2004 Honda XR650L Motorcycle reviews

I have a 1996 model that has given me a lot of service after much abuse and play. I had a cam bearing problem that my extended warranty took care of. I have had it stolen/blown up once. I have run it out of oil and taken it swimming. I finally put a new piston in it three years ago and found that the head was cracked by the spark plug hole. My connection at my CDI box was making the bike shut off on me but I found it and fixed it myself. I have a lot of miles on it for what it is but it is always ready. And now that all of the bugs have been worked out I plan to go super moto with it. For the the low price I paid a decade ago compared to the performance, I really can't complain about bugs after all of the abuse I have given it. Show less

I have had my bike a few months after selling my CBR900rr. I miss the 150+mph blasts, and twisties. But after 6 years was due for a change of pace and less tickets. This puppy maxes at 85-90 mph on highways. But it's a fun kick in the pants to hooligan around on. I wish they made a factory tank that was 4-5 gallons and will buy an aftermarket soon to rid that problem. I have taken this in some pretty wild hill scrambles, mud, ruts and jumps. It does very well considering you can commute on it as well. The rear seemed a little soft on big landings. But it's not a CRF. Buy one and have a blast. Show less

I had certain expectations when I bought this bike. Thus far it has done very well. My other bike is a BMW GS1100 so I needed something lighter to really play off road. However I still needed to get to the trails. For what is a dirt biased bike it performs very well on the freeway cruising at 75mph with plenty of grunt left to pass. Off road you will need to get better tires always a balancing act with on road riding in mind. It has a very smooth motor with plenty of grunt. In comparison to the Suzuki 650DR it is a thousand cheaper. YEAH The KLR650 from Kawasaki is the same price but vibrates so bad that your teeth shake loose, you will need stocks in blue locktite! Fairly new into the market is the BMW 650 GS a much better bike on road but you do not want to go off road with it plus at almost $10,000 they have out priced themselves. This is from someone who will be buried with my GS1100. Last in my list of bikes that I have tried in this area is the KTM 640 adventure. A fantastic bike and the closest in performance to the Honda. But it weighs more due to the larger gas tank. Which the Honda could do with. Better fairing for the road then the Honda. But once again it is in the $10,000 range and too much for my wallet. The Honda has been around for a long time its flaws can be fixed with aftermarket parts for a very reasonable price. Down sides to the Bike: waiting at the trail head for my brothers to catch up with me! Show less

I rode offroad years ago and decided I needed something that could do both once I could afford one. Just rode the bike to Madison in the rain(about 190 miles round trip) and the only complaint I have is the small gas tank. I will be replacing it in the very near future. If you don't mind stopping often, it won't be a problem but 70 or 80 miles for me is too soon (remember I am in the 300 club so your mileage may be a little better). I can't wait to get this thing offroad for real. I've done some short little runs on dirt roads and it is just asking to be let out. Show less

I got my 2004 XR650L a month a go, WOW. It's a blast to ride, the bike is exactly what I expected. It's not a sport bike,and not a motocroser either, but its definitely the right compromise. It is fast enough on the higway and good enough for light offroad riding. I don't mind the small tank, since I need a "rest" quite often. With a little rest every 100 miles or so you can go ANYWHERE! My only complaint is the height of this bike,it's real tall. There is a lowering link from baja design but I decided not to install it. I think I can live with the bike as it is, and I don't want to fool around with a superb machine... I guess the guys at honda built it that tall for a reason. If you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to e-mail me. Ride safe. Show less

I'm a 46 year old male and this is my 5th dual purpose Honda. The other four were the XL series, so it goes without saying I've been out of the saddle for a few years. The engineering has come a long way since the old XL days. I was concerned about the tall height of the XR650L before I made my purchase but after a few hours in the saddle it felt very natural. The extra height gives you more swing arm travel for a soft landing on those big jumps. I agree with the websites I've visited that say the bike needs to be un-corked before you can truely appreciate the hidden power in this big bore thumper. I ride a 50 / 50 mix on the street and in the dirt. The XR650L is a well designed dual purpose bike that truly fits the bill, be it street or dirt. In closing, if you ride hard in the dirt and enjoy doing 3rd gear wheelies, then I'd recommend you un-cork the air intake with an after market air filter, remove the air inlet snorkel, rejet, install a free flow exhaust, and add three more teeth to the rear gear. There is just enough chain for you to remove the stock 45 tooth gear and replace it with a 48 tooth gear. I can still cruise down the freeway at a crisp 75 mph even with the additional teeth on the rear gear. Show less

This bike is great ! I have now owned it for three weeks and it just keeps running better everyday. I spent a full day with it out on the trails and it did great. I was beat at the end of the day but the bike was ready for more. I ride this bike to work everyday that I can and it loves the intersate. If you want a bike that you can use for fun or to ride to work this is the bike for you. Show less

Well since I picked this bike up 2 weeks ago I have been slowly breaking it in. It's been about 60% street and 40% dirt for right now. Well today I just got done putting on renthal bars and removing the baffle. When I pulled the beast in from a test ride I was pretty surprised on the slight power increase. Ever since I started riding the bike it just kept getting stronger, more powerful and more top end. Since it's all stock I am only topping out at about the 105-110mph range. This is a great improvement since the first few days he bike was so tight it was having a hard time pushing past 80. I can roll up the front end in 1st and 2nd gears and clutch it up in 3rd and 4th gears. The bike is nicely balanced for me on one wheel and can give you a nice wheelie run. Now everyone knows this bike is on the heavy side as are all big bore stock enduros, but this bike has that legendary honda dirtbike feel. Every time I pull out I feel illegal!!! I haven't done any hard core off roading with it yet but I have easily gotten 5-6 feet of clean air and it lands nice and smooth. Excellent suspension. The Xr650L handles the whoops alright you just have to ride it hard and be strong. It's a little different than riding a motocrosser or a street bike but I think honda has put together the best of both worlds. I can really say nothing bad, but that's just because the bike is perfect for what it was made for. I will work it into upgrades for about 20 more HP after I fully break it in. I mean, who doesn't want a super motard??? Thanks Honda!! Show less

I'm 41 years old and I love riding motorcycles. I wanted something that I could ride to work and go off road on the weekends. The XRL is the perfect bike for me. I've had it up to 90mph on the freeway with plenty more than that available. That is fast enough for me on a dirt bike. It is right at home at 75. Off road it has great manners too. I have gotten some good air with it. The engine is very powerful. 0-60 is fast. If you like off roading and want a machine you can ride on the street too, The XRL is a great choice. The only drawback is that the gas tank is too small, 2.8 gals. But I can live with that. Acerbis makes a bigger tank but it's ugly. Show less