Cw First Ride 2017 Honda Crf250l Rally

CW FIRST RIDE 2017 HONDA CRF250L RALLY

IGNITION

Dreaming of big adventures on Honda’s latest small-displacement dual-sport

Jeff Allen

Honda suggests that small dualsport bikes will spend most of their life on the pavement. And maybe that’s true; they do make for fantastic daily commuters. That doesn’t mean their riders don’t still dream of big adventures and dusty trails though. Dreams of rally flash through their mind at every glimpse of rolling hills to nowhere.

Introduced alongside the updated 2017 CRF250L, Honda’s new CRF250L Rally intends to make that dream feel even more real. More attainable, even.

Similar to the standard CRF250L, the Rally has a host of changes over Honda’s previous-generation smalldisplacement dual-sport. Most significant is a 2mm increase in throttle body size (from 36mm to 38mm), which is meant to improve throttle response and increase power in the lowto mid-rpm range. An exhaust with larger header pipe and lighter, two-chamber muffler cuts weight, while a new airbox enhances airflow.

Going one step further, Honda outfitted the Rally with Dakar Rally-inspired bodywork and a framemounted dash tower, with windscreen shape that’s nearly identical to that of the Team Monster Energy Honda CRF450 Rally bike. The fuel tank is 0.6 gallon larger than the standard model’s (2.7 gallons versus 2.1), the front brake disc is 40mm larger (296mm versus 256), and ground clearance is up about an inch. How do you get to that last bit? Taller suspension, Honda says, the Rally featuring a longer fork with 11 inches of travel (versus 9.8 inches on the standard bike) and a shock with 10.3 inches of travel (versus 9.4 inches).

Greater fuel capacity and additional bodywork has the Rally weighing in at 341 pounds when not equipped with the optional ABS, or roughly 25 pounds more than the standard CRF250L. Meanwhile, peak output is around 24 hp.

Thanks in part to its 0.8-inch-taller seat height, the Rally feels more grown up as you throw a leg over it—like an adventure bike but at a more manageable weight and size. The added weight over the standard model feels negligible, and the taller suspension seems to change the overall posture; standing up on the pegs, you don’t feel nearly as hunched over or awkward. It feels like a natural off-road motorcycle.

It’s easy to override the Rally’s suspension, as I learned while tearing down a medium-paced dirt road scattered with rain bars. But while bottoming out at both ends was a reminder that this is not a true “rally bike,” or even a bike intended to be ridden in anger, it was only a momentary setback to the good times.

Rolling out of the throttle a bit put me at a pace the Rally was more content with. Wide gear ratios between first and second and second and third kept me busy, and I was still hunting pretty feverishly for proper revs, but find the right gear and it’s nothing but good times. Some sections of trail required fanning the clutch like I was on a two-stroke, but mellower sections were fine. My only big complaint, then, was with the optional ABS (switchable at the rear only), which would be beneficial on the street but felt like a hindrance in the dirt.

The wide bodywork and Dakar-style windshield tower provide more wind protection than the sleek design would suggest, meaning on-road riding at 70-plus mph is just as nice. More power would have been appreciated, but this is a 25OCC single after all. Keep that in mind and you’ll be plenty happy.

Final verdict? With only a $750 bump in price over the standard CRF250L, the CRF250L Rally is a great option for the dreamer in search of a big adventure, on the budget of a typical weekend warrior. If I were shopping for a smalldisplacement dual-sport bike but wanted to buck the trend and hit the trails,

I’d go straight for the Rally but opt out of the optional ABS then head straight for the hills.

2017 HONDA CRF250L RALLY

ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled single-cylinder

DISPLACEMENT 249.6cc

SEAT HEIGHT 35.2 in.

FUEL CAPACITY 2.7 gal.

CLAIMED CURB WEIGHT 342 lb./346 lb. ABS

BASE PRICE $5899/$6199 ABS