The History of Honda's XR350R and XR400R 1983-2004

tblazier
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tblazier
Edited Date/Time 12/18/2020 9:09am
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Red66
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Red66 12/16/2020 12:21pm
12/16/2020 12:21pm Edited Date/Time 12/16/2020 3:26pm
Thanks for posting that! Very informative!!

I am working on an ‘83 XR350 right now. Does anyone know if there is a shock from a newer bike that fits?
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queen of spodes 12/16/2020 2:22pm
12/16/2020 2:22pm Edited Date/Time 12/16/2020 2:23pm
Red66 wrote:
Thanks for posting that! Very informative!! I am working on an ‘83 XR350 right now. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/12/16/466131/s1200_BFE8A635_29E8_4BB5_A110_600EEBBF0256.jpg[/img]Does anyone know if there is a shock from a newer...
Thanks for posting that! Very informative!!

I am working on an ‘83 XR350 right now. Does anyone know if there is a shock from a newer bike that fits?
I don't know but rode both XR350 and XR400 a few times back in the day they were fun comfy, cushy bikes. The digital speedo on the 85 XR350/600 was pretty trick for the time.

I am also working on a DR125se project, also looking for a shock alternative. What eventually led me to an answer was to search google using a domain + keywords. So in the google search box use something like site:advrider.com XR350 shock upgrade or like
site:thumpertalk.com XR350 shock upgrade

I also had luck asking around in several DR125/200 specific FB groups. There are probably some big ones for the XR350/500/600. Be sure to use the search box in those groups once you get in. If you can't find anything then post away, but prepare yourself for a lot of bs replies to sort through.
Forty
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Forty 12/16/2020 2:49pm
12/16/2020 2:49pm
tblazier wrote:
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Thanks for posting this. Good stuff.
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stangkag
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stangkag 12/16/2020 3:09pm
12/16/2020 3:09pm Edited Date/Time 12/16/2020 3:11pm
Love these old thumpers, putting a pumper carb on them is a must but after that just enjoy lazy maintenance schedules and bikes that will never quit!

The Shop

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stangkag
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stangkag 12/16/2020 3:10pm
12/16/2020 3:10pm

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nickm
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nickm 12/16/2020 5:47pm
12/16/2020 5:47pm
The XR lineup is what's missing in todays dirt bike world. They were easy to buy, affordable AND desirable.
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Yeti831
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Yeti831 12/16/2020 5:57pm
12/16/2020 5:57pm Edited Date/Time 12/16/2020 5:58pm
As much as I want to get a 125 after I finish building the kxf, I’m so tempted to hunt down an xr400.

Best trail bike I’ve ever ridden. Plus you just do cams and an exhaust on them, they get decently peppy and are still bulletproof 🤌
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stangkag
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stangkag 12/16/2020 6:16pm
12/16/2020 6:16pm
Yeti831 wrote:
As much as I want to get a 125 after I finish building the kxf, I’m so tempted to hunt down an xr400. Best trail bike...
As much as I want to get a 125 after I finish building the kxf, I’m so tempted to hunt down an xr400.

Best trail bike I’ve ever ridden. Plus you just do cams and an exhaust on them, they get decently peppy and are still bulletproof 🤌
Yes sir I did the 440 kit, stage 1 hotcam and fmf exhaust with a pumper carb and its one of the best bikes ive ever ridden or owned!
Racerx930
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Racerx930 12/16/2020 7:13pm
12/16/2020 7:13pm
I raced this one at a "Vintage" national last month.
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Munson'd
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Munson'd 12/16/2020 7:52pm
12/16/2020 7:52pm
I fucking love my xr400


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G-man
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G-man 12/16/2020 8:30pm
12/16/2020 8:30pm
15 years ago I bought a clean XR400 that was my FIRST Dualsport bike and I've been hooked on DS ever since.

My First LA-to BARSTOW to VEGAS event was quite an adventure and I did a Picture story that ended up in the D-37 magazine and in the Motodrive Hall of Fame.

https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Hall-of-Fame,25/LA-to-Barstow-to-VEGAS-or-…

Great machine wish I still had her...

FlickitFlat 12/16/2020 9:01pm
12/16/2020 9:01pm
That was pretty good. I really enjoy your video's. I never rode a 400. I had a friend that had a 600 and also a 650 street legal model. We had a lot of fun on them. I never cared for 4 stroke vs a 2 stroke and they were not my thing but they were a fun bike. I basically responded because of nostalgia. Honda and other manufactures offered so much in bikes in the 80's and early 90's. XR, XL, CR, lights tool bag on the fender. I always looked at is as the CR's were the bad asses of the group. Almost like a competition. I remember when 4 strokes came around. I was so pissed at Honda. I wanted to see this new bad ass XR 4 stroke that was finally as good as or better than the CR. Well they named the damn things CRF's. WTF. That's an XR bro. lol
Suicidal_Tendencies 12/16/2020 9:35pm
12/16/2020 9:35pm
Red66 wrote:
Thanks for posting that! Very informative!! I am working on an ‘83 XR350 right now. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/12/16/466131/s1200_BFE8A635_29E8_4BB5_A110_600EEBBF0256.jpg[/img]Does anyone know if there is a shock from a newer...
Thanks for posting that! Very informative!!

I am working on an ‘83 XR350 right now. Does anyone know if there is a shock from a newer bike that fits?
Love your XRs, Red66.
MelonFan123
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MelonFan123 12/16/2020 9:47pm
12/16/2020 9:47pm
G-man wrote:
15 years ago I bought a clean XR400 that was my FIRST Dualsport bike and I've been hooked on DS ever since. My First LA-to BARSTOW...
15 years ago I bought a clean XR400 that was my FIRST Dualsport bike and I've been hooked on DS ever since.

My First LA-to BARSTOW to VEGAS event was quite an adventure and I did a Picture story that ended up in the D-37 magazine and in the Motodrive Hall of Fame.

https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Hall-of-Fame,25/LA-to-Barstow-to-VEGAS-or-…

Great machine wish I still had her...

Ha! My folks have that exact same picture hanging in their hallway of my dad from the B to V that same year. On his XR400 😆
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G-man
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G-man 12/16/2020 9:55pm
12/16/2020 9:55pm
G-man wrote:
15 years ago I bought a clean XR400 that was my FIRST Dualsport bike and I've been hooked on DS ever since. My First LA-to BARSTOW...
15 years ago I bought a clean XR400 that was my FIRST Dualsport bike and I've been hooked on DS ever since.

My First LA-to BARSTOW to VEGAS event was quite an adventure and I did a Picture story that ended up in the D-37 magazine and in the Motodrive Hall of Fame.

https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Hall-of-Fame,25/LA-to-Barstow-to-VEGAS-or-…

Great machine wish I still had her...

MelonFan123 wrote:
Ha! My folks have that exact same picture hanging in their hallway of my dad from the B to V that same year. On his XR400...
Ha! My folks have that exact same picture hanging in their hallway of my dad from the B to V that same year. On his XR400 😆
WoW what are the odds of that!!! Woohoo
Yeti831
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Yeti831 12/16/2020 10:14pm
12/16/2020 10:14pm
stangkag wrote:
Yes sir I did the 440 kit, stage 1 hotcam and fmf exhaust with a pumper carb and its one of the best bikes ive ever...
Yes sir I did the 440 kit, stage 1 hotcam and fmf exhaust with a pumper carb and its one of the best bikes ive ever ridden or owned!
I completely forgot about the 440s.

How does the power with a cammed 440 compare to an uncorkered xr600?
Yeti831
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Yeti831 12/16/2020 10:18pm
12/16/2020 10:18pm Edited Date/Time 12/16/2020 10:21pm
P.s. since this thread woke up a bug with a few of us, cheers 👍

Not a 400, but I know it’ll be appreciated nonetheless 😎

https://youtu.be/2_pMCICGVWE
1

Pit Row

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shue415
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shue415 12/17/2020 9:53am
12/17/2020 9:53am
I got the first Xr 350 that my dealer got in in 1983
I loved it,but it had serious problems
A month into the spring the shift shaft broke
Dealer had trouble getting parts,they said it was so new,honda didnt have some parts in stock
I got it back after almost 2 months in the shop,about 2 months later ,the countershaft shaft broke inside the cases
Another month and I finally got it back
Traded it in not long after that
The only good thing was both times it was fixed under warranty
stangkag
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stangkag 12/17/2020 11:36am
12/17/2020 11:36am
stangkag wrote:
Yes sir I did the 440 kit, stage 1 hotcam and fmf exhaust with a pumper carb and its one of the best bikes ive ever...
Yes sir I did the 440 kit, stage 1 hotcam and fmf exhaust with a pumper carb and its one of the best bikes ive ever ridden or owned!
Yeti831 wrote:
I completely forgot about the 440s.

How does the power with a cammed 440 compare to an uncorkered xr600?
Truthfully the uncorked 600 still walks the 400 especially on the big end but the 440 is a nice bike. The 440 has alot crisper response and is much more nimble on the trails IMO but the 600 will eat the 440 up in a flat out race in a straight line. The 600s power feels lazy and comes on slower but still has so much displacement and torque it eats up hills! I prefer the 440 on the trails though by a landslide.
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Red66
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Red66 12/18/2020 9:09am
12/18/2020 9:09am
Suicidal_Tendencies wrote:
Love your XRs, Red66.
Thanks Bud!
I’ll post more pics of it as the project progress’s. I just got it insured and tagged again so now it’s a dual sport again. My buddy is restoring the side panels for me and I need to strip and paint the header and the swing arm. I have all new oem replica decals for it and after that it’ll be done. This bike is a rider, not a show piece.
linker48x
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linker48x 12/19/2020 1:11pm
12/19/2020 1:11pm
I had an xr400 for Baja, loved the bike. It’s been awhile but I seem to remember the rear link stiffened the suspension up quite a bit at mid travel, made it feel funny. I think there were links on the market then to fix this. Otherwise, loved the bike.

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