Honda XR650L
Encyclopedia
The XR650L is a street legal Honda
dual-sport motorcycle, and is part of the Honda XR series
. It was released in 1992 as a 1993 model. It combines the RFVC engine from the proven NX650 Dominator dual sport with the lighter, off-road capable XR600R
chassis, which is not road legal in the US. It has been produced virtually unchanged since 1993. In 2003 three unsupported
XRLs, modified with 40-litre tanks rode across the Sahara to the famed Lost Tree in the Ténéré
Desert of Niger as part of the 'Desert Riders' project.
The engine is an air-cooled 644 cc SOHC dry-sump single-cylinder 4-stroke. With an electric starter, headlight, taillight, turn signals, mirrors, US EPA and California Air Resources Board
(CARB) compliant exhaust system, and a 2.8-gallon gas tank with 0.6-gallon reserve, the 650L has a 349 lb (158.3 kg) wet weight. While that is light for most street bikes of similar displacement, riders of much lighter dirt bikes consider it heavy for off-road riding. With the tall seat height of 37 in (94 cm) it can be a handful in the woods or on uneven terrain.
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
dual-sport motorcycle, and is part of the Honda XR series
Honda XR series
The Honda XR series motorcycles are a range of single-cylinder four-stroke off-road motorcycles that were designed in Japan and assembled all over the world. The series is gradually being replaced by the similar CRF series. Some of the XR series came in two versions, R and L...
. It was released in 1992 as a 1993 model. It combines the RFVC engine from the proven NX650 Dominator dual sport with the lighter, off-road capable XR600R
Honda XR600
The Honda XR600R is a very popular offroad motorcycle with an air-cooled single-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The bike was manufactured by Honda from 1985 to 2000 and is part of the Honda XR series, after which it was only available as the road oriented XR650 model, manufactured until very recently...
chassis, which is not road legal in the US. It has been produced virtually unchanged since 1993. In 2003 three unsupported
Privateer (motorsport)
In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
XRLs, modified with 40-litre tanks rode across the Sahara to the famed Lost Tree in the Ténéré
Ténéré
The Ténéré is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from northeastern Niger into western Chad, occupying an area of over...
Desert of Niger as part of the 'Desert Riders' project.
The engine is an air-cooled 644 cc SOHC dry-sump single-cylinder 4-stroke. With an electric starter, headlight, taillight, turn signals, mirrors, US EPA and California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
(CARB) compliant exhaust system, and a 2.8-gallon gas tank with 0.6-gallon reserve, the 650L has a 349 lb (158.3 kg) wet weight. While that is light for most street bikes of similar displacement, riders of much lighter dirt bikes consider it heavy for off-road riding. With the tall seat height of 37 in (94 cm) it can be a handful in the woods or on uneven terrain.