I have a 2013 XT660R that I want to take off road, the ground clearance is half that of my XT600Z, is there an easy way to get more clearance such as raising links for the rear and extensions for the forks?

The best way would be 2 in 1 exhaust you should get the same ground clearance as the Z. On the other hand you will save more than half of the weight of the OE system which comes as a bonus.
However if you do not have the funds right now you can use rear suspension risers sold at OTR on-line they offer +35 mm. Unfortunately I have not seen fork risers on sale anywhere probably you will have to order custom made. This way you will not be able to get any of the above advantages apart of eventual increased clearance, of course.

Enjoy.

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that is how i feel about my XTR
Mods so far:
Hyperpro front springs; Hyperpro rear shock spring; modified air box; LED tail light; LED indicators + new relay; YZ pegs; Lucas aluminum bar; brisk spark plug; snorkel removed; DNA stage 1; second hand DynoJet O2 mod; crash bars; front and rear steel braided brake lines; soft EBC brake pads; mitas 07 tyres, 2in1 Metal Mule exhaust, Blocked AIS, tall OEM screen, OTR bash plate

Thank you, Assenvas, I will take a look at that.

Hey mate,
As said above, the obvious and best way to gain more ground clearance is to change your pipes to a 2-in-1. However, it's a more costly path.

I'm 6'5", so I wanted a higher bike (which translates into more ground clearance) so I made up a few sets of dog bone linkages to lift the rear end to various heights. They work a treat - I settled on links that were 80 mm centre to centre (see pic).

I also got some work done on my forks. I got a new set of springs (racetech non-progressive) plus emulator valves to reduce the terrible stock sag and diving under brakes which destroys your ground clearance. I also got machined up a set of extended fork tube caps, meaning I could basically drop the forks further down thru the yolks about 20 mm. It was a pretty cheap fix, considering I've also got great front suspension now.

All up I have about 2 inches of extra ground clearance and the bike is a whole lot more comfortable for a bloke my height. It still turns well and handles the rough stuff heaps better. Of course, if you're not wanting to raise your seat height then the re-routed pipes are the best option.

Has anyone tried the linkage bones from OTR?
I want to get my bike higher..
I am curious of the linkage bones "R/X +35mm". Does anybody have those ? Does the bike get 3,5cm higher? Anybody have any pictures of a raised bike ?
When raising the bike in the back, how does this affect the front?

What's the difference between the "TUV approved" and the normal ones? the TUV approved cost twice as much..

I tried the +35mm ones from OTR on the Z and they indeed raised the rear by 3.5cm, but made the handling horrible. Without being able to raise the front easily, I'd be wary of over-doing it at the back. The geometry will change quite a lot for a very small increase in height at the rear.

The main issue I found was that because the swingarm was at a steeper angle, the rear end tended to squat less on accelleration and caused the front to go light (and wobbly), and at the same time less squat under power reduced mechanical grip while on the throttle. The steering was slightly "quicker", but nothing too extreme. It was the sensation of an imminent "tank-slapper" when accellerating that put me off +35mm.

In the end I settled for some Projection Components 4-way adjustable raising links, so I could play about and find what's best. They'll raise either, 5mm, 15mm, 25mm or 40mm. In the end I found that (with correct sag) that a rear end lift of 15mm was as far as I could go without an adverse effect on handling. (I don't think they do them for the R/X though?)

Now, everyone is a different shape and size, prefer different handling traits and have different suspension setups to suit, so realistically the only way to find out what works is to give various heights a try. The R might behave differently to the Z too, so bear that in mind. Links aren't that expensive to "buy and try" and are actually pretty cheap to get machined up at the exact length you require.

You get a piece of paper with the expensive ones!

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I put the +35 bones on and as there was a lot of front sag I put some of the small(about 3" long) fork springs from an 86 XT 600Z in and it raises the front perfectly so everything sits the same. Seems to work OK but not tried them in anger off road yet. still looking for a two into one and a better sump guard, but they are like hens teeth!

I have been searching for a uk based firm to make some rear links.

Projection-racing.com make them.

Would the fork spacer mod balance the suspension up or is it a case of fork extensions?...

I received my 660R with valves fitted to the fork caps, by pumping in a little pressure you can change the ride height big time. Works for me