honada slr or fx 650 : ideas, opinions
 

hello,
very happy new year 2006 !

i actually ride a r80g/s pd, after having done a "small not achieved" world tour on
a r100gs for more than 2 years and 70 000 kms.

i m more and more looking at the honda slr or fx 650, for travelling and riding
daily in paris + some off road in the province.
http://www.moto-station.com/article66.html
http://motoplanete.com/honda/FX650.php
(sorry it s in french, it s just to give you an idea of the model, since there
could be some differences between france and england/other countries)

it seems nice, reliable, esay to fix, powerfull enough, air cooled, mono cylinder, only 161 kgs empty tanks so lighter than my g/s (i m
only 1m70, 60 kgs, not very tall and strong) + i don t consider myself as a good
driver :-)

i s less "gadget" than the transalp, less enduro than the xr650, so a good compromise i guess :-)

what s your opinion on this bike ? reliable, easy to fix ? are there any special preparation (i wrote to acerbis and overland prep, waiting for their answers, if you have any other good helpfull contacts) especially for :
- a bigger tank,
- a confy seat,
- racks for the luggage,
- engine protections
- etc ... all that could be perfectible and good for travelling.

i saw no info on this honda model : but maybe some xr650 parts that acerbis/overland prep, others make/sell, can adapt/adjust the honda slr or fx 650.

so before buying one, i d like to know if it s a good bike, if some preparations are available.

thanx for your kind answers
happy trails

Hi Vincent,

The FX and SLR are the same bike, with a few tweaks. They are sold in UK, but rare.

It is basically a detuned stripped-down dominator (NX650), at a low price.

So, on the good side, the engine is solid as a rock. And in this de-tuned state, it should go on forever.

Down side: not much power for a 650. The tank is small. So, it doesn't really cut it as a touring bike for Europe.

Because of the budget low-grade suspension unit and large size, will not be the best for serious off-road. The wheel size is designed for road.

You should have a test ride. See if you like it. I have a friend with one, who hates it: syas it just doesn't work. But that doesn't mean you will feel the same.

But the price is good.

Simon

Simon Kennedy,
thanx for your very clear answer, which confirms what i read.
the advantages and drawbacks you mention are very clear.
the second hand price is quite cheap for the slr or fx 650 here in france : around 2000 euros.
but then, as i read, you need to find adaptable parts to prepare it for a big trip, which is not so common compared to a domi or transalp.
cheers

how on earth can you detune a dominator? is this correct for the FX?
I tried a Dommie and went with the transalp, Dommie is a pain on the road. I'm happy with the alp, if I were to do some riding off road I'd change the suspension, upgrade from hagon? and take off the fairing and I reckon there wouldn't be much in it as long as you hvthe crash bars.