Honda’s latest bike should appeal to commuters who enjoy getting to work as quickly as possible and prefer to take the long, muddy and scenic route home. The brief was to design a bike that is affordable, offers high quality and outstanding value for money, with low overall running costs. According to Honda, the CRF250L is that motorcycle.
Key Features
The CRF250L is a true dual-purpose motorcycle. Its dimensions, ergonomics, low weight, long-travel 43mm Showa USD forks and Pro-link rear suspension make it equally at home on city streets or country trails. The single-cylinder engine provides useful power and torque across a wide rev range, with excellent fuel economy. The crisp styling takes cues from the legendary CRF competition range, and, as expected from Honda, both build quality and engineering standards are high.
Engine:
The CRF250L’s lightweight and compact liquid-cooled single-cylinder 249cc DOHC engine produces smooth and consistent torque at low rpm, aiding rear wheel traction and rider feel. Equally, the short stroke (76x55mm) engine’s high rpm performance is excellent; throughout its rev range and provides well-balanced and very usable power delivery.
Chassis:
Constructed from steel, the twin oval-section main spars and semi-double cradle frame provide the strength needed for off-road riding. The slim, round-section steel bolt-on sub-frame supports two adults plus a 5kg load. A wheelbase of 1,445mm is matched to a 27.6°’ rake with 113mm trail, giving excellent stability and agility. The 43mm Showa inverted fork is incredibly rigid, with performance perfectly honed throughout its 250mm stroke for use over a wide range of terrain and speeds. Pro-Link rear suspension features a 240mm axle stroke; the Showa shock absorber is a single tube design with 40mm diameter cylinder.
Brakes/wheels:
The front brake uses a single 256mm disc gripped by a two-piston caliper, the rear, a 220mm disc with single-piston caliper. Braking has been tuned to offer excellent feel with a high level of controllability. The lightweight discs feature a wave design – taken directly from the CRF250R/CRF450R – with exceptional self-cleaning abilities in adverse conditions. Lightweight aluminium rims further reduce un-sprung mass. The 21-inch front wheel and 18- inch rear increase stability on rough terrain and allow the fitment of more off-road specific tyres if required.
Equipment/styling
The CRF250L’s digital instrument cluster contains a fuel meter, with built-in clock and twin trip functions. The headlight visor provides visual CRF-inspired styling, protects the instruments and houses an H4 60W/55 bulb.
The CRF250L is available from your local Honda dealer now and costs £3950. Watch this video teaser to see just how much fun can be had on this quarter litre machine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vI4g-32lfQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player