What is the Honda XR650R?
The XR650R was always a Mexican superhero. Back in 2000, it was brought to the market through the sheer willpower of one man. Bruce Ogilvie had worked in Honda’s Project Planning Department for years and relentlessly pitched the bike to his bosses. There already was a big XR in the Honda line, but it wasn’t the bike Bruce envisioned.
What makes a great XR650R Supermoto conversion?
What makes for a compelling platform for an XR650R supermoto conversion is the bike’s power and suspension. These two factors drive many skilled mechanics and enthusiasts to go through lengths to find a close-to-abandoned XR650R to restore its former glory.
Why is the Honda XR650 called the Mexican superhero?
This bike is known as a Mexican superhero due to its association with the Baja 1000 having won the 1999 race despite Kawasaki holding the title for 9 years. The invention of the XR650 was all because of one person in Honda’s new bike development team called Bruce Ogilvie.
What is the XR650R Fork swap kit?
The kit consists of an XR650R steering stem machined and pressed into upper, and lower billet triple trees that accept CRF450 forks. The kit is a high quality piece, and makes the fork swap smooth. The CRF forks were sent to MB1 Suspension in Corona, CA for a full rebuild and to have the fork tubes anodized black.
Does the Honda XR650R have an electric starter?
In the modern era, most four-stroke off-road bikes are equipped with an electric starter. Honda’s XR650R missed that call, but thanks to Baja Designs, there is a fix. Although it may look cantankerous and weighs 13.5 pounds, it starts the mighty Honda with the push of a button.
Why did Ogilvie get rid of the XR650?
The XR650L was no solution; it was a street-legal version of the same outdated bike. Ogilvie wanted a more powerful machine with modern technology and, above all, unquestionable reliability. Time passed, and Bruce O struggled to support a Baja team with the air-cooled XR.