Both of us grew up on dirt bikes and more recently been riding streets on an FJR and FZ1. But, we got the hankering for dual sport riding and bought XR650R and KLR 650’s respectively. Something about the mystique of being able to ride a road to a good trail going off the trail and back on the road that makes you feel like you’re getting away with something.
We live in a city of about 160,000 in SE Washington State, but farmland is all around…especially as you go North on the Columbia River. I even grew up on a farm out here. But, even though it’s my back yard I had never tried to ride off road up the river.
So, today we did and did a pretty good job staying off roads. Google Maps doesn’t do it justice, but this map gives a general idea of the area. Most of the ride involved either being on the edge of a bluff riding the skirts of farms where the Autumn leaves made a carpet of flittering gold against the green, reds, and purples of apple and grave harvest.
Or a few times between canyons we’d drop off into the sagebrush and rabbit brush native to the area. This area of the Columbia is free flowing called “The Reach”.
And a Ridge Running the Columbia River. (Be sure to click on Watch in High Quality…it’s FAR better as my camera shoots full VGA)
The FJR has served me admirably and now that it has 91,000 miles on it and I’m going to have to take it down this winter for an extended service in preparation for next season I was torn whether to buy a second one (more money than I have) or possibly get another bike.
I opted for another bike and figured to cover another desire in my motorcycle stable. Since I was born of dirt bikes….how about a dirt bike that I could also ride on the road?
I looked and pondered the Kawasaki KLR-650. It’s a true “dual sport” in every sense of the word and a choice if you want to say, motorcycle from your garage to the tip of South America. It’s the classic enduro that compromises some dirt ability for some road civility, but tons of things available to stack on top of it. I think of it as Timberland of bikes.
Another option was to try and find a used Yamaha TT600 or 650 and I even found on in the Nickel. But it was over-used and had sketchy electrics. I also pondered a Suzuki DRZ-650.
But, I really really was secretly hankering for a red Honda like I had in my youth. After I had ridden a friend’s XR650R in Gerlach last year I was struck how light it was vs. how much snort it had.
So, I started looking and quickly came to the realization that there are two models that are almost identically named, but LIGHT YEARS apart in their construction. I thought the Honda XR650L dates was a street version of the XR650R with tail lights and mirrors. WRONG.
The L model is air-cooled, has a steel frame, and is pretty much the same venerable workhorse I remember from the 80’s.
The R model was designed from scratch to Baja 1000 in the year 2000 and is a water-cooled snorting beast with 55hp in an aluminum frame that weight less than 300 pounds. While bigger than the popular motocross 450s….this thing has a dry sump oil sump, svelte beast that even stores oil in the frame. It’s affectionally known as the “Big Red Pig“.
One problem.
The XR650R is a dirt bike and you can’t get them licensed in Washington State. ….or more accurately, you can’t buy one and take it down to the DMV to have it licensed. It comes up in a the database as dirt bike and the State Patrol won’t inspect because the manufacturer allegedly didn’t build them road worthy to begin with.
However, if you buy a used one that is already licensed in another state….Washington will issue a plate.
And the key to me is to make sure it was roadworthy. It’s not that there’s some fundamental design flaw that doesn’t make them able to ride safely on the road, but you have to add some basic things to make them safe and legal. The previous owner had already done much of it and I only had to to add several things.
Required Street Accessories
- Add headlight that is DOT approved that includes high and low beam with blue indicator
- Add turn signals and blinker
- Add a brake light and actuator switch (on rear brake)
- Add speedometer
- DOT approved tires (I wore out the provded set and moved to a street legal knobby Dunlop D609)
- Mirrors
Nice-to-Have Street Accessories
- Higher ratio front sprocket
- Larger fuel tank
- Wider seat for more cruise comfort
So, with some looking and lucky hit on Craigslist I found one in Northeastern Oregon for $3200 that had less than 2000 miles. That would be an estimate since there isn’t an actual odometer on the bike and the owner sort of kept track of the times the trip meter rolled over and wore out 1 1/2 rear tires since he owned it. Seems it’s even tough now in Oregon to get them licensed and he had dutifully kept the thing tabbed since 2002 when he bought it new. I even scored it for $2800.
Here it is as I received it.
It’s been a bit sun damaged on the top bits, but I’ve already put a new and bigger tank on it, new front brake line, and will be recovering and building up the seat this winter. And I added a TrailTech Vapor computer.
I’ve also ridden it to work at 75mph on the freeway (I geared upt he front sprocket one notch) as well as bombed 20 miles across ditchbanks and gravel roads. Memories of my youth dripped from the air and tingled in my hands.
I’ve got a thumper! It started life as a 100% desert racing thoroughbred and was converted to be roadworthy. After I get done it will probably be a still able to run in the desert, ditchbanks, and fireroads….and still be able to haul my butt to work at 70 in the morning commute. Call it an 80/20 thing.
