Retromotard: Honda XR650L Supermoto

Rothmans-inspired Retromotard from Parr Motorcycles…  

Back in 2018, we featured the first build from a young Indiana builder named Spencer Parr. The bike? A Suzuki DR650 “Retro-Moto” inspired by the RM motocross models of yesteryear. It can be said of few builders that they’ve created a whole new style of custom bike, but no one else turns back the clock on modern dual-sport and dirt machinery like Parr Motorcycles, transforming machines like the DR650, DR-Z400, and Honda XR650L/R models into nostalgia-inducing “retromotards,” scramblers, and street trackers.

Spencer’s fresh new build is no exception, and it’s based on one of the most trusted workhorses in all motorcycledom: the Honda XR650L. The air-cooled engine can be traced back to the NX650 Dominator, while the chassis comes from the XR600R dirt bike — a winning combination, which has been in production for over 30 years with few changes along the way. 

For this build, the owner sent Spencer the bike and gave him free rein in terms of the design.

“When I got the bike, I knew two things. It was going to be a supermoto build and the paint would be derived from the Honda Rothmans NSR500, my favorite looking bike of all time.”

Spencer gives us the full breakdown of the build below. High points include the custom subframe with one-off electronics box and custom-upholstered @plzbeseated saddle, modified XL350 tank, rebuilt CRF450R forks with RSW Racing triples and a rear shock resprung to the rider’s weight and riding style, 17-inch Warp 9 supermoto wheels with a Honda SL350 front fender and custom-fabbed aluminum rear fender, Lectron carb, 1.75” stainless exhaust with Cone Engineering silencer, Motogadget electronics with internally-routed wiring, and that gorgeous Rothmans-inspired livery courtesy of Hired Guns Paint.

The result is one of the sexiest, most striking air-cooled XR’s we’ve ever seen — a bike that succeeds in being nostalgic and modern, streamlined and highly functional all at once. Bravo, Spencer! Thank you for building these machines and sharing them with the rest of us.

Below, Spencer gives us the full story on the build in his own words.

XR650L Retromotard: In the Builder’s Words… 

This is a 2021 Honda XR650L supermoto build I just completed. The owner sent me the bike a couple of years ago and told me to build something cool. With free rein to design and build the bike how I had imagined, this is that I came up with!

When I got the bike, I knew two things. It was going to be a supermoto build and the paint would be derived from the Honda Rothmans NSR500, my favorite looking bike of all time. After I got the design set in stone, the build started.

The bike was disassembled of all the stuff that was not needed and stored away. The first part of the build process for me is the subframe. So, the old subframe was chopped off and a new one was started. For the new subframe, it uses the existing subframe’s mounting points with slight curves in the supporting arms to make it unique. After that, an electronics box was made and welded in.

After the subframe, the tank was next. Arguably one of the most important design aspects of a build because everything must flow with the tank. With this build, after trying on multiple tanks, I landed on a 1978 Honda XL350 tank. Classic design with a decent size tank.

To make it fit, the mounts on the front of the tank had to be trimmed down, and the rear portion of the tank had to be cut out and molded around the frame. The petcock insert also had to be moved since the underside was cut out to fit over the frame. Two mounts were welded to the neck of the main frame to install the tank.

The suspension was up next. For this build I resprung the stock rear shock to the rider’s weight and riding ability. For the front, it uses RSW Racing triples with 2004 Honda CRF450R forks. The CRF forks were rebuilt and resprung. For wheels, is runs a standard 17” supermoto set made by Warp 9.

After the front forks were installed, next was the fenders. For the front fender it uses my go-to fender which is the 1972 Honda SL350 (aluminum). It has that classic dirt bike look to it and it looks great on anything! The rear fender was made from aluminum, and I also integrated the taillight into the lower portion of the fender. I also made a splash guard that mounts to the swingarm.

For the exhaust, it uses 1.75” stainless tubing from my favorite vendor, Stainless Bros. It’s a 2 into 1 setup with a Cone Engineering muffler I use on most of my builds. The classic look of the cone style muffler is timeless, and they always sound great!

The last part of any build before paint is the seat. It’s made from steel and uses a hood latch setup to lock it in place. Removal is super easy; all you have to do is press the button on the latch and it comes right off. This was powder coated black and sent to Dane Utech (@plzbeseated) for the upholstery.

Paint is the most exciting part of a build because you get to see your idea come to life. I do not use any design software, so everything is derived from the ideas I have in my head. I knew it was going to be based off my favorite looking bikes of all time, the Honda Rothmans NSR500. Hired Guns Paint is who I use, and he always knocks it out of the park. The frame was also painted charcoal and when you get close, it has a slight sparkle to it. It looks great and a good change from a black frame!

After I got everything back from paint, I assembled the bike and got ready for everyone’s favorite part, the wiring. The bike uses the stock wiring harness that was modified to sync with all the electronics that was added. For the speedo, it uses the Motogadget Motoscope Mini with an indicator mounting bracket.

The signals are the Motogadget Blaze Tens minis front and rear. For the headlight, it’s an LED headlight I have used for mockup over the years but unsure of the brand.

All the wiring on the handlebars is run internally to make the handlebar look cleaner. For the carb, it uses the new Lectron carb with a pod style filter. For ease of adjustment and overall performance, Lectron is the one I use for all my builds.

Overall, I love the look and feel of this bike! The owner told me to just build something cool and made this build such an enjoyable experience. Hope the world likes it!

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