Dual Sporter Magazine

Dual Sporter Magazine Is No Longer Published

Reprint From Dual Sporter Magazine November 1994 Page 28-29 DSM Project Bike Honda XR100R Making It Street Legal By Steve Offers It's been a lot of years since I've done any serious riding, and even then, most of my experience was on smaller But now my proximity as Art Director of this magazine- to the fun and camaraderie of participating in organized Dual Sport events has me chafing at the bit to get "out there" again. So, if I'm starting over: I want to do it with a state-of-the-art machine that's not too big or heavy and one that I feel confident on. The XR100R fits the bill perfectly, so grab your tool chest and let's have some fun. Although this small displacement bike from Honda may seem a bit out of place with all the 500cc and 650cc powerhouses out there on the trail, there still is a real niche for this superb little machine, DSM would like to point out some simple modifications that make it a true Dual Sport performer. But first, lets look at that niche. To begin with, Dual Sporting is for all riders, and all those who would like to ride: it's that second group we'd like to address here. For those individuals whose focus on riding has been from the outside looking in, seeing all those big displacement bikes leaping up steep inclines and cruising powerfully along rutted trails, the prospect of joining them can be somewhat intimidating. and that's where the XR100R comes in. For those who are just starting out or haven't ridden for a while, this little jewel makes an ideal starting point, and the bike's effectiveness doesn't have to end as the rider becomes more adept and wants to move up in size and power. This bike is the perfect choice and here's why: it's light, weighing in at just a tick under 150 pounds, and, combined with a saddle height of only 30 inches, renders virtually anybody from 5" tall on up confident and in complete control when astride it. Secondly, the XR100R is all business. It has a strong, air-cooled 99cc OHC engine that's easy to start and keep in tune, and barely sips gas, coupled with Honda's patented "Pro Link" single-shock rear suspension giving 4.7 inches of travel, maintenance free CDI ignition, flexable plastic bodywork, and a tough steel skid plate. It looks the part, too, with a functional style that's absoultely state-of-the-art. Best of all, it's easy to ride for almost everybody. Starting takes just a little choke and a couple of kicks on the coldest morning and from then on, the smooth-shifting five-speed and broad range of torque wil take you just ... out anywhere. What a great way to get started Dual Sporting, even for the most apprehensivie. An hour or so crusing along basic trails and open fields will have the inxperiened rider coming back grinning from ear to ear and asking how to "get out" there.

Here's the complete kit, with 55/60 watt headlight in a neat housing, tail light and blinker set, wiring harness with rectifier and handlebar switches. Check out the great 12VDC battery and its really tiny at just under a pound and mounts easily almost anywhere.	This is the heart of our conversion- the stator. Factory XR 100R stators have only the CDI core wound (that's the darker coil near the top), but with the other cores wound and wired this unit produces about 100 watts, more than enough to power all the necessary lights, run the horn and keep the battery charged

So, how do we take this great off-road machine and turn it into a full fledged Dual Sport Machine? Obviously, we first need to make it street legal. For that, we inlisted the services of Four Strokes Only of North Hollywood, California, which sells and installs a custom-fitted wiring kit. This kit, costing less than $450.00 plus professional modification and installation if desired, comes complete with hi-lo headlight, horn, turn signals, brake, tail, and license plate light assembly, and all switchces and buttons, plus complete instructions for anyone who decides to undertake the installation themselves. In addition, there is a small maintenance-free, 3/4" of a pound battery12vDC that hides easily wherever it's convenient. But in order to make the whole package functional, the engine has to produce more amperage than stock, which was concerned only with keeping the spark. Fortunately, that's not a big problem, for Honda has thoughtfully provided the bike with a stator that has several unused winding cores. Four Strokes Only pulled the case cover, removed the stator, added the proper windings, and had the bike back running in four days. For those owners who don't have such a facility near-by, any reputable bike shop can pull the stator for you, (if you lend them the factory shop manual which is not provided the the bike but available from the dealer) leaving you only the task of shipping it to Four Strokes Only, and leave it to the same shop to reinstall the modified unit. Now you've got a street-legal bike that will pass any department of motor vehicle legality scrutineering, and get you your all-important license plate. Next comes some other considerations. First, as you'll discover as soon as you ride the XR100R, the overall gearing is more suited to pulling stumps than Dual Sport riding. Stock 1st gear is essentially useless, unless you wish to try trials riding or want to be the first person uo the vertical face of Half Dome. Again the solution is easy. Depending upon the rider's weight, change the rear sprocket to between 40 and 44 teeth, and suddenly you've got five usable gears that give enough pull for the steep trail, and good tractability for keeping up with (or past) traffic in the street. Next issue we'll attack some of the other items that need to be put right, such as the missing rear rack, speedometer/odometer (so important for being independent on any organized Dual Sport ride, and several other tricks that take this great design and make it even better. But in the meantime if you know some one around you who wants to go Dual Sporting-especially your family members, because this bike fits ust about ever body-get yourself one of these super XR100Rs (or Honda's XR 80R and XR200R for larger and smaller riders). The price is right, the Dual Sport potential is easily attainable, and with the modifications we suggest, you've got a street legal little rocket that's going to have everybody around begging for a ride. And that includes all those riders usually on there 500's and 600's and 700's...

To Purchase Product From This Web Site Click Here or Call 1-818-765-5616 (PST)

ABOUT AHM-FSO | PRODUCTS | SITE MAP | LOCATE DISTRIBUTOR | CONTACT AHM-FSO | MAGAZINE RELATED | STREET LICENSE PLATE REFERENCE | TECH INDEX | PHOTO GALLERY  | LINKS

©Copyright 1999-2065 A.H.MacLaughlins R&D U.S.A. FSO-Four Strokes Only All Rights Reserved