Xlent Evolution

XLent Evolution

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Honda’s sweet new CRF250L dual-sport bike takes us back

JOHN BURNS

ALL OF YOU WHO PUT CRAYON TO PAPER over the last few years to tell Honda to go back to building simple, inexpensive little bikes like the ones that helped make the company what it is today have gotten your wish. Powered by a slightly modded version of last year’s all-new CBR250R liquid-cooled, fuel-injected Single in a new chassis, this sweet little $4499 CRF250L sells for $600 less than the (carbureted) Kawasaki KLX250S, $700 less than the (air-cooled) Yamaha XT250, and a whopping $2191 less than the very trick WR250R. Heck, it’s even $500 cheaper than Honda’s own creaky, air-cooled CRF230L.

Adapting the CBR motor to dualpurpose use was as simple as swapping the 38mm throttle body for a 36mm one and bending up a longer exhaust header of smaller diameter to shift the meat of the powerband a bit lower in the rpm range. The transmission has wider gears, and a judder spring has been added to the clutch to cope with the thousands of shocks an off-road bike is heir to. The 73 mpg Honda lists in the specs may be a little optimistic in everyday use, but the CBRs we’ve been riding are great misers of gasoline—a good thing, since the CRF tank only holds 2.0 gallons.

The CRF gets an all-new steel frame that mimics the cool aluminum ones on Honda’s competition bikes, and the 43mm inverted fork and alloy swingarm look like they know what they’re doing, too. Specs say seat height is 34.7 inches, but I liked the CRF right off the bat when I found my 30-inch legs could climb on without a .running start. And once I was in place With suspension compressed, ground'contact was easy. The damping people have done good work with the bike’s/9.8 front and 9.4 rear inches of travel, and the claimed 320-pounds-gassed-up CRF maintained controlled, level flight over some rocky fireroads at a moderate pace (luckily, I’d left my kneeguards.at home and had that for an excuse). The CRF is not a competition bike, but some pretty competitive fast guys weren’t holding that against it as they whipped by.

In fact, I’d been on the same trail a few months ago on an old XR400R with knobbies, and I have to say I didn’t feel too much less in control of the CRF on its dual-purpose Dunlops. About the only thing the CRF lacks is the low-rpm chuggability all the XRs were famous for. But the clutch is really light, and the six-speed gearbox is agreeable, so downshifting to get it on the pipe again is no problem. This 250 likes to rev.

Off the dusty trail and on busted-up, twisty-gnarly-tight backroads, there’s nothing more fun than a light dual-sport bike. And with sit-up ergos, a dirtbike handlebar and 37 pounds less weight than even the CBR250R, the CRF is a super-easy bike to ridé around town.

For $4499, this is a hcllaeip.usly nieq, little bike that works great and should ’ be cheap to keep. Oh, and put down the,.,, /crayons. Honda says there’s more excitingMidfU) come.