looking bash-plate (TCI)
sweet looking bike...

[DoctorXRR]

Thanks for all the compliments on the bike! It was a fun project, but I am also glad its done so I can start enjoying it.

I'm going to try and stock some spares going forward, because I think some parts could start getting harder to find. Thats why I snagged a whole spare clutch assy.

Took it for about 20 mile run today seems to idle well, pull strong. No leaks or weeps. Looking good so far!


As for the large tank, not spent anytime riding with this set up yet. Yes, its big but my focus is longer distance DS rides, hopefully a couple a year. I may end up putting a smaller tank on it for daily use. For our upcoming Big Bend Ranch State Park BUTT ride, I wont fill the tank, its overkill. I'm not much of a technical rider, so the trade offs of the larger tank are ok with me. But, maybe the future has in store a smaller tank tighter stuff like AUDS.

[The Bruce]

Very nice

[Irishcoffee]

Looks like you forget an inline fuelfilter. Don't.

[ed29]

Don't sweat the tank size/ fuel weight up high. The extra 20 pounds of gas compared to stock is such a small percentage of the weight of a BRP that it is not that big of an impact on handling. I had that same size tank on my XR250R and the difference full to empty in handling was negligible. It actually wheelied better full. The extra weight up high let the back end drive forward and under the front end. 400 miles from full to reserve on the Little Red Pig.

Great build report! I remember seeing the components in the powder coat thread. They came together nicely with the rest of the mods. Looking forward to seeing this bike in Big Bend this winter.

[DoctorXRR]

Originally Posted by Irishcoffee

Looks like you forget an inline fuelfilter. Don't.

Good point! Yes will install some, plus upgrade the stock "y" joint for the fuel lines, which looks pretty flimsy.

[DoctorXRR]

Originally Posted by ed29

Don't sweat the tank size/ fuel weight up high. The extra 20 pounds of gas compared to stock is such a small percentage of the weight of a BRP that it is not that big of an impact on handling. I had that same size tank on my XR250R and the difference full to empty in handling was negligible. It actually wheelied better full. The extra weight up high let the back end drive forward and under the front end. 400 miles from full to reserve on the Little Red Pig.

Great build report! I remember seeing the components in the powder coat thread. They came together nicely with the rest of the mods. Looking forward to seeing this bike in Big Bend this winter.

Thanks dude, yes BBRSP is shaping up great this year (had to miss last year's well, I guess having a baby will do that......)

I think the XR250R is a sweet little bike, I would like to keep my eyes open for one.......I think the XRR series can get pretty addicting!

[ed29]

It was nice while I had it. I racked up just over 12,000 miles on it after I put the speedometer on it. When Yamaha came out with the injected WRR my wish list for mods to the trusty XRR were filled in blue so it has been gone for a couple of years now.

Now the blue bike has about 13,000 and climbing.

The XRR had more character, was a trusted steed. It never let me down. The little blue bike has let me down once with a fuel pump failure. Based on your suspension and cooling system mods I think you are ahead of the curve on the smaller bikes. E-start is the only thing missing. Once you get the hang of the starting routine hot and cold you will not need the bionic leg. My 250 wore me out for the first few months. Once I learned its ways it was a first or second kick start the rest of the time.

[JMZ]

Whats up with the bionic leg thing ? Do you have a high compression piston ? Nice looking xrr

[M38A1]

I got to see this bike Saturday in person. Wowzer....


.

[DoctorXRR]

Originally Posted by M38A1

I got to see this bike Saturday in person. Wowzer....


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Enjoyed running into you at the bike shop......just got it on the street and riding it around town to shake out any bugs.