Comments on: New Honda CRF250L Designed for Sale in the United States (Bike Reports) (News)

By: Debull

Debull — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:11:01 +0000

What is wrong with Honda? This is a lovely dual sport motorcycle but we’ve been waiting for more than two decades now for a revised or completely new XR 650L. It can’t be a lost to Honda at this point.If Honda is still not 100% sure they’ll get the sales they want then they could make it a supermotard version.It’s long over due guys and if you don’t do it Yamaha or Suzuki will figure out how to do it for under $8000 and the process of catch up will commence. Sorry for the incorrect spelling before didn’t check spelling over.

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By: JB

JB — Sat, 05 May 2012 21:36:03 +0000

A 250 can’t keep up with traffic? You must be riding the Autobahn, dude! Power is addictive, and more is usually nicer, but 24 hp will outperform most cars on the road while in the under 70mph range. Expect this bike to be able to cruise at 80, albeit begrudgingly. I would prefer a 400 or 450 class- a lightened DRZ with a 6th gear & better suspension would be great. But I could live with this bike or a KLX with a few mods.

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By: paul246

paul246 — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:29:27 +0000

There was a recent post on Thumpertalk from one of his friends, says Scott is still winning local hare scrambles on an XR600R.

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By: kpmsprtd

kpmsprtd — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:37:46 +0000

I sent emails to every Honda person I could find, and even to random citizens in the Kumamoto, Japan region. I don’t understand why they couldn’t do it at least on a pay-in-advance type program. (Like the Yamaha Super Tenere was.)

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By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:44:39 +0000

Just because they ‘can’ sell it for 4 G’s doesn’t mean that they will.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:39:35 +0000

Hard to believe that Honda will price this a grand or more below the competition from Kawasaki and Yamaha.

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By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:37:43 +0000

So Suzuki doesn’t sell the DRZ400SM where you live?

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By: Ziggy

Ziggy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:07:35 +0000

There are countless air-cooled bikes on the market right now for off-road, on road, and both from pretty much every major manufacturer (BMW, Harley, Suzuki…the list goes on). As a DS and off-road rider, I respectfully disagree with your contention. As for overheating—off road riding in rough terrain (woods, mud, hill climbs) is far harder on an engine and clutch than anything idling at rush hour can dish out! Oftentimes offroad there’s very little airflow around the block and it can be caked in mud! The lighter and more nimble a DS bike is, the MORE likely it is to be used off road. This bike could easily be in a number of serious off road situations, that I sure as hell wouldn’t want to drag a KLR into! As for the Yamaha, well, fine bike but the point I am making is that Honda would have a winner by delivering TRACTABLE / TRACTOR power in a AC 450. I live in BC and the dealers here can’t seem to sell a single Yamaha 250. Why is that? Not enough power for the hilly highways to keep up with traffic and you have to wind the snot out of it off road. The Yamaha is a fine bike for US western conditions (dry and open) but real serious tight off road with mixed conditions requires power from the bottom up, not the top down. The solution is a 450. The 650 is just way to heavy a tank and way too old. They call it an off road legend? Sure, in Baja or with open conditions. But it isn’t much of a woods / mountain bike, I can tell you from experience.

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By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:09:28 +0000

An air-cooled bike would have difficulty in the urban environment (overheating). What I am hinting at is that I think many of these will never see offroad riding more challenging than a gravel road. The guys who want real off road/DS performance will go for the Yamaha WR.

I get where you’re coming from though Siggy.

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By: Donnie

Donnie — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:39:51 +0000

I had a 21hp KLR 250 that I rode in traffic with – regularly. Took it on the interstate fairly often and did 70-75 mph on it no problem. I ride a ZRX1200R currently but would not hesitate to get back on a 250 and ride it around, city or interstate.

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