xr600r supermotard opinions

[Slain]

Hey guys, im looking at buying a 86 xr600r supermotard (rgv rims) for a daily hack. wondering if anyone has any experiance with these bikes or opinions? Unknown kms due to speedo being replaced, engine sounds good with good compression, upgraded plasics etc, custom exhaust and im paying $2000 for it. Just need to bolt on some legal indicators and a couple of spacers made for the brake discs.
Cheers,
Marc

[slickncghia]

sounds allot like my dr800 motard.

big tards are great fun bikes to ride. could be a pain to get rego'd some times

do it mate, fun bikes that wont loose your licence for speeding every day

oh and im selling mine, but i want a bit more than that. ;)

[TurboKat]

Yeah mate, I've always had XR6s, raced enduro & SM on 'em, built a couple of hot motors, etc so I know a bit about them.
The frames crack around the footpeg mounts & the subframes are flimsy & bend easy.
I can tell you for certain that if you want to ride it on the road, you'll need an oil cooler or you WILL cook the motor. Big fin heads don't reduce the combustion chamber temp but do help cooling slightly IMO they're a waste of $$
The first thing you need to do is check that the in-frame oil strainer is clear & not clogged up with gunk, nothing will cost you an engine quicker than not having any oil going through it.
As with any big 4 stroke single, clean oil is the best thing you can do for 'em, I change the oil every 500 dirt Ks or 2000 road Ks.
Motor/gearbox is bulletproof if left standard, the best thing about the motor is the torque (they have less HP than a current 450) & tractability, a HRC 630cc powerup kit is the best work you can do to them & keep them reliable.
Also the heads crack between the sparkplug & valve seats if they get mercilessly caned or overheated, about a $3-400 fix.
Personally, I think an '86 model will have had a pretty hard life over the last 22 years so unless it's been really well maintained I'd expect it to need some $$ spent on it.
Good luck.

[BANDITROD]

yeah i have had a bit to do with them and well ......um what he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Slain]

cool thanks guys, well the bike was kept standard by the first owner, then the second guy converted it to motard but is moving overseas and never rode it as he is fly in/out job. visually it is immaculate and i think it has had a ground up rebuild at some stage.
also it has 96 model plastics, 2000 cr250 front and rear gaurds, digi speedo, fat bars, braided brake lines and other small things.
Im thinking i can buy it and do some minor mods (like oil cooler) and fix the alignment of the brake discs and it should be a decent daily for me. Im glad it doesnt have a massive top end as i need to keep my license for work and when i ride the fighter to work i keep getting pinged for speeding which is why i think the motard might be a good but fun thing
here is a pic from when he had it on ebay
http://i9.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/23/b6/97d8_1.JPG

[TurboKat]

I saw that on the 'Bay, wonder why he put the front wheel on backwards? maybe he only had a L/H disc.

Motards make you do silly things:D

[Bear]

Just as a matter of interest - Ballards were rebuilding a few gearboxs on XR600 motards because the lack of a cushdrive was causing problems mainly with 3rd gear.
You've got RGV wheels so that won't be a problem.

If the suspension is dirt bike standard, wind the preload up front and rear to make it stiffer (soft is for bush riding) and it'll be better under braking (less dive) and more stable in corners (less wallow and running wide under excelleration). This is a general tip for any dirt bike converted to motard.

A common thing for XR6's was choke butterflies breaking in half and then getting sucked into the motor. They run a lot better with a flat-slide carb anyway.

[Slain]

well a bit of an update,
had a mate go take a very quick look at it today but my brother is going to have a detailed check and ride on monday.
forks are in good nick with no leaks and smooth action. rear shock is good too. has heavier than standard springs installed.
engine has a small leak from the sump bolt (washer not installed) so thats no big deal. carbs have been jetted to suit the custom exhaust. idles smooth, starts first kick with the choke.
rim is on backwards on the front because that was the only disk he had, but because rgv are twin discs it should just be a case of taking the wheel off and swapping it around. using stock xr front caliper (been rebuilt) and master cyl (rebuilt also) with braided brake lines. rear is rgv disc and caliper with custom mount.
oil is clean and the bike has a service history of oil changes every 6 months as it has done bugger all kms (the owner is a fly in, fly out mechanic so not home much)
chain and sprockets are in good nick, jsut need a good lube.
rear tyre is brand new, front has legal tread but is old and cracked so i will change it anyway.
frame is straight with no cracks etc. has been powdercoated black.
So yeah so far all seems very good, just waiting on my brother to give it a good once over then will buy it.
Anything else in particular he should look at?

[chopaweeza]

When I did the XR600R rigid this year I upgraded the magneto to a 200amp unit from XRs Only in the USA . Allowed the bike to run lights that actually worked and a worthwhile investment .

[Elapid]

At present I have an XT600E '98 motard, absolutely gutless in a straight line, but for playing up on the street it is the most fun I've had. Arse end hanging out leaving roundabouts is a "standard" handling problem they have, but you learn to live with it :-). Next week I'm gearing it even lower, I only use it as a work bike, it never goes over 80km/h so it isn't a problem.

I was originally after an XR650r motard, but got this at a good price, so I was happy with it. You'll love a big single, heaps of fun.

Kris.

[Slain]

well my brother had a look over it and all is pretty sweet especially for the price. things i will have to do is:
-fix oil leak
-spacers for brake calipers
-the digital dash has a button to turn it on/off so i might wire it into the ignition
-put legal indicators on it for the rwc (still got the stock ones off my blade sitting at home)
-replace the crappy acerbis headlight with something that works
-make another baffle to go into the underseat can as it will be too loud for the early mornings i leave for work
-numberplate mount

so yeah hopefully it will only take me a week of afternoons to get it regod after i get back home.

[BOHEMION]

Check the sump and the bolt threads straight. If its ever had some track time its not unusual for a moto to slide into other bikes or off track objects, belly 1st.

Have fun! it looks like a mental ride!