CRF250M Commute to work in style ( pretty cheap too )

[Brittas]

[img]https://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s350/adrunknun/20150218_101912.jpg[/img]

Honda CRF250M brand new to get me to work and back.
Sold my KTM 690 Duke for £4.5k got this for £3.5k + £490 for exhaust... I thought it was a must have modification.(yoshimura RS4)
My Duke 690 was great but not really cut out for lots of 30/40 mph limits on my commute. My commute is 8 miles each way.
My 3.0 BMW was costing £100 per month to do this commute.
Seems a great little bike for the money.
I have tried the following bikes out last 10 years...
DRZ 400 SM
WR 250 X
WR 250 F
KTM DUKE 200
KTM DUKE 690
KTM 640 SM
XR 400
XR 250
KL 250 super sherpa ( import)

This one ticks all the boxes for a commuter ( with some style)
80-90 mpg should be pretty reliable . Made in Thailand which is a bit of a worry .

[G]

In what way do you find this better in 30/40s than the 690?

Have you worked out the expected depreciation over the first year for this bike? Wouldn't be surprised if the overall costs were similar to your beemer - especially if you consider insurance etc if you wouldn't otherwise have a bike insured.

[thx1138]

I've got the L also made in Thailand, and have abused it on a weekly basis, hammered it in all conditions, more than a trail bike should be abused, and it's fine

[Brittas]

690 Duke won't pull at less than 3k revs. So I never got out of 3rd gear going to work. Any quicker A roads then the Duke would win hands down.
These sort of bikes do not depreciate hard at all.
2013 L version with 6300 miles on the clock up for sale at £3000.
I got £800 off of list price as they off the range this year.
It Will be hard to sell at any price as 250 CC super motos are not that much in demand. I will hopefully be keeping this one for a long while now.
I would have kept the WR250X I had but blew an engine up on my car so needed to sell to get some quick cash.

[G]

A bit late now, but:
Did you play with the fueling switch on the KTM690? Have a replacement map on it?
Setting the fueling switch to the most aggressive plan and the officuial map to go with the Akrapovic exhaust on my 690enduro made a decent difference to low down go.
The 250M seems to be geared about 25% lower than a 690duke, which means 5th gear on that is likely similar to 3rd gear on the KTM - and doubt the 250 will pull very well at slower speed in 5th/6th either?.
To me a over grand off RRP (don't know how much the L owner paid, of course) in a year and a bit doesn't sound like good depreciation!

[Rogerborg]

Wants to save money, buys new bike?

Nah, fair enough, you've done your sums. That's a healthy discount and it'll amortise out if you do keep it.

Honda servicing, independent, or we-don'-need-no-steenkin'-warranty?
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Brittas]

If I wanted to save money I would have bought a clapped out scooter or chinese super moto for a grand. There is not a lot of choice out there for a super moto commuter.
I suppose my dream bike would be 400 cc 125 kg 40 + HP. silly long service intervals. DRZ 400 pretty close but a bit yesterdays news.
KTM 390 Duke very close but the indian build quality got to be a concern.
My 200 Duke was really cheap quality and rock hard ride over potholes. The Honda seems pretty well put together .No where near the quality of the WR 250 X though.

[Rogerborg]

I get you. I'm minded to chop the GS in for something newish and neater this year, but I'm not sure what.

Inazuma is too bleh, CBR300R is too silly (sell the F, fools), and I'm not really into the high-seat-low-bars riding position on the CRF. I like the Duke 390 but not the price vs quality proposition.

Hang on... Brittas... Duke 200?

OI! Check your PMs, I asked you about your Duke 200 last August and it's still sitting in my Outbox.

I take it that's a for it then?

If only Lexmoto would sell that Zongshen RX3 mini-Ewan-and-Charleymobile.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Brittas]

Ha ha just found it . I think the ktm 200 duke is a great fun bike. I sure I got 100 mpg a few times and performance is good for a 200. I sold it for the 690 duke . The duke 690 is overkill for my needs to be honest. I did start taking a few silly risks on it. I should have given the 200 Duke longer but I started getting paranoid a bout the made in India part.
I would give the thumbs up to the Duke 200 as a city commuter.....If it doesn't fall apart.

[Rogerborg]

Cheers. The 390 looks to be about bang on in terms of capacity / economy / lulz, but the problems on the 125s, oh, the problems. The nearest KTM dealer is a 140 mile round trip away and I can't run two project bikes. Sort it out, KTM.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[G]

The latest 690 SMC has 6000 mile service intervals with about the same no-fuel weight as a CRF250M.
Won't be as good mpg, though might be better if you used CRF250M levels of power all the time!

[Brittas]

Exactly why I didn't go for the 390 Duke.
If you want KTM quality its £7K + and oil change every other ride.

https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201309/ktm-350-exc-f-9_600x0w.jpg

[Brittas]

[Irn-Bru]