Should I get a crf250l? Female rider

[Black-swan]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to sell my fire blade and get a dual sport. I've been considering either a used yamaha wr250f or buying a new or nearly new crf250l.

Is the bike good quality? Does it last if you look after the bike/ what is it like long term? I've seen a lot of them on eBay with low mileage, is there a reason people don't keep them very long? What is the seat height like, I'm around five foot seven. Is the bike easy to pick up/ start? How many mods do you have to do to improve off road performance? What is the bike like on the road?

What is the power like? I'm a trials rider, I've been riding for about two years, I currently ride a montesa Honda 4rt, which you can pretty much aim at anything and be confident that you can get up there.

I am reading through the forum and review sites, but any addition help would be appreciated, can't make up my mind! Thanks

[Force0321]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to sell my fire blade and get a dual sport. I've been considering either a used yamaha wr250f or buying a new or nearly new crf250l.

Is the bike good quality? Does it last if you look after the bike/ what is it like long term? I've seen a lot of them on eBay with low mileage, is there a reason people don't keep them very long? What is the seat height like, I'm around five foot seven. Is the bike easy to pick up/ start? How many mods do you have to do to improve off road performance? What is the bike like on the road?

What is the power like? I'm a trials rider, I've been riding for about two years, I currently ride a montesa Honda 4rt, which you can pretty much aim at anything and be confident that you can get up there.

I am reading through the forum and review sites, but any addition help would be appreciated, can't make up my mind! Thanks

The bike is very good quality! And, the bike will last whether you take care of it or not! I abuse the crap out of mine.

I originally lowered mine when I first got it in 2014( lowering link and low seat) I have since went back to stock link, and kept the low seat. I'm 5'6". Once you get used to the height it's not bad.

I am glad I chose the Honda over the wr250.

I have tons of mods on my CRF250l, including complete suspension, and am still under the cost of a new stock wr250!

There is an infinite amount of info on these forums, read up on it.

To me, the suspension and gearing changes made the most difference.

Good luck!

[TheAristocrats]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to sell my fire blade and get a dual sport. I've been considering either a used yamaha wr250f or buying a new or nearly new crf250l.

Is the bike good quality? Does it last if you look after the bike/ what is it like long term? I've seen a lot of them on eBay with low mileage, is there a reason people don't keep them very long? What is the seat height like, I'm around five foot seven. Is the bike easy to pick up/ start? How many mods do you have to do to improve off road performance? What is the bike like on the road?

What is the power like? I'm a trials rider, I've been riding for about two years, I currently ride a montesa Honda 4rt, which you can pretty much aim at anything and be confident that you can get up there.

I am reading through the forum and review sites, but any addition help would be appreciated, can't make up my mind! Thanks

Quality is very good and maintenance is minimal and cost is low. Replacement parts are very inexpensive. Parts for the CRF are usually half what they are for my DRZ.

Stock: it is a very well mannered bike which is a lot of fun to ride. It is perfect in town or on a green lane. You may wish to get more dirt oriented tires straightaway.

For more serious dirt riding common starting mods are:

Skid plate and radiator guard.

Dirt oriented tires.

Change sprockets to 13 front 42 rear as a starting point (can still use stock chain)

If you wish for power mods beyond that then an EJK controller and exhaust is the next step. I would try the sprocket change first.

Suspension: primitive in many respects. If you are 150 lbs or less then it might be ok. Many do the Ractech front fork kit with gold valve and a new rear shock. There are many options at various price points.

An advanced mod would be putting on the Scotts steering damper.

Many of the above things you would need to do on any dual sport you purchase so this is nothing unusual.

Is it easy to pick up? For me yes. I'm 6'1" and 225. Compared to a trials bike it will be very heavy, but with proper technique you can pick it up solo.

Seat Height: it seems low to me. 32 or 34 inches stock if I recall. I have lowered pegs and 2" rox risers on mine because I'm all arms and legs.

There is a guy on You Tube Missenden Flyer who has a bunch of good CRF videos. Also Woodzman. Both extensively cover mods and reviews of the bike, as well as riding videos on the trail.

I have a DR650 a DRZ400 and I still have my CRF250L and enjoy it.

[motf]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to sell my fire blade and get a dual sport. I've been considering either a used yamaha wr250f or buying a new or nearly new crf250l.

 

 

wr250f it's hard to compare to crf250l.... maybe you meant wr250r ?   ?

 

 

anyway crf250l is a much heavier then wr.

Edited September 9, 2016 by motf

[Kompact]

What is the power like?

 

 

Stock the bike is a complete wuss. Very mild power band, extremely beginner friendly.  I have not had mine long but one of the first things I did was the 13/42 sprockets which helped the low end in the dirt. If I didn't have to ride it an hour on the hwy to get to the dirt I would have went with 13/45.

 

The stock clutch needs to go right away as well. It has a ton of built in slip. I just got the new EBC clutch in and hope to have it installed this weekend.

[oldsoldier173]

The CRF250L is a great 'starter' bike and for women. I loan mine out for my female 'students' to take the MC road test and 0 failures. It is a little heavy but compared to the Yamaha WR250R 'dual purpose' model, far better in almost all aspects. I found the WR 'under steers, and just was uncomfortable for some reason and I rode Yammi's for years. Again both 'dual purpose' bikes are road bikes pretending to be dirt bikes, but IMHO the CRF does a far better job in both worlds. Again personal preference based on I am a 'big' guy and far older than most 140-160lb test riders for the magazine articles.

The CRF take a little tweeking here and there, but the mods are not that 'expensive' for what you end up with.

[Crapflinger]

The CRF250L is a great 'starter' bike and for women. I loan mine out for my female 'students' to take the MC road test and 0 failures. It is a little heavy but compared to the Yamaha WR250R 'dual purpose' model, far better in almost all aspects. I found the WR 'under steers, and just was uncomfortable for some reason and I rode Yammi's for years. Again both 'dual purpose' bikes are road bikes pretending to be dirt bikes, but IMHO the CRF does a far better job in both worlds. Again personal preference based on I am a 'big' guy and far older than most 140-160lb test riders for the magazine articles.

The CRF take a little tweeking here and there, but the mods are not that 'expensive' for what you end up with.

not to mention that the WR requires a lot  more maintenance....it's called that yami-tax

[Black-swan]

The bike is very good quality! And, the bike will last whether you take care of it or not! I abuse the crap out of mine.

I originally lowered mine when I first got it in 2014( lowering link and low seat) I have since went back to stock link, and kept the low seat. I'm 5'6". Once you get used to the height it's not bad.

I am glad I chose the Honda over the wr250.

I have tons of mods on my CRF250l, including complete suspension, and am still under the cost of a new stock wr250!

There is an infinite amount of info on these forums, read up on it.

To me, the suspension and gearing changes made the most difference.

Good luck!

Thanks. I could probably stretch to buy a new Honda, but would have to buy a used wr250f. Would probably not need to mod the wr250f for off road use, but it seems like the Honda would be the better of the two on the road. Sounds like the stock seat would probably work fine too. Buying and fitting a counter shaft sprocket is an easy and inexpensive mod. I was wondering about the quality as they aren't built in Japan? I've had an xr125 on the road, a cbf500 and now a 96 blade and the 4rt, they've all been pretty good, I always seem to end up with a honda.

  

Quality is very good and maintenance is minimal and cost is low. Replacement parts are very inexpensive. Parts for the CRF are usually half what they are for my DRZ.

Stock: it is a very well mannered bike which is a lot of fun to ride. It is perfect in town or on a green lane. You may wish to get more dirt oriented tires straightaway.

For more serious dirt riding common starting mods are:

Skid plate and radiator guard.

Dirt oriented tires.

Change sprockets to 13 front 42 rear as a starting point (can still use stock chain)

If you wish for power mods beyond that then an EJK controller and exhaust is the next step. I would try the sprocket change first.

Suspension: primitive in many respects. If you are 150 lbs or less then it might be ok. Many do the Ractech front fork kit with gold valve and a new rear shock. There are many options at various price points.

An advanced mod would be putting on the Scotts steering damper.

Many of the above things you would need to do on any dual sport you purchase so this is nothing unusual.

Is it easy to pick up? For me yes. I'm 6'1" and 225. Compared to a trials bike it will be very heavy, but with proper technique you can pick it up solo.

Seat Height: it seems low to me. 32 or 34 inches stock if I recall. I have lowered pegs and 2" rox risers on mine because I'm all arms and legs.

There is a guy on You Tube Missenden Flyer who has a bunch of good CRF videos. Also Woodzman. Both extensively cover mods and reviews of the bike, as well as riding videos on the trail.

I have a DR650 a DRZ400 and I still have my CRF250L and enjoy it.

 

Thanks for listing the mods. I've modded my 4rt quite a bit, carbon guards, smaller front sprocket, bigger master cylinder and new clutch plates, mitani titanium exhaust system, programmable throttle body and a flat tank, its awesome. All showa suspension too, the crf might be OK tho, I'm around 154lbs. There is a dealer selling new crf250ls with a yoshi exhaust included, which would be a bit of a saving. I do enjoy technical off road riding as apposed to going flat out everywhere, even with the mods it seems like the crf250l would still be a relatively cheap bike and capable. I'll check out those guys on YouTube thanks.

 

wr250f it's hard to compare to crf250l.... maybe you meant wr250r ?   ? anyway crf250l is a much heavier then wr.

 

Hi, I did mean the 250f. I guess its much more of a focussed enduro bike than the crf250l?

 

Stock the bike is a complete wuss. Very mild power band, extremely beginner friendly.  I have not had mine long but one of the first things I did was the 13/42 sprockets which helped the low end in the dirt. If I didn't have to ride it an hour on the hwy to get to the dirt I would have went with 13/45. The stock clutch needs to go right away as well. It has a ton of built in slip. I just got the new EBC clutch in and hope to have it installed this weekend.

 

Thanks, it seems like people do a lot of mods to improve her from standard, but I suppose that's true of most bikes. Chain and sprockets is a fairly easy one. Is it a cable clutch on the crf? I'm a bit spoiled on the trials bike with a hydraulic one ?

 

The CRF250L is a great 'starter' bike and for women. I loan mine out for my female 'students' to take the MC road test and 0 failures. It is a little heavy but compared to the Yamaha WR250R 'dual purpose' model, far better in almost all aspects. I found the WR 'under steers, and just was uncomfortable for some reason and I rode Yammi's for years. Again both 'dual purpose' bikes are road bikes pretending to be dirt bikes, but IMHO the CRF does a far better job in both worlds. Again personal preference based on I am a 'big' guy and far older than most 140-160lb test riders for the magazine articles.The CRF take a little tweeking here and there, but the mods are not that 'expensive' for what you end up with.

 

Thanks ? a lot of the roads round here are a bit rough, it sounds like a tidy road bike as well as when modded off road, the blade isn't the best bike on narrow country lanes and slower speeds. The weight is a bit of a concern as I'd like to be able to pick up the bike myself.

 

not to mention that the WR requires a lot  more maintenance....it's called that yami-tax

Hi, I'm used to maintenance, just regreased the trials bikes steering head, going to do the fork seals later and rear wheel bearings. Change the oil every 6 weeks or 6 trials whatever comes first, I've had the linkage apart, clutch plates out etc. It does sound like the crf250l doesnt need as much maintenance as an off road race bike, which would be quite nice. Has anyone done serious mileage, had to replace piston and rings? Or anything else engine wise?

I need to decide what I'm going to do more of, offroad or road riding. It seems like the yam is more off road inclined but the crf would be a better all rounder after mods.

Anyways, thanks for your help guys, do appreciate it

[Crapflinger]

 

Hi, I'm used to maintenance, just regreased the trials bikes steering head, going to do the fork seals later and rear wheel bearings. Change the oil every 6 weeks or 6 trials whatever comes first, I've had the linkage apart, clutch plates out etc. It does sound like the crf250l doesnt need as much maintenance as an off road race bike, which would be quite nice. Has anyone done serious mileage, had to replace piston and rings? Or anything else engine wise?

I need to decide what I'm going to do more of, offroad or road riding. It seems like the yam is more off road inclined but the crf would be a better all rounder after mods.

Anyways, thanks for your help guys, do appreciate it

well my comment was more about Yamaha machines that are expected to even look at a piece of dirt from afar. they tend to wind those engines up pretty tight and you have to do the valve clearances every 15 minutes or so.

[Black-swan]

well my comment was more about Yamaha machines that are expected to even look at a piece of dirt from afar. they tend to wind those engines up pretty tight and you have to do the valve clearances every 15 minutes or so.

Thanks for the heads up, I've never had a yam before so good to know

[gnath9]

 Has anyone done serious mileage, had to replace piston and rings? Or anything else engine wise?

I need to decide what I'm going to do more of, offroad or road riding. It seems like the yam is more off road inclined but the crf would be a better all rounder after mods.

Anyways, thanks for your help guys, do appreciate it

 

This gal rode one around the world ...   ?     http://www.stephmoto-adventurebikeblog.com/p/blog-page.html 

 

I think she has well over 50K miles on it so far and has been to 28 countries or more ... 

 

and she has a YouTube channel as well ...    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChUZTxLUA8kEDLZ1FXp05zg 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheAristocrats]

Yeah it's a cable clutch on the CRF250L.

 

The clutch mod they refer to is replacing the springs and plates.   It removes a judder spring that is in the stock clutch configuration.  This provides improved clutch feel and engagement.

 

However, a thing to know is the judder spring is there because the bike, unlike some, does not have a cush drive, so the judder is supposed to soften the initial power delivery.   I don't think it matters at all on a 250cc dual sport.  No harm at all in doing the clutch mod IMO.  It's inexpensive too.

 

If you are coming from a trials background and looking to do technical off-road that involves a lot of trials techniques, you might be more interested in bikes like a Husqvarna FE250 or FE350 or TE300, or the matching KTM models.

 

The WR250F is basically an MX bike bottled up a bit to try to make it more trail friendly.

 

The lower displacement TE and FEs are more of hard enduro machines conducive to trials technique based trail riding, IMO.

 

A CRF250L is for riding town and trails.   People certainly do technical things on it, but if you're looking to do things like on this channel, it might not be the best bike for it, but as an all round bike, it's a great bike.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg

[vanorak]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to sell my fire blade and get a dual sport. I've been considering either a used yamaha wr250f or buying a new or nearly new crf250l.

Is the bike good quality? Does it last if you look after the bike/ what is it like long term? I've seen a lot of them on eBay with low mileage, is there a reason people don't keep them very long? What is the seat height like, I'm around five foot seven. Is the bike easy to pick up/ start? How many mods do you have to do to improve off road performance? What is the bike like on the road?

What is the power like? I'm a trials rider, I've been riding for about two years, I currently ride a montesa Honda 4rt, which you can pretty much aim at anything and be confident that you can get up there.

I am reading through the forum and review sites, but any addition help would be appreciated, can't make up my mind! Thanks

The CRF is about as far removed from a 4RT or a Fireblade as you can get. I'll be completely honest. Honda Thailand doesn't compare favourably with Honda Japan in terms of build quality/materials in my opinion, but this is missing the point - the CRF is a low maintenance, budget trail bike...cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap to improve. You can't compare it to a competition trials bike in any way, as it's designed for general road/off road use, and it does both reasonably well. in the right hands and with some decent upgrades (suspension especially) it will take you down most trails and singletrack, cross deserts, go round the world and get you safely to work and back five days a week for a few quid. Performance wise, coming from a Blade, you'll be disappointed on the road, but then again, would you turn round and nail your Blade down that interesting looking dirt track you've just passed...just because?

 

Off road, the CRF will require some modifications. Compared to a 4RT (or any other featherweight trials bike for that matter) it's heavy, but it's more than manageable for the type of terrain you'd be exploring. Some of the cross training guys and gals in OZ are using geared down enduros and modified dual sports for some pretty serious stuff...the CRF could be a good candidate for this with the right gearing, suspension and brake mods...you'd need to shed some pounds though, so think Lithium battery, tailpipe, general strippage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W1J32bhjeY

 

 

more here...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg

 

There's an equation for the ideal number of bikes:

N = n + 1

 

Where

N = the ideal number of bikes

n = the number of bikes you currently own

 

 

 

I think there are those who enjoy this bike as it is, and those whose bikes evolve into something to suit their particular requirements....I just like pootling around off road, exploring fire roads, twisty back roads and pissing off sports car drivers at traffic lights....my bike does all this well! ?

 

For what they cost and what they are, the CRF is a good all rounder...it's the motorcycle equivalent of a VW Golf TDi....quick enough, cheap enough, reliable enough and does what you ask of it....there are more sophisticated bikes out there but it's never failed to bring a smile to my face, wherever I've ridden it, which is perhaps the most important aspect of bike ownership.

 

In stock form I'd say the bike is 70/30 road/off road...with the mods mentioned throughout this forum it's bang on 50/50...a big ask for any motorcycle...for what it's worth, on twisty A and B roads here in the UK, I don't have any trouble keeping up with bigger sports bikes and I'm not a particularly good rider either....soon as you hit a fast straight they're gone though

Edited September 9, 2016 by vanorak

[Evan D]

Coming off what you have had and also asking about the Yamaha I don't think you'll be happy with the Honda. But... The Yamaha is a much better dirt bike though as noted not in the same class. Double the price and it's not a dual sport, it's a dirt bike. The Honda is heavy, low powered, low performance dual purpose at a great price point. The fuel injection is awesome along with the electric start. It's 50 pounds heavier than the Yamaha so picking it up is harder. Are you wanting a true dual purpose? Reasonable performance and mod freindly. Low price point? The Honda is your bike.

[Black-swan]

Yeah it's a cable clutch on the CRF250L.

 

The clutch mod they refer to is replacing the springs and plates.   It removes a judder spring that is in the stock clutch configuration.  This provides improved clutch feel and engagement.

 

However, a thing to know is the judder spring is there because the bike, unlike some, does not have a cush drive, so the judder is supposed to soften the initial power delivery.   I don't think it matters at all on a 250cc dual sport.  No harm at all in doing the clutch mod IMO.  It's inexpensive too.

 

If you are coming from a trials background and looking to do technical off-road that involves a lot of trials techniques, you might be more interested in bikes like a Husqvarna FE250 or FE350 or TE300, or the matching KTM models.

 

The WR250F is basically an MX bike bottled up a bit to try to make it more trail friendly.

 

The lower displacement TE and FEs are more of hard enduro machines conducive to trials technique based trail riding, IMO.

 

A CRF250L is for riding town and trails.   People certainly do technical things on it, but if you're looking to do things like on this channel, it might not be the best bike for it, but as an all round bike, it's a great bike.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg

  

The CRF is about as far removed from a 4RT or a Fireblade as you can get. I'll be completely honest. Honda Thailand doesn't compare favourably with Honda Japan in terms of build quality/materials in my opinion, but this is missing the point - the CRF is a low maintenance, budget trail bike...cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap to improve. You can't compare it to a competition trials bike in any way, as it's designed for general road/off road use, and it does both reasonably well. in the right hands and with some decent upgrades (suspension especially) it will take you down most trails and singletrack, cross deserts, go round the world and get you safely to work and back five days a week for a few quid. Performance wise, coming from a Blade, you'll be disappointed on the road, but then again, would you turn round and nail your Blade down that interesting looking dirt track you've just passed...just because?

 

Off road, the CRF will require some modifications. Compared to a 4RT (or any other featherweight trials bike for that matter) it's heavy, but it's more than manageable for the type of terrain you'd be exploring. Some of the cross training guys and gals in OZ are using geared down enduros and modified dual sports for some pretty serious stuff...the CRF could be a good candidate for this with the right gearing, suspension and brake mods...you'd need to shed some pounds though, so think Lithium battery, tailpipe, general strippage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W1J32bhjeY

 

 

more here...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg

 

There's an equation for the ideal number of bikes:

N = n + 1

 

Where

N = the ideal number of bikes

n = the number of bikes you currently own

 

 

 

I think there are those who enjoy this bike as it is, and those whose bikes evolve into something to suit their particular requirements....I just like pootling around off road, exploring fire roads, twisty back roads and pissing off sports car drivers at traffic lights....my bike does all this well! ?

 

For what they cost and what they are, the CRF is a good all rounder...it's the motorcycle equivalent of a VW Golf TDi....quick enough, cheap enough, reliable enough and does what you ask of it....there are more sophisticated bikes out there but it's never failed to bring a smile to my face, wherever I've ridden it, which is perhaps the most important aspect of bike ownership.

 

In stock form I'd say the bike is 70/30 road/off road...with the mods mentioned throughout this forum it's bang on 50/50...a big ask for any motorcycle...for what it's worth, on twisty A and B roads here in the UK, I don't have any trouble keeping up with bigger sports bikes and I'm not a particularly good rider either....soon as you hit a fast straight they're gone though

  

Coming off what you have had and also asking about the Yamaha I don't think you'll be happy with the Honda. But... The Yamaha is a much better dirt bike though as noted not in the same class. Double the price and it's not a dual sport, it's a dirt bike. The Honda is heavy, low powered, low performance dual purpose at a great price point. The fuel injection is awesome along with the electric start. It's 50 pounds heavier than the Yamaha so picking it up is harder. Are you wanting a true dual purpose? Reasonable performance and mod freindly. Low price point? The Honda is your bike.

Thanks for all the input Guys. You're right I am leaning more towards a second hand Yamaha, I'll probably just try to get one in the best condition I can, check and grease all the bearings, check valve clearances and maybe clean the carb and away to go. I think I'd rather buy a yam and buy sumo wheels if I feel like making it more road orientated than buy a crf and have to do a lot of mods to make it a better off road bike. This thread has helped a lot though, thanks

[motf]

 Honda Thailand doesn't compare favourably with Honda Japan in terms of build quality/materials in my opinion, but this is missing the point

 

 

 

wrong, I don't see any more any advantages of buying bike made in Japan to Thailand etc.

Quite often though the quality of goods in China or Thailand is superior to these from Japan.

Take a good look at new bikes made in Japan, Super Tenere, Africa Twin etc...

[vanorak]

wrong, I don't see any more any advantages of buying bike made in Japan to Thailand etc.

Quite often though the quality of goods in China or Thailand is superior to these from Japan.

Take a good look at new bikes made in Japan, Super Tenere, Africa Twin etc...

I'm basing my argument on Hondas I've owned previously, compared to the CRF. Admittedly, these were bikes built in Japan from the late eighties, nineties and early noughties...perhaps my expectations were a little higher. Honda are renowned for fit and finish, but there are some issues I've come across, in terms of materials and build quality, that begs a question...basic stuff like misaligned threads, fasteners made from soft steel, poorly finished welds etc.

Maybe this now applies to all mass produced motorbikes, regardless of where they're bolted together...? Still, I guess we get what we pay for, and when all's said and done, the CRF is still a bargain

Edited September 12, 2016 by vanorak

[Black-swan]

Ended up going green 2 stroke, kdx220, haha, pretty much the opposite of what I thought I'd get, should be a lot of fun though ? thanks again guys for your input

[gnath9]

Ended up going green 2 stroke, kdx220, haha, pretty much the opposite of what I thought I'd get, should be a lot of fun though ? thanks again guys for your input

 

 

 

I it street legal ?   

 

I did not realize they made a street legal 2 stroke ....  looks fricken awesome ...  ?

 

[Black-swan]

I it street legal ?   

 

I did not realize they made a street legal 2 stroke ....  looks fricken awesome ...  ?

 

Thanks Yep, it is legal in the UK, and very cheap to get on the road