The year is 1993, and your new brand Honda XR650 just the most likely thing on two wheels. Twist the waffle handle and you’ve got almost 40 hp to the touch of the carbureted 644 cc engine and the tachometer hand will tick 100 mph if you’re brave enough. Weaving through a series of Pontiac Bonneville and Chrysler Lebarons, you make your way to the gravel, where the XR will take you farther than anything else with a license plate.
Blink a second and it’s 2023. The world has changed, the Bonnevilles and Lebarons are gone. But the XR650 is still here and not going anywhere. Celebrating 30 years of virtually unchanged production, here’s Honda’s must-have XR650.
Compared to the rest of Honda’s off-road list, which includes the Africa Twin, the MX-inspired 450RL and even the 300L Rally, the XR650L looks like it will come with the classic subscription. I mean, this really shouldn’t be. Except for a few minor tweaks, the XR650 is now available with the same specs as when it was brought to the US 30 years ago.
The flagship of Honda’s old XR off-roader line-up for ’93, the XR650L combines the tried and true mechanics of the XR600R with the more powerful 644 cc engine from the NX650 Dominator. The SOHC, air-cooled engine has a gear-driven counterweight shaft to make the reducer operation smoother, and its ultra-low torque makes the 5-speed transmission more efficient.
The carburetor is one of the only things that has changed on the XR. It is still powered by a Kehin CV carburetor, but it has increased from 40 to 42.5 mm. But even without fuel injection, and equipped with the necessary anti-smoke equipment and road-legal exhaust, the Honda XR650 still delivers 40 hp and 47 lb-ft of torque. It will even return 40 to 50 mpg if handled properly.
While most have switched to aluminum, the XR is still based on a basic and sturdy steel tubular frame, with an internal oil tank. Suspension is almost unchanged, including 43 mm Showa forks up front and Pro-link rear shock absorbers. Both ends feature adjustable compression and preload, and are suitable for 11 inches of travel (2 inches taller than the Africa Twin and just 450RL one inch less).
Ergonomics in the saddle will be the same as in 1993. The seat is 37 inches tall and the 2.8-gallon steel tank is tall and right for your job. Solid steel bars in front of the analog speedometer and four status lights help keep track of important information. The clutch is still operated by cables and the lights are still rectangular. Full of fuel, the XR weighs just under 350 pounds, meaning she’s certainly not light.
Sure, the old XR won’t win many battles on paper, but when you need a bike to do it all and cheap, the XR650 is your bike. MSRP above model 2023 priced at $6,999, it’s still competitive with what you’re getting, but used dealer and low mileage secondhand bikes can come at a significant discount.
Hit the classifieds anywhere and you’re sure to find some XRs for $4,000 or less, ready for a new set of rubbers and a new lease. Build a cheap ADV bike, or a shortened tracker – this bike is actually a blank slate. All the best mods or any issues you may run into are well documented on the forums. But for the most part, all an XR needs to have a happy 20,000-mile life is an oil change and regular valve checks.
However, its powerful features are not for everyone. Critics complain about the Kehin carburetor and five-speed transmission, but updating these features could mean the end of the engine and entire model’s EPA and CARB compliance.
In a way, the XR650L is a well-kept secret from those in the know. The owner is a different breed and is on their second XR or running their first 40,000-mile bike on 15W40 diesel. They ate sand for breakfast and traveled 50 miles to work for dinner. And they wouldn’t post it on Instagram, even if they had.
There’s nothing flashy or high-tech about the XR650L, but as long as the world needs a bulletproof, tested machine, the XR650L will continue to sell well. Considering the number of old, cheap bikes we’re seeing on the market today, we wouldn’t expect the end of the XR650 anytime soon.
Heck, Honda just revealed New XR150L for 2023, also air-cooled with a steel frame. And even if the XR is dropped from Honda’s lineup for the next model year, the 650 will remain relevant (and popular) for years to come.
So the next time you come across one of these dinosaurs on the trail, wave and salute the mainstay of Honda’s dual-sport lineup for the past 30 years. [Honda]
