Honda XR 600R

How many motorcycles can you name that won Baja 1000 races spanning a 12-year period? Not to mention nine off-road championships and dozens of other major off-road events. Only one motorcycle makes the cut: Honda's mighty XR600R. Honda's off-road four-strokes have been immensely successful in terms of both sales and race wins for decades, and the most successful of them all is the legendary XR600R.

First introduced in 1985, the XR600R could claim the XR500R as its predecessor. That bike, first introduced in 1979, also proved to be a favorite of dirt riders everywhere and amassed racing victories all over the world and in a staggering variety of conditions.

The XR600R introduced a number of key features, not the least of which centered on its engine, a power plant that produced lots of grunty torque as well as class-leading top-end power, all spread over an easy-to-ride, seemingly limitless range. It retained the 500's SOHC four-valve RFVC (Radial Four Valve Combustion Chamber) head for maximum valve area. The XR was fed by twin 28mm Keihin carbs (the same as the 500's except for revised jetting). Spent gasses exited through a new, longer, twin headpipe system and redesigned muffler/spark arrestor.

Transforming the dry-sump motor from a 500 to a 600 required surprisingly few changes. Honda's engineers bored the crankcases to accommodate a 3mm-larger bore, while a new crank yielded 5mm more stroke for dimensions of 97.0 x 80mm and an actual displacement of 591cc. While the 600 obviously didn't need as much compression to gain extra torque (permitting it to run on lower-octane fuel found in out-of-the-way places throughout Baja), the new bike's larger, redesigned valves opened in tapered inlet ports to add mid-range punch.

Like Honda's Baja 1000 race-winning XR500s, the 600 featured recalibrated, longer-travel suspension; a new frame with a stout square-section downtube and aluminum swingarm; and an easy-access, no-tools-required airbox cover. The 160-watt generating system was also a direct result of Baja influence. An innovative electronic enduro meter widened the XR600R's appeal, as it provided accurate tracking of distance, speed and time. Trail riders as well as enduro racers found it useful and, if nothing else, very cool.

The remarkable XR600R made headlines throughout its long model life. It won its first Baja 1000 in 1986 by 45 minutes, thanks to riders Chuck Miller and Bruce Ogilvie (both current and longtime Honda employees). In all, the 600 would win the Baja 1000 four times, the Baja 500 three times, the Nevada Rally once, Barstow-to-Vegas once and more desert races than you can count. It was also amazingly versatile: Scott Summers built his reputation by winning nine AMA National championships contested in the woods (four in Hare Scrambles and five in Grand National Cross Country) on XR600s. Summers also won three gold medals in the International Six Days Enduro-the Olympics of motorcycling-racing against the best enduro racers from every nation on their ground.

Through the years, the XR600R was campaigned in motocross and dirt- track races as well, yet throughout its design evolution it never moved far from its original concept. A single 40mm carb replaced the twin mixers, stainless steel headpipes increased durability, an automatic decompression system made starting the bike easy, 43mm CR-style cartridge fork and revalved shock improved suspension response, while an optional Power-Up Kit increased power by 25 percent through a larger piston and a few other changes. The XR600R also received a rear disc brake to complement the front disc it used from the start.

Most significant, the XR600R provided a springboard for the incredible XR650R introduced in 2000. Like the XR500R before it, the XR600R laid the foundation for an evolutionary leap forward, and inspired innovations in the XR650R, such as an aluminum chassis and liquid-cooled engine. In only its first year, the XR650R posted overall wins in the Baja 1000, Baja 500 and the grueling Nevada 2000.

The XR650R is an amazing machine, but no matter how many records the new XR650R breaks, the XR600R's incredible 15-year off-road reign will never be forgotten.