Evening boys and girls, I'm Josh from Gloucester. I am an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy, currently training to be a mechanical supervisor.
I'm new to the XT range, and I have only been biking for 18 months or so, but keen to get more involved. I am picking my bike up tomorrow, it is a 2008 model (unsure whether an R or an X) it has a 17" front wheel super moto style, I thought it was an R but after looking at a few pictures I am a little confused. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction?
Anyway, the bike. I bought it off a good friend who has gone travelling for a good price, it has 13k miles and has been relatively well looked after. I bought a LeoVince exhaust system a few weeks ago and fitted it minus the headers when it arrived so he could have a little enjoyment out of the noise before he jumped on the plane. Now it's mine I can get fiddling with it.
I have a few parts waiting for me at home, one being an enduro style tail tidy I plan to modify and fit with some brackets I made at work this week, a black leather seat cover, Renthal hand gaurds, 8x6" plate, Renthal bar pad, DNA stage 2 filter (didn't realise I'd need both) and some other little bits and pieces like CNC mirrors.
I need some advice, I want to free up some power and I believe the easiest way to do that is to change the exhaust, Airbus mods, Kevs fuel mod and something to do with the 02 sensor, however I am unsure what to do. I will have a read now as I know from car forum days that people like to say 'use the search function'.

Thanks for looking, I will get some photos once I've giv n it a good clean over the weekend. Josh.

Welcome on board Josh.

Good to see you're up and running with the forum!

The easiest way to tell with 2007MY models onwards as to whether is an X or an R with a 17" front wheel is by the swingarm. If its cast alloy, then it's an X, if its box section steel then it is an R. The radiator cowls are different too (much deeper on late model Xs) and a few other bits of bodywork. The forks and front brake differ as well (all years). The R forks have a leading axle and a smaller front disc, whereas the X has a 320mm disc and four pot caliper.

For mods, start off by having a look through the modifications index which includes links to just about everything that can, and has been done to the XT:

http://www.xt660.com/showthread.php?t=630

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Hello & welcome mate, with your background you'll soon have that bike 'flying' along

and to

Welcome to the forum! Enjoy your bike! Steve

Thank you gents, seems like a really good forum you have on the go here.
First time I've ridden it properly today, and I love it! The amount of accidental 1st gear throttle only wheelies I've done is incredible, and I've only pinned it a few times!
Little update, I've found a few issues with the bike I was unaware of, it is going to need front and rear pads pretty soon, it occasionally dies on me whilst disengaging the clutch, which I hope is something to do with the low idle rpm. Also, from what I read yesterday, the fuel pump whines a little. I knew already it needs a new set of rubbers (Cush drives)? In the rear wheel, and whilst I'm doing this I will do the rear wheel bearings and brake pads, maybe a tyre too as its getting close to the legal limit. I will do the same at the front eventually but not until spring.

It now has hand gaurds, new mirrors and a new bar pad, and I can confirm it is an 'X' as it has a four pot up front, the old crash bar said XTX and so do the tank area fairings. Am I right in thinking the X is the slightly updated model compared to the R?
Cheers.

Not really, it's just that the X got a mild "facelift" in 2007 (swingarm/panels) whereas the R remained visually the same as it always was. Both models gained an O2 sensor/closed loop fuelling control in 2007 to meet Euro 3 emissions, which is the only significant mechanical update there has been on either bike aside from a few ECU changes, which also applied to both models.

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