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Honda XR100 Super Mini-Moto

Thursday, 17 October 2002

Mini-silly-ness by Mike Emery

Unless you're Bin Laden, and you've been sitting in a cave for the last year or so, you couldn't have helped noticing that mini's are in. No, not the skirt style (that never went away) I'm talking about the bike style. Sure, you may have been bought up on a Briggs and Stratton special, but I'm talking a whole new level of sophistication here, outside of a lawn mower engine, minus its blades and a grass collector.

Honda's latest incarnation of the Z50 that your dad rode, is the XR50. Honda has sold a gazillion Z's and the newer XR is a truer honey-I-shrunk-the-motorcycle version of the larger XR dirt bike. The latest style makeover has made this bike even more iconic than it's predecessor

Personally though, mini's leave me wanting more, actually wanting less - I mean, I could do with the fun, but not the knee-capping that a mini dishes out to me, I like the practicality of a bike that can be scooped up into the trunk of my car (the locals call it the Beverly Hills pick-up), but I could really do without the feeling of a motorcycle wedged up the crack of my arse.

Oh, and whilst I'm bitching, I could also do with the suspension components of a larger bike.

Further inspiration for a larger mini came in the form of Rich Oliver's training camps. I spent a couple of days trying to bend his toys. Rich's versions featured upgraded motor and wheel setups. And proved to be the ultimate training tools. It's no secret (or is it?) that Rich's skills are honed on these bikes, as are many other legendary GP and roadracing stars.

So, here's the answer. Sort of: It's my own over-the-top (is there any other way?) Supermoto/pit bike/homeowner association complaint letter generator.

This ride started off as a stock 2002 XR100R. First off was to get rid of those nasty knobblies. A second set of wheels was put together after procuring a set of 17" Excel 3.5inch wide rims from Paul Brent at MotomasterUSA. Those rims were then laced (with equally beefy spokes) to the stock hubs and a set of full size Maxxis 120/70-17 supermoto/rain tires squeezed on for good measure (and grip).

I can't claim the glory for these wheels, it was Maxxis sponsored Scott Russell's idea - he gave me a sound thrashing at a SuperTT event in Atlanta late last year and since then explained that his was the optimum setup because you can use your old road race take-offs and basically never buy another tire again. Fast and thrifty that boy, however, I'm more than a set of tires away from his speed.

Whilst looking for a way to bolt all this together, a local billet company, HMI Billet, showed us some very trick looking triple clamps that offered that wider fork width to accept that nice new front wheel, and triple clamps that offered some extra strength and a roomier handlebar height. As an added bonus, it also converted the bar width to a nice beefy Renthal Fatbar (mini sized, of course).

We couldn't sleep until we managed to steal this sano setup from them, I can't remember what we promised them in return, but it's definitely worth that promise, and the investment. This is the setup if you want to run 17" rims fore and aft.

The rear shock and spring is from suspension guru's, Works Performance, and offers some real resistance to bottoming from the stock pogo stick style rear unit. This rear unit has a remote reservoir and was set up by the factory to match my weight (which is a state secret) the thing rebounds slower than the stock shock and things are calmer (and grippier) now because of it. The front was modified by yours-truly with some extra preload and some thicker oil to stop bottoming. Front end Pogo-ing is the norm - it jumps pretty good although the landing is entertaining. Fluid suspension in CA have pledged a mod to slow things down up front so I'll be reporting back.

Next up was the motor. Whilst in California last year I bumped into fellow Brit, Tony Bell, of Spectrum Motorsports. Now being a rather large and substantially stocked Honda/Ducati and performance parts dealer, I managed to wangle some super trick Takegawa race parts from the chap (cheap, or cheaper).

This came in the form of a bigger bore kit (115cc) complete with a "Super S" massaged head (bigger valves), cam and piston - engine sorted.

The installation of this kit was very simple - basic knowledge is required and a XR100 manual a big help. We dialed the bike in at Full Spectrum Motorsports in Longwood, FL. and nailed the perfect carburation using their Factory Dyno and gas analyzer - well worth the expense and effort.

Classic Honda of Texas also shipped us a Kitaco race rotor that did away with the stock flywheel. This turned the bike into a revver. It was almost two-stroke in throttle response, was difficult to set up (sparse Japanese instructions) but once installed, well worth the effort. They also came up with a 24mm Flatside carb that is a true replica of a full size unit. This carburetor offers much sophistication over the stock and upped the power significantly too. Classic are the providers for many XR50R go-fast parts and is starting to stock XR100 parts in the same fashion.

2WF XR-RR project bike sponsors, Arrow, chipped in with a very typically gorgeous full system that had a bigger header - actually a bigger everything, but was much lighter than the OEM piece. The pipe shows incredible attention to detail especially with its nice radiuses and larger bore header pipe. It's not just a piece of skinny bent piping like some of the other "performance" pipes. The sound is now like a mini "four-fiddy" and sounds superb. The total power output is a secret, but I will admit to having more than twice the stock six and a bit horses, these seem to be reliable horses too (so far).

Finally, to keep the frame flex free, flat track specialists, Banke Performance & Engineering also supply this substantial engine brace that helps keep the bike wobble proof. Like the rest of the providers here, they are the proverbial tinkerer's when it come to mini XR's and offer a few different options on hopping up your XR.

Bolted together this is what I got. More fun than a barrel of large girls and some free beer. The bike handles like a massaged XR with proper suspension. It's a total wheelieing fiend and very race-able in any mini-moto supermotard competition. In fact I won first time out whilst hiding at one of the SupermotardUSA events in Florida. I also came close to winning at the Long Beach supermoto finale but fell when I clipped a hay bail (show-boating on one wheel, of course).

I've not bought home any silverware recently and if I want more, I've just got to show up where the mini's race, or go where Scott Russell isn't.

Mike Emery

A special thanks to:

HMI Billet - Purveyors of fine quality billet parts for Mini's, Vintage MX and Harley Davidsons.

Champions Honda - Florida based Honda and Kawasaki dealer.

Giomoto - Arrow and Gianelli exhaust suppliers - Top rate go-faster parts.

Spectrum Motorsports - California located Honda/Ducati and performance parts center.

Classic Honda - XR50 and Takegawa race part specialists.

Works Performance - Great to deal with, they'll supply and set up the shock that you need.

Banke Performance and Engineering - Frame braces and various flat track goodies.

MotomasterUSA - One stop shop for all your Supermoto needs. Full size or mini.

Rich Oliver - Mystery Schools and Fun Camps - He will make you faster guaranteed.

Maxxis - Providers of top notch Supermoto (and street) tires

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