Nearly 2 months with 2012 Honda CRF250L

[bridgedino]

Ok so this is my first off road / duel sport bike.

Having spent nearly 10 years on a variety of road bikes I was eventually seduced by a road based trail bike. I'm 43 and have longed for one since I was 10 yrs old thanks to a Xmas Lego set I was given in 1979 which included a dirt bike rider and bike

That gift alone instilled a belief that there was nothing that man and machine couldn't conquer

So 33 years later I picked up my 2012 CRF250L on 1st November from Pheonix Honda in Grangemouth.

Now from the moment I put my leg over it I was in love. The increased height, the views, the purr from the engine, the belief that if the Forth Road Bridge closed due to high winds I could just use those nobly tyres to ride across the Firth of Forth with no problems at all.

Even the fact that the bike gets more looks than my previous road bikes ever did makes me grin. I tell myself that everyone, deep down inside, must at some time in their life have been seduced by the image of riding a dirt bike.

I'm already looking at buying a peaked lid but that's another story.

I have nothing similar to compare the bike with but I will endeavour to share good with bad as I see them

GOOD: It makes me grin every time I get on it
Nice seat height
It's not typical looky likey road bike like every other one I see
It makes me grin every time I get on it


BAD: Fuel tanks too wee, 7.5 litres needs re filling every 2nd day
Lack of UK based accessories
Not fitted with a stainless steel exhaust
Pish horn

Well that's my view anyway, not to technical I know but what can I say. It starts every time and I love it.

Even the headlights decent for my daily 50 mile round trip commute.

Just need to find some tracks and trails to sneak onto without the farmer shooting me

[bridgedino]

Forgot to mention top speed is around 85mph with a tail wind.

8k service intervals

From 0-70 mph it pulls well right through the 6 gears

[thx1138]

cool, I'm considering getting one of these, bought an old XR250 this year, bit past it, might chop it in next year.

[bridgedino]

Well anything you want to know just ask

[G]

Seems like a newer XR250, but some quick googling suggests that it's actually over 15kg heavier than the similar and already a bit lardy WR250R (the WR250F is the lightweight competition one.)

Listed weight isn't far off a DRZ400E, which I think I'd choose for most things.

[Klause]

The CRF250l has shocking ground clearance and is overweight. I'm not sure how it would deal with serious offroad. As an urban commuter and light trail riding should be fine.

If you like the XR250 engine but want something more modern with top spec suspension then have a look at these...
https://www.ajpmotos.pt/images/common/PR5/pr5_enduro_splash.jpg

AJP are replacing them with a liquid cooled engine for 2013 so expect to find the XR250 based models going cheap...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2012-AJP-PR5-/221168711323?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item337eaeb69b

I have done some work for AJP UK and done alot of work on the PR5 250 it's a nice bike.
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Current bikes: 1960 Triumph 5ta x2, TTR600RE, KTM200EXC, Cagiva Elephant 900ie.

[bridgedino]

It's not at all aimed at serious off road stuff, its urban riding and maybe the odd track or trail.

As for weight issues, well my last few bikes have been in the 200kg bracket so to me this feels light and nimble.

When choosing this bike I tried to get the best fit for my working and living environment. My bikes parking spot at home requires a bit of pushing and pulling to get it secured away so now it's so simple. Light weight and so easy to push by hand with a great turning circle.

When it snows here I can now walk the bike the 100yds distance out to the main road without fear of losing the balance or sweating like a pig.

8k service intervals are a bonus as well, and to me, it perfectly fits my needs. I'm delighted and long may it last

[Kawksam]

I have a old ttr250 and found that its better built more off road biased than the Honda has the same top speed but just seems tougher, the Honda is more a look at me sort of bike but non of the off road performance type, chrome petrol come on its an off road bike.

the swing arm seem tiny and weak and to be fair rather have carb than injection, the seat I found also was hard and like a plank unlike the ttr which is comfy all day.

[Happy Tramper]

Hi, I have just bought a Honda CRF250L and think it's brilliant. I wanted a bike that I could tow behind my campervan to use on trips to Spain. Spain has miles of unmade roads and I wanted a light bike tough enough to get me around. It would also be used for short shopping trips from campsites to the nearest town and capable of carrying the occasional passenger. Noise was another factor, the quieter the better.

I started with a list of about 16 possible bikes. My capacity range was 125cc to 400cc anything bigger I thought would be too heavy. The first I tried was a Derbi Terra Adventurer a 125cc four-stroke a beautiful bike and very comfortable but, I though, not powerful enough for two up riding. That also ruled out every other 125.

I was very keen on a Beta Alp 400 or possibly their 200 but was unable to track either down. Same problem with the Ossa Explorer 280cc. I did find a Sherco X-Ride 290cc but didn't fancy a 2-stroke. I also checked out the AJP 240cc Ultrapasser at the Birmingham bike show, a very capable bike but not for me, the finish was not as good as the Honda. KTM and Husqvarna's were rejected as no facilities for passengers. Other outsiders were the Rieju Tango 250cc and the CCM CRX230. Neither Yamaha or Suzuki had anything in their current range so I finally came down to either a Kawasaki KLX250 or the Honda. I didn't fancy a green motorcycle so the Honda it was.

I am very pleased with my purchase. I don't know what the problem previously mentioned about ground clearance is, the Honda has 255mm. I note the AJP has 16" wheels rear and 19" front and a seat height of 840mm. The Honda has 18" wheels rear and 21" front with a seat height of 875mm. The AJP is definitely lighter at 89kg compared to the Honda at 144kg.

I did find a problem in tracking some of these bikes down and those I did I was not allowed to start them up or go on a test ride. The only exception was the local Honda dealer.

https://www.ajpmotos.co.uk/ajp-motorcycle-range/pr3_240cc_ultrapassar/

At the end of the day we buy what we feel is best for ourselves. There are very few bad bikes out there so go for what suits you.

[G]

[bridgedino]

https://www.honda.co.jp/ownersmanual/HondaMotorEurope/motor/all/crf250l/2013/english/32KZZB010.html?v=f126t400&m=crf250l

Link for the owners manual PDF format if anyone's looking for it

[thx1138]

My XR is dead, for sale notice in the exchange and mart section.

I've decided to get a new one of these. All things considered my green laning is quite gentle and modest. I have £1k tucked away so far. Will probably try and raise as much as the £4k for a new one as I can and buy a new one.

Instead of having it as a full off roader, I'll have it as a 2nd bike, mess about/fun bike. I don't think anything that I did on my own XR over the last 12 months is beyond the CRF250L and I'm not likely to push it's limits much anytime soon.

Went off roading with my friend, my now dead XR 250 and his new CRF....

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/THXII38/WP_001870_zpsd487ad36.jpg

[bridgedino]

Hope you enjoy

[HoggyF]

glad you like your bike Dino

what a lot of people forget is not everyone is an enduro God and wants to charge down the lanes at max revs and arse on fire!! Some people want to bimble down with a set of knobblies just in case its a tad slippy lol

Personally i think theres a bit of a gap in the market for a bigger, road based engine in a lightweight frame, I'd love a Beta Alp 400 good old DR350 motor and a nice low seat heigh for us vertically challenged my CCM 644 is a bastard to get on in Enduro mode for me in full gear, I have to use the pegs to climb on!! Haven't tried it off road yet!

[thx1138]

[Irn-Bru]

I think I read on MCN or maybe Visor Down the other day that they have announced they are doing an SM version of this bike. 23bhp though, me no gusta.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Supermoto_Fan]

[Irn-Bru]

Like a SXV but a 3rd of the power

If you have to fanny on getting it to 30bhp then you could have started off with a DRZ which can go to 40 without too much effort Plus they're asking summit daft like £4.5K for them.

KTM need to put their new 390cc LC4 Duke engine into an SMC frame and they pretty much own the market
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[thx1138]

I just got my Honda brochures through the post.

The Adventure brochure features the CRF250L, but the pull out poster mentions the Road Legal CRF250XRL

is that signigicantly different?

[thx1138]

er, yes, thousands of pounds different

anyway, test ride for CRF250L booked this Saturday at Norton Way Honda.

[G]

From what I can see the CRF250XRL is basically a road legal version of the CRF250X - so a competition enduro bike, rather than a heavy trail bike.
As standard I believe you can get any KTM EXC in road legal trim if you desire.

[Irn-Bru]

Because:

Duke 390 £4,500

Duke 690 £6,600

I think the new 690 SMC is £7,200.

It would be essentially a jumped up DRZ if the weight stayed the same yes, but 45bhp and if they kept the WP sus. & Brembo brakes it'd be a great bike still.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[G]

Are you sure it's an LC4 engine?
Looks different - and the LC4 690 engine says 'LC4' on the side, while this doesn't!

Overall the 390 Duke looks like a bit of a 'budget' bike - the engine (barrel/piston at least) seem to be a bigger version of the 125/200 and the frame etc all look similar.

So I suspect cost is also kept down using lower quality components in other places - if it was an LC4 engine with a similar spec frame the real world cost difference to KTM would be negligible.

[thx1138]

thanks G.

I can't afford the XRL anyway, and if I could, the very regular services might be a bit annoying.


Test ride booked for the CRF250L this Saturday. Though I've heard a rumour they suffer from a dodgy water pump?

[Irn-Bru]

G, I don't think it is an LC4, I can't really find much info on it other than marketing text. I would expect no brembo's or WP for a mid range bike, so that it pushes people who want it to go for the 690.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM