2012 Honda CRF250L
- Thread starter KZ
- Start date
O.k bike looks good, specs are not so nice...shame one can't install a kickstart set on the crf, that can be easily done on the KLX and the old XR's ...Honda is downgrading...too bad, still hope that this bike will be a nice surprise at the end, can't wait to see one
Just reading the official annouchment on Honda World wide (http://world.honda.com/news/2012/2120413New-CRF250L-OnOff-Road-Model/index.html)
143kg with 23PS. Depending on the price that could be OK, but the seat-hight is too high for me.
Still no mentioning about the price anywhere?
Chang Noi
143kg with 23PS. Depending on the price that could be OK, but the seat-hight is too high for me.
Still no mentioning about the price anywhere?
Chang Noi
HellForLeather seems to like a lot about this bike. Title: "The next great Honda?". Articles is up only for 12 hours so lots of quotes below:
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/04/the-next-great-honda/
Price in Japan is the same as for the CBR250R, about USD 4,000. My new best guess for the price in Thailand is therefore 120k. I don't know why Honda priced the CBR250R so low in Thailand but I'd imagine with that bike being a huge success that they'll now go for the profits (while still beating the KLX).
Some quotes:
http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/04/the-next-great-honda/
Price in Japan is the same as for the CBR250R, about USD 4,000. My new best guess for the price in Thailand is therefore 120k. I don't know why Honda priced the CBR250R so low in Thailand but I'd imagine with that bike being a huge success that they'll now go for the profits (while still beating the KLX).
Some quotes:
I put it this way if Thailand had what the rest of the world had to choose for buying dirt bikes you would not even look twice let alone once CRF250L its under powered to low to the ground and to heavy. It may be okay for anyone that is not into dirt bikes and just wants to ride up a dirt road, but to pure of heart dirt bikers that love to get off road its a let down.
Years ago I saw a used XR650L for sale, test-rode it and bought it. Sure it was a bit high but I liked it! Never had a problem with the height, even though I could get only one foot on the ground at a red light. Very good in city traffic, I could see over the cars and make my moves.
Realized much later that the XR650L is one of the tallest bikes on the market; you look down on GS riders!
Don't let the numbers scare you.
I'm 5'10" or 179cm, can't really call that tall.
mudboots, I live in Thailand and accept the fact that I can't get what is offered in the rest of the civilized world.
When I arrived here the biggest bike legally available was the Phantom 200.
By now I can choose between 250cc enduros, supermotos, sport bikes and three different 650cc twins for a decent price.
Lots of big bikes available for those who have the money to buy them.
I'm very happy Honda decided to bring in the CBR250R, even though it's not what many people expected it to be.
I'm even more happy that the CRF250L will be available soon for a decent price.
I don't care if some people think it has "not enough power"; it is too tall; it has not enough ground clearance; it is too heavy; it's not a real dirt bike; it's a let-down. It is what it is, and as far as I know Honda, their products haven't disappointed me yet. Just don't set your level of expectations too high.
I bet it's a great bike for ~120,000 baht - and lots of riders will be perfectly happy with it.
Fair enough KZ25 .. by the way my name is Brad and for that mater you look like Borat.
If you want to buy a CRF250L go for it, I am just saying for myself its not what i want in an off road bike been riding dirt bikes 30 years now and you do not have to be a brain surgeon to know what is good for your riding style. I went out and got a klx 250 the other week just to see how they ticked an okay commuter bike and light off road all well and good and i plan on buying another when i return later this year and it will do untill i have finished our family projects then i will inport my bike 1996 CR 500 and a new one from the US bugger the cost
If you want to buy a CRF250L go for it, I am just saying for myself its not what i want in an off road bike been riding dirt bikes 30 years now and you do not have to be a brain surgeon to know what is good for your riding style. I went out and got a klx 250 the other week just to see how they ticked an okay commuter bike and light off road all well and good and i plan on buying another when i return later this year and it will do untill i have finished our family projects then i will inport my bike 1996 CR 500 and a new one from the US bugger the cost
It would be a new experience for me to be able to walk into any dealership, choose a bike, pay for it and ride it home an hour later...
But I chose to live here and I don't regret it. Problem is you can't have it both ways!
It's just that I read so many negative posts on the new CBR250R and now the CRF I'm getting tired of it. It's not this, it's not that, bla bla bla.
Sure, everything could be better and cheaper, but maybe some people should try to live with what's being offered instead of complaining about it.
More bikes are being offered, they're good bikes for a relatively decent price, so be happy and stop criticising!
I mean Honda is offering two new 250cc bikes with top-of-the-line technology for less than 140,000 baht - a few years ago we could only dream of that.
Guess if Honda offered a 30hp 250 for 99,000 baht there still would be some complainers.
But I chose to live here and I don't regret it. Problem is you can't have it both ways!
It's just that I read so many negative posts on the new CBR250R and now the CRF I'm getting tired of it. It's not this, it's not that, bla bla bla.
Sure, everything could be better and cheaper, but maybe some people should try to live with what's being offered instead of complaining about it.
More bikes are being offered, they're good bikes for a relatively decent price, so be happy and stop criticising!
I mean Honda is offering two new 250cc bikes with top-of-the-line technology for less than 140,000 baht - a few years ago we could only dream of that.
Guess if Honda offered a 30hp 250 for 99,000 baht there still would be some complainers.
Can't compare a 250 enduro with a 650 dirt bike. The XR650L is the bigger version of the CRF250L and it weighs almost 160 kg wet and should have closer to twice the power. KTM is a whole different ball game at a much higher price level.
If I'd be looking for a nice little trail bike for a bit of off road riding which would be also a good daily city bike I wouldn't hesitate to buy the CRF!
Once again its up to you mate, i have nothing to do with your lifestyle.
Life is what you make it, Do what you want to do, buy what makes you feel happy if you get off on nitpicking on whatever anyone has to say on bikes thats your problem ... if your happy to buy a CRF250L go for it and enjoy it.
I am not going to argue or put you or anyone down for the bikes they like and ride we are all brothers when it comes to riding chill out mate.
Life is what you make it, Do what you want to do, buy what makes you feel happy if you get off on nitpicking on whatever anyone has to say on bikes thats your problem ... if your happy to buy a CRF250L go for it and enjoy it.
I am not going to argue or put you or anyone down for the bikes they like and ride we are all brothers when it comes to riding chill out mate.
I personally drove all 250 models on the market and I find all of them boring, not because they are bad bikes but because they are 250's and I used to have bigger models.
It is really a matter of perspective, I even saw someone selling his versys because he loved is Phantom 200 more .... I dont get it but I cant judge him either, even if I will stick with the Versys no matter what.
The thing with the CRF is it comes in a market where theres loads of KLX / D-Tracker in perfect condition for the price that we "think" Honda will sell it, and the Kawasaki bikes are bulletproof so far. To be competitive Honda should have released the CRF earlier or a better version that what they are proposing (lighter and/or more powerfull for example) and thats why lots of bikers here are complaining, because from what I see theres no evolution going fom a KLX to a CRF.
At least the CBR proposed something that was not available with the Ninjette : EFI, ABS and digital speedo.
Of course you could also buy the CRF because you like Honda more or even because the color scheme appeals you more but definitly not because the bike is better.
I personally think that Honda should release a 150 version and it will sell like hot buns, it may or may not happen tho.
In the meantime the only thing that makes me happy is that theres one more model on the Thai market
It is really a matter of perspective, I even saw someone selling his versys because he loved is Phantom 200 more .... I dont get it but I cant judge him either, even if I will stick with the Versys no matter what.
The thing with the CRF is it comes in a market where theres loads of KLX / D-Tracker in perfect condition for the price that we "think" Honda will sell it, and the Kawasaki bikes are bulletproof so far. To be competitive Honda should have released the CRF earlier or a better version that what they are proposing (lighter and/or more powerfull for example) and thats why lots of bikers here are complaining, because from what I see theres no evolution going fom a KLX to a CRF.
At least the CBR proposed something that was not available with the Ninjette : EFI, ABS and digital speedo.
Of course you could also buy the CRF because you like Honda more or even because the color scheme appeals you more but definitly not because the bike is better.
I personally think that Honda should release a 150 version and it will sell like hot buns, it may or may not happen tho.
In the meantime the only thing that makes me happy is that theres one more model on the Thai market
Bit of confusion about the weight of the new Honda CRF250L. Honda.au have it at 147kg and that was the weight on the spec sheet at the Bangkok International Motor Show, but a HellForLeather review (http://hellforleathermagazine.com/tagged/honda-crf250l/) is stating a kerb weight of 143Kg. Let's hope HFL is correct and Honda AU and APe Honda are wrong
Kawasaki KLX 250 ground clearance is 11 inches
KLX 250 Seat Height is 34.8 inches
KLX front suspension: 43mm Inverted Cartridge Fork with 16-Way Compression Damping Adjustment
Front suspension Travel: 10.2 inches
Rear suspension: Uni-Trak with Adjustable Preload, 16-Way Compression and Rebound Damping Adjustment
Rear suspension Travel: 9.1 inches
The Honda CRF 250L's ground clearance is 258mm or 10.1 inches
CFR250L seat height is 882mm or 34.7 inches (Strange- sitting on the CRF250L at the Bangkok Motor Show it felt shorter than the KLX250...)
Front suspension: 43mm USD forks. Non-adjustable with 9.8 inches of travel.
Rear suspension: Pro-Link monoshock with Adjustable Preload and 9.4 inches of travel.
Both bikes carry 7.7 liters (about 2 gallons) of gas, but the Honda should be more fuel efficient so should enjoy greater range.
Based on the lower-spec suspension Honda should be able to beat the Kwacker on price, but at the Bangkok Motor Show the APe Honda folks were clueless as usual about what the price might be for the CRF250L in Thailand. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Happy Trails!
Tony
Kawasaki KLX 250 ground clearance is 11 inches
KLX 250 Seat Height is 34.8 inches
KLX front suspension: 43mm Inverted Cartridge Fork with 16-Way Compression Damping Adjustment
Front suspension Travel: 10.2 inches
Rear suspension: Uni-Trak with Adjustable Preload, 16-Way Compression and Rebound Damping Adjustment
Rear suspension Travel: 9.1 inches
The Honda CRF 250L's ground clearance is 258mm or 10.1 inches
CFR250L seat height is 882mm or 34.7 inches (Strange- sitting on the CRF250L at the Bangkok Motor Show it felt shorter than the KLX250...)
Front suspension: 43mm USD forks. Non-adjustable with 9.8 inches of travel.
Rear suspension: Pro-Link monoshock with Adjustable Preload and 9.4 inches of travel.
Both bikes carry 7.7 liters (about 2 gallons) of gas, but the Honda should be more fuel efficient so should enjoy greater range.
Based on the lower-spec suspension Honda should be able to beat the Kwacker on price, but at the Bangkok Motor Show the APe Honda folks were clueless as usual about what the price might be for the CRF250L in Thailand. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Happy Trails!
Tony
CRF or KLX? I think Honda is going for cheaper bike and that will (like the CBR) sell like cookies here in Thailand (the land of limited choice forced upon us by the Thai godfathers).
In that segment the KLX150 fits in also (actually I think they will come out with a D-Tracker 150 also) and they will be even cheaper!
As of the price of the CRF I think Honda is just trying to do some pre-sale marketing to figure out the highest acceptable selling price. I think they could have sold the CBR for 10k more and they would still sell it like cookies.
The good thing .... with a "cheap" CRF coming on the market the price of second-hand KLX250 might go down .... which would be a good option for me to buy one and modify it to the kind of bike I would like it to be (TW225e look-a-like).
Chang Noi
In that segment the KLX150 fits in also (actually I think they will come out with a D-Tracker 150 also) and they will be even cheaper!
As of the price of the CRF I think Honda is just trying to do some pre-sale marketing to figure out the highest acceptable selling price. I think they could have sold the CBR for 10k more and they would still sell it like cookies.
The good thing .... with a "cheap" CRF coming on the market the price of second-hand KLX250 might go down .... which would be a good option for me to buy one and modify it to the kind of bike I would like it to be (TW225e look-a-like).
Chang Noi
Putting the specs and technical comparisons to one side , any word on when the CRF250L is going to be released ? It appears to be overdue yet again.
Kawasaki is already offering a small KLX/Tracker 125 with an air-cooled engine and 14" wheels for a ridiculously high price, aimed at Thais.
The KLX150 has been available in some other Asian countries with the 144cc engine of the off-road KLX140 available here.
Honda could easily beat Kawasaki there with a more powerful and cheaper CRF150L...
I agree with you that the D-Tracker / KLX 125 are very expensive for what you get.
The KLX125 goes for 82k Baht (The KLX250 sells for 152.5k baht)
The D-Tracker 125 sells for even more: 86.5k Baht (D-Tracker 250 priced same as KLX250: 152.5k baht)
The Kawasaki 125's are very small and underpowered. Great for beginners, and Kawasaki uses them for many of their riding courses-
But beyond that I can't see who these 125cc bikes appeal to or what market Kawasaki built them for.
No doubt Honda could offer Team Green some serious competition in the 125-150cc class if they wanted to. Will it happen? Who knows...
If you have 100k it does not matter that 86k is expensive and 120k cheap ..... you are just missing 20k and for that market the D-Tracker/KLX 125 are made in a mafia-controled market. I would not surprise me if the 125cc segment is going to be replaced by 150cc (see pcx).
Chang Noi
Chang Noi