680R 2.0: Honda XR650R Scrambler

When Pigs Fly: Parr Motorcycles’ XR680R Scrambler…  

Introduced in 1999, the Honda XR650R — aka Big Red Pig (BRP) — was destined to become a legend, winning eight consecutive runnings of the Baja 1000. The liquid-cooled open-class dirt bike was an evolution of the air-cooled XR600R — a legend in its own right. 

“In the February, 2000 print issue of Dirt Bike, we tested what would go down in history as the greatest Baja bike ever built: the liquid-cooled XR650R…” –Dirt Bike, 2024

The 650R boasted an aluminum frame, liquid-cooling, and new KYB suspension. With the competition “Power-Up” kit installed, the bike made a stout 55 horsepower, good for nearly 100 mph wide open in top gear across the desert. But Honda wanted to maintain the reliability of the XR series, so there were no finicky throttle position sensors, computer chips, or even double overhead cams — apparently, just making the bike liquid-cooled was controversial at Honda.

The 650R was never street-legal in production trim, which makes it fairly rare as a donor in the customs world. But our buddy Spencer Parr of Parr Motorcycles has blown our minds more than once with his XR-R builds, including his RS750-inspired street tracker and the original XR680R scrambler he built for himself, from a bare frame.

Frame to Fame: Honda XR680R Scrambler

Now he’s back with “version 2.0” of his 680R scrambler, and it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping — a highly potent scrambler with the nostalgic red and blue of the 80s XR machines.

“The owner sent me this bike all the way from Texas with the goal to build it into a big-bore scrambler for the road. Based off my first 680R scrambler I built a couple years ago, this is version 2.0, and my favorite bike build to date… The goal was to build an updated version of my first 680R and make it better in every way!”

Spencer has certainly delivered. There’s a custom removable subframe with electronics box, XL500 tank, CRF250R forks lowered 1″ and rebuilt by Race Tech, Scotts steering stabilizer, 19″ / 17″ Dubya wheelset, custom aluminum radiator holders for the Trail Tech fans, Garmin GPS speedometer, and Spencer even hand-polished the frame himself.

Hired Guns Paint — Spencer’s go-to painter — laid down the nostalgia-heavy paint scheme. The color combo couldn’t be more perfect for a machine that pays homage to the XR lineage while standing at the sharp end of custom motorcycle design.

Incredible work, Spencer. We have to say we’re a little jealous of the owner, and we can’t wait to see version 3.0!

In the Builder’s Words… 

This is a 2002 Honda XR650R Scrambler build that I just finished. The owner sent me this bike all the way from Texas with the goal to build it into a big-bore scrambler for the road. Based off my first 680R scrambler I built a couple years ago, this is version 2.0, and my favorite bike build to date!

Flashback a couple years ago. I just completed my very own 680R Scrambler for the road and it gained some traction on social media. Soon after, I was sent another XR650R from someone that wanted their very own 680R. When I got the bike, it had been sitting for a while and was a little rough around the edges. The goal was to build an updated version of my first 680R and make it better in every way!

To start the build process, everything that wasn’t needed for the build was disassembled and packed away. The first part of the build was the tank. The tank I chose for the 680R builds are the Honda XL500 tank. Finding one in good condition is always a challenge, but I found one and it fit like a glove. Only modifications I needed to make to the tank was to replace the petcock inlet with one that accepts a ¼” petcock.

Once the tank was mounted, the next part is making a new removable subframe from aluminum. Subframes are still my favorite thing to make, and I wanted this one to be the best one yet. For the design, I wanted it to mimic the original 680R, but a little more streamlined. After many long hours, it all came together nicely. I also added an electronics box and license plate holder as well. Still one of my favorite subframes to date.

For suspension, it uses Honda CRF250R front forks and triples and the stock rear shock. The front forks were lowered 1” and rebuilt by Racetech. The rear shock had already been rebuilt and sprung for the rider’s weight, so a fresh coat of powder is all it needed.

For the risers, it uses a BRP riser set to mount the Scotts steering stabilizer. Like mine, an aluminum rod was welded to the main frame to work with the steering stabilizer.

After the fork conversion, the wheels were up next. It uses the same setup as the original 680R. The front wheel is a 19” and the rear is a 17” wrapped in Shinko 705 tires. Blue rims and hubs built by Dubya.

Up next was the fenders. The front fender is a Honda SL175 front fender and the rear fender I made out of aluminum. The rear fender also has the taillight integrated into the lower portion of the fender. The rear fender is one of my favorite parts of the bike!

I also made a splash guard from aluminum to help protect the goods and bring some color to the swingarm.

For the radiators, new aluminum mounts were made to extend the radiators out and away from the new tank. Radiator covers were made to hold the Trail Tech fans and wrap around the radiator to add some color.

Like my bike, I modified the radiator guards to mount the LED running/turn lights. They sit just inside the radiator covers and add a unique touch to the build. These covers are one of the hardest pieces to build but always look great, especially with the lights!

For the skid plate, I bought a used aluminum skid plate off eBay and refinished it. I then added a piece at the top to make it look more complete.

The exhaust was up next. Similar in styling to the original 680R, it’s a custom 2-into-1 exhaust that uses a Cone engineering style muffler. Made from stainless, it goes from 1.5” to 1.75” in the rear. It looks great and sounds even better!

The last part before paint was to make the seat. Seats for the 680Rs are always tricky cause the tank sits lower than the top of the subframe, so the front part of the seat has to be in line with the bottom of the tank. The seat is made from aluminum and uses a hood latch that mounts to the bottom of the electronics tray.

After the seat was made, the bike was stripped down. In came the hardest part of the build. For my original 680R, I hand-polished the frame myself and cleared it. For this one, the owner wanted a brushed look instead of being polished. So, after many hours of sanding and using a ton of scotch pads, I finally got it to that brushed aluminum finish the owner wanted. It took forever but looks great!

The motor was sent to my engine builder and bored out to a 680, just like mine.

For paint, the owner wanted it to be red and blue with the classic Honda Logo to match. It uses the same paint scheme as the original 680R but different colors. Hired Guns Paint knocked it out of the park like always! He also cleared the brushed aluminum frame and subframe as well.

After the paint the bike started to come together and soon came the electronics, everyone’s favorite part. For signals, it uses the Motogadget Motoscope Blaze Tens in the rear and LED strips in the front. For the front signals, they sit just inside the rad cover mounted to the rad guards. One of my favorite parts of the bike for sure.

The rear taillight is integrated into the rear fender to give it more of a cleaner look. Like my 680R, the bike runs the Garmin GPS that also doubles as the speedometer.

The headlight is a Hella 9” that now runs an LED bulb. Both rad fans are from Trail Tech. For the wiring, I have my own 680R diagram that I build from scratch. All the wiring on the handlebars are ran though the bars to make the handlebars less cluttered.

I absolutely love the way this bike turned out! With the goal of building a better version of the original 680R, I am proud to say I achieved it. It looks great and rides amazing. Thank everyone for following along. I wonder what version 3.0 will look like?!

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