CRF230F and the other 2XX dualsports

switchback · 03-11-2008, 09:05 AM

I went out last weekend to look at the new ~200-250 dual-sports with my father this past weekend. He is looking for a smaller bike he can flat foot to do some exploring and errand running with. We visited all the dealers and looked at every model available in the class. Here is what we found.

Yamaha
XT250 – Looks like the engine is completely new this year. Also new to the bike is the added weight. Either Yamaha is much more honest this year with reported weight or the bike has gained some. What the bike lost was sixth gear and the zerk fittings on the suspension links even though the suspension looks virtually identical to the 225 except for the new rear disk caliper mount. A new rear disk will provide more confidence compared to the drum on the 225 when wet. Valves are still adjustable via tappets and feeler gauge. Other than the added CCs and a rear disk I don’t see much improvement. The loss of 6th gear and the added suspension maintenance is a disappointment. To be fair the others in this class don’t have grease fittings either.

WR250R - Looks like a close copy of the WR250F with one less radiator, a steel downtube, and a bunch of emissions stuff. We didn’t look closely at this one due to the HIGH seat. If you can’t plate a real WR this is worth a look (#1 non-competition enduro like dual-sport).

TW200 – Dad was set on this bike going in. The big tires and crawling ability were attractive. In reality the bike is heavier feeling than the others and the wide seat makes it harder to flat foot. The 200 CC displacement and the lack of 6th gear was also a let down.

Kawasaki
KLX250 – Little more old school that the WR above. Seat is too high for my dad. The KLX is a good old school thumper. The chassis is the second best for serious off-road behind the WR and ahead of the CRF. I like the WR a bit more than this one and the WR has more power stock but the KLX has a big list of potential modifications including a 300 cylinder. This is the most off-road bang for the dollar.

Suzuki
DR200 – Love the tank!! 3.5 gallons is wonderful. Otherwise looses out due to the small displacement and 5 speed tranny.

Honda
CRF230L – Let me preface this by saying that this is the bike of choice for dad. The CRF has up to date looks on a good chassis with a low seat height. The engine is the typical 2 valve easily maintained engine layout. Six speed gearbox and 230ccs are a big plus. Front and rear disk brakes to get the stopping done. The bike also is closely related to the CRF230F so aftermarket options are bound to be larger. To top it all off the bike has a great review at MotorcycleUSA.com. For those who want a small but up to date bike this may be the ticket.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Articl...ArticleID=5943

Harsh · 03-11-2008, 09:54 AM

Thanks for putting them all together in one post. I am going to buy one of the above this summer. Wish one of the magazines would do a side by side comparison.

dieseldave24v · 03-11-2008, 09:57 AM

I had a CRF230 for my wife to learn on. It was a 2004 "Not street legal" I dont know if there are any differences between the two, but it sure was a sweet bike.

switchback · 03-11-2008, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseldave24v

I had a CRF230 for my wife to learn on. It was a 2004 "Not street legal" I dont know if there are any differences between the two, but it sure was a sweet bike.

According to the review the CRF230L has a bit more power than the 230F. I was surprised to read this.

dieseldave24v · 03-11-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by switchback

According to the review the CRF230L has a bit more power than the 230F. I was surprised to read this.

Yeah me to. I never took it on the road, other than up and down my street, but it felt like it could have been a very capable bike on the road. We even thought of getting a baja design dual sport kit for it, but I didnt want to have problems with the DMV so we just sold it.

viajero · 03-11-2008, 10:21 AM

Thanks for the informative post.

montesa_vr · 03-11-2008, 10:24 AM

http://www.biketestusa.com/Article_P...ArticleID=5943 has a first look at the CRF230L. I hope we'll see comparison tests soon matching up the CRF and XT and the KLX and WR. The TW is a planet of its own but owners say they're more relaxing to ride in the rough than anything else going. There's a thread on the forum called "Why would anybody want a TW200?" Here's one response:

Quote:

Originally Posted by markjenn

When I used to teach, we had a bunch of TW200's and the students loved them. They're very confidence inspiring.

I actually think the package of ultra-low seat height and big tires may give them some go-anywhere capability that is lacking in conventional taller dirt bikes. I used to know a guy who did a lot of trail maintenance and trial cutting. He didn't want some high-strung, tall bike for this work like a MX bike or KTM, he wanted something light and low that was easy to paddle - the XR100 and a TW200 were his favorite bikes. There's a little Rokon in the TW.

In a nutshell, you get a conventional dirt bike to be sporty and go fast, but the TW is for going slow, enjoying the ride, and getting through. They're the cruisers of the dirt-bike world.

- Mark

As far as the WR250R, the engine has nothing to do with the WR250F. It's a new design -- appears to be one cylinder off the YZF-R1, complete with 26,000 mile valve adjustment intervals.

I would also note that the gear spread on the two 5-speed Yamahas is almost as wide as the six-speed Honda, but of course you have bigger gaps between gears to deal with. Six speeds are definitely better.

DeeG · 03-11-2008, 10:33 AM

We picked up a CRF230L about a month ago. What a kick in butt little bike! Haven't done much dirt riding yet (the dirt is either covered in snow or is thick nasty mud), but what we have done, the bike seems to handle quite well. Does just fine on the highway, it'll tool along at 65 mph with no issues. The engine has a lot of get up and go, and it makes my 250cc Rebel feel like an underpowered slug. (hmmmmm, wonder if I can fit the 230L engine in the place of the Rebel engine.......)

We even did two up on it about two weeks ago. (My punishment for having too many Guinesses and Lemon Drops) We took the back roads home. I don't recommend doing two up for long distances, even though I was a bit intoxicated, it was, after 6 miles, cramped and uncomfy and my feet kept coming off them rear pegs. And besides, you end up looking like a circus act.

switchback · 03-11-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

As far as the WR250R, the engine has nothing to do with the WR250F. It's a new design -- appears to be one cylinder off the YZF-R1, complete with 26,000 mile valve adjustment intervals.

No disagreement here.

If you are looking for a true dualsport that is off-road worthy I think the WR250R is a great bike with fully adjustable suspension. If you are looking to compete and want a plate convert a standard WR250F or one of the street legal competition enduros.

frog13 · 01-30-2013, 05:47 PM

5 spd vs. 6 spd.....look at gear ratios instead of how many gears it has.......

Kommando · 01-30-2013, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frog13

5 spd vs. 6 spd.....look at gear ratios instead of how many gears it has.......

Look at gear spread, overall and between gears. Then figure out if the engine can pull the spread nicely.

03-11-2008, 09:57 AM	#3
dieseldave24v Wish I was riding Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Camp Lejeune / Jacksonville North Carolina Oddometer: 424	I had a CRF230 for my wife to learn on. It was a 2004 "Not street legal" I dont know if there are any differences between the two, but it sure was a sweet bike. __________________ Dave You cant fix stupid The Inventory 2007 DR 650 2006 KTM 640 Adv 1992 DR 350 1998 XLR 200 Yes you read it correct.

03-11-2008, 10:33 AM	#8
DeeG Huh? Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Central WA Oddometer: 450	We picked up a CRF230L about a month ago. What a kick in butt little bike! Haven't done much dirt riding yet (the dirt is either covered in snow or is thick nasty mud), but what we have done, the bike seems to handle quite well. Does just fine on the highway, it'll tool along at 65 mph with no issues. The engine has a lot of get up and go, and it makes my 250cc Rebel feel like an underpowered slug. (hmmmmm, wonder if I can fit the 230L engine in the place of the Rebel engine.......) We even did two up on it about two weeks ago. (My punishment for having too many Guinesses and Lemon Drops) We took the back roads home. I don't recommend doing two up for long distances, even though I was a bit intoxicated, it was, after 6 miles, cramped and uncomfy and my feet kept coming off them rear pegs. And besides, you end up looking like a circus act. __________________ 2007 F650GS blue - mine 2007 F650GS black - his 2008 Honda CRF230L 2009 Kawasaki Super Sherpa 2009 Suzuki DR200

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03-11-2008, 09:05 AM	#1
switchback ^OP Eatin' Dirt Since 1982 Joined: Jan 2002 Location: SLC, UT Oddometer: 1,467	CRF230F and the other 2XX dualsports I went out last weekend to look at the new ~200-250 dual-sports with my father this past weekend. He is looking for a smaller bike he can flat foot to do some exploring and errand running with. We visited all the dealers and looked at every model available in the class. Here is what we found. Yamaha XT250 – Looks like the engine is completely new this year. Also new to the bike is the added weight. Either Yamaha is much more honest this year with reported weight or the bike has gained some. What the bike lost was sixth gear and the zerk fittings on the suspension links even though the suspension looks virtually identical to the 225 except for the new rear disk caliper mount. A new rear disk will provide more confidence compared to the drum on the 225 when wet. Valves are still adjustable via tappets and feeler gauge. Other than the added CCs and a rear disk I don’t see much improvement. The loss of 6th gear and the added suspension maintenance is a disappointment. To be fair the others in this class don’t have grease fittings either. WR250R - Looks like a close copy of the WR250F with one less radiator, a steel downtube, and a bunch of emissions stuff. We didn’t look closely at this one due to the HIGH seat. If you can’t plate a real WR this is worth a look (#1 non-competition enduro like dual-sport). TW200 – Dad was set on this bike going in. The big tires and crawling ability were attractive. In reality the bike is heavier feeling than the others and the wide seat makes it harder to flat foot. The 200 CC displacement and the lack of 6th gear was also a let down. Kawasaki KLX250 – Little more old school that the WR above. Seat is too high for my dad. The KLX is a good old school thumper. The chassis is the second best for serious off-road behind the WR and ahead of the CRF. I like the WR a bit more than this one and the WR has more power stock but the KLX has a big list of potential modifications including a 300 cylinder. This is the most off-road bang for the dollar. Suzuki DR200 – Love the tank!! 3.5 gallons is wonderful. Otherwise looses out due to the small displacement and 5 speed tranny. Honda CRF230L – Let me preface this by saying that this is the bike of choice for dad. The CRF has up to date looks on a good chassis with a low seat height. The engine is the typical 2 valve easily maintained engine layout. Six speed gearbox and 230ccs are a big plus. Front and rear disk brakes to get the stopping done. The bike also is closely related to the CRF230F so aftermarket options are bound to be larger. To top it all off the bike has a great review at MotorcycleUSA.com. For those who want a small but up to date bike this may be the ticket. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Articl...ArticleID=5943 __________________ David Wind is strong and cold Rain blurs the winding road ahead I live on two wheels

03-11-2008, 09:54 AM	#2
Harsh Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Location: South Riding, VA Oddometer: 154	Thanks for putting them all together in one post. I am going to buy one of the above this summer. Wish one of the magazines would do a side by side comparison.

03-11-2008, 10:21 AM	#6
viajero Too old to be a nOOb Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Idaho Oddometer: 1,922	Thanks for the informative post.

01-30-2013, 05:47 PM	#10
frog13 Studly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Location: SW Ohio Oddometer: 997	5 spd vs. 6 spd.....look at gear ratios instead of how many gears it has.......