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Custom Honda NX650 Dominator by HB-Custom
It’s hard to deny the allure of a rally motorcycle. Every inch of it is built to perform, and every part on it serves a specific function. Add it all up, and it’s a total vibe; the very definition of form following function.

It’s little wonder then, that many modern adventure bikes take styling cues from purpose-built rally machines. And why the aftermarket is loaded with parts to convert dirt bikes into rally bikes—either to actually race them, or to simply make them more suitable for dual-sport use.

Custom Honda NX650 Dominator by HB-Custom

This custom 1989 Honda NX650 Dominator, from Holger Breur at HB-Custom in Germany, was built to do a little bit of everything. It’s the second Dominator that Holger has done up in this style, both with the specific purpose of tackling the Trans Euro Trail.

The Trans Euro Trail is an 80,000 km [49,710 mile] adventure riding route, 64 percent of which occurs on dirt roads. It’s a virtual navigation rally of sorts—participants can download free GPS routes, stretching from the Arctic Circle all the way to Africa, and tackle them at their leisure, bit by bit. And this Honda looks perfect for it.

Custom Honda NX650 Dominator by HB-CustomRead More

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By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: Dominate all trails: HB-Custom’s rally-style Honda NX650
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/honda-nx650-dominator-rally
Published Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2023 17:01:21 +0000

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2023 250cc to 400cc Dual Sport Motorcycles for Sale

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We’ve covered the street bikes in the 2023 250cc to 400cc Motorcycles for Sale article but what if your riding extends past pavement? Enter our “2023 250cc to 400cc Dual Sport Motorcycles for Sale” write-up. This list includes 250 to 400cc dual sports from the Big Four (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha) and other dirt bike aficionados like Beta, KTM, and Husqvarna that are available in 2023.

If you’re searching for a dual sport with a smaller engine than the ones listed here, check out do-it-all bikes like Yamaha’s TW200, Honda’s new XR150L, and Kawasaki’s KLX230 and KLX230S. Want a dual sport with a larger engine size instead? You have even more choices then: KTM has the 500 EXC-F/Six Days and 690 Enduro R; Honda has its CRF450RL and XR650L; Beta has the 430 RR-S and 500 RR-S; Husqvarna has the FE 501s and 701 Enduro; GasGas jumps into the ring with its ES 700; then Suzuki has its DR650S and Kawasaki has its extensive KLR650 fleet.

2023 Beta 350 RR-S

The Beta 350 RR-S is equipped with a 15-tooth front sprocket and 48-tooth rear sprocket, but it also comes with a 13-tooth front sprocket for off-road use and better off-the-line acceleration.
The Beta 350 RR-S is equipped with a 15-tooth front sprocket and 48-tooth rear sprocket, but it also comes with a 13-tooth front sprocket for off-road use and better off-the-line acceleration. (Beta/)

Beta’s 350 RR-S roves up and down the trails with a liquid-cooled DOHC 349cc four-stroke engine. This engine is fuel injected and is fired to life with an electric start (with a backup kickstart option). In addition to the “magic button,” there’s also push-button traction control and a Trail Tech Voyager GPS as standard equipment. According to Beta, this GPS system has downloadable trail maps, altitude readings, engine temperature and outside temperature readings, a tripmeter, hourmeter, and much more to help you on your adventures.

Its 48mm Sachs Open Cartridge fork (which has revised internals for 2023) offers 11.6 inches of travel and is adjustable for compression, rebound, and preload. The aluminum-body Sachs shock has an 11.4-inch stroke and has rebound and high/low-speed compression adjustability. The revised fork internals and other changes for 2023 350 RR-S have been thoroughly covered by our sister brand, Dirt Rider, so mosey over to that resource for more info.

2023 Beta 350 RR-S Price: $11,499

2023 Beta 390 RR-S

Stepping up to the 390 RR-S gets you more cubic centimeters, but both the 350 RR-S and 390 RR-S drink from the same sized fuel tank (2.4 gallons).
Stepping up to the 390 RR-S gets you more cubic centimeters, but both the 350 RR-S and 390 RR-S drink from the same sized fuel tank (2.4 gallons). (Beta/)

For only $100 more, there’s the Beta 390 RR-S. The four-stroke’s engine displacement increases to 386cc, which is a unique displacement for the class. Beta’s 390 RR-S has an 88mm bore and 63.4mm stroke and a 12.5:1 compression ratio and, according to Dirt Rider’s 2019 review, they found that this engine made good and consistent torque and smooth power. The engine is electronically fuel injected with a 42mm throttle body with dual injectors, is tuned like the off-road-only RR models in Beta’s lineup, and has two different engine maps. Like the 350 RR-S, the 390 also comes with traction control, a Trail Tech Voyager GPS, and an electric start.

Suspension, wheels, and brakes are the same as the 350 RR-S. Suspension, you have just read about in the 350 RR-S entry, but the Maxxis Enduro tires are looped on 21- and 18-inch wheels (front/rear) and brakes include a 260mm floating front disc and 240mm rear disc. The wheelbase (58.7 inches), seat height (37 inches), ground clearance (12.6 inches), and wet weight without fuel (241 pounds) are the same across the board as well.

2023 Beta 390 RR-S Price: $11,599

2023 Honda CRF300L/LS/Rally

Honda has three dual sports in this category: the CRF300L (top left), the new low-seat-height version, the CRF300LS (top right), and the Dakar-inspired CRF300L Rally (bottom).
Honda has three dual sports in this category: the CRF300L (top left), the new low-seat-height version, the CRF300LS (top right), and the Dakar-inspired CRF300L Rally (bottom).

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By: Serena McKnight
Title: 2023 250cc to 400cc Dual Sport Motorcycles for Sale
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/250cc-400cc-dual-sport-motorcycles-for-sale/
Published Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:59:16 +0000

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EXIF Picks: Rad Relics from Mecum’s John Parham Collection

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Vincent Black Shadow Drag Bike

It’s not everyday that you can bid on museum-caliber bikes, and Mecum’s upcoming auction at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, is full of heavy hitters. The collection hits the market from the estate of John Parham, who founded J&P Cycles with his wife Jill in 1979. Having amassing one of the best private motorcycle collections in the country, John unfortunately passed away in 2017, and 300 of his bikes will be finding new homes.

With everything from road-racing Harleys, hill climb bikes and trick European racers in the collection, there’s plenty to see. Mecum is hosting the sale September 6th through the 9th, and if you’re in the midwest, do us a favor and bring one of the following bikes home—preferably the XRTT.

Harley-Davidson XRTT 750

1971 Harley-Davidson XRTT The XRTT 750 is the most beautiful road-going Harley ever built, that’s a scientific fact. Okay, it’s more like an educated opinion backed by sources, but I welcome your challenges in the comment section. A road-racing version of the wildly successful XR750 flat tracker, the XRTT is a stunning, purpose-built piece of Milwaukee iron.

Harley’s KR750 was a dominant force in flat track racing, so why wouldn’t it work on pavement? Back in the 1960s, you could modify your KR for asphalt through HD’s parts catalog, or buy a factory-built KRTT and go racing in AMA Class C.

Harley-Davidson XRTT 750Read More

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By: Dean Larson
Title: EXIF Picks: Rad Relics from Mecum’s John Parham Collection
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/mecums-parham-collection
Published Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2023 17:00:43 +0000

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2023 Yamaha XSR900

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The Yamaha XSR900 is unchanged for 2023 but got a slight price bump to $10,199.
The Yamaha XSR900 is unchanged for 2023 but got a slight price bump to $10,199. (Yamaha Motor Europe/)

Ups

Loaded with features you’d expect on a much more expensive motorcycleHigh-quality fit and finish2022′s updates add refinement to an already-great package

Downs

Lack of compression damping adjustability on the rear shock limits performanceSeat adds to the look but too thin for longer rides

Verdict

The XSR900 combines YZF-R1-derived rider aids, a soulful three-cylinder engine, and stand-out styling. At $10,199, it undercuts the price of the competition while providing higher-tech rider aids and more features.

Yamaha borrowed design cues from its early-to-mid-’80s GP machines for its latest-generation XSR. The smooth, elongated tank feels just right with your knees tucked into the pockets, and Legend Blue paint looks amazing in the sunlight.
Yamaha borrowed design cues from its early-to-mid-’80s GP machines for its latest-generation XSR. The smooth, elongated tank feels just right with your knees tucked into the pockets, and Legend Blue paint looks amazing in the sunlight. (Adam Campbell/)

Overview

The 2023 Yamaha XSR900 is a mashup of the decades. It’s like a 1980s endurance racer was stolen from the paddock at Bol d’Or, left for dead in a French lockup until it was unearthed in the ‘90s by some punk kid who stripped it of its bodywork and turned it into a streetfighter, and then sold it to a genius hacker in the 2020s who tore out its carbs and implanted it with the latest superbike-derived electronics.

While some manufacturers give their retro-styled bikes minimal rider aids, believing potentially nostalgic consumers prefer a closer proximity to an analog experience, Yamaha has gone the opposite route in order to expand the bike’s appeal. In the same way, by diverging from the aggressive styling of the MT-09, upon which the XSR is based, Yamaha is hoping it appeals to a breadth of riders—from style-conscious young people nostalgic for the glory days to golden-agers who love the styling of their youths but have no patience for fiddling with carb jets.

Updated for 2022, the XSR is based heavily on the latest MT-09, sharing the same engine, electronics, and main frame, but it uses a longer swingarm, a different subframe, and has a few other changes to distinguish itself.

The XSR900 packs lots of technology, an engaging crossplane three-cylinder engine, and a dynamic-handling chassis into a cool, retro-leaning package. At $10,199, it has tremendous bang for the buck.

The XSR900 is a more refined package than the first generation, but it still knows how to have a good time.
The XSR900 is a more refined package than the first generation, but it still knows how to have a good time. (Adam Campbell/)

Updates for 2023

The XSR900 is unchanged for 2023, having just had a major overhaul for 2022.

Pricing and Variants

The 2023 XSR900 costs $10,199.

Competition

The XSR900 competes on the spec sheet with nakeds like Yamaha’s own MT-09 ($9,799), the Ducati Monster, Kawasaki Z900 ($9,399), Triumph Street Triple 765 R ($9,995), or even KTMs; there’s the KTM 790 Duke ($9,199) and 890 Duke R ($12,949).

That said, the growing popularity of retro motorcycles has spawned a large selection of modern, yet classically styled, machines. Examples include the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 ($12,895), Honda CB1000R Black Edition ($12,999), Kawasaki Z900RS ($11,949), and the BMW R nineT ($15,945).

Not only is the XSR900 less expensive than all of those models, it’s also better equipped with cruise control, a quickshifter, and full-LED lighting. It also has more advanced IMU-managed rider aids.

Almost every part of Yamaha’s 890cc three-cylinder engine was revamped in 2021, from the pistons and connecting rods to the crankshaft, camshafts, and crankcase. Ultimately, that’s the engine Yamaha would use in the XSR900 starting in 2022.Read More

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By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 Yamaha XSR900
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/yamaha/xsr900/
Published Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2023 21:16:22 +0000

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