Honda Announces The XR650L Dual-Sport Motorcycle’s Return For 2023

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Honda says the on- and off-road XR650L’s Baja heritage guides its design, which is rugged, simple, and time-tested. (Photo courtesy of Honda.)

Fans old and new will continue to be able to buy a new Honda XR650L in its clean-looking, white-on-black color scheme for 2023. The popular, long-running, on- and off-road bike is available with white bodywork as well as black rims, seat, tool bag, and fork boots.

For many years, the XR650L has served riders well both on the trail and as a city commuter. This year’s model should become available by the end of the month.

The Honda XR650L

Honda says the XR650L’s Baja heritage guides its design, which is rugged, simple, and time-tested. It has a strong steel frame and a long-travel suspension for off-road use, but also turn signals, side mirrors, a speedometer, and a license plate light for street-legal driving in the city. An electric push-button starter and maintenance-free, sealed battery make for easy starts even in cold weather, and factory handguards make the ride more comfortable in the woods or poor weather. Folding foot pegs and a grab strap are in place when you want to bring a passenger along.

The XR650L’s four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine uses Honda’s patented Radial Four-Valve Combustion Chamber for fuel efficiency and a broad powerband. A 1.67-inch (42.4-millimeter), diaphragm-type, constant-velocity carburetor delivers the motor’s fuel and air mixture. The engine has a dry-sump design that uses the backbone of the frame to store the engine oil (and act as a de facto oil cooler). This type of lubrication system eliminates the need for an oil pan, which adds ground clearance and removes a component vulnerable to damage on the trail. The bike also has a five-speed transmission, multi-plate clutch, and an O-ring-sealed #520 chain drive.

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The XR650L’s four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine uses Honda’s patented Radial Four-Valve Combustion Chamber for fuel efficiency and a broad powerband. (Photo courtesy of Honda.)

Dual-Purpose Suspension

The XR650L has a 21-in. (533-mm) front wheel with a 3.00-21 tire and an 18-in. (457-mm) rear wheel with a 4.60-18 tire. Its suspension supplies 11.6 and 11 inches (295 and 279 millimeters) of respective front and rear travel. The bike’s Showa front cartridge fork is a 43-mm, air-adjustable unit with 16 compression-damping positions. At the rear of the motorcycle is a spring-preload Pro-Link Showa shock with a remote reservoir. The Pro-Link has 20 positions each of compression- and rebound-damping levels.

The XR650L has a wheelbase of 57.3 in. (1,455 mm) and a height of 37 in. (940 mm) at its long, MX-style seat. Its drilled, single-disc brake rotors measure 10.1 in. (256 mm) on the front wheel and 8.7 in. (220 mm) out back. The front brake caliper has a twin-piston design. The XR650L weighs 346 pounds (157 kilograms) with all fluids onboard.

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Source: Honda