@cavan93 Hardly any maintenance...just usual oil, clean air filter, tires occasionally. And you can get it street plated, at least in the states. Mine is.
Hard call, it really depends on what the dealerships are like where you live and what model is most popular in your country / area. If one is much more common than the other it might be better to go with the popular choice if only because parts and know-how will be available. Personally, I would go with the TTR-230 but that has more to do with the reasoning I gave above. Both are tough, reliable bikes that are a good step up before the bigger stuff.
This bike is amazing. My best friend has a CRF450X. MY 650R is geared for 87mph his 450X is geared for about 75. I can take him on the wholeshot everytime in soft sand with a worn out knobby! It's pretty much head for head on gravel road until he's in 5th . Then i pull him hard.
16 years later, I have a 2001 XR650R. Its a beast. I sold my 2007 YZ450F and wanted another one. The 650R can get away from you . It is NOT for inexperienced riders. I love mine.
@jeff deathrage Just picked up a really clean 07 for $4500 a few weeks ago. I searched for months and saw a lot of beat up ones guys were asking 6 grand for. Have some patience. They're out there.
@@alexrudner5548 I just bought it over the summer. Had zero problems with it but I do regular maintenance. The bike is a beast. Used to have an xr600r and that bike never let me down. I'm sure this one won't either.
@@H3avyHaul3r like as an adventure bike do they fair well? The manual says to check the valves every 1000km which is pretty often if used for adventure use. Just looking for a replacement for my dr650 :D
0xsergy i understand now, after checking mine i figure the standard specs are for the bikes intended purpose which is flatout across a desert, i look at them every 3000km or so and and have only had to adjust them a few times over the 15k+ (now a total of 24k as the 3rd owner) i put in my adventure version....but like every motor wear will catch up in the end, stories of motors doing well over 80K of similar type of riding....as long as you don’t ring its neck off like a crf, shes as relaible as any traditional thumper...but better lol
@@H3avyHaul3r fair enough, that's kind of what I figured. did the clearances change a lot in those 3000 kms if you remember the numbers? thanks for the replies man.
The CR500 is better in every way as far as Im concerned. This bike got its ass kicked in baja by 500 2 strokes. Kx500, but the Cr500 Would beat it too.
@@sciencemilitia1853 every way? I want somethin I can ride to work, not gonna happen with a cr. I do still want a 500, and I don't doubt they are better dirtbikes. But a 650r seems like a fun practical purchase for the moment. I don't know, depends on which I find first when I have cash in hand. One thing I know, it'll be red. Metaphorically, I guess is the right word, it'll actually be black and red if I get plastic I want.
@@salvadordollyparton666 Oh hell yeah man the XR650R makes the best dualsport of any bike I can think of. I have an XR600R (way better than an XR650L) that is dualsported with every chassis and engine upgrade in the book. Its pretty sweet. I only ride my 2 stroke off road. The XR650R with an FCR carb and KYB SSS USD forks swapped onto it would be the best daily rider dualsport I can think of. The CR500 would actually be a pretty decent dualsport but not quite a daily rider. Would be very off road oriented. Id daily ride a cr500 dualsport tho. Gear it up. It will take it. Those 500 2ts are durable as fuck
@@sciencemilitia1853 lol. The XR650R was made to beat the KX500 at Baja…..and it did. It won the Baja 1000 like 8 years in a row or something……. So yes the XR650r can keep up with 500cc two strokes. The XR600R got its ass kicked by the two strokes in the 90s because it’s a low power ancient air cooled bike with a steel frame. Still a sick bike….but it’s not even close to an XR650R.
"im not into water sports" lololol i knwo the feeling i was riding around an unfamiliar area down here in the everglades on my XR650 and i took a hill and coming down was a nice pond, ended up hydroing over it (thank god because it was about 5 feet deep) and managed to very much give my self a shower
@sejlefrew yeah its a 5 speed, and one hell of a bike..my bro just bought one and i took it for a ride..gotta say,it made me want one as soon as i sat on it
xr650r is a nice and simple bike.i like too a crf 450x or r but that is more racing bike and has quickly service.Anyway honda made good bikes for all categories.
without a doubt the best 650 class thumper. just add E start, a big tank, a plusher seat and the suspension set up for my weight and 50lbs of gear. able to ride RTW while taking breaks to screw with WR450s, KTM 300s and CRF-Xs says KLR owner who hates 99% of Hondas and Honda fanboys
Yuk, no that's just an air cooled xr600r with dual sport bits and even worse suspension. Fine for getting groceries but no way in hell would it be competitive in any enduro or hare scramble.
Well, not exactly... The XR650R has a pretty unbeatable record of wins at the Baja 1000 and scores of other desert races. The 230F is a nice enough bike but it certainly doesn't put down near the power the big XR does. Open terrain and fast fire roads and that XR650R will EAT a 230F....
I had 1 for a couple years and don't miss it the least. Fast fire roads and open desert it is prob the best bike ever built for. Tight trails and slow cruising it's about the worst well maybe a klr650 is worse. Ha
@meow6669 No seriously it can. A brand new 450 can outrun a 650 with proper conditions. Although it's just barely. If it wasn't for the enviormentalists, we could end this argument with a CR500.
