My XR650R Supermoto
In October 2002 I traded in my first VTR. I'd had it for over 4 years since
buying it new in April 98, and had fancied a change for some time. I've always
loved supermotos, and for a while I had a TM250 Supermoto which I was doing
some work on to get it back on the road. No sooner had I done that though
than circumstances changed and I needed the cash, so I had to sell it after
only having rode it a handful of times. 
It really was barking, it weighed roughly 90 kilos, put out between 50-55bhp
and would outdrag a bandit 1200 up to 60mph. 
Hitting the powerband in any gear would usually see the front wheel airborne,
and jeezus it was a flighty little sod too. Race wets struggled to cope unless
they were really warmed up, which led to quite a few slides and spin-ups if
you nailed it coming out of a sharp turn.
One day I was out for a ride with a mate and we called in to see Mike Wright
at MW Racing. Mike
is a top-10 UK Supermoto racer, has been racing XR's for 2 years now and knows
them inside out. So when he offered me a test ride on his demo XR650R I couldn't
really refuse. 
I'd rode a couple of supermotos which had left me wanting more power, especially
having literally just stepped off a VTR too. However this baby pulled hard!
Right up to flat out in 5th it just kept on pulling. If you used the mid-range
instead of revving it, it was even quicker to pull through the gears. By the
end of a 20 mile test ride I'd adjusted to the different riding style and
was having more fun than I'd had on my VTR in ages.
When I got back, I ummed, I ahhed, then eventually struck up a deal with Mike
to buy the demo bike (which had done approx 600 miles). I wanted a few things
changing though, namely the wheels and exhaust. I got a great deal and was
really happy with the finished bike.
I went to pick it up and the heavens opened. It had new tyres and Mike's
shop is in an industrial estate which is usually awash with diesel. The XR
has grunt aplenty, from tickover upwards, so when I pulled away I'd barely
got the clutch out before having a sideways moment! 
Unlike a sportsbike though, this thing encourages you to get the wheels out
of line at any opportunity. I quickly got used to that... Also I had to learn
how to kickstart a 650 single - it's easier than it sounds though.
My XR when I first collected it...
Serious disc, but the caliper can fade during hard use...
Here's the spec when I bought it:
2002MY XR650R on a 51 plate
Derestricted and rejetted (all XR650's come into the country restricted and
as imports)
320mm Braking Wavy disc
WRP Titanium slip-on
Talon gold anodised hubs
Black Excel rims
Renthals with Acerbix Barkbuster handguards
Over the next few months I added:
UFO Supermoto front fender (shorter than the one above, which tends to flap
around above 70mph and induce headshake)
FMF Powerbomb full system in stainless steel
Alloy sumpguard / skid plate
CRD Frame guards
One Racing fender bag
Uni-filter hi-flow air filter
Lanyard type cutout switch
BC800 Bike computer
I also cut out some holes in the air filter panel (covered in gaffer tape because I still need to alter the jetting for them). The most recent thing was to get a complete set of spare bodywork so the originals don't get too trashed.
As it stands at the moment, the only thing that needs sorting is the front caliper. There's plenty of stopping power, too much in fact, but any track use will see severe brake fade after 5-10 laps depending on the circuit.
The FMF system often gets a slating but I really like it. The Powerbomb headers
help keep a good midrange while giving it a little more at higher revs. The
endcap can be removed with three allen bolts and a quiet insert baffle slotted
in which quietens it down severely. With the baffle out it sounds like the
apocalypse is a-comin!!
Pretty loud to say the least.
Photos taken just after a dirt/tarmac trackday at Trax...
Note the marks on the exhaust where the tyre has been hitting it...
