Three bikes in the garage now

[ScottRNelson]

I had to rearrange things in my garage again to fit in another bike.  After many months of searching, I finally found a decent XR650L at a good enough price.  I had to ride it 67 miles from the Central Valley yesterday to get it home.  Looks like I'll have to spend more time riding to keep them all happy.

[somegirl]

Nice Christmas present to yourself!

[Grampa]

good find 

I found a xl for my son a few months ago




wheelies quite well 

[NORCAL510]

How much u guys throwing down for those bikes? i'm trying to plan a trip thru mexico for my 30th n was thinking a honda would be the choice weapon.

[Michael Moore]

Nice find Scott! My son had the air cooled version and it was one durable bike.

[Grampa]

How much u guys throwing down for those bikes? i'm trying to plan a trip thru mexico for my 30th n was thinking a honda would be the choice weapon.

I got mine for $800.00

[MendoDave]

Looks like it came with an extra large tank. 

[ScottRNelson]

Nice find Scott! My son had the air cooled version and it was one durable bike.

Ummm, all XR's are air cooled.

I paid $2500 for it.  Got it off of craigslist.  The ad is still there, and the only current ad for an XR650L.  There was a 1994 for sale about a month ago for $1200 in a "must sell this weekend" ad on craigslist.  However, when I went to look at it, it had been sitting outside in the rain for three weeks without being started and I couldn't get it to start.  I love trying to bump start dead bikes.    The owner had a broken leg and couldn't do anything to get it going either.  I probably would have bought it if I had had a truck, but I let that one go.  I know of a 1999 in Lincoln (near Auburn, out past Sacramento) for $2500, but that seemed too far away for a bike I'm not sure I would buy.

Most of them go for $3000-4000 unless they're fairly new.

I need to get the license plate properly attached, fix one turn signal so that it doesn't fall off, and find out why the carburetor floods if you leave the petcock on when the engine is off.  But that's all that it needs.

I'll be doing some parking lot practice with it tomorrow to re-learn tight low-speed turns.  And it's refreshing to have a bike I can turn around in my garage with only a three-point turn.  The ST2 requires a seven-point turn to get turned around in my garage and the 888 needs about a 25-point turn. 

[Michael Moore]

Ummm, all XR's are air cooled.

Sorry, I had that bassackwards. He had a water cooled XR650R, somehow legally street plated in CA. It was quite a beast. (the bikes are known in the dirt community as the BRP - for Big Red Pig)

If you haven't already, you should check out Dust to Glory: 100+ mph over ruts, sand and huge whoops during the Baja 1000.

[ScottRNelson]

Took the XR to Carnegie yesterday.  Rode it around in the hills for a while.  Only dumped it once.  Now I know why it has the nickname of "the pig".  I can hardly wait to dump it upside down half way up a long gnarly hill. 



I've missed dirt riding and the challenges that it poses.  I had a lot of fun.