2012 Honda CRF250L
- Thread starter KZ
- Start date
Good to read that you guys are happy with the new CRF250L! The brake discs do look a bit small, and personally I'm not impressed by the "wave design". Don't see any advantage, the contact area is actually quite narrow. That was my only gripe about the XR650L I had, had to squeeze that lever like crazy.
The tires are IRC - how are they holding up? Personally I'd prefer more street-oriented tires, maybe 90/10. I had Pirelli MT60s on my XR. MT90s are even better. Any interesting tires available in that size?
Or are the IRC good enough for the money? They should be cheap.
The tires are IRC - how are they holding up? Personally I'd prefer more street-oriented tires, maybe 90/10. I had Pirelli MT60s on my XR. MT90s are even better. Any interesting tires available in that size?
Or are the IRC good enough for the money? They should be cheap.
I just replaced mine with Michelin Sirac after 290Km on the originals. Same sizes - cost about 4,200 B. The other possibility would be Dunlop 604. These tires are supposed to be something like 80/20 on/off roads. Only rode about 20 km on the new tires - felt a little more confidence on the street. Or just my imagination??
i think the standard tyres on the CRf are great, both on and off road, i cannot see any advantage in changing them before they wear out!! of course its personal preference, maybe when they have done 2500kms they may have lost their edge in the dirt but will be even better on the road!! what i would like to know is just how hard are some of you guys wanting to ride on this bike? or maybe have money to waste?
safe riding!
Alan
"this life is no rehearsal"
I rode my XR650L only on the street at a time when 'supermoto' was not invented yet. I like the high seating position, the light weight, the suspension that makes it possible to jump a curb and eliminates potholes and speed bumps and the sound of a single. The Duke would be the perfect bike for me but it's too expensive and exotic for around here.
Not everybody buys an enduro for the dirt.
17" wheels are not essential, the stock wheels are fine, for me with 95% street tires, please.
Not everybody buys an enduro for the dirt.
17" wheels are not essential, the stock wheels are fine, for me with 95% street tires, please.
I don't ride hard at all or hardly ride even as I only clocked about 300 km since I got it for about a month now. However, I intend to ride it on the tarmac 90% of the time.
I am new to biking so I try to just have a little more peace of mind when riding. This is my first bike. It would be like my training bike.
Really enjoy your review of the CRF. Where are you in CM? May be I could bring the bike to you and you can ride it and give the review on the tires. I am probably in no position to provide my two satang worth of a review.
Opas
KZ25 That is the similar thought I have in mind when I decide on the CRF. As a newbie, the dirt tire does not really help when most of my riding is on the road. I will try to get a more experienced rider to have a go at it so he could give a proper review on the tires. By the way are you working in Songkhla? I used to work with Bechtel as a site engineer down there in the early 90's. Don't know if they still exist. quite enjoyed the small town atmosphere then. I've got these tires from a store in BKK, they will ship anywhere in Thailand. If you need a contact number, let me know.
Cheers, Opas
Cheers, Opas
Ride carefully, don't stress the tires when they're new. They're slippery for about 50km or so. After they are scrubbed in you can ride more aggressively. Lots of riders wiped out on brand new tires!
Yes, I moved to Songkhla a month ago from Phuket and am working here full time. Like the 'small town' atmosphere, they are not used to farang down here. I see more Yamaha 400cc singles here than 400 Four Hondas. Often Malaysian riders come through here in groups on big bikes, BMW, KTM, Versys. But in town there are hardly any big bikes. Even a new PCX is a rare sight!
Why don't you post the name and address of the tire shop for all of us?
hi opas
i am south of the city about 16kms
let me know when you are planning to be here!
cheers
hi, just another thought, the standard dualsport tyres on the crf do help on the road especially thai roads as there is often gravel, stones or sand on the road especially in corners, these tyres will cope with those kind of things much better than more road orientated tyres!!
alan
alan
ok guys, here's a bit of hot off the press news for you crf lovers!!
my friends crf had a slight "fall down" 2 days ago, onto its left hand side! from virtually stationary!
the gear shift spline snapped off almost flush with the crankcase!!, now that wouldnt have happened on the klx, i believe that is weak material plus a rigid gear shifter, also parts are not available to fix it just yet!!!!
these are the exact kind of things we need to know!!! had this happened in the middle of the jungle or on some serious single track!!! big problems!!!!!
safe riding
Alan
ps
i did post this in a different thread also!!
my friends crf had a slight "fall down" 2 days ago, onto its left hand side! from virtually stationary!
the gear shift spline snapped off almost flush with the crankcase!!, now that wouldnt have happened on the klx, i believe that is weak material plus a rigid gear shifter, also parts are not available to fix it just yet!!!!
these are the exact kind of things we need to know!!! had this happened in the middle of the jungle or on some serious single track!!! big problems!!!!!
safe riding
Alan
ps
i did post this in a different thread also!!
The Day I picked mine up changed the Gear lever but even though it still shouldn't have been that weak? If You remember the KLX was plagued at the beginning with the Selector Star breaking if You fell on the Gear lever side? They upgraded it now and supposedly fixed the Problem? Not so simple to change the Spline though as it means stripping the Engine down? Not good!!! Morale of the Story "Don't fall off"!!! Good Luck.
last week (rainy season), we took 6 crf's out for 3 days in total 80% off road, chiang mai, mae na chon, wat chan, pai, wiang haeng, chiang dao and back to chiang mai then off again mae wang, mae win, samoeng and back to CM, the summary:
All bikes went great no issues at all
the standard tyres were a nightmare in the slippy red clay, my klx with new knobblies was alot better but still slippery as f*** (and so it should have been)
all riders had slow falls, what was a surprise was that 3 of the right hand falls resulted in bent rear brake levers, in all the time (30,000kms) riding my klx my rear brake lever has never bent or broken.
the bent levers were soon put right with a long pipe and a bit of brute force!
quite a few new parts had to be fitted (plastic panels h/bars etc atotal of 5000 baht, an absolute bargain!! considering what had to be replaced.
all the guys were big guys, some even bigger/heavier than me!!!
no one thought they needed more power, only more grip and better engine breaking, sure a bigger rear sprocket would sort that out!!
fuel economy was considerably better than my klx by at least 30% on my calculations
safe riding!
this life is not a rehearsal!
All bikes went great no issues at all
the standard tyres were a nightmare in the slippy red clay, my klx with new knobblies was alot better but still slippery as f*** (and so it should have been)
all riders had slow falls, what was a surprise was that 3 of the right hand falls resulted in bent rear brake levers, in all the time (30,000kms) riding my klx my rear brake lever has never bent or broken.
the bent levers were soon put right with a long pipe and a bit of brute force!
quite a few new parts had to be fitted (plastic panels h/bars etc atotal of 5000 baht, an absolute bargain!! considering what had to be replaced.
all the guys were big guys, some even bigger/heavier than me!!!
no one thought they needed more power, only more grip and better engine breaking, sure a bigger rear sprocket would sort that out!!
fuel economy was considerably better than my klx by at least 30% on my calculations
safe riding!
this life is not a rehearsal!
I was at Mityon in Pattaya last week and asked about the price of the CRF .... 140k.
I said "That is weird because upcountry I can buy it for 130k"
After a moment of silence he said 'If you take it right now and pay cash, you can have it for 130k".
Chang Noi
I said "That is weird because upcountry I can buy it for 130k"
After a moment of silence he said 'If you take it right now and pay cash, you can have it for 130k".
Chang Noi
KZ25;280842 wrote: That's a good one - these Thais are always good for a laugh!
"Yes, the CRF250L is 150,000 baht now because it got more expensive!"
Actually it's the other way around...
Don't you just love them...
Riding Impression of the CRF Honda 250L:
I purchased this bike a week or so and have just completed the 1000K break in period.
This is the first bike I have owned with dual purpose tires leaning towards off road travel. Back in the 60’s & 70’s riding on the street with knobby tires usually meant certain death, but it seems times and tires have changed for the best.
Having put 25,000 K’s on my 250 D-Tracker in a very short time, I have grown to love 250 Singles for Thai roads here in the Northeast. During the rainy season, it was difficult to travel on the slippery/ muddy dirt roads, in fact, almost impossible going up and down steep muddy inclines. The D-Tracker tires and suspension were certainly suited for smooth road racing though and I love it for that!
I guess I could have gone with the KLX, but the Honda just came out and I wanted a different bike and I have enjoyed many Hondas. The bike looks nice to me and the engine sounds a bit more refined than the KLX. Of course it sounds much like a sewing machine....so probably soon I will have to purchase a louder slip on. The engine seemed very tight during the break in period so I took it easy....today, it felt more peppy.
The first thing I noticed that with the larger wheels and taller suspension it doesn’t take much of a lean to get the bike into a sharp curve. It took a little getting used to, but now it seems perfectly normal. I am very impressed how well the tires grip on pavement, in fact, the grip is much better on paved roads with gravel and dirt than the road tires and I notice very little difference on smooth paved roads... On dry sandy roads you can get the front tire to slide of course, but it does so without urgency...on wet ones I just slow down! Of course, on dirt paths the new Honda really shines over a road machine!
Today, I went on wet muddy inclines that were very slippery. I am not an experienced off road rider and make every mistake a novice can make, but at least I didn’t fall down like I did with the D-Tracker. When going up steep hills it seems to me second gear doesn’t have enough power as it should and I suspect this new Honda is restricted just like the D-Tracker was, although the Honda seems faster than the stock Kawasaki before the new CPU was installed. It has quite a bit of power and must to carry my 95+ Kilos around!
My back has been trashed for years and riding this bike is a dream come true over bumps. The bars are a little to low for me to stand up when traversing bad terrain, but I have a set of risers that should make that much easier. The D-Tracker suspension was killing me riding these bumps, holes and dips...but now...I am a happier guy.
Like Kawasaki, the speedometer is very optimistic. My GPS shows 74K’s at 80 and 83K’s at 90 and it gets progressively worse. I find the 6 speed transmission to be smooth and the engine has some torque...I think it will get better in time and many options will be available very soon including more power options.
I guess for me, the bottom line is that I should have purchased a bike like this in Thailand a long time ago. Overall, the handling is superior on all types of roads, the suspension is smoother and I can go more places. Some of the most dynamic scenery here is away from the main highways and the “crazy's”.....you can go into the farmland and right up close and into the mountains as well. Do not let the knobby dual purpose type tires fool you......try them and be pleasantly surprised!
I do not think the Honda L is a professional off road bike by any means, but to us “Farangs” and “Thai’s” who want to enjoy all types of terrain, for a budget price, with a “BOOK,” with less expensive acessories and the ability to get parts in country.....one might consider this new Honda 250L.
I have read most of the forums including the criticisms and the ravings of which bikes are best. The bottom line is to me....what bike is the most fun for you? I have owned big bikes since I was a kid and also have a 650 Versys here in Thailand (which I like very much) for my long treks....I will say this... “ I have had the most fun on both these Single 250’s than at anytime over my 50 plus years riding motorcycles” and I think this type of machine is particularly suited for Thailand.....they will sell thousands of them! I have toured with these bikes and have seen many folks touring all of Thailand with them.....if you have any questions, I will try to answer them and I will know more soon.....
I purchased this bike a week or so and have just completed the 1000K break in period.
This is the first bike I have owned with dual purpose tires leaning towards off road travel. Back in the 60’s & 70’s riding on the street with knobby tires usually meant certain death, but it seems times and tires have changed for the best.
Having put 25,000 K’s on my 250 D-Tracker in a very short time, I have grown to love 250 Singles for Thai roads here in the Northeast. During the rainy season, it was difficult to travel on the slippery/ muddy dirt roads, in fact, almost impossible going up and down steep muddy inclines. The D-Tracker tires and suspension were certainly suited for smooth road racing though and I love it for that!
I guess I could have gone with the KLX, but the Honda just came out and I wanted a different bike and I have enjoyed many Hondas. The bike looks nice to me and the engine sounds a bit more refined than the KLX. Of course it sounds much like a sewing machine....so probably soon I will have to purchase a louder slip on. The engine seemed very tight during the break in period so I took it easy....today, it felt more peppy.
The first thing I noticed that with the larger wheels and taller suspension it doesn’t take much of a lean to get the bike into a sharp curve. It took a little getting used to, but now it seems perfectly normal. I am very impressed how well the tires grip on pavement, in fact, the grip is much better on paved roads with gravel and dirt than the road tires and I notice very little difference on smooth paved roads... On dry sandy roads you can get the front tire to slide of course, but it does so without urgency...on wet ones I just slow down! Of course, on dirt paths the new Honda really shines over a road machine!
Today, I went on wet muddy inclines that were very slippery. I am not an experienced off road rider and make every mistake a novice can make, but at least I didn’t fall down like I did with the D-Tracker. When going up steep hills it seems to me second gear doesn’t have enough power as it should and I suspect this new Honda is restricted just like the D-Tracker was, although the Honda seems faster than the stock Kawasaki before the new CPU was installed. It has quite a bit of power and must to carry my 95+ Kilos around!
My back has been trashed for years and riding this bike is a dream come true over bumps. The bars are a little to low for me to stand up when traversing bad terrain, but I have a set of risers that should make that much easier. The D-Tracker suspension was killing me riding these bumps, holes and dips...but now...I am a happier guy.
Like Kawasaki, the speedometer is very optimistic. My GPS shows 74K’s at 80 and 83K’s at 90 and it gets progressively worse. I find the 6 speed transmission to be smooth and the engine has some torque...I think it will get better in time and many options will be available very soon including more power options.
I guess for me, the bottom line is that I should have purchased a bike like this in Thailand a long time ago. Overall, the handling is superior on all types of roads, the suspension is smoother and I can go more places. Some of the most dynamic scenery here is away from the main highways and the “crazy's”.....you can go into the farmland and right up close and into the mountains as well. Do not let the knobby dual purpose type tires fool you......try them and be pleasantly surprised!
I do not think the Honda L is a professional off road bike by any means, but to us “Farangs” and “Thai’s” who want to enjoy all types of terrain, for a budget price, with a “BOOK,” with less expensive acessories and the ability to get parts in country.....one might consider this new Honda 250L.
I have read most of the forums including the criticisms and the ravings of which bikes are best. The bottom line is to me....what bike is the most fun for you? I have owned big bikes since I was a kid and also have a 650 Versys here in Thailand (which I like very much) for my long treks....I will say this... “ I have had the most fun on both these Single 250’s than at anytime over my 50 plus years riding motorcycles” and I think this type of machine is particularly suited for Thailand.....they will sell thousands of them! I have toured with these bikes and have seen many folks touring all of Thailand with them.....if you have any questions, I will try to answer them and I will know more soon.....
Thanks, Gregitt, for your review of the CRF250L!
Talking about fun to ride, about 15 years ago I was buying and selling used bikes and parting out BMW K-bikes. I had a 1400 Intruder, two XS650s, a Honda 750 V-Four, a BMW K100, a BMW K75 and a ZX9R sitting in the garage when I picked up a used XR650L just because someone offered it to me for a low price. A month later I realized that I had ridden the XR every day and not touched any of the other bikes!
Even though I never went into the dirt but rode around town and sometimes on short hiway trips to the beach.
Ever since I am a big enduro fan and had a DR650SE and several 250 enduros. These bikes are so much fun to ride, they are simple singles, light, have a good seating position and view above city traffic, are easy to control with the wide handle bar, have great suspension to deal with potholes, train rails and cracks in the roads. With the K100 I always rode around the big metal canal covers; with an enduro you go right through anything.
And it's fun to pop wheelies!
Supermotos should be even better for city riding. I think most potential buyers are not aware of the qualities of these bikes.
I just bought a used CBR150R because I wanted a small, affordable city bike I can park between the Waves and Nouvos at the market but that can also go 130 km/h on the hiway for longer trips. Am selling it now because it is just too uncomfortable for a guy my age.
If Honda made a supermoto with the CBR150R engine I'd sign up today!
Talking about fun to ride, about 15 years ago I was buying and selling used bikes and parting out BMW K-bikes. I had a 1400 Intruder, two XS650s, a Honda 750 V-Four, a BMW K100, a BMW K75 and a ZX9R sitting in the garage when I picked up a used XR650L just because someone offered it to me for a low price. A month later I realized that I had ridden the XR every day and not touched any of the other bikes!
Even though I never went into the dirt but rode around town and sometimes on short hiway trips to the beach.
Ever since I am a big enduro fan and had a DR650SE and several 250 enduros. These bikes are so much fun to ride, they are simple singles, light, have a good seating position and view above city traffic, are easy to control with the wide handle bar, have great suspension to deal with potholes, train rails and cracks in the roads. With the K100 I always rode around the big metal canal covers; with an enduro you go right through anything.
And it's fun to pop wheelies!
Supermotos should be even better for city riding. I think most potential buyers are not aware of the qualities of these bikes.
I just bought a used CBR150R because I wanted a small, affordable city bike I can park between the Waves and Nouvos at the market but that can also go 130 km/h on the hiway for longer trips. Am selling it now because it is just too uncomfortable for a guy my age.
If Honda made a supermoto with the CBR150R engine I'd sign up today!
Thanks for your input! You might consider the 250 D-Tracker used. My seat has been modified wider and softer....it has the de-restricted CPU, a heavy duty Luggage Rack and FMC exhaust. It is not for sale, at least yet, but there are many around and I may decide to sell mine. (I think the wife has already decided)!
I love the D-Tracker too.
I have always wanted a 400 or 600+ Single, but it is a little difficult to find one here with a book unless you pay lots of BT>
Thanks again,
greg
I cranked up the preload on my rear shock today. I was following a mate on one who is about the same weight as me and it made me realise it needs doing. Wasn't too hard, just take the seat and right side plastic cover off, get a long (old!) screwdriver and bash away. There's no way you are getting the proper tool in there...I couldn't get the top locking nut undone so I hit the lower nut and it moved eventually. It's pretty tight. It wasn't very technical as in measuring the sag and all but a quick ride found it feeling much better although I may play with it some more. Well worth the effort. If you're not up to doing it yourself any bike shop will do it, exactly like I did.
I checked out my first CRF yesterday. only sat on it and had a good look around. They were asking 137K which isn't a lot cheaper than my KLX250 especially when it seems you have to replace a few things like the gear and brakes levers if you want it to survive the odd fall off-road.
The height seemed about the same, I was hoping for a couple of inches lower. what about those tires though Guys. ? Honestly, I've found IRC tires to be a bit too hard wearing and not sticky enough on other bikes. very slippery on the yellow lines etc. The Dunlops on the KLX are very good in my opinion. :-?
The height seemed about the same, I was hoping for a couple of inches lower. what about those tires though Guys. ? Honestly, I've found IRC tires to be a bit too hard wearing and not sticky enough on other bikes. very slippery on the yellow lines etc. The Dunlops on the KLX are very good in my opinion. :-?