2023 Honda XR650L Evaluation [30th Anniversary Retrospective]

Launched in 1993, the Honda XR650L is bought right now in practically its unique configuration—no vital modifications by any means. Thirty years is a very long time for any motorbike producer to proceed with out providing the newest expertise or devices. Attracting patrons with out new bells and whistles is unparalleled within the creating world, but the 2023 Honda XR650L stays the identical.

How may which were allowed to occur in right now’s mad world of consumerism? As a result of some issues don’t want to vary, I suppose.

Within the Nineteen Eighties, there was anticipation within the dual-sport neighborhood for a alternative for the favored XL600R, which had a manufacturing run from 1983 to 1987. That was adopted by the extremely street-oriented NX650 adventure-style bike in 1988. The NX was in manufacturing till 2003, when it was dropped for poor gross sales.

The devoted hoped for an XR650L in 1993 based mostly on the XR600R off-road racer, with an electrical starter and license plate added! A “race bike with lights”. What may go fallacious?

Properly, as an alternative of the favored style of street-legal race bikes of right now that dual-sport followers hoped for, Honda supplied the XR650L. Disappointing to the off-road crowd, however joyous to what we’ve got referred to for the reason that mid-Nineteen Eighties, the dual-sport crowd.

I had simply assembled my 1993 California Twin Sport Collection with the half dozen rides I organized and sought a big-name Title Sponsor. I ended up with a really perfect partnership with Honda’s Rider Membership of America. The HRCA was below the supervision of Baja 1000 Champion Chuck Miller, who later turned a Senior Supervisor at American Honda. I neglect how we received to discussing the sponsorship, but it surely labored nicely for each events. On the time, Honda was a robust presence on the AMA Twin Sport Nationwide Path Trip Collection, together with two of my rides. Suzuki with the AMA collection’ Title Sponsor, which went nicely with the dirt-friendly DR350S dual-sport bike.

The Honda XR650L arrived at a superb time. Its competitors was the Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR650S, and Yamaha XT600. Honda had the sting off-road and expertise due to the XR household’s wealthy historical past and present elements. Off-road-only XRs had been the most important group of contributors in dual-sport occasions due to riders changing them to street-legal with the assistance of assorted lighting kits. A street-plated XR was the new ticket then—Final Motorcycling Editor Don Williams had a plated Honda XR250R that he rode on twin sport rides.

Quick ahead to right now, and the identical XR650L returns for 2023—nothing has modified besides a couple of minor tweaks and, after all, colours and numerous daring graphics by means of the 30 years. In 2023, it nonetheless operates with a carburetor, air cooling, and low-compression combustion chamber.

The delicate motor, massive oil capability, and easy upkeep duties glad many house owners, although a little bit of a disappointment to racers, ex-racers, and wannabe racers. The XR650L was predictably heavier than the XR600R resulting from all of the street-legal elements, and the tires and suspension had been much less off-road succesful. Nonetheless, for house owners of different manufacturers of open-class dual-sport bikes, the XR650L was a step up for grime driving. It was definitely an enchancment over my 1987 Kawasaki KLR650.

In 1993, I participated in offroad racing in Southern California and attended each type of occasion I may on the XR650L. Honda supplied me with a brand new bike in lieu of money to pay for its Title Sponsorship.

I rode the XR650L laborious, so it took a beating. The wheel bearings had been a bit undersized, and the one-piece, cold-rolled subframe/body conjunction required gusseting in vital places to forestall failure from heavy abuse. I carried passengers and chainsaws. I rode double at each non-competitive occasion on single-track trails, together with Baja California’s notorious Matomi Wash, and dual-sport occasions in Oregon, Michigan, and Ohio. The Honda XR650L was not constructed to race, however that didn’t cease me from racing it.

Frequent modifications to the Honda XR650L embrace eradicating the smog elements and changing the inventory metal muffler—a lot of weight proper there.

I changed the manufacturing facility battery with a light-weight choice, permitting me to interchange the XR650L’s lumpy left-side quantity plate with a svelte XR600 unit. I additionally put in an XR600R efficiency cam. These two modifications turned out to be errors.

I had picked up the newly modified bike from Al Baker’s XR’s Solely in Hesperia—a legendary California Excessive Desert hop-up store—on my means in the direction of charting an upcoming experience within the Large Bear Lake space with my driving companion Jean Affords.

Late within the day, I arrived and shortly unloaded at San Bernardino Nationwide Forest in the direction of Satan’s Gap creek crossing and stalled the XR650L by submerging the carburetor drain and vent hoses. I quickly realized the battery didn’t have the amperage power to crank the motor previous prime useless middle, so I used to be left caught within the deep-water crossing, and there was no kickstarter backup. I tried to bump begin it by pushing it up each side of the creek crossing strategy, attempting to get sufficient velocity to show the massive thumper over on the way in which again down—no luck.

Lastly crushed to a pulp from pushing the massive Honda XR650L, I hid it in bushes and walked towards the lodge I used to be staying at. It was darkish by the point I received off the path and onto USFS grime roads. From there, I needed to navigate to pavement with out moonlight, counting on my reminiscence.

I reached the closest paved highway and needed to get again to civilization earlier than Jean despatched search and rescue groups out for me—sure, this was earlier than cell telephones and Uber. I used to be hitchhiking in my driving gear with little luck till some youthful guys noticed me. Fortunately, they picked me up and delivered me to a involved group on the lodge. I used to be ridden again the following day driving as a passenger on my good friend Mark Smith’s plated XR600R.

I assumed I had discovered the modification lesson, till a few years later once I despatched it to Thumper Racing in Texas to extend the inventory 644cc displacement to 670cc. The outcome was a wheelie monster that was additionally a handful to experience. With different bikes in ready, I bought the now-XR670L.

In 2023, the inventory machine does simply nice with out the modifications for me—for essentially the most half. If I had been to purchase one other one, I’d do a couple of issues.

First, the modestly off-roadable inventory Dunlop K850A tires should be changed for extra aggressive path driving. I just like the DOT-approved Michelin Enduro Medium knobbies, with Extremely Heavy Obligation tubes to scale back the prospect of flats.

Subsequent, it’s time for the 346-pounder to go on a food plan. I’d exchange the two.8-gallon metal tank with a larger-capacity plastic tank. That might additionally imply dumping the locking metal gas cap, which has the burden of a heavy espresso cup, with one thing plastic. The shrouds for the non-existent radiator direct airflow to the air-cooled motor and provides the XR650L a comparatively trendy look, although you’ll lose them in case you go along with a bigger gas tank. A translucent plastic tank offers a fast visible trace of the gas tank stage, as there isn’t any gas gauge or low-fuel gentle—it has a carburetor and reserve place on the petcock.

For engine efficiency, the muffler baffle will be changed with one thing extra free-flowing and the carb rejetted, although take into accout these mods are technically unlawful for avenue use. Moreover, I’d add extra fall safety and take away some annoying street-legality bits.

Weight will be lowered by eradicating the passenger pegs. Nonetheless, I nonetheless like providing a backseat view for my vital different so she will be able to expertise what I do in a day’s experience. The inventory metal handlebars will be changed with lighter aluminum bars for a bend of your liking. Additionally, upgrading bigger footpegs is important for the aggressive path rider.

The inventory brake gentle and license plate mounting encourages alternative with an XR600 rear fender and taillight. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t mess with them till the flip alerts fall other than off-road driving abuse. The headlight is of common efficiency; contemplate changing the bulb with a brighter LED. A powered USB port would even be useful for a GPS or smartphone—each essential gadgets nowadays for me. The inventory real-analog sprint is pure retro-tech.

With these modifications, the 2023 Honda XR650L nonetheless received’t be a race bike. A 30-year-old design received’t be aggressive except it’s towards a pack of Suzuki DR650Ss or Kawasaki KLR650s, even after the KLR’s three generations of enhancements.

Nonetheless, the 2023 Honda XR650L I’m revisiting had solely the Michelin Enduro Medium tire improve, which does make an enormous distinction off-road. With the premium Michelin rubber, it performs higher in more difficult trails and fireroads. My son joined me on his CRF450RL from our Tehachapi dwelling in the direction of the Tejon Ranch roads all the way down to the south finish of Bakersfield.

When first throwing a leg over the seat of the Honda XR650L, you’ll discover its 37-inch peak, even in case you’re a six-footer, as I’m. The footpegs really feel tall and near the seat, giving the XR650L a cramped feeling regardless of its peak.

There wouldn’t be any modification I may counsel in reducing, besides possibly a seat foam modification, although that may play havoc with the ergonomics—the pegs will really feel even nearer to the seat. You possibly can enhance sag and lift the fork tubes within the triple clamps—in case you don’t just like the outcome, these modifications are free—apart from your time—and simply reversible. Varied shock linkage kits can decrease the rear as a lot as two inches, although you’ll be out $150 or so in case you resolve you don’t prefer it—follow a reputation model on this one, as you don’t need one from a doubtful supply to interrupt.

Recollections of what expertise had been discovered in 1993 returned with correct weight posturing and entrance wheel positioning to realize speeds with two-wheel drifts. I don’t experience as aggressively as I did in 1993, so the XR650L feels extra prefer it ought to and was supposed for. The suspension takes the rutted routes of the day, and the SOHC motor’s output offers sufficient torque to fulfill a day of exploring and testing mom nature when the need presents itself.

The 11.6-inch stroke of 43mm typical Showa fork mixed with 11 inches of linkage-assisted rear-wheel journey managed by the Showa shock offers the XR650L a spacious 13 inches of floor clearance—excellent for offroad use in your favourite rock- and log-infested routes.

As a commuter, the view over vehicles is a profit, particularly when lane-splitting. On tight enduro trails, you’ll want your balancing expertise and aggressive race mode to deal with spots when demanded, or the burden and peak are going to chew you.

I loved the XR650L for the high-speed fireroading I turned accustomed to on my earlier KLR650. I pushed each to their limits laborious. Skilled rally racing fanatic and organizer Roger Pattison rode my modified XR650L within the 1800-mile 1994 Nevada Rally with nice outcomes and a end. I can get in a three-hour loop on simply 1.5 gallons—so I’m not even on reserve but. Nonetheless, for longer backcountry rides, make plans for gas stops so that you’ll make it dwelling.

So why is the Honda XR650L nonetheless round? How has it survived 30 years with none modifications? In 2004, California ended the flexibility to transform offroad bikes to street-legal standing with the kits. By then, KTM had taken over the intense off-road dual-sport market with licensed near-race bikes. Honda caught with a completely dependable, low-maintenance air-cooled engine and sturdy chassis, reasonably than chasing the high-performance buyer till the CRF450L (now CRF450RL) was launched in 2018.

The XR650L was priced at $3995 in 1993—about $8400 in 2023 {dollars}. Immediately, a 2023 Honda XR650L will be bought for $6999—an efficient value drop of $1400. That’s in comparison with $9999 for a Honda CRF450RL or $12,949 for the newest KTM 500 EXC-F. Positive, the XR650L is far heavier than the high-priced dual-sport competitors, however it’s 100 kilos lighter than the Aprilia Tuareg 660 twin-cylinder journey bike.

Honda should have a warehouse of XR650L elements made again in 1992 nonetheless of their unique packing containers. You possibly can journey the world and have few points with trailside repairs with no hard-to-find elements and broader decisions of yard mechanics. Upkeep is much less frequent and costly than the high-stressed “street-legal race bike with lights” we all the time claimed we needed. With the 2023 Honda XR650L, you don’t must top off on oil filters, gas filters and pumps, or save for pricey top-end jobs yearly. Good for us!

Modern pictures by Brayden Powell and Don Williams

2023 Honda XR650L Specs

ENGINE 

• Kind: Single-cylinder four-stroke
• Displacement: 644cc
• Bore x stroke: 100 x 82mm
• Compression ratio: 8.3:1
• Valvetrain: SOHC; 4 valves
• Cooling: Air
• Lubrication: Dry sump
• Gasoline: 42.5mm diaphragm-type CV carburetor
• Transmission: 5-speed
• Ultimate drive: 520 O-ring chain

CHASSIS

• Entrance suspension; journey: Air- and compression-damping adjustable Showa 43mm cartridge fork; 11.6 inches
• Rear suspension; journey: Linkage-assisted totally adjustable Showa shock; 11.0 inches
• Wheels: Wire-spoke w/ aluminum rim
• Entrance tire: 3.00 x 21; Bridgestone TW-301
• Rear tire: 4.60 x 18; Bridgestone Path Wing 52
• Entrance brake: 256mm disc w/ 2-piston caliper
• Rear brake: 220mm disc w/ single-piston caliper

DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES

• Wheelbase: 57.3 inches
• Rake: 27.0 levels
• Path: 4.0 inches
• Seat peak: 37.0 inches
• Floor clearance: 13.0 inches
• Curb weight: 346 kilos
• Gasoline capability: 2.8 gallons
• Estimated gas consumption: 52 mpg
• Coloration: Pearl White

2023 Honda XR650L Value: $6999 MSRP

Classic Honda XR650L Picture Gallery

2023 Honda XR650L Evaluation Picture Gallery