We just got my son a crf50f for his birthday, looking at bikes for myself, after not riding for over 10 years. This Crf250f looks like the winner. Thanks for all the great info!
That’s awesome! My son started on a crf50f. Then a 125 and Now he is on a 150r lol great progression and can learn so much! You’ll love the crf250f. Like the old school XR but with fuel injection. Not many limits of what you can’t do trail riding or modification to make it truly your own! Thanks for checking the channel out brother! 🤙
As far as power and dirty tracks most people don't need a bike with more than 30 hp, that's enough for ~90% of riders around the world I supose. Even the race bikes with 60 hp or whatever, if you install and check a telemetry you would notice that most of the lap you are inside a band of 25 to 40 hp. And it all depends where the power is, like you have so much power with the KX but have to ride it agressively, it revs at high speeds very quickly but on the other hand the bike is nervous and actually suffers in hill climbing by not having a heavier crankshaft/flywheel. So I know some people just love to have the feeling of having so much power at will even if rarelly or never used, but that's the truth. As for the other points, suspension wise, given that the bike remains in trails and woods the stock suspension is enough for most riders, maybe need some adjustment in height but that's it. Regarding weight, yes, that's a handicap for sure, but you can always put the bike in a diet and remove some pounds with aluminum parts, lithium battery, etc. In the end it's a matter of price/fun ratio.
I agree with most of this except racing anything you never use all the power on the track for very long. Also, i think its good for people to get the suspension revalved and resprung . A good tuned suspension for your weight, height and riding terrain/style makes it safer even for beginners. The only way i wouldnt mess with it is if someone just rides easy trails and in the pastor or if they are around 150 pounds for this bike
I really like my crf250f but even after upgrading the suspension it's not as good as my Yamaha yz250f was. I really don't notice the weight when I'm riding the bike but definitely notice the weight when I'm loading or unloading the bike. It's a great fun bike for an old vet rider like me who doesn't race anymore.
I was the dude that thought I needed a 250rx because I didn’t want to look wimpy on the trails. We rode up to the wv Hatfield McCoy trails and learned real quick I had the wrong bike. The 250f is good for 90% of riders. The other 10% are the pro enduro guys who don’t have to buy their bikes. Also if you’re going out on long trail rides where your miles away from help a simple reliable bike is money. If you’re worried about how much the bike weighs get in the gym and work on your strength and endurance. Trust me picking up a 230 pound bike several times isn’t much different than a 265 pound bike. Just some food for thought. Cheers.
Oh this is also my case… I have a 300 XC-W KTM that can barely ride in hard enduro, one day switched bikes with a young man that had a CRF 250F and the throttle control felt a lot easier. On very steep, rocky climbs I’m afraid of looping my KTM while the Honda felt a lot more tamed.
@rogermty1971 that’s exactly it. The Honda is a lot more tamed than a 300 2 stroke and these other 4 strokes. My buddy looped his out over a rock section the CRF crawled up. But the power delivery is just a lot more tame and slow going to say the least.
Having not watched the entire video yet, Owning A 250f and a yz250x i can honestly say that for the average person wanting to just get out and ride and play with it on mixed terrain the 250F is perfect it can do it all, in reality the bikes of yesteryear were way heavier and less powerful and carried on just fine so basically summing it up from my perspective the Crf250F is basically your Xr250. Now my Yz i bought because i wanted to race Awrcs and some local Gncc events and i wanted something to be faster and challenged more by. Also its better to have 2 bikes for me as if one is down i have another and the biggest factor is i missed being on a 2 stroke. Now there is no comparison between the Yz250 and a Crf250F as my yz makes more than double the power and is an overall bigger bike yet lighter and requires decent rider ability. So with all that For the weekend warrior i'd say you cant go wrong with a Crf250F. I'd also say out the door you can mod the Crf how ever you want and still be under the out the door price of a stock bike granted this is pricing as bought new. Obv you can find deals on the used market 3rd edit, Id add that i think the Crf250f is just more forgiving for any rider.
Absolutely brother I could not agree more. It is definitely not a race bike. However, I think that this bike is more suited for somebody wanting a more forgiving bike, but can also add some money at a lower cost than what it would cost to buy a race bike and be very content. I feel that the possibilities are really endless with the CRF, and you have to really know what it is that you’re wanting a race fight and be very confident in your riding abilities and what you’re trying to accomplish before you go and get one. The CRF is just an all-around amazing platform for anybody even an advanced rider and fun just to toy around, and if you’re not a serious racer… race it! If you on putting a little bit of extra money into it is just an added bonus.
The CRF is by no means the KX, however, that’s not to say that you can’t have fun with it based off of whatever your needs may be or your comfort level of riding is and you can absolutely race it if you would like. You won’t be going against your local Pro class hahah but if you want to have fun and just get out there and compete with other race bikes, you absolutely can with confidence. It’s all about having fun. Nothing wrong with throwing a few bones in the bike.
@koabear6926 so far I’m pushing 75 hours on the CRF and not had to do anything outside the oil change and filter. Race bike hasn’t got but about 12 hours on it so, so far we’re good on both! But the CRF is running strong as day 1 still! We do break it down every now and then just to check on scaring, valve clearance etc. never had an issue
I have a CRF250F and a YZ250FX. I ride my Honda more because it is just so fun. When I ride my YZ I appreciate the better suspension and brakes and of course it's much lighter and faster.
I went from a crf450r to the 250f and couldn’t be happier. I thought I needed more power but really found my self fighting the bike and flame outs on tighter tricky trails. I still love the 450 for its power and speed but I rarely ride it now. I do kinda miss the height of the 450 however.
You looking into raising the bike up? Check out my suspension videos for the 250F I did brother. They will also help reduce a little weight! Brings it up to the height of at least my 250x lol can increase a total of 3 inches if ya wanted! I agree with the power though. For sure! A 450R is wild for trails hahaha man I couldn’t imagine!
If you want single track, trails, tame response, and low maintenance, the 250F is perfect. If you want to MX, big jumps, or are a blazing fast race trail rider, then of course the MX bikes will fit the bill, maybe with adding a slipper clutch to help handle the inevitable low speed sections. The CRF requires a valve shim check after break in, and the MX bikes requires more maintenance overall.
That Kawi is not an MX bike either. There’s a fine line between a MX bike and just race bike in general what we compared. The Kawi is a woods racer. Not an MX machine by far. We are only comparing when it comes to trails, woods, rocks and roots. So no big jumps here. The Kawi can’t even handle huge jumps. Not set up for it suspension or gearing wise. It’s the KX250X not the standard KX250
Yea I don’t know a TON on them aside obvious displacement. KLX is about 6-7 lbs lighter. But I know the Crf has a TON of mods available to customize it to your own personal liking though. Can always keep adding with them that’s for sure.
Who could possibly want an XR that’s easy to start and fuel injected 😂. I would love to see a 2024 version of the XR400R with FI, electric start and an inverted fork. Something in between the F family and the R/RX. A CRF400FX, an intermediate bike riders can grow into easier than a race bike.
Hello! Any chance you could tell me where you got the metal skid plate from? I’ve looked all over and I can’t seem to find the right combination of keywords lol. Thanks in advance!
Do you have any suggestions for trail riding and non-racing on an MX track? Racing bikes seem to be the only bikes that can clear a double or table-top. There is no cross-country bike with a low-maintenance engine. I understand low-maintenance bikes are more heavy. Can I improve the CRF250F suspension enough for VET size jumps or stop thinking so much and just get a race bike?
Yea honestly unless you pump out a new sprocket setup and add a big bore kit, you’re not completely clearing most table tops or a double unless it’s a youth track. The I took it on one when I first got it and even after I changed the sprockets and it still wouldn’t wide open. Close! But not completely. A bore kit will solve that completely though. You can upgrade the suspension no problem. Depending on your weight just run heavy duty front springs and a thicker oil weight. The rear you can get a heavy duty BBR spring for just the jumps. This is just saying that you are NOT racing it and just to have fun though
@@ThatGuy-771 Thanks for the reply! It seems a 250F is better suited for me now, then I can get big bore and other mods when I really need it. Do you think the 275cc with the rally cam last a very long time or is extra cooling needed?
@@ThatGuy-771 Thanks for the post. I'm surprised NO ONE makes a non-racing bike that can do Cross Country or simple MX jumps. The ONLY options are Race or Trail. The CRF250F with big-bore and simple suspension tuning may be the only solution. Maybe I'm weird I want to go semi-fast and jump (< 50 foot) without racing and don't care much about bike weight or trophies. Imperial County in California has many open(minimal managed) OHV areas with play jumps, trails, and obstacle courses.
It does last and is very reliable. If you wanted to clear the little bit bigger jumps I would suggest a 310 with a rally cam. The 275 rally cam will improve your performance for sure but for the best bang for the buck the 310 would be worth the difference in achieving what your wanting.
No issue at all with needing extra cooling like an oil cooler etc. the bike will still run at normal temps. We even just finished racing the 310 for 2 hours at an off-road national and it did great. Normal operating temps and never spiked at all
So the 250X is more for racing but XC racing. So for trail racing. It does amazing in the trails but it likes to be high in the RPMs. The (X) on the end of it Kawasaki re-geared it for the the woods, different suspension setup etc. but it is amazing on the trails and very nimble.
1 word= MAINTENANCE
We just got my son a crf50f for his birthday, looking at bikes for myself, after not riding for over 10 years. This Crf250f looks like the winner. Thanks for all the great info!
That’s awesome! My son started on a crf50f. Then a 125 and Now he is on a 150r lol great progression and can learn so much!
You’ll love the crf250f. Like the old school XR but with fuel injection. Not many limits of what you can’t do trail riding or modification to make it truly your own!
Thanks for checking the channel out brother! 🤙
As far as power and dirty tracks most people don't need a bike with more than 30 hp, that's enough for ~90% of riders around the world I supose. Even the race bikes with 60 hp or whatever, if you install and check a telemetry you would notice that most of the lap you are inside a band of 25 to 40 hp. And it all depends where the power is, like you have so much power with the KX but have to ride it agressively, it revs at high speeds very quickly but on the other hand the bike is nervous and actually suffers in hill climbing by not having a heavier crankshaft/flywheel. So I know some people just love to have the feeling of having so much power at will even if rarelly or never used, but that's the truth. As for the other points, suspension wise, given that the bike remains in trails and woods the stock suspension is enough for most riders, maybe need some adjustment in height but that's it. Regarding weight, yes, that's a handicap for sure, but you can always put the bike in a diet and remove some pounds with aluminum parts, lithium battery, etc. In the end it's a matter of price/fun ratio.
I agree with most of this except racing anything you never use all the power on the track for very long. Also, i think its good for people to get the suspension revalved and resprung . A good tuned suspension for your weight, height and riding terrain/style makes it safer even for beginners. The only way i wouldnt mess with it is if someone just rides easy trails and in the pastor or if they are around 150 pounds for this bike
I really like my crf250f but even after upgrading the suspension it's not as good as my Yamaha yz250f was. I really don't notice the weight when I'm riding the bike but definitely notice the weight when I'm loading or unloading the bike. It's a great fun bike for an old vet rider like me who doesn't race anymore.
I was the dude that thought I needed a 250rx because I didn’t want to look wimpy on the trails. We rode up to the wv Hatfield McCoy trails and learned real quick I had the wrong bike. The 250f is good for 90% of riders. The other 10% are the pro enduro guys who don’t have to buy their bikes. Also if you’re going out on long trail rides where your miles away from help a simple reliable bike is money. If you’re worried about how much the bike weighs get in the gym and work on your strength and endurance. Trust me picking up a 230 pound bike several times isn’t much different than a 265 pound bike. Just some food for thought. Cheers.
Oh this is also my case… I have a 300 XC-W KTM that can barely ride in hard enduro, one day switched bikes with a young man that had a CRF 250F and the throttle control felt a lot easier. On very steep, rocky climbs I’m afraid of looping my KTM while the Honda felt a lot more tamed.
@rogermty1971 that’s exactly it. The Honda is a lot more tamed than a 300 2 stroke and these other 4 strokes. My buddy looped his out over a rock section the CRF crawled up. But the power delivery is just a lot more tame and slow going to say the least.
Having not watched the entire video yet, Owning A 250f and a yz250x i can honestly say that for the average person wanting to just get out and ride and play with it on mixed terrain the 250F is perfect it can do it all, in reality the bikes of yesteryear were way heavier and less powerful and carried on just fine so basically summing it up from my perspective the Crf250F is basically your Xr250. Now my Yz i bought because i wanted to race Awrcs and some local Gncc events and i wanted something to be faster and challenged more by. Also its better to have 2 bikes for me as if one is down i have another and the biggest factor is i missed being on a 2 stroke. Now there is no comparison between the Yz250 and a Crf250F as my yz makes more than double the power and is an overall bigger bike yet lighter and requires decent rider ability. So with all that For the weekend warrior i'd say you cant go wrong with a Crf250F.
I'd also say out the door you can mod the Crf how ever you want and still be under the out the door price of a stock bike granted this is pricing as bought new. Obv you can find deals on the used market
3rd edit, Id add that i think the Crf250f is just more forgiving for any rider.
Absolutely brother I could not agree more. It is definitely not a race bike. However, I think that this bike is more suited for somebody wanting a more forgiving bike, but can also add some money at a lower cost than what it would cost to buy a race bike and be very content. I feel that the possibilities are really endless with the CRF, and you have to really know what it is that you’re wanting a race fight and be very confident in your riding abilities and what you’re trying to accomplish before you go and get one. The CRF is just an all-around amazing platform for anybody even an advanced rider and fun just to toy around, and if you’re not a serious racer… race it! If you on putting a little bit of extra money into it is just an added bonus.
The CRF is by no means the KX, however, that’s not to say that you can’t have fun with it based off of whatever your needs may be or your comfort level of riding is and you can absolutely race it if you would like. You won’t be going against your local Pro class hahah but if you want to have fun and just get out there and compete with other race bikes, you absolutely can with confidence. It’s all about having fun. Nothing wrong with throwing a few bones in the bike.
@ThatGuy-771 how offended do you have to rebuild ur trail bike vs race bike with all those mods?
@koabear6926 so far I’m pushing 75 hours on the CRF and not had to do anything outside the oil change and filter.
Race bike hasn’t got but about 12 hours on it so, so far we’re good on both! But the CRF is running strong as day 1 still! We do break it down every now and then just to check on scaring, valve clearance etc. never had an issue
@ThatGuy-771 okay appreciate it if you have a klx300r could u do a comparison with ir crf 250f been looking into both just don't know which one to get
Loving my F with the Force Cam 310 rally kit. team INDY.
I have a CRF250F and a YZ250FX. I ride my Honda more because it is just so fun. When I ride my YZ I appreciate the better suspension and brakes and of course it's much lighter and faster.
I went from a crf450r to the 250f and couldn’t be happier. I thought I needed more power but really found my self fighting the bike and flame outs on tighter tricky trails. I still love the 450 for its power and speed but I rarely ride it now. I do kinda miss the height of the 450 however.
You looking into raising the bike up? Check out my suspension videos for the 250F I did brother. They will also help reduce a little weight! Brings it up to the height of at least my 250x lol can increase a total of 3 inches if ya wanted! I agree with the power though. For sure! A 450R is wild for trails hahaha man I couldn’t imagine!
If you want single track, trails, tame response, and low maintenance, the 250F is perfect. If you want to MX, big jumps, or are a blazing fast race trail rider, then of course the MX bikes will fit the bill, maybe with adding a slipper clutch to help handle the inevitable low speed sections. The CRF requires a valve shim check after break in, and the MX bikes requires more maintenance overall.
That Kawi is not an MX bike either. There’s a fine line between a MX bike and just race bike in general what we compared. The Kawi is a woods racer. Not an MX machine by far. We are only comparing when it comes to trails, woods, rocks and roots. So no big jumps here. The Kawi can’t even handle huge jumps. Not set up for it suspension or gearing wise. It’s the KX250X not the standard KX250
I’m torn between the crf250f or klx 230R..
Yea I don’t know a TON on them aside obvious displacement. KLX is about 6-7 lbs lighter. But I know the Crf has a TON of mods available to customize it to your own personal liking though. Can always keep adding with them that’s for sure.
Who could possibly want an XR that’s easy to start and fuel injected 😂. I would love to see a 2024 version of the XR400R with FI, electric start and an inverted fork. Something in between the F family and the R/RX. A CRF400FX, an intermediate bike riders can grow into easier than a race bike.
Hello! Any chance you could tell me where you got the metal skid plate from? I’ve looked all over and I can’t seem to find the right combination of keywords lol. Thanks in advance!
Sure can. It’s the flatland racing skid plate. Here is the link from CRFsonly.
www.crfsonly.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/7081
@@ThatGuy-771 Thanks! I appreciate it.
Do you have any suggestions for trail riding and non-racing on an MX track? Racing bikes seem to be the only bikes that can clear a double or table-top. There is no cross-country bike with a low-maintenance engine. I understand low-maintenance bikes are more heavy. Can I improve the CRF250F suspension enough for VET size jumps or stop thinking so much and just get a race bike?
Yea honestly unless you pump out a new sprocket setup and add a big bore kit, you’re not completely clearing most table tops or a double unless it’s a youth track. The I took it on one when I first got it and even after I changed the sprockets and it still wouldn’t wide open. Close! But not completely. A bore kit will solve that completely though.
You can upgrade the suspension no problem. Depending on your weight just run heavy duty front springs and a thicker oil weight. The rear you can get a heavy duty BBR spring for just the jumps. This is just saying that you are NOT racing it and just to have fun though
@@ThatGuy-771 Thanks for the reply! It seems a 250F is better suited for me now, then I can get big bore and other mods when I really need it. Do you think the 275cc with the rally cam last a very long time or is extra cooling needed?
@@ThatGuy-771 Thanks for the post. I'm surprised NO ONE makes a non-racing bike that can do Cross Country or simple MX jumps. The ONLY options are Race or Trail. The CRF250F with big-bore and simple suspension tuning may be the only solution. Maybe I'm weird I want to go semi-fast and jump (< 50 foot) without racing and don't care much about bike weight or trophies. Imperial County in California has many open(minimal managed) OHV areas with play jumps, trails, and obstacle courses.
It does last and is very reliable. If you wanted to clear the little bit bigger jumps I would suggest a 310 with a rally cam. The 275 rally cam will improve your performance for sure but for the best bang for the buck the 310 would be worth the difference in achieving what your wanting.
No issue at all with needing extra cooling like an oil cooler etc. the bike will still run at normal temps. We even just finished racing the 310 for 2 hours at an off-road national and it did great. Normal operating temps and never spiked at all
Would you care to say how much money you put in the honda jus to get where you are currently?
I actually have a video on that where I broke everything down dollar for dollar on it compared to even a 250RX
@ThatGuy-771 I'm looking fir it in your channel. What the title. And ty in advance.
@ericaranda5274 no problem at all. Here ya are! th-cam.com/video/YYZYSuDGKS0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=wxCi_H0eX3ijH1ZI
so is a kx 250x more a bike for raceing? wood a kx 250x have to much power for trail rideing?
So the 250X is more for racing but XC racing. So for trail racing. It does amazing in the trails but it likes to be high in the RPMs. The (X) on the end of it Kawasaki re-geared it for the the woods, different suspension setup etc. but it is amazing on the trails and very nimble.