Home Motorcycle Reviews 2012 Honda XR650 L | Quick Look

2012 Honda XR650 L | Quick Look

By

-

October 9, 2011

2012 Honda Motorcycle

Not a new motorcycle by any means, the XR650L returns to the Honda lineup after a two-year hiatus.

An extremely versatile bike that focuses on the off-road side of dual-sport, the XR650L features ultra-long travel Showa suspension fore and aft (11.6 inches in the front, an even 11 in the rear), along with an impressive 13 inches of ground clearance.

The venerable air-cooled SOHC four-valve motor’s 100mm bore is fed by a 42.5mm CV carb.

Dirt-bike standard 21-inch and 18-inch wheel combination allows the installation of premium off-road tires.

2012 Honda XR650L Quick Stats

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC single
BORE x STROKE: 100mm x 82mm
COMP. RATIO: 8.3:1
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed
WHEELBASE: 57.3 inches
RAKE: 27 degrees
CURB WEIGHT: 346 pounds
PRICE: N/A

For a look into the 2011/2012 motorcycle lineup, check out Ultimate MotorCycling Digital Buyer’s Guide.

Also, if you want stay up to date on the latest in motorcycle news, "Like" Ultimate MotorCycling on Facebook.

LEAVE A REPLY

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Motos and Friends Podcast is brought to you by Insta360. This episode is also brought to you by the 33rd annual Biketoberfest® rally that takes place in the Daytona Beach and Volusia County areas, Florida; on Oct. 16-19.

In our first segment, Don Williams and Kelly Callan discuss the all-new 2025 KTM 390 Adventure R. This is a clean-sheet motorcycle with little in common with its predecessor. The R has a new chassis, larger-displacement engine, and a 21-inch front/18-inch rear wheelset. Looking ready to hit the dirt with its rally-tall windscreen and wire-spoked wheels, the 390 Adventure R still sits in the Travel category, assuring us that KTM didn’t lose track of the pavement experience as the new model is prepped for off-road detours. In KTM’s extensive 390 lineup, the new Adventure R slots perfectly between another two new models—the more road-friendly Adventure X and the dual-sport Enduro R.

* * * * *

Insta360, is the leader in 360-degree action camera technology. Teejay Adams and Arthur Coldwells took an Insta360 X5 on their recent trip to Alaska, and in this week’s Snippet they discuss their experiences with it.

Don’t forget to bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your X5 purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code “ULTIMATE”, (available for the first 30 purchases only).

* * * * *

Now here’s a really cool event coming up this October that you should not miss! It’s the 33rd annual Biketoberfest® rally that takes place in the Daytona Beach and Volusia County areas; this year it’s on Oct. 16-19. The four-day motorcycle event attracts riding enthusiasts to the destination for the beautiful Florida weather, live music, the industry’s top vendors, bike shows, motorcycle racing at Daytona International Speedway. There are miles of scenic rides along the famous A1A, historic Main Street and the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop. For more information andto book your plans for Biketoberfest® 2025, visit www.biketoberfest.org

* * * * *

In our second segment this week, Teejay Adams chats with Lucy Blondel, from Vancouver, Canada. Lucy is a regular at track days on her BMW S1000RR and Suzuki Gixxer 750. She also competes on her Ninja 400, but we met her through her 2024 and 25 seasons participation in the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race program. She didn’t win a race, but she acquitted herself extremely well and is proud of her accomplishments. Unfortunately Lucy has had some life-changing challenges in the last couple of years, and yet somehow has come through it all and is still smiling and riding motorcycles very, very fast.

* * * * *

Here’s a quick reminder to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!

@ultimatemotorcycling

@UltimateMotoMag

@UltimateMotorcycling

producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com

Episode play icon

KTM 390 ADV R + Lucy Blondel

September 3, 2025

Motos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle

Episode play icon

Royal Enfield Classic 650 + World MX Champ Stefy Bau

August 20, 2025

Motos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle

Search Results placeholder