superhawk996 Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 The 400 and 650 are night and day for kicking. I give zero thoughts to where the piston is on the 400, just hop on and kick. I assume it has a decomp, dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 Yeah, I guess Mike hasn't tried the man's size version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 True. My feet can't touch the ground on the big red one. Which is fine as long as there's no tipping over, but I haven't completely mastered that yet. I can't touch the ground on my 530 either, but the weight is different enough that I don't crash every time I come to a stop. Pretty certain I'd hurt myself on a 650R. I'm equally certain that everyone who has ridden one has an "oh shit" experience ratio disproportionate to the increase in displacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomek Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 7 hours ago, IcePrick said: True. My feet can't touch the ground on the big red one. Which is fine as long as there's no tipping over, but I haven't completely mastered that yet. I can't touch the ground on my 530 either, but the weight is different enough that I don't crash every time I come to a stop. Pretty certain I'd hurt myself on a 650R. I'm equally certain that everyone who has ridden one has an "oh shit" experience ratio disproportionate to the increase in displacement. You should probably try something like this. Decent protection it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 5 hours ago, tomek said: You should probably try something like this. Decent protection it seems. Where do you use them, the track or street? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 9 hours ago, tomek said: You should probably try something like this. Decent protection it seems. I have a pair, but they clash with my KTM jersey. I find them useful for shoveling snow, but they're best worn with the chaps. Maybe your supplier has a matching jersey? Ask to see their Judas Priest collection. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 16 hours ago, IcePrick said: Pretty certain I'd hurt myself on a 650R. I'm equally certain that everyone who has ridden one has an "oh shit" experience ratio disproportionate to the increase in displacement. I put about 5 minutes on it, possibly got above 30MPH, and survived just fine. My immediate impression was "this thing will absolutely let your wrist write a check that your body can't cash." The thing that bugged me, and kept me from writing a bad check, was that it's so squirly. I have very little dirtbike experience, maybe they're all like that, but the thing felt like it just wanted to fall. I never got around to riding the XR400 when we were out, guess I'll have to drag it out again and see how it feels. I rode Mike's Suzuki a little and don't recall having the same feeling, but I was so thrown by having my spine whacked when I went over the same little bumps that the 650 made unnoticeable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 2 hours ago, superhawk996 said: The thing that bugged me, and kept me from writing a bad check, was that it's so squirly. I have very little dirtbike experience, maybe they're all like that, but the thing felt like it just wanted to fall. This thing is definitely unusually squirrelly. I have no idea if there's a problem I can't see, or it's the design, or what. Oh, yeah, I guess I need to come out of the closet, I went full retard. I had the mount anyway. This makes it a perfectly fine commuter and grocery getter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 1 hour ago, SwampNut said: This thing is definitely unusually squirrelly. I'm guessing the knobby tires don't help on road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 23 minutes ago, blackhawkxx said: I'm guessing the knobby tires don't help on road? It's like that off road too. And these are DOT tires that get excellent reviews all around. One is three years old (about) and the other is new. The front felt squirrely with the original 10+ year old tire, and the same with the new one I put on (Tractionator Desert H/T). So I do think it's the bike. Edit: Also been adjusting pressures, which changes the turn-in and push, but not the instability. Edit 2: Instability isn't it, the bike is perfectly stable, but tells your brain that it's going to fall over, and follows most pavement imperfections. But the BIKE itself stays stable and pointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Maybe it becomes stabile at Baja 500 speed....to The Sea! My only thought is to verify that the neck and swingarm bearings aren't sloppy, but I doubt it. I think the neck would have been obvious just from moving it around and using the front brake, I'd expect a clunk or something. I can't say I did a thorough inspection, but I yanked the wheels around and didn't notice any obvious issues. Maybe it just crosses the threshold of being too tall to be stabile, I don't know if that's a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Check that the rear tire isn't out of alignment, I didn't think to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 13 hours ago, superhawk996 said: Check that the rear tire isn't out of alignment, I didn't think to. And that's how I snapped the adjuster off, which the retard previous owner had tightened to 27 ugga-duggas just like everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 I didn't die. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomek Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 On 3/2/2024 at 5:30 AM, blackhawkxx said: Where do you use them, the track or street? Off road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomek Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 23 hours ago, SwampNut said: It's like that off road too. And these are DOT tires that get excellent reviews all around. One is three years old (about) and the other is new. The front felt squirrely with the original 10+ year old tire, and the same with the new one I put on (Tractionator Desert H/T). So I do think it's the bike. Edit: Also been adjusting pressures, which changes the turn-in and push, but not the instability. Edit 2: Instability isn't it, the bike is perfectly stable, but tells your brain that it's going to fall over, and follows most pavement imperfections. But the BIKE itself stays stable and pointed. Operator error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 So the skittish ride gets extra interesting at 75 on concrete freeways with lateral grooves. The "about to crash" feeling makes it scary to push it on dirt because it's exactly the same as the signal I'd expect to warn me that I'm about to crash due to an actual traction problem. But after 45 minutes I did start to pick up some speed and let the bike do its thing. Single track is pretty fucked on this huge thing. Some of these are trails I ride on my MTB at 20 MPH. Oddly enough it doesn't give a damn about sand and is stable on it. WTF. Third gear high speed on flats is just fine; it's what the bike was made for. By the time I got home I was riding much more sport-aggressive and dealing with the squirreliness well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 18 minutes ago, SwampNut said: I didn't die. Great photo and can be used in the ad when you sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 1 hour ago, SwampNut said: I didn't die. Glad to hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 6 hours ago, SwampNut said: By the time I got home I was riding much more sport-aggressive and dealing with the squirreliness well. Sweet! I was guessing/hoping that the bike is fine and one just has to allow it to feel squirly and drive through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 7 hours ago, SwampNut said: I didn't die. God damn that thing is tall. I already knew it, but wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poida Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 i test rode an xr650r years ago, a lot of fun on road but i figured after half an hour offroad i would be either knackered or dead.i bought a drz400 instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) I rode a DR350E right after being on the XR650R, it made me really appreciate how supple the XR's suspension is. I didn't realize how bumpy the area was 'till the DR smacked my butt/spine. My understanding is that the DRZ has better suspension than the DR, but the XR seems hard to match. The suspension 'should' make it easier to ride without getting knackered, but the killing part is still there. Having the magic button of the DR/DRZ is nice, but luckily the XR starts easily....as long as it's not flooded from a crash and, most importantly, you put the piston in the right spot before kicking it over. The previous owner is pretty buff and tall, he always had trouble starting it. Long before selling it to me he brought it for me to do some work on and said he'd come start it when I got done, he was very nice about not saying "you ain't got this you little weenie boy." He showed up carrying his right motocross boot to start it up, as he was walking up the driveway I fired it wearing normal shoes. He and his son are both tall and yoked, they froze staring in amazement. I told him how to set it up to start without it trying to kill him, I think he appreciated that more than all the stuff I've fixed for him. All that said, part of the reason he sold it is because he was afraid it would kill him some day. Edited March 4 by superhawk996 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 18 hours ago, SwampNut said: So the skittish ride gets extra interesting at 75 on concrete freeways with lateral grooves. The "about to crash" feeling makes it scary to push it on dirt because it's exactly the same as the signal I'd expect to warn me that I'm about to crash due to an actual traction problem. But after 45 minutes I did start to pick up some speed and let the bike do its thing. Single track is pretty fucked on this huge thing. Some of these are trails I ride on my MTB at 20 MPH. Oddly enough it doesn't give a damn about sand and is stable on it. WTF. Third gear high speed on flats is just fine; it's what the bike was made for. By the time I got home I was riding much more sport-aggressive and dealing with the squirreliness well. How does it compare to the KTM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 There's no comparison. The KTM was perfectly mannered at all times. It's heavier, with less suspension travel, and on 80% tires (these are 50% at most) so it probably can't do things this can do. But so far, I "can't" push the XR into anything since it feels unstable. Next time I get out, I will take it to a different area with different challenges, and where I've specifically found problems with the KTM that this shouldn't have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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