The Honda CRF250L Adventure Traveler Thread

Welcome fellow LRP (Little Red Piggy) owners to the thread I'm hoping will become a good resource for us all.
In here I will keep an index in this post to help people find info on anything related to preparing, riding, packing, or upgrading parts to make this your ADVenture bike.
The focus is on getting your bike ready for exploring or sharing where you go on your bike with what gear to make it better/safer/comfortable/reliable or even DIY maintenance.
Want to share what kind of guards you just bolted on, or ask which to get, here's the place. Racks, tires, lights, and anything that bolts on, or gets your bike ready for a camping trip, that goes in here. Share where you've been and how your setup worked, tell us all and post some photos! Please write as much detail about your photos as possible, where you bought your gear, install thoughts, if it's working for you well, etc.
Please post up related things you feel should go in the index, if it's LRP related I'll add it in.
This thread is not for general CRF250L talk or bike comparisons please, here's the directions to get a list of all the CRF250L threads to find other things you're looking for.



Click on Search, in drop down menu click on apostrophe to get to the advanced search page.




Once in there type CRF250L in the keywords box, under keywords box click on "Search entire Posts" and change it to "Search Titles Only", then highlight Thumpers from forum list.






that's it, click on search now and you'll have a current list for the various CRF250L threads.

Here's a thread for engine tech stuff, could a great place to talk about FI related performance upgrades too as this thread isn't really about making the LRP faster.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=859501&highlight=crf250L



LRP related vendors:


http://www.srmoto.com

http://www.crfsonly.com

http://www.motosport.com



In here I will start out and share what's I've done to the Honda for traveling and exploring and hope other will share what they are doing to add to the info pool. Feel free to quote or post up related info found in other threads, I will add you post to the index on this page once we get this rolling.


Flatlands tail rack install.


DIY Clutch replacement


DIY tool tube install


Zeta levers and CRF250L - Rear Fender Rack


DIY Valve Adjustment


Hyper Pro shock with remote preload




Get LOST and go LRP!

So far we've added Highway Dirtbike hand guards, with ROX risers and Protaper KX High bars to make standing more fitting, protect the controls and hands, and increase strength to avoid breaking things when far from home.
We also added heated grip to make those colder rides more comfortable.






I am using a ROX 1.5" riser that converts from 7/8 to 1 1/8 with the HDB guards. The added height is great for standing up and a comfortable seated position, but maybe you don't want to raise the bars as much. *If you ever want to come up to Ojai and check it out before you decide, PM me.*
Granted the top clamp I had already for the 650GS didn't have the correct bolt pattern so I needed to have them installed in a alternative way with both ROX risers on the left side instead of on either side of the triple clamp. I offset the bars in the ROX risers to still make them centered. Not perfect looking if you look close but just as functional. Wanted to work with what I had already after spending enough on the bike itself...*
If you order the HDB top clamp that matches the bolt pattern on the CRF's triple clamp the ROX risers will line up perfectly. If you order the bars of your choice from HDB with the guard kit they come with the bars end inserts already installed. If you get your own bars and then the kit, the HDB comes with the tap and insert to install yourself.*


We had no issues with any cable lengths after installing the risers and taller bars, I did however reroute the clutch cable behind the triple clamp as you can see in the photos below.



Also, when installing aftermarket bars you'll either need to correctly line up and drill holes in the bars to match these little inserts that Honda uses on 3 of the bar switches and lever mounts, or do like I did and just cut them off. I love my Dremel.
After cutting them off I just wrapped the new bars a few times with e-tape to help create more friction and increase the diameter slightly so the parts don't rotate on the bars. No problem with this method, everything is solid and doesn't move on the Pro Taper bars.*


















































































Here's the heated grip switch, I used a piece of aluminum and made a crude bracket to mount to the HDB top clamp.















On a side note about the heated grips.... Again, being impatient I foolishly bought a heated grip kit from our local (cheap) Cycle Gear, and while it does work, I would recommend this Moose racing kit that I have on my Husaberg, it's much higher quality with no resistor in line like the CG one and has worked great for me for a while. It actually comes with everything you need to install it, unlike the CG one.
The el cheapo one doesn't get as hot and I don't expect the components to last as long. Eventually a Moose kit will end up on the Honda. I knew better, but Nancy's hands were cold and I wanted to get it done asap while putting on the new bars.
Don't forget to wrap the left side bar with a little etape to insulate the heating element, without it the metal bars will suck the heat from the element and you'll have a hot right hand (since it's not touching the metal bars, it's on the throttle tube) and a luke warm left hand.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/9/192/25420/ITEM/Moose-Racing-Motorcycle-Handwarmer-Kit.aspx

For more protection we have gone with the Ricochet skid plate and a Flatlands radiator guard.

DIY Valve adjustment for the LRP.


I'm not a professional mechanic, I'm a Roadie, I do however hate paying $100 an hour for work that I think most people can do themselves.
This is just a guide for entertainment or inspiration, by no means should anyone duplicate this without a service manual to follow as it's NOT a comprehensive guide, close though.
I'm not giving you all the info that's in the manual just so you'll get your own before diving in.


First, either have a garage or a living room suited to give the LRP some love. I don't have a garage and it's currently one of the few days a year it's actually raining and cold in Southern California plus it's night time, so into the living room the LRP goes.... we're all family here.






Make sure you have plenty of beer, or in this case some decent California red wine to go along with your service manual, tools and a get er' done attitude. It's not rocket science, just basic motorcycle maintenance and the Honda manual is pretty darn good. And for you new or young guys, no beer or wine but go read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance, to get your head in the right place.







“Is it hard?'
Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes thats hard."





“The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of the mountain, or in the petals of a flower.”





"The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself."


― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
















Now that I have all that out of the way, lets get to work!

Remove all body panels with allen keys in the tool kit. OK, who am I joking, the tool kit in the America IS two allen keys.






Remove gas tank two bolts on sides, one 8mm bolt hidden under the lower back part.














Unplug fuel pump, slide male side of connector off frame rail holder.










Remove vent line, remove fuel quick release line.













Put a cap of some sorts on the tube coming out of the tank that connects to the quick release and the vent tube, I used vacuum hose caps I had.

Remove fuel tank.








Push the quick release clip holding the the crank breather hose on.








Pull out spark plug cap, push wire out of strain relief tabs on fan unit, tuck up in between radiator hose and radiator to keep it out of the way.






The service manual (SM) calls for removal of the PAIR check valve and 3 ground terminals, I skipped these steps, proceed at own risk.



10mm socket driver to remove the two bolt holding the valve cover is next.



After the valve cover is loose, I lifted it up and separated the gasket from the cover so as not to damage it while moving the cover around figuring how to get it out.
















You should now have an unobstructed view like this.








Refill glass of wine or crack another beer, or for those that live in green states like me, pack a bowl.


Take a piss.



Remove spark plug with 16mm socket, to make rotating the engine easier, this is my own addition to the procedure.



Now, on the timing chain sprockets there's some stamped marks, you want the "IN" and EX" marks facing outward. Put the bike in 6th gear and only move the bike forward, never rotate the engine backwards, until you see the IN and EX marks flush and square facing out. Easier to do from the right side of bike once you have the gear set, I would not recommend trying to bend over and look over the bike trying to read the marks while you head is upside down.
You can end up on top of your bike that's now laying on it's side in your living room, spilling some perfectly good wine.












OK, now you've done everything needed to actually check the valve clearance, get out you feeler gauges. Because of the angle to get to them, I bent mine a little with pliers to get a flat shot in there

Insert feeler gauge between rocker arm and shim, the specs call for .16mm - plus or minus .03mm variable.

My exhaust valve turned out to be @ .30mm, my intake was @ .15mm
The intake is still in spec and won't need to be adjusted, but the exhaust would.




Now I need to take the exhaust shims out so I can measure them.

Remove this bolt and sealing washer on left side of engine





insert a proper size bolt you happen to have laying around to grab the threads conveniently in rocker arm shaft to remove it





Slide rocker arm out of the way using a very small, long screwdriver, then use a magnet tool to grab the shims.









Measure shims





OK, now that I have some number it's time to figure out what size shim I need from the dealer tomorrow. Calculate the new shim thickness using this equation:

A = (B - C) + D

A: new shim thickness
B: recorded valve thickness
C: specified valve clearance
D: old shim thickness


.30
-.27
.03
+1.90

=1.93








OK, it's time to go for now, Nancy's home form work, I'll get the new shims and do the same in reverse after checking my work tomorrow. Undoubtably I will sleep better knowing that by doing this work myself I not only gained more intimate knowledge of the LRP but saved the about same amount of money I've spent on the HDB hand guards, new handlebars, ROX risers, and some meaty knobby tires.

Cheers!


Finn

Very cool - this thread is going places!

Here are pictures of a mounting spot for a 12v outlet. The outlet was on sale a Cycle Gear for $10. It's pretty stout, includes wires with lugs and a handlebar mount. I cut the mount to fit the space on the right side fairing and used Velcro to hold it in place (double sided tape would be more secure). There is a ground block a couple inches away but I ran both wires to the battery zip tied to the existing wire harness. I use the outlet to power a GPS in my tank bag map pocket and to charge the battery.
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Excellent thread topic! I'm in.

yay Lostrider, thanks for starting this thread!

And thanks for the pics of your mods. Do you have a pic of the switch you put on for the heated grips?

For those who haven't bought a skidplate yet, look at Lostrider's Ricochet right side and here is the Flatland right side. Note how the Ricochet comes up higher to better protect the water pump inlet.


Here's a bendable shift lever. The one that fits the CRF230L fits the 250L as well.


And here's bar risers that fit the stock bars, also eeriely similar to the 230L.


And ASV Inventions is taking some levers down to the local Honda dealer to see if their existing adjustable levers fit--sure hope they do!

cheers

Tilliejacques, I've also been looking at ways to do the heated grips. Here is where Lostrider put the switch:





Here is a clean looking switch but it looks to be integrated into some factory heated grip option as part of the grip:

Thanks for posting the switch pics, Lost Rider and Charleston. I saw that in the pic but thought it was a Ram mount for a GPS--should've known that anyone "Lost" wouldn't need a GPS mount!

Here's the switch DH ordered to replace the DigiKey DOA one. The new part is CW124-ND and is $5.90 and he, too, will mount on an aluminum piece bolted below the risers.

(Whoa, that's a big pic. Sorry, direct from DigiKey website.)

cheers

hi again Lost Rider, could you please show which wire you tied the grips' wires into? Is it one that's only powered when the ignition is turned on?

Thanks again!

OK, it's time to go for now, Nancy's home form work, I'll get the new shims and do the same in reverse after checking my work tomorrow. Undoubtably I will sleep better knowing that by doing this work myself I not only gained more intimate knowledge of the LRP but saved the about same amount of money I've spent on the HDB hand guards, new handlebars, ROX risers, and some meaty knobby tires.

Cheers!


That's always been my thought. I can do it a few times over if I had to {thankfully never had to} for what it would cost to have someone else do it and not have the satsifaction of learning something.

That's good to know. Is it the same length? (I don't want shorter, i have big feet.) The colour of this BBR one looks the same as the Driven one - probably the same thing, from the same Chinese factory.

ZETA lists levers - and the clutch perch+lever set - for the CRF250L but they are unique to the bike, not the same part numbers as any others.

To give an example of what I kept records of, was for instance I wanted to get a folding shift lever. It was mentioned on Page 94 Post 1404. Is this what you're interested in. BTW, I just ordered it.

The foldable gear shift is 5" and the OEM is 5.25", so yes the BBR is shorter. (sorry about your feet!)

Yes thank you! CRFsOnly started carrying the Zetas in the shorty 3-finger size so I got those. Here's the brake lever, which does include a pushrod for the brake light.

I think the longer length lever might've interfered with the Acerbis guard. Also, the throttle cables needed to be moved around a little to clear everything and not bind.

And here's the clutch side, complete with pivoting action!

The OEM perch together with the OEM bars doesn't allow any tilting of the perch so the lever is where the lever is. Seems ok though haven't ridden yet.

I also got a rear rack from CRFsOnly which seems very nice and the included bolts and spacers were also nice quality.


I really like the black rack but then I have the OEM black fender/plate holder, black exhaust, and black exhaust guard.

cheers

Great thread, lots of useful info, Thanks!

Thanks. hmm, 6mm, not so bad, it might work for me, given that i never use my mx boots. Good to know that CRF230 gear levers are an option. I saw that one guy used a YZ125 gear lever, but then i found that there are three different version listed, for three different year models of the bike.

Thanks for the pics. :) That's the rack i want to get; nice to see more pics of it. i like the way the mounting parts are made - vs the ones that are just the tubes pressed flat. And the crossbars - some of the other racks have them going the other way, or they're thin rods.

shorty levers, dog-leg style - main reason why i got them. i've got all this stuff but i haven't been able to do anything with the bike yet. :-/ I hope i can get some of it done this weekend.

Wheeling Cycle Supply for ZETA and DRC stuff - well known for excellent service. CRFsOnly, just part of my frustrations and difficulties with getting stuff for this bike. No good for overseas shipping; the shipping calculator gets it ridiculously wrong - like twice the normal rate for International Priority, and then they say they would refund the difference when the actual shipping cost is settled. #NO.THANKS.

I also got all the engine plugs - the red bling, and the ZETA ED bash plate. Odd thing about the bash plate...they told me they had found that it does not fit the US version of the bike, so i said mine isn't the US version, it's would be the AUS/UK version or the Thailand version, so i would take a chance. But i haven't got to trying it yet. :-/ I can't imagine how the US version would differe where the bash plate mounts - i suppose it's something to with how it mounts at the rear, where the OEM one clips in.

Thanks for posting up and adding to the pool of LRP info fellows!



Upon request, here's the tool tube setup I have done to the bike, getting rid of the worthless OEM tool storage box and adding a tool tube.

I bought the tube here, for $4.99 plus shipping:

http://www.agrisupply.com/manual-canister-large-with-neoprene-seal/p/67670/


I use a bag similar to this for carrying tools, it's cheap, durable and being clear lets you find things inside easily.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CLEAR-VIEW-...429?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c3de6fd5




Start out with removing the OEM tool box with a couple bolts hold it on, then to remove the helmet lock with security bolts I used a trusty Dremel to cut slots in them, making it easy to use a screwdriver to remove.






After removing the side panel I found an existing place on the subframe to mount a piece of aluminum flat bar to for the front tube mount, here's an example of the aluminum, though I sourced mine locally.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pieces-3-...A%2BFICS%2BUFI&otn=21&pmod=360561778285&ps=54







Again, using the trusty Dremel I cut a slit through the plastic fender for the bracket to go through.












While it was tight to get a bolt and lock nut in the limited space I was able to do it and get a needle nose plier in there to tighten it all up and mount the bracket. I felt the single bolt would provide enough strength to hold the front of the tube, not wanting to drill into the subframe.







It would be possible to mount the tube direct to this bracket, but wanting to get it as close to the frame, "hiding" it and helping protect it by not sticking out I added this standoff I had already. I believe it came from some hand guards I didn't use anymore after breaking them and going to HDB guards, it was already threaded making things a little easier, but I don't see why any standoff/pipe could be used with a nut and bolt.
I also cut a small piece of aluminum to mount behind the tube, adding some strength to it by reducing flex and increasing the metal surface area.









For the rear I used the existing helmet mount and holes in it to add a few pieces of aluminum for the rear bracket.









And voila!
A solid, out of the way place to carry tools, or a MSR bottle of fuel on the LRP.
It might be a crude install, but it works and didn't cost much at all, I'm sure my install can be improved upon, this just shows one way to do it, and that a tool tube does indeed fit nicely in the position.

remember gasoline and fire never mix