The CRF250L Owners thread

thanks for the pictures, those really helped put that thing in perspective! the website picture (crfsonly) didn't give that impression! damn... i'd like something a little less obtrusive but doesn't look like there's anything else out there.

Yeah, I guess it all depends on what you want, and what the photos look like to you. When riding with the TCI screen, I don't find it obtrusive in the least. The entire road ahead is seen from above the screen. You're not looking through the screen at all, as the quote you referenced cautioned against.

I doubt a smaller screen would offer much benefit. Be glad to measure exactly how far above the bars, etc., it rises if that would be useful to you.. I could even take a photo from riding position if you like. Just let me know if you need anything.

Cheers

Thanks for the reply Billfires,

If you had to replace your rack for some reason, would you buy a Cyclerack again?

On the TW200, the rack provided some crash damage protection to the rear and I found it strong enough to use as a tie down spot when mounted on a trailer. I would think that the lower mounts provide more strength to the rack than other racks that just use rear upper frame bolts.

Andrew

Here's a couple photos that might put the picture of the TCI windscreen in more accurate perspective. The top of the screen is just a bit above the mirrors. The first pic shows the screen in relation to the mirrors. The second pic shows the view while riding (taken at eye level from seated riding position.



Hope that helps clarify it.

Last night I rode a friends crf250l and I really enjoyed it. There were a number of issues that bothered me though, can any of these be rectified with aftermarket parts.

Small fuel tank.

Weak and pulsating front brakes.

Handlebar grips seemes very narrow and made my hands to cramp quickly?

What kind of mpg can be expected when driven conservatively?

IMS has a 3 gallon tank that should be available any time now. If the bike has very low miles, then both brakes haven't broken in yet. Mine did that at first, but they get way better after a while. Evidently, according to some, they spray something on the discs to prevent rusting on the voyage over here. Not experienced pulsing on mine, others can comment. Aftermarket grips are available for sure, I'm OK with the stock ones.

Hi,

The fuel tank and MPG rating is tied together I guess. I have accurately calculated my MPG several times on combine highway, FSR, and city (all in one trip each time, and fairly aggressive on the throttle). I get around 85 to 93 MPG (imperial gallons). If you live in USA, then you'll have to convert that to your gallon size.

The brakes improve after break-in, though a pulsating front brake indicates that your front rotor is warped. That would only occur if you have extremely overheated your front rotor by riding it on a long steep downhill, instead of using engine braking, for instance.

The dealer will be able to put it right in short order. Get it checked out. You don't want a warped rotor, especially on the front.

Regarding the handlebar grips, if you are cramping by gripping them, maybe you are gripping too tight. Remember that you control the bike mainly with your feet, knees, and body weight. Your hands are only for controlling the levers and finessing the bars -- not gripping them tight. Your hands should be loose on the bars most of the time. That said, there are optional grips available that require less grip to operate the throttle.


Cheers

Averaging 75 mpg w/13t sprocket, 20-25% off road.

My fuel economy varies greatly with speed. On back roads and faster off-road work, I can touch 70mpg, even with tons of hills. I bet I could get 75mpg+ on the flat at lower speeds.

When cranking 65-75mph, fuel economy drops. I only get about 55mpg when flogging it on the freeway, but that's literally wide-open all day. Real-world average has been 60-65mpg, as most of mya riding is either fast road riding, or slow, gnarly off-road riding. On those days where I do a couple hundred miles of dirt roads at 30-50mph, I see 70mpg. And those days have LOTS of hills, which kill fuel economy. Be cautious when people from Iowa or Florida post 75mpg+ numbers. You won't see them unless you only ride towards Kansas.

More data: http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/crf250l

In general, I figure 100 miles per tank. That leaves plenty of margin. The low-fuel light comes on steady with 0.6 gal left on the flat, and comes on sooner if you're angled uphill, or have the bike on the sidestand. It's much nicer than a petcock!

I'm the guy who felt the brakes had some anti rust shipping stuff on them...cleaned them good with brake cleaner, and scuffed the pads with 60 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Front brake is bedding in nicely....NO pulsing...if it is, try and bleed the air out, if that doesn't work and you have over 500 miles on it take it back. My rear brake got the same treatment, but it is taking forever to bed in...I added a spacer on the pedal to allow me to better apply the brake....it's improving...slooooowly

If it is pulsing real bad, you ought to be able to see an uneven wear pattern on the rotor....jack the bike up so the front wheel is off the ground and spin the wheel....if there is ANY wobble in the rotor...it's toast...and if there is you can probably HEAR the rotor hitting and missing the pad

just a quick thank you for taking the time to post those pictures, very nice of you and very helpful.

Andrew, I would buy it again.I like the lower frame mounting points, I love the color match, and feel it is worth the premium price. I set the bike down hard on top of a rock quarry and it probably saved the muffler and some of the body panels. The only damage was the powder coating on the rack. A wrecker actually winched a TW200, that had gone over a steep embankment. lifting it up by the Cyclerack. Bill C

Had the opportunity to be filmed for a section of trail on my LRP. With the exception of handlebars and the rear tire (dunlop 606) everything else is stock. The majority of this trail is rated black diamond, and the bike just eats it up.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/98714671@N05/9264319706/


*edit* I didn't realize the video is cut off at 3 minutes... sorry about that

Thanks Bill,
I am going to order one for mine. If it's as tough as my last one, I know I will be happy. They were a good company to deal with.

Andrew

Nice trail!

You can buy just brackets from Turbo City and make your own screen. Or buy the above set up, try it and if you still want shorter cut it down yourself.

Don't buy the screen and cut it down...get a nice bright red wastebasket like I saw at Home depot and cut it to meet your needs...I love my $3 screen on the brackets....with frikkin $12 of shipping!

Can we see that? I like make dos.

If someone will accept an emailed pic of my white IKEA lid screen that they will post for me, I can provide...send me a PM...

Here you go!