Spirit of the 80s: Honda XR600R Dakar

From ZZMoto: Cyril Neveu-inspired XR600R… 

French racer Cyril Neveu is an off-road legend, best known for winning the Paris Dakar Rally five times in the motorcycle class: 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, and 1987. As the race matured, it received official FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) and began to inspire a whole new category of “adventure bikes.”

“In Europe and especially in France and Italy, to modify popular dual-purpose motorcycles and to ride across borders, cultures, and to another continent was a new approach and gathered huge attention. Rally-inspired modifications became popular and customized dual-purpose motorcycles started to appear in motorcycle shops making this unique event even more popular.” –Honda Racing Corporation

In 1982, Neveu gave Honda their first Paris Dakar victory on a modified Honda XR500, and the image of Neveu and his machine would be seared into a whole generation of Honda fans and riders.

Enter our friend Claudio Pedraza of Spain’s ZZMoto — a restorer and customizer with an affinity for air-cooled enduro and rally bikes, which he loves to take on extended routes through the Pyrenees mountains that straddle the border of France and Spain. Examples include his XR600R “Pyrenees Pony” and gorgeous Yamaha XT500 resto.

When Claudio picked up this ’95 XR600R — one of the most iconic, long-lived dirt bikes ever produced — it was in decent shape, but he decided to rebuild the engine for maximum reliability.

“Nothing too serious, but since the bike was intended for mountain routes, I wanted to give it back the reliability typical of this model. It’s never nice to be surprised by a lack of performance or a mechanical problem in the middle of the mountains.” -Claudio

Claudio was still on-course on course to do a light restoration of the original machine until he disassembled the chassis. At this point, he was struck by the idea of painting the frame red — just like Neveu’s ’82 race bike:

“That was the exact point where the emotion began to overcome me and the memory of Cyril Neveu’s legendary Honda XR500, winner of the 1982 Paris Dakar, became present. At that moment I started working on that new idea.”

Claudio says he didn’t intend to build an all-out tribute bike, but to be inspired by Neveu’s Honda 500 rally bike. He picked up an oversize XL600LM limited edition tank, molded up and laid down a fiberglass seat base, and augmented the XR600R headlight with a Hella long-race unit.

Other highlights include UFO fenders, aluminum bashplate and handguards, and the restoration of many smaller parts.

“My admiration for those first Paris Dakars were the motivators of this work, with the idea of ​​putting a good part of that adventurous spirit of the eighties into a somewhat more modern, reliable, renewed motorcycle, suitable for long days of driving connecting with nature.”

If the Honda XL600LM (aka “XLM”) was the limited edition Dakar-inspired production model, this bike might be the more aggressive “XR600LM” version, plated for the road but with significantly more suspension travel (+2.5-3″), ground clearance (+2.8″), lighter weight (-45 lbs), and true off-road spirit.

Enjoy the mountains, Claudio!

Honda XR600: In the Builder’s Words…

(Translated by us from the original Spanish.)

With great joy I went back to work on a 1995 Honda XR600R, this time with the idea of ​​a simple restoration. The bike was not bad at all, so the initial approach was to do a thorough mechanical check and a very small aesthetic recovery. At that moment I didn’t know that later my enthusiasm would take me to another destination.

The engine consumed a little oil, had some small leaks and a small whine typical of crankshaft bearings. Nothing too serious, but since the bike was intended for mountain routes, I wanted to give it back the reliability typical of this model. It’s never nice to be surprised by a lack of performance or a mechanical problem in the middle of the mountains.

When I had the engine open on the work table, I discovered that it was suffering some wear but that it had not been abused, which was very good news, so to the classic list of parts that are usually replaced in these jobs. I decided to add some more including the connecting rod. With all this I would have a very reliable engine.

The initial idea of ​​just doing a restoration changed course by having the chassis disassembled. I started thinking about painting it red. That was the exact point where the emotion began to overcome me and the memory of Cyril Neveu’s legendary Honda XR500, winner of the 1982 Paris Dakar, became present. At that moment I started working on that new idea.

I had no intention of building a tribute motorcycle to that wonderful XR500, but to be inspired by it. It was a pretty simple job. I got a gas tank from a Honda XL600LM that, in addition to giving it character, would give it greater autonomy on mountain routes.

Before painting the chassis with powder paint, I had to do some welding for the mounts of the new tank. The adjustment was quite simple. With the tank already in place I began to build the fiberglass seat base and adapt the original side covers. Incredibly — with just those three modifications — the bike was already different, it had gained personality.

I put on some red UFO brand fenders. An aluminum crankcase cover would be responsible for protecting the engine and lower part of the chassis. For front lighting I used a universal headlight copy of the American XR600 model combined with a Hella brand long-range headlight. Black aluminum handguards completed the front of the bike.

Before completely reassembling it, I dedicated myself to restoring and painting small parts such as footpegs, stock exhaust pipe, and swingarm, which would be in black.

My admiration for those first Paris Dakars were the motivators of this work, with the idea of ​​putting a good part of that adventurous spirit of the eighties into a somewhat more modern, reliable, renewed motorcycle, suitable for long days of driving connecting with nature. Finally I was very satisfied with the result. Now all that remains is to enjoy it on mountain roads.

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