Honda CRF250L

Name: Honda CRF250L
Brand: Honda

The small-bore dual sport bike from Honda wears versatility and a can-do attitude like a badge of honour – all for just a smidgeon over $6K

It made its public debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, and now it’s on sale in Australia – we speak of the Honda CRF250L. Continuing Honda’s recent trend of presenting uncomplicated, well-priced tackle – think of the CBR250R and NC700 utility bikes – the CRF250L follows the same philosophy as the company throws its lot into the user-friendly trail bike market against competition like the Yamaha WR250R, Kawasaki KLX250S and Suzuki DR-Z250. The CRF250L retails for $6090.

Really, the great thing about all the bikes in this piece of two-wheel real estate is that they aren’t auditioning for bigger things: they don’t want to become fire-breathing enduro racers when they grow up, so there’s no beating around the bush. Well, there is actually, and that’s why it didn’t take me very long to fall for the CRF250L’s charms as I took in some gentle dirt trails as soon as I collected it from Honda headquarters. The bike is just so damn easy to ride, and with suspension -- a 43mm Showa fork and Pro-Link monoshock -- that knows what it’s doing and plenty of travel there’s not a lot to worry about, to be honest. And for rookie riders, that stability, lack of flightiness and ability to untangle itself from all but the nastiest situations is a blessing.

Of course, fast-paced enduro types would obviously reach the limits of the CRF250L very quickly – there’s only preload adjustment on the rear, for one – but even in standard mode they could still punt this bike along very quickly. And that’s even with the dual-purpose IRC tyres…

The even contribution to the CRF250L cause continues with the liquid-cooled, DOHC engine, which uses a slightly modified version of the donk used in the CBR250R. That powerplant has already received glowing reports from us on a number of occasions, but the focus for Honda was obviously on trying to deliver more clout lower in the rev range for the CRF250L. To make that happen, Honda didn’t have to rewrite the mechanical handbook: it simply tinkered with the throttle body (dropping it to 36mm from 38mm), and altered the diameter and length of the header pipes. The gear ratios were also widened. And the muffler is huge, which can be seen in all its glory when the heat shield is taken off.

With 25kg less to lug around than the CBR250R – bolt-on bits do add up… -- the steel-framed CRF250L has an immediate advantage over its sibling, and in the bush or sealed roads there’s more than enough zing to get the job done with quite an appetite for revs and a clean throttle response. However, it’s not the type of bike which will keep inching its way up a grizzly ascent or gnarly piece of terrain at low revs – it’s a 250cc practitioner after all. Instead, when the revs do start trailing off, you’ll find yourself using the clutch and gearbox quite a bit. Both are light and accommodating, so that’s not a big issue.

The CRF250L even made its way onto a freeway a few times, and with quite tall gearing – and a counterbalancer to take care of the vibes -- it comfortably zips along at 110km/h without too much fuss, and the tyres are perfectly fine when there’s not a lot of heat on. I even threw a passenger on the back for one freeway journey and it still wasn’t cannon fodder for other vehicles – but all of a sudden the 7.8-litre fuel tank felt a hell of a lot smaller as the digital speedo lost its bars with extreme haste. The pillion pegs on the CRF250L are attached to the sub-frame, which looks like what it probably is: a cost saving. And the seat’s a little on the hard side, too.

But back to gearing for a second: if you’re more trail riding focussed, you may want to drop a cog on the front to give the engine some more bite.

But it’s on city roads where the CRF250L is much more compliant, especially without the wind blast from the open road. Instead, the sit-up ergonomics, long-travel suspension and wide handlebars make pinch hitting in traffic a breeze, which is the main reason you’d buy a bike like this – it’s a brilliant suburban mover. The versatility of being able to punt it around in the bush and go in search of adventure only makes it an even more compelling case.

The CRF250L is a winner. It’s sharply priced, attractive and will almost certainly be a leading light in the small-bore dual sport segment. The bike is a quantum leap ahead of its predecessor, the CRF230L – not to mention being $960 cheaper!

Visit the Honda CRF250L in Bike Showroom

Honda CRF250L

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