Has anyone mounted hard luggage for a xr650r
 

has anyone every used a hard luggage system for the xr650r? and if u have how has it held up and what mods were done to the frame?

its been done, but its not pretty! check through the Honda posts and you'll find it down there!

GO LIGHT! IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, YOU HAVE TO GO LIGHTER STILL. caps lock now off. we built bikes for 900km range, 15 litres water and food for 8 days. we were camping and had space for 25 litres of personal gear. But the bikes weighed 250kg.

I travelled in Africa for some time with an XR650R rider. The bike had hard luggage and a huge 40-something litre fuel tank. I think there's a picture of it in one of Chris Scott's books.

Personally, I fall into the soft luggage camp. IMHO, I can only echo what Rich is saying: if you want to go far where there's little opportunity for replenishing fuel and water, you need to concentrate your carrying capacity on fuel and water, and not worry too much about things like an extra change of clothes.

On my last big trip I kitted the bike with fuel and water tanks and my luggage was just a pair of Ortlieb throwovers and a Camelbak HAWG. Yet I still had a range of over 700km and enough water for 3 days plus reserve.

Yes it can be done but its not cheap as noboddy really makes a luggage rack for the XR650R. This is probably because the subframe is far too weak to suppor the weight. Probably your only option is to find someone who will custom make a pannier rack to fit premade Metal boxes. Overland solutions in the UK are well renound for their craftmanship and im sure there are more companies in Canada which can do the same.

Just make sure that whoever builds your racks also strengthens your subframe.