1987 Xr600

[IcutMetl]

So I may or may not bring home an '87 XR600 today. Going to take a look at it; it's nearby and at a good $$$ deal. I really don't need a dirtbike, or 100% want one, OR need to spend more money on another toy, but I thought a big thumper would be fun for a while. Had a DR250 and it was an awesome small bike. I have always liked the old school XR's.

I'm thinking one of two things:

1. Buy bike, do basic maintenance, some upgrades, and a street legal kit. Turn it into an obnoxious beast and go jump railroad tracks. (Just kidding.) It's no 600RR or ZX10 like my days gone by, but I bet that thing would be a wicked good time and super cheap to run.

2. Buy the bike, disassemble it, and part it out piece by piece. Keep the motor whole, or part it out as well????? For the price and what I've seen on ebay so far, I could probably double my money or more. Pay myself back, then take the extra and do something constructive, or do what I want to do and sink it into my 250R.


So what do all you guys think? If I go and look at it, and it runs w/o being a total p.o.s.; I'll probably snag it.

[Guy400]

Option 3: Buy a cheap 400EX with a blown motor and turn it into a 600EX:D

[IcutMetl]

Haha that was one of the first things that I thought of!

I always thought that that would make the perfect big bore sport quad. But....I already have a 250R that I like a lot and have plenty of money into already. If I had that project too, I wouldn't have ANY bank account left. If I were going to do an XR650 hybrid, I think I would use a 250R frame and the XR650R motor- radiator is already there.

[IcutMetl]

So I ended up picking up that bike for $650. It's not in horrible shape, but definitely not primo. Tires good, brakes good, suspension really f'in soft, top end ticking, and smokes more than my 250R ever would, and has what smells like varnish in the gas tank. Has the original lights taken off. I can see this thing being a real burly beast of a bike, but right now the power is not that impressive. The top end needs some attention, and a lot of fresh gas run thru it. I cleaned the carbs out as well as I could w/o disassembly, cleaned air filter, and set proper valve clearance- which as I found out had barely any clearance at all. I'll probably change the oil/filter and beat on it for now until I can spare some extra cabbage to treat it right.

I think I would do pretty good parting it out piece by piece; if the motor ran like it should, I would consider selling that as a whole. For right now, I think I'm going to keep it w/o doing much since I have my 'R to play with. At some point- big bore/hone with 10.5-11:1 compression piston, new cam chain + Hotcam 1, and rebuild the head with new seals, valves, and clean up porting, plus a decent used aftermarket exhaust. Definitely will have to look into the bottom end condition so I'm not bolting together a time-bomb. Reliable performance. New chassis bushings/bearings and perhaps suspension rebuild. Ultimately, a Baja Designs dual-sport kit. Nothing out of this world, but I think it would be nice to have a wicked thumper to ride again or for a buddy bike.