Honda CRF250L vs CRF230L

[ADVNCW]

Originally Posted by stealth916

I have been mulling over an upgrade (side-grade?) from my several years old 230L to a 250L for some months, ever since the 250L was announced. For adventure riding, which is why I purchased the small dual sport in the first place, I've decided that 50lbs lighter and much less complexity makes the 230L a winner *for my purpose*. I'm sticking with the lighter bike, air-cooled engine and gravity fed carb. I realize the 250L will be better on the street, but I have street bikes for the street. Of course I long for a faster and smoother street ride to get me to the trail-head, but my type of trail riding dictates light weight and simplicity over technology. I also make extensive use of the low gearing on the 230L to get me up insane mountain goat trails, I'd hate to give that up - (sigh) everything is a trade-off. The 250L will make a bad-A little Super Motard - but the 230L is what I would buy again today for my type of off-road adventures. If I was planning on riding 80% street, I'd go 250L - it will be a hoot in town! For picking my way through the woods, creeks, or up crazy rutted out trails, or if I plan to leave civilization far behind, I'm going 230L.

I also was not aware that the 250L was Thai made - that has a huge impact on my purchase decision. I'm not saying it is crap or there will be a problem, I am sure that Honda has excellent oversight of the process. But what I am saying is you find a different pride in workmanship from Japan vs Thailand, a night and day difference. And when you are talking about a living breathing machine - hopefully one with soul, one that you plan on getting far away with - pride in workmanship means everything.

To those who like to constantly call people by their first name in forum posts while attempting to belittle them for their opinions: I know a little bit about technology, having worked at it for 30+ years to the point I can play with bikes and airplanes. I know enough about technology to know how great and how fallible it is. Speaking of airplanes, I'm one of those people who take a no bullshit approach to vehicle systems: the simpler the better when things go sideways far from home. You don't see a lot of fuel injected airplanes plying the backwoods of Alaska for instance.

If someone who owns a 250L might indulge the audience with a test: Disconnect your battery and then see if you can push start the bike. If you want to spice up the test, load your bike out with 60lbs of camp gear and pretend like you're 300 miles from nowhere, hot and tired. Report back, thanks.

I agree and I understand your views. Nothing wrong with FI or enduro race bikes or etc all fine. But yes my 230L worked great for 7000 trouble-free miles traveling from May to Oct., riding, plenty of gnarly mountain-trail riding and traveling!





Thus far I have resisted even buying the WR250R because of the weight! Weight matters on the tight and gnarly! Then consider the situation for adventure traveling with the real light bikes- Euro bikes- where reliability and durability are not yet proven. Tough for me to think about spending $10k for a bike that runs for 10 minutes without issues, and then is buzzy going down the road. Heck, my 230L is buzzy going down the road for under $3k but dead reliable, always runs perfectly, little maintenance needed.

So then there is or will be all the commentary about a list of 23 mods to make the WR250R travel ready or lighter/ better for enduro riding, or how to make the orange bike work right much less work for traveling....
The 'lowly' 230L will do it basically stock. It will ride the tight and gnarly easily, it will travel down the highway weakly, but with traffic. And the 230L will run forever,,,

The weight of the loaded 230L shown above is about equal to a stock new 250L....and I camped for several weeks this past summer with that load!

[heirhead]

Originally Posted by JerryH

Yes, most of it was, but when you ride like I do (alone, 50-100 miles back out into the AZ desert, sometimes on 2-3 day trips) you have to take everything you can into consideration. I was never a boy scout, but I do believe in their moto "be prepared" I trust my highly modified (4 gallon Clarke tank, Bryan Swens luggage rack, kickstarter, 4mm thick tubes, and Cigar Mike centerstand, just to name a few) XT225 to get me in and out, and it has yet to fail me. It uses old technology which is easy to work with, both on the trail and at home (you can replace the cam chain without taking the engine apart). And with the rack, I can carry plenty of spares and tools. With the centerstand I can fix a flat, even if there is nothing within miles to prop the bike up on. These new bikes just don't have those capabilities. At least the 230 has an air cooled engine, carb, and a rack available.

Hello,

I get that you LOVE your xt and I like mine also. SoCal to Boise, 2500 mile trip.
Also think that before you comment on bikes other than seat height, you should RIDE said bikes.
What was Yamaha thinking when it went from 6 to 5 spds. on the xt? My 2 pennies.
Lets go for a ride.

Heirhead

[Bulldogs2k]

woohoo just broke 11k

I can't trade it in now, I MUST reach 20k!

[frog13]

Gear box ratios are more important than how many gears it has.Hack it to death if you will,but,I really like my TW200.

[NJ-Brett]

TW200's are great bikes, but are different from normal motorcycles in the dirt, more like 2 wheel quads or something.

I have a friend who has an xt225 and that thing was a hoot in the dirt. I suppose the crf230l is about the same but better made?

[Kommando]

Originally Posted by frog13

Gear box ratios are more important than how many gears it has.Hack it to death if you will,but,I really like my TW200.

The engine has to be able to pull the spread though. Flat-slide pumper carbs or EFI can help pull low RPMs better, to negate too much spread a bit.