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  #1  
Old 30 Aug 2005
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XR650L in Europe?
Hi guys,

this is my first post here, so I think I need to briefly introduce myself: my name is Francesco, I come from Venice, Italy. My bike is a good old Transalp 600.

Here comes the question: I'd like to try something lighter and simpler. That is: single cylinder, air cooled, carburettor (no injection) and, of course, electric starter.

I still think that Honda are reliable bikes, so I'd like to buy another one. XR650R are imported into my Country and street legal, but they are water cooled, kick starter and very expensive.

The ideal bike would be a XR650L (Dominator engine) but they are not imported into Italy (as far as I know they are not imported into any of the other EU Countries any more).

Does anybody know if there is a way to import the 650L (from the US or Australia?) into Europe, register it and ride it with no "bureaucratic problems" (street legal)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ciao!

Francesco
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  #2  
Old 30 Aug 2005
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Hi Francesco -

The easiest would be to look for one in Europe that has already been imported, and then re-register it for Italy. I don't know about the policies involved, as every country is very different... but there are lots of XR650Ls around, they have been made since 1991 I think. If I were you I would look on eBay for the whole of Europe.

For new import ideas, I would advise using the (friendly I think) dealer that the Desert Riders people used. Although prices in the USA willl be cheaper now, with the weak dollar. Maybe go to the US, buy one in a crate from a dealer and ship it home yourself?

The other two options you have are better, I think. They are to strip-down a Dominator (easy, and there are lots of cheap Dommies in Italy and Spain), or to fit an NX650 engine in an old XR600R chassis (hey presto - an XR650L!). The latter will only give problems with the neutral switch wiring and the battery location - solution is a small gel-battery in the XR6 airbox.

Hope this helps.

PS > You could probably buy a good Dommie AND an XR600R for the cost of a prepared XR650L. So how much money do you have?
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  #3  
Old 30 Aug 2005
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Thanks for your answer, POB!

It seems there's no easy and cheap way to get that bike (new) in Italy. Unfortunately we have to face the European gas emission laws...

The XR600/Dominator mix you suggested is quite common here in Italy. I took it into consideration but then, due to the fact
that you have to spend a lot of time to find two bikes in good condition (and a decent mechanic, I could not do the job myself),
that you mix two "old" bikes (they stopped selling them in Italy in 1999, I think),
that you are not sure about the result (possible mechanical problems),
that the bike won't be properly street legal (600cc>650cc if you replace the whole engine) and
that I'd like to get a new bike
I decided that this was not an option for me... but maybe I'm wrong, and it could be the solution...

Uff...

F
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  #4  
Old 31 Aug 2005
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you can get them secondhand over here. or through western australia, but the other australian and american dealers refused to ship to the UK due to local rules etc.

there's one in London at the moment: this link should work for a couple of days ...
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/nav?ac...ultsPerPage=20
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  #5  
Old 31 Aug 2005
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1995 HONDA XR650
Price: £1850 Mileage:14000m
Honda XR650L 1995/M, 14000m, excellent condition, electric start model, T+T, ?1850, also 1.5 Kawasaki AR125 engines ?60, 07833-161778, DALBEATTIE
Ad Ref: 3032885 PRIVATE
Telephone: 07833-161778

Nothing to do with me - is this the same one as Rich Lees posted?
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  #6  
Old 1 Sep 2005
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Fran
Sounds good,ask for a few pictures or fly to foggy London!
Saludos
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  #7  
Old 7 Sep 2005
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Thank you guys for your help!

Unfortunately, I think that the "English solution" (fly to England, buy a XRL and register it in Italy)" is too complex, not very cheap due to the pound/euro change, and maybe impossible (will I be able to register it?).

Uff, let’s see if the next motorshows (Paris, Milan) will bring some good news...

Ciao

Francesco
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  #8  
Old 7 Sep 2005
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Fran -

Why don't you ask around in the Rallye community in Italy? Loads of them do the PD and others, so you miight be able to buy someone's old race bike and convert it for touring?

There was a factory-assembled BMW Paris-Dakar veteran bike in France for sale recently, and Lambeth here in the UK occasionally has prepped XR400Rs and KTMs for sale...

Another plan for you!
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  #9  
Old 7 Sep 2005
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Hi POB,

thanks for the suggestion. It is an option I have already considered, and a very inviting one indeed! A guy offered me an "Africa ready" (he said so) Suzuki DR BIG, for example, but - I thought - will a bike that has done races be reliable? It is possible, but not very probable!

F
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