The CRF250L Owners thread

[CRFSoCal]

Those guns are pretty sweet. Perfect for riding since they break down. I shot one over the weekend and it is pretty fun

[4play]

Originally Posted by Leoffensive

even if said troll is a weakling that cant pick up a 300 pound bike?

Actually I picked that little pig up 9 times yesterday for the owner who could not. I'll appologize again for daring to comment on how disappointed I was in a bike I truly wanted to like. That makes me a troll, and a too weak to pick up a bike? You guys are funny

[NJ-Brett]

From what I read, out of all the modern dual sports in the 250cc range, I think the crf250 would be my pick.
The crf230 like the xt225 might be a bit small for me.
And those bikes do not have the power to do the street very well, being air cooled.

It seems like when you add water cooling, the bike gets heavy, plus, the 250 is a larger bike in size of the frame then the 225 was, is it not?

If it was me, I would rather have a 300 pound air cooled 350 with the same power as the crf250 but with a broader power band and more torque, and no ugly radiators adding weight high up on the bike.

But for what is out there, I would go with the crf250, the wr250 is nice but tall and expensive.

[SugarDust]

Originally Posted by 4play

Actually I picked that little pig up 9 times yesterday for the owner who could not.....

wow - 9x what was the owner doing on such a trail? I wouldn't be on a trail that I would need somebody else to pick my bike on 9 times, I would also think that said owner would be assisting somebody else picking my bike up - I think we all understand the limitations of the bike here, I would never take this bike stock on any sort of killer rocky trail AND I would think that you would have more of an issue with the owner taking the bike on such a trail and making you pick it up no matter what the bike is...

Originally Posted by 4play

I appologize for an honest review on a product I rode

Come on, you walk into somebody else's house knowing full well what how that review might be received?

[4play]

ADVrider is my home too. The finger was meant for the big bad 250 riding fella telling me to STFU.

The 9x falls was in no way the fault of the bike, Myself & another inmate rode the bike through the more difficult sections.

[jdanks]

Originally Posted by Harcomo

Nope, your dealer didn't slight you. Honda included that same tool kit here in MO also. When I was in the process of swapping out front sprockets on mine, I asked on here what size the rear axle nut was. A member from Canada replied that most of the tools required for the swap were included in the toolkit. So, obviously the toolkit is included on Canadian sold bikes but two allen wrenches and a fuse puller wasn't gonna cut it here for me! So I guess a toolkit is included in some places, but apparently not in the USA. I guess that's part of why the bike's retail price is only $4499. They had to cut corners somewhere!

Thanks, I was hoping the dealer messed up.....But it looks like the this is normal for the US sold units.

[Leoffensive]

Originally Posted by 4play

ADVrider is my home too. The finger was meant for the big bad 250 riding fella telling me to STFU.

The 9x falls was in no way the fault of the bike, Myself & another inmate rode the bike through the more difficult sections.

its ok
obviously this bike is geared more for the beginner crowd

like me

[MrFurious]

Originally Posted by 4play

Actually I picked that little pig up 9 times yesterday for the owner who could not. I'll appologize again for daring to comment on how disappointed I was in a bike I truly wanted to like. That makes me a troll, and a too weak to pick up a bike? You guys are funny

It's not your comments about the bike per se, but rather your attitude in general. You don't like it...we get that and that's fine. Every bike won't be perfect for every person - that's why we have so many different brands/models to choose from. However, what you fail to realize is that Honda designed and built the CRF250L (and the CBR250R) to sell globally at a very specific price point given the current state of various economies around the globe. They could have put top-end suspension components on it, rung a few more ponies out of the motor and shed several pounds by going with an aluminum frame - but doing so would have pushed the price way over their desired target.

The 250L does exactly what it was designed to do quite well. It handles great on the street, and it will eat up miles and miles of dirt/gravel roads and easy trail riding with ease. It's not a hardcore enduro bike like the KTM EXC's and was never meant to be, so naturally if that's what you're looking for you're going to be disappointed. If you want a more dirt-worthy Honda that is more akin to the KTM just slap a dual-sport kit on a CRF250X or 450X. Not only will you get the better performance and handling to match the KTM, but you also get the same high maintenance headaches.

As for your specific complaints, had you bothered to read through a few pages of this thread you would have seen the gearing complaint is normal (as it is on most every dual-sport bike from the factory) and is nothing a front sprocket swap won't fix. As for the weight and feeling top-heavy, it isn't too hard to drop 25+ pounds from the 250L by simply going to an aftermarket exhaust, removing the emissions crap, and switching to a lithium battery. Most of the weight being eliminated is situated high on the bike so problem solved.

And while I'm on a roll I'll go ahead and add my 2 cents on your comparing the 250L to the WRR. Given the WRR costs $2,200 more than the 250L I would fully expect the WRR to offer more power and better suspension. The fact that it's only a few pounds lighter tells it's own tail though. If you take that $2,200 you save over buying the WRR and put it into upgrading the 250L the CRF will be on par if not *gasp* slightly better.

$850 for the hop-up kit from BestDualSportBikes.com
- Full FMF Exhaust
- EFI Programmer
- Air Filter/Box Modification Instructions
- 13T Front Sprocket
$450 for Race-Tech fork springs and Gold Valves
$750 for Race-Tech custom rear shock

[Wargasm]

Originally Posted by Leoffensive

its ok
obviously this bike is geared more for the beginner crowd

like me

Yeah this is my first "dirt bike" or dual sport and I'd agree that it's geared for the beginner and/or city commuter that heads for the hills on the weekend. It's a good bike for the non-hardcore trail riders, but serious stuff shows up it's short comings. It is heavy, which is a lot for me to say as my street bike is a near 600lb 30 year old muscle bike, it's suspension is......let's say budget oriented, and probably not aimed at those who can really push a bike to it's limits continously. Power is about what I expected for a 250cc engine, not arm jerkingly powerful, but it hauls itself and me up hills I probably couldn't walk up very easily. I like it, quite a bit actually and I had thought of doing all the power upgrades, looking into tweaking the suspension for my weight and a little more plush action, perhaps outfitting it with a rack and larger fuel tank and taking it on a few road/trail camping trips. However.....having put a little over 1500km on it so far I think I've outgrown it. Which kind of surprised me, I thought I be a few years before wanting more power, lighter weight and better suspension. Now I seem to encounter climbs that I feel I could handle, but I don't think the bike would make it up, not with me aboard anyway. I am constantly overworking the suspension and have become quite accustomed to the clunk of bump stops, both front and rear. The brakes will lock it up easily on dirt, but I've had a few puckering experiences on the street, this is quite possibly due to me being used to big dual discs, but surely a brand new 250cc dual sport should have better brakes than an old Suzuki that weighs nearly twice as much, shouldn't it? I have made some upgrades to the little mule, notably the Ricochet skid plate, the plastic one died horribly a week after I purchased the bike. I bent the bars so they were also replaced, Pro Taper bars and conversion clamps were used. I also installed a 13T sprocket, this made it a lot more peppy, both on road and off although I still haven't gotten the speedo healer, but then again I've never been one to quibble about legal speed limits. All in all I like the bike, I've learned how to drive in the dirt on it, much less front brake than street riding was learned quickly. I'm no pro, but I've got a good grasp of the basics. I'll be keeping the honda, it's my first brand new bike and my first EFI bike, both cool. But I think next year I'll be upgrading to more power lighter weight and better suspension. The Honda will stay in the family. My oldest son is only a couple years away from a road license so he'll have first dibs on it, then his younger brother, providing the little mule survives, which I think it will. I can usually break anything within a few hours, but the CRF250L has stood up well.

[Leoffensive]

Originally Posted by Wargasm

Yeah this is my first "dirt bike" or dual sport and I'd agree that it's geared for the beginner and/or city commuter that heads for the hills on the weekend. It's a good bike for the non-hardcore trail riders, but serious stuff shows up it's short comings. It is heavy, which is a lot for me to say as my street bike is a near 600lb 30 year old muscle bike, it's suspension is......let's say budget oriented, and probably not aimed at those who can really push a bike to it's limits continously. Power is about what I expected for a 250cc engine, not arm jerkingly powerful, but it hauls itself and me up hills I probably couldn't walk up very easily. I like it, quite a bit actually and I had thought of doing all the power upgrades, looking into tweaking the suspension for my weight and a little more plush action, perhaps outfitting it with a rack and larger fuel tank and taking it on a few road/trail camping trips. However.....having put a little over 1500km on it so far I think I've outgrown it. Which kind of surprised me, I thought I be a few years before wanting more power, lighter weight and better suspension. Now I seem to encounter climbs that I feel I could handle, but I don't think the bike would make it up, not with me aboard anyway. I am constantly overworking the suspension and have become quite accustomed to the clunk of bump stops, both front and rear. The brakes will lock it up easily on dirt, but I've had a few puckering experiences on the street, this is quite possibly due to me being used to big dual discs, but surely a brand new 250cc dual sport should have better brakes than an old Suzuki that weighs nearly twice as much, shouldn't it? I have made some upgrades to the little mule, notably the Ricochet skid plate, the plastic one died horribly a week after I purchased the bike. I bent the bars so they were also replaced, Pro Taper bars and conversion clamps were used. I also installed a 13T sprocket, this made it a lot more peppy, both on road and off although I still haven't gotten the speedo healer, but then again I've never been one to quibble about legal speed limits. All in all I like the bike, I've learned how to drive in the dirt on it, much less front brake than street riding was learned quickly. I'm no pro, but I've got a good grasp of the basics. I'll be keeping the honda, it's my first brand new bike and my first EFI bike, both cool. But I think next year I'll be upgrading to more power lighter weight and better suspension. The Honda will stay in the family. My oldest son is only a couple years away from a road license so he'll have first dibs on it, then his younger brother, providing the little mule survives, which I think it will. I can usually break anything within a few hours, but the CRF250L has stood up well.

im excited as this will be my first bike ever and ill be learning to ride on it. id like it to be something i can hold on to for a very long time.

[Leoffensive]

Originally Posted by MrFurious

It's not your comments about the bike per se, but rather your attitude in general. You don't like it...we get that and that's fine. Every bike won't be perfect for every person - that's why we have so many different brands/models to choose from. However, what you fail to realize is that Honda designed and built the CRF250L (and the CBR250R) to sell globally at a very specific price point given the current state of various economies around the globe. They could have put top-end suspension components on it, rung a few more ponies out of the motor and shed several pounds by going with an aluminum frame - but doing so would have pushed the price way over their desired target.

The 250L does exactly what it was designed to do quite well. It handles great on the street, and it will eat up miles and miles of dirt/gravel roads and easy trail riding with ease. It's not a hardcore enduro bike like the KTM EXC's and was never meant to be, so naturally if that's what you're looking for you're going to be disappointed. If you want a more dirt-worthy Honda that is more akin to the KTM just slap a dual-sport kit on a CRF250X or 450X. Not only will you get the better performance and handling to match the KTM, but you also get the same high maintenance headaches.

As for your specific complaints, had you bothered to read through a few pages of this thread you would have seen the gearing complaint is normal (as it is on most every dual-sport bike from the factory) and is nothing a front sprocket swap won't fix. As for the weight and feeling top-heavy, it isn't too hard to drop 25+ pounds from the 250L by simply going to an aftermarket exhaust, removing the emissions crap, and switching to a lithium battery. Most of the weight being eliminated is situated high on the bike so problem solved.

And while I'm on a roll I'll go ahead and add my 2 cents on your comparing the 250L to the WRR. Given the WRR costs $2,200 more than the 250L I would fully expect the WRR to offer more power and better suspension. The fact that it's only a few pounds lighter tells it's own tail though. If you take that $2,200 you save over buying the WRR and put it into upgrading the 250L the CRF will be on par if not *gasp* slightly better.

$850 for the hop-up kit from BestDualSportBikes.com
- Full FMF Exhaust
- EFI Programmer
- Air Filter/Box Modification Instructions
- 13T Front Sprocket
$450 for Race-Tech fork springs and Gold Valves
$750 for Race-Tech custom rear shock

wow i think ill pm you when im ready to upgrade the performance on the bike. granted it will still be reliable haha

[inroads]

Some guy was reporting 74 MPG average on 3 tanks. Wow that is impressive,if accurate.

[MrFurious]

Originally Posted by Leoffensive

wow i think ill pm you when im ready to upgrade the performance on the bike. granted it will still be reliable haha

No need to PM me, just get ahold of the guys at www.bestdualsportbikes.com as they're the ones who have done the work putting the goodies together.

[viajerosolo]

Originally Posted by PeterS

No you are not mad. I was thinking the same....!
Me and my better half are going to make a two year RTW trip starting next year.
We have two big bikes ready to go (transalp and africatwin), but are seriously considering going light with the CRF.
I like the fuel economy and the long service intervals...

If Clarke or IMS can make some larger fuel tanks, it will be a win for the long distance ADV. My only other concern at this point is the lack of spares when abroad.... the CRFL isn't sold in central or South America yet; they still have the XR250 Tornado. Hope they end up replacing it!

[viajerosolo]

Originally Posted by Lucky62

Same here, I replaced my overweight KLR650 with the CRF, and after 600+ miles am looking at a short windshield and better seat for travelling. I've already bought Dirtbagz for it, but may end up with something larger later. I'm thinking for the kind of travelling I LIKE to do (old US Highways) it goes plenty fast, after a pipe and fuel controller it should be as good as the KLR was IMHO......then again, I'm an "old guy"

My buddy sent me picture of the adventure windscreen from crfsonly installed, and frankly; it looks a LOT better than I thought it might. Do you think a Giant Loop Great Basin would fit on the bike? I am fully aware it would look ridiculous, but it seems to be a good (and popular) option. The coyote is advertised on crfsonly, so I am sure that will fit; but may not provide the storage capacity for the sort of riding I am thinking of.

As far as being an "old guy," I am a young guy and would appreciate the 100lbs in weight difference from the change as well.