=This is my look back at the history of Honda’s iconic four-stroke racers the XR500, XR500R, and XR600R. From its introduction in 1979 through its retirement in 2000, the big-bore XR remained one of the most potent four-stroke racers available. Over its twenty-year run, the XR500R and XR600R captured wins in the desert out west and the woods back east with riders like Johnny Campbell, Scott Summers and Bruce Ogilvie at the controls.

1979 Honda XR500 & XR600 1979-2000