I am a big fan of the Honda XR600 series of motorcycles. You might remember the 1983 Honda XL600 I was working on just last summer. The XL600 was a fantastic bike, particularly with the XR600 motor transplanted into it, but it was more street oriented and was never intended to take constant off-road abuse. I’ve been keeping my eye open for a true late model XR600 for quite a while, and this one just popped up recently, so I jumped on it.
It is certainly well ridden and has been enjoyed by ‘who knows how many’ previous owners. However, it is a sturdy bike with no real issues besides needing the linkage bearings replaced and a new set of foot pegs.
The XR600 is, in my eyes, the perfect platform for a do-it-all dual purpose motorcycle. It’s a bit piggish on tight trails, and a bit of a wind catcher on the highway, but it will do both without complaining and will last years and years trouble free.
If you have a good eye you’ll see this bike has a recovered seat with gel-insert, an early style IMS 4 gallon tank, Scotts top billet triple clamp, and a lot of character.
Long live the Honda XR600R.
