Are you younger guys who look older, or older guys who ride younger? You must have done a lot of dirt bike riding before you got into the heavies. Great job!
@@niceguyrides what cc are you thinking of? their current line up has a lot on the low end, from 50cc, 110 to 125F, then 150, 250, 450Rs now the 300 Rally, and 300L, seem to have discontinued the 250 Rally in EU. I think there's space for a 450 Rally maybe but that's about it
@@Shishou_Shi I think an extra 50CC would have made this sit on highways more comfortably. A 450 Rally would be amazing with a good adventure frame. We are still having to decide between road performance/comfort and single-track. The 450L is missing the adventure ergos and the 300L is missing the power and suspension. Retune the 450 for longevity and service and throw it in the 300L Rally Frame. Put the 450 suspension on there and you have something very interesting.
You had my attention team. The way you gel with each other talking the hard yards is right on the money and really gets what you're on about, across. That was an entertaining video. My Rally joined me today, after five months of waiting. Now all the goodies I acrued during that time can go on the bike. 'Bring it onnnnnnnn'.
Videos always make hills look less steep. Those rock steps looked huge and steep on my screen. I have a CRF 300 Rally and I am totally impressed what you went up and down. Amazing.
Been waiting for this vid for ages and it is the final confirmation for me. I will get this done to my 250 Rally in NZ next summer. Thanks for an awesome vid
You guys do such a great job talking about this stuff. The excitement and enthusiasm is pure. Another great video by you guys. I got my 300L rally back in November and absolutely love it. Haven't done any modes to it yet. I don't mind the suspension but like you said on fire roads and dirt roads it's not bad. That is probably where I will be staying on till I learn to ride a little better. Great video once again can't wait to see where to take this little red rooster!
Thanks for another great vid guys! Your experience and perspective is appreciated, as I build mine up, definitely doing the suspension, the rally raid gear looks the goods.
Re: the 550 ECU. I have a MotoX exhaust with the dB killer opened out to allow full flow , no mods to the intake as yet. Using 95RON ( as stipulated for this flash) the bike is currently running rich enough to be giving a very sooty deposit on the exhaust. I have to investigate furthur but just giving a heads up.
That was a great video, thanks again gentlemen. It's nice to see you getting the good bits as well as the bad bits, it is a budget bike but it seems to punch well above its weight. Imagine doing thay rocky stuff on standard suspension
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV 🤣🤣🤣 this is true especially when doing that rocky bit. You were pushing it then, even with the rally raid suspension I was worried for your safety (or the bike's really)
Great review guys! I have been reviewing suspension options for my CRF300L Rally. Really enjoy your honest and thorough reviews, I think I will go with Level 1, as I am 5'6". Its a great bike, rode it way over my comfort level in Moab in early May and it handled everything I threw at it, no problem!
Nice video! Loving my crf300l from NY! Just hit 5500miles. So far 550 ecu, irc tr8 up front and tusk d sport out back. A bunch of protection and last thing to do is suspension! Really leaning torwards the rally raid!
11 hours of riding in a day on the rooster...respect indeed. I think we have a unicorn bike in the making. I wonder why there are so many WR250s on the 2nd hand market at the moment?
Probably more due to the flavour of the month with the only new bike competitor in the 300cc catergory in Australia being....nothing else. Selling a WR250R to buy a Honda crf300l is like changing your underwear. They both will just have very small skidmarks inside them after a whiskey throttle.
Dave, I appreciate the work that you have put into the CRF300L but I still think that the DRZ400E is a better bike for around the same money. Here is why. The DRZ suspension is a better package right out of showroom may just need a spring upgrade for your weight. 45ish HP means you can run a higher gearing like 15/44, still have plenty of bottom end for hill climbs and 110km is reasonable comfortable on the road. 100KMPH is cruising. Yes, it's not FI but the pumper carb is snappy of the bottom. They are around the same weight. I would go as far as to say that the DRZ is a more heavy duty bike. I'm sure you have ridden enough DRZ400E's to either agree or disagree but it would be good to do a back to back comparison for those who are considering these two bikes.
Thanks for the review. If I tried jumping more than 6" with my KTech rear shock I would have a compressed spine. I'm going to make the switch to Rally Raid.
Very thorough review. Will be following your example on the suspension upgrade. I have put the lower end yss suspension on it and it has done well but it will bottom out with a fully loaded bike when pushed on unsupported trips. That bike has exceeded my expectations in so many ways just finished the the Simpson and now half way through the cape. It truely does give you a different mindset and it takes a full load well. It is worth proper suspension.
@@cheetah694 I have used a couple for fun Including a beta 300 and even a trials bike though they are good for their application which is short fun rides but doing a 12500 ks trip unsupported and fully loaded, through the Flinders Simpson cape York Frasier and more would not be fun. I thought of using the Beta as a mini Adv but the expense and heavy maintenance schedule of those bikes is not worth it for me. These bikes are cheap come with most adv needs straight out of the box, can carry enough weight to do the Canning and will do the so-called hard 4WD tracks and some single tracks with ease and that is what I need the bike for. So unfortunately no I will not even look at those bikes for this kind of application.
Love your Channel guys. And Lovin the upgrades on the Red Rooster. Am considering getting one myself. Just an FYI....Itchie Boots has just done the Rally Raid suspension upgrade as soon as she entered the states. She appears to be enjoying it...allbeit...shes now had a wee crash and twisted her ankle. Put her out for a few days. Anyhow keep up the good work regards From Christchurch NZ
Nice Looks way better Dave, look like better ground clearance as well. Look forward to see you do along ride on it, The rocks confirmed the need for the upgrade, Looks really saveable when you stop on a slope, Brilliant..
I’m with Clubby. The bike needs the 450cc donk. There is no replacement for displacement! The 250 / 300 is a great nimble bike once you sort the suspension, but just lacks the bite to take it closer to the dual sport unicorn🦄 Oh and you can have your electric bike. Where you be charging that shite out in the sticks…
If you're going to go 450 why not stroke it to 500cc for more torque like KTM did with their 500 EXC? Better yet 550 or 600. I'd love to see a truly lightweight adventurized dual sport with passenger pegs. Sadly Dave mentioned previously he doesn't think it will happen.
great vid, need to liaise with Noraly, or do a video vlog with her, her little one has done a lot, these little Honda's are bomb proof and go well, rally raid have done well again with their suspension, well worth the money.
American friend here, and owner of a red rooster preparing ourselves for the TAT, this has been my favorite video on this bike yet! So far, the seat concepts seat has been one of the biggest improvements I could have done to my bike. I just could not ride mine for longer than 2hrs without getting a soar arse! Either I’m a pansy, or you guys have some tough arses! Your begging for that extra 150cc, and I agree, but I don’t want any more weight! So I will just be happy with what I have for now! My biggest question for you today is, which crash bars would have served the bike best in this fall? Would it had been the upper portion type crash bars from Outback Motortek, like itchy Boots has, Or would the lower protection type of bars, like the ones manufactured in Thailand worked better in this situation??
it's funny you're calling the 300L rally a "light bike" when the main reason i got rid of my 250L rally was the weight, second reason was the weak power, third was the ridiculously soft suspension.
Dave, sometimes I think Clubby would sacrifice you in a heartbeat for a special shot. 2 teeth off rear helps on low speed but over revs motor on big road. Mosko Princess bag bag. Sargent has a seat for it, Seat Concepts also. Those are some pretty tough wheels on it too. Hard licks on those rocks. Clubby, lets have some of those new fangled talky films. Hear they are fun to watch. Hey you fellows take care, be safe. From East KY USA ride on.
I wish it was in your budget to do the ECU for the stock exhaust, and the aftermarket exhaust. I'm sure most of us would love to see the difference. I personally would like to keep the stock quiet exhaust, but would like a little more low-end power. Curious minds want to know if there's a big enough leap in power to justify the aftermarket exhaust, and sacrifice the lower noise level. Can the extra power be had with just the ECU tune, is what I'm asking?
Manufacturers just fail over and over to realize that buyers will pay a little more for full features on light adv bikes! Cruise control, better suspension, even a quick shifter! Would sell like hotcakes!!
I usually work by the rule - if you're suspension isn't bottoming at least a couple of times during *regular* riding, then you're paying for suspension travel you're not using. There is alot of fear of bottoming, but what it tells you is that you are using more of your suspension most of the time, which is what it's there for. P.S TH-cam CRF300L and Yoshi and hear how amazing they can sound. Look forward to how it sounds with your system.
You can put O rings on your forks and see how far they travel. "touching" the bottom without feeling it is the sweet spot ... unless you do some extreme stuff and you'll bottom regardless. I have them on my KTM and my compression damping dialed in spot on.
Thanks for the perspective guys. How hard would it be to stuff the 471cc from the CB500X in that thing? Hopefully the upcoming NX500 is something like that.
I really don't understand why Honda hasn't updated the XR650 to fuel injected like the KLR650 has. They are honestly missing a part of the market on the midsized ADV bikes, you either get the 300Rally or just jump to the Africa Twin. The 450 is a great bike with just way to short of service intervals for it to be a great RTW bike.
After adding a pipe and Thailand version of the ECU it really transformed the bike. I could preload the forks and get the front tire up in 2nd gear without the clutch. I don't agree with the 10% increase in price for "better suspension" since most Western riders will still need springs no matter what because they are designed for petite Japanese customers. Most people in the US still need to add springs at a minimum so you'd still be diving into the suspension and spending the same money.
Hello Dave, regarding paying more for better suspension, generally we'll still end up with wrong valving and weak springs so I guess the best option is to be offered an even cheaper bike without rear shock and no springs in the forks to get it right ourselves😁 On a serious note; could you go over 'just decent' shocks like YSS and fork upgrades for folks that are moving at travel speeds? I had my WR250R done with springs and Racetech internals for $1000CAD and for me that's all I'll ever need. Cheers!
The vid at 4:00 demonstrates that even the best setup suspension is no match for a bad line...😁 And when it did make it, the bike just looks easy and unfussed.
Hi and thanks for this series of videos about the 300 Rally. I'm really tempted to pull the trigger myself on this bike given its versatilty on and off road and your videos are pushing me in that direction. It's not the first time i hear you mention the Coyote as the best travel bag for this bike, how does it compare to the Mosko Moto Reckless 40 in your opinion?
I don't know. I have been sponsored by Giant Loop for over 10 years as per opening on all my videos. I haven't recommended the Coyote all the time. My preference has been for the Great Basin and Siskyou Panniers
Hey boys ( Dave, Clubby and Nugget.) - love the content . I only recently found your channel a couple of months ago and LMAO over some of the back video. Old mate Nugget taking a wiz when reviewing the KTM . I digress. Have you seen and will you do the CB300 intake venturi Mod and the CB300 cams. Over the past few weeks I have seen a lot of guys doing the venturi Mod and the cam mod and even a new 550 performance ECU and a vented side cover with frog skin screen Check Shonky Productions here in Aus. also Jake the Garden snake in USA do the cam mods along with a few others. as the CRF300L is basically the CBR300 engine the 300 cams and intake venturi are standard fit . a bit of air box jiggery pokery required but all easy for talented blokes like your selves.
Hi, great videos, thanks! I think this bike will replace my xr600… Did u ride in the night? How LED lights perform? Ciao and great job… P.S. my personal opinion but money spent on suspensions is the BEST money u can sped on any motorcycle ( if u remember that u also have to do some maintenance)
Led lights are shite on this bike. I almost killed myself on a highway because of it. Lights on or off, you ride like a blind man. Also note that the beam doesn’t shine to where your handlebar points, so making turns at night is super sketchy even at low speed. Never ever will I buy an offroad bike where the lamp is not mounted to the handlebar.
I like how it looks...but listening at yours opinions I think, with my KTM 350 excf from 2012 I already have better option, I don't care about oil changes. Are you agree?
Hey, I'm looking to purchase a 300L soon and various reviews specify the suspension as one of the weak points on the bike. I'm not looking to spend too much on upgrades and was wondering if only upgrading the rear shock would be good enough to ensure comfortability? Looking to mainly do off-road riding and I weigh about 80kg, thanks.
Just wondering if the Rally Raid suspension level one would be okay for somebody who is 5'5" inches. New to motorcycling but about ready to retire and plan on traveling, moto camping and fishing and traveling for month after month. Plan on buying the Honda CRF300L Rally soon. I am Canadian. Love your videos.
Kind of funny that the 300 Rally is considered a light ish weight, easy to manage bike, and the 15lb (6.8kg) heavier XR650L is considered a heavy pig of a bike.
I think we've got it close. The Rally Raid suspension was without doubt the transformational modification. In Australia you're looking at around 12,500 AU to get it where you want it maybe a little less. If you are from another country please to the currency calculation for your country.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV well that's not beyond reasonable. And at today's market value not too far from normal. It would be interesting what a hamburger with the lot would cost. Ecu, pipe suspension front and rear, bars risers, rear bags. Is it possible to a structured cost break down.. I see a lot people really relying on all the efforts of this review. I think "cost vs function" will make this CRF the true standard for light weight Adventure bikes Unless Yamaha come up with something this will be the bike that many will move to. It's already too late for me, I'm sworn to my SWM RS500 for life. BUT my wife...well that's another point of interest...
Question- I’m 5’7” Would it be better to fit level 2 and a lowering link? Or level 1? For resale value most would prefer level 2 I’m guessing. Or is that silly putting a losing link on after jacking up to level 2? P.s. great review.
Hi guys, just wondering how much each of you weigh. I was contemplating getting a smaller bike at one time. Gone are the days I weighed 185 lbs. I'm 6'2" and weigh 275. I would probably never see the kind of stuff that you are riding in here. I already know what I want, it's just a matter of finding the model I want. Enjoyed the vid. 👍
Just do the judder spring removal for better bite, down to 39 t rear and after fitting lighter exhaust strap on an ejk to get longer pull on the highway.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV listening to the video sounds like you want to pop the front up easier, a judder spring delete would solve that for you, and 39 teeth on the rear may make top end better for the long highway but only with better fueling from a ejk kit or ecu to make up for the ratio change, not done it myself but if i was you and all that.. but then again if i was you i wouldn't put an arrow exhaust on , wasting torque, will be interesting to see dyno and fuel economy.
How do you feel about crash bars? Some people are shying away from the Rally because of all the plastics and then the added weight of bars to protect it. But you seemed to be giving the fairings a pretty hard time without too much consequence.
Plastic is brittle and very expensive compared to other options out there. Just check the prices at your dealer. You will think twice before taking it offroad after that. It takes skill to ride like in the video. This is not the bike to learn on. Unless you want to make your dealer rich that is.
Great review👏I(95kg & 189cm) am going to buy my first adv. I've been going back and forth on 300 rally, 390adv and kawa x 300 and cannot find a conclusive video. Considering the mods and money spent on the rally, my question is if it would be better to spend that on the 390adv or x300 to build the optimum adv bike? A comparison video or any feedback will be highly appreciated. Thank you
Modding this bike is like putting lipstick on a pig. I recommend starting with a proper dual-sport bike, like a Beta 480. You will need to change the oil more often, but you will be rewarded for that. This engine is reliable, but the whole package is a look-alike, not the real thing. You will be miserable swollowing dust when your friends on their KTM EXCs ride faster with no effort and a grin under their helmets.
Can you compare the Rallye to a Wr250 Yamaha? Is the Yamaha the better bike to start with or are there significant differences that makes comparison a challenge? 👍👍
They're a great bike and you'll find a test of it on this channel, But they aren't produced anymore, so what's the point. I'd encourage you to look at the test.
As I watched the rocky bits ..I had a bizarre recall that 37 years ago I had ridden that track on an IT200 . 37 years ago ..it felt like yesterday as I watched you guys take it on. Great entertainment ..but never known a bike that needs so much work to use it like an old IT 200.
Dave I might have missed it, but comparing this crf300 rally vs gs310 for a rtw trip? I realize itchy boots is o n the crf300 rally, but I'm leaning towards bmw 310gs ?
Oey mate, what tires do you recommend for the kind of riding you’re doing? I always fear wearing my knobbies off on the bitumen or not having the grip in the mud… recommendations would be appreciated.
Firstly, I'm supported by Pirelli. For this ride we fitted dirt oriented knobbies, Pirelli MX Scorpions because it's been so bloody muddy. Usually I would have something like a Pirelli Rally Scorpion.
As Motul (one of your sponsors) makes 6 different weights of fork oil, which one did you use, and did you try different weights? Did you try different weight oils with the stock suspension, a $20 (US) modification.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV ; Years ago I worked in a bike shop where the owner was very adamant about the weight of different fork oils and how they effected the suspension. In that Motul is one of your sponsors and a leading maker of fork oil I would have thought that at least you would have given different weights a try and reported of your results, even if it was just subjective feel.
@@johndavidwolf4239 Too much work mate. The bike is great with the oil in it. Yes I used to muck around with viscosity, but why muck around when you are happy.
I'm a bit confused between the RR level 1 & 2. So with the level 1 the suspension is actually less than the stock suspension but the seat height remains the same because there is little sag but when you sit on it you dont loose most of the travel because its a better shock? And the level 2 the seat is and actual 1 inch taller than stock and has more travel than stock? I can't decide on which one LOL. I have no problem throwing my leg over the bike with the stock suspension
@@nathanf1934 What’s remote touring? The more remote you ride, the farther you will have to walk when you are stuck. And what if you are injured and cannot walk? Remote offroad touring is nonsense.
@@cheetah694 Thats why it's called ADVENTURE riding. I also carry a Garmin in reach mini. Australia is a big open country. Most of the riding is remote.
While on downhill or jump. Why does the front part of the bike goes vertically down even when i try to balance it by puting the body weight back. I seriously need suggestion
@@R0ger007 Don't be lazy. There are a series of videos and the answer is there about ten times. You watch a video on suspension. I'm sick of people who imply they watch a video, they don't and just expect and answer. Watch the videos!
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV there's a billion videos on TH-cam, if I was particularly lazy I'd have time to watch them all. A simple question requiring a simple answer, you've obviously had a bad day 😔
@@R0ger007 No I'm having a wonderful day. I find this discourse interesting. You're to lazy to go to my channel and find what you need and I'm not going to hand feed you.
Glad you have managed to deal with such terrain even on a relatively low 300cc engine, so I am convinced most cases it is NOT the bike that reaches its limit but the rider themselves. BTW, have you heard or invested in 550 ECU flash for this bike, which I have seen several TH-cam video viewing that one. This user ( th-cam.com/video/L4XIzV0CeIs/w-d-xo.html ) even ordered one to be shipped to AU from US and result seems promising.
5:40 I can tell you there is nowhere on the TAT that is as tough as that little section you’re doing there. I’ve done the TAT twice and its all pretty tame.
Love your work boys but…. why do we have to work the suspension to a Rally model Honda capable of riding off road ?? Hmmm it’s not good enough off the floor if you have to add $4,000 to make it work! Buy a 501 Husky
Yes we know that. The Husky 501 is too tall, too powerful for many and doesn't have long service intervals and a short fuel range. Although I love the 501 the CRF is more adventure orientated out of the box, although I do appreciate you can modify the 501 into a cracking adventure bike with not too much effort.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Long service intervals are overrated. Every night you will sleep at a motel. There is no problem doing a simple oil change. But you will be rewarded the next day. On this bike you are never rewarded. Ride it full throttle until your wrist is sore, it’s just going nowhere.
Love to chat bikes. I’m Australian and the distances between stops are sometimes a long way. I have a KTM 690 and a Husky 501. The Husky is incomparable in the Snowy Mountains or on two/three day enduro rides. It lacks the legs out on the western plains. Your concerns about service intervals are unfounded. All the Husky needs is fresh oil and a clean air filter. It will go and go! Seriously the Husky suspension is so much better than the sponge rubbish dished up by Honda it’s no contest.
@@flyingfox7252 It’s hard to explain to people until they try another bike for themselves. They are miles ahead of Honda. Even if you look at their road bikes, any other manufacturer has a better suspension. It’s ridiculous people still buy them, despite of how cheaply they are made. Used to be a “Honda guy” myself, now that I’ve got more experience I understand I was in a trap of my own misconceptions.
@@cheetah694 Sorry mate disagree. on so many levels. Just came back from an 1800 km ride with bigger bikes and the 300 not only kep up but the tracks tightened the crf300 blitzed them.
My 300 rally has a weird front suspension bounce from 37mph to 50mph, I’ve had both wheels checked for balance, and making sure they were trued round. A local Honda shop told me I was basically too heavy for the factory suspension(220lbs) would this suspension sort out my weird uncomfortable bounce in the front end?
It’s not about suspension. Spoked wheels on this bike are so cheap you cannot really true them, even if you try hard. There is always a deviation that you will feel at certain speeds. Dirt bikes are not comfortable on tarmac, real dirt bikes are even worse, since they’ve all got rim locks, so you cannot even balance those wheels. Also from my experience, Honda dealers are so road focused, they just don’t get spoked wheels. The chance is, they haven’t done anything at all (since they cannot), instead chose to say your are the problem, which is pretty lame.
Great review. I've done the same to my CRF300L along with Rally Raid's bar riser and Renthal bar kit. The one issue I'm having and not sure how to address it is I'm finding the front end isn't as planted as it was before. At higher speeds (80kph+) it wants to wobble. I have the level 2 kit mated with Dunlop D606 tires. Moving my weight forward doesn't help. Setting the rear preload was fairly straightforward. Doing the same for the front suspension not so much and I'm wondering if this is playing a role? You mentioned that you upped the preload and damping for the hard trails you were on. Did you leave it there afterward or return it to previous settings for the trip home?
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV I just returned from an 8 day adventure ride in Northen Ontario Canada. The bike was so skittish that I was ready to bail after Day 2. One of our tour organizers took the bike for a ride and suggested we move the handlebars back to a more neutral position. (I didn't realize that it wasn't in a neutral position). Absolute game changer. The rest of the ride was an absolute treat. Tires and suspension settings had nothing to do with it. Just moving the bars back an inch completely transformed the bike from a squirrel to a mountain goat. Unbelievable.
On the "450cc thing" . This bike could get more performance by a real weight reduction. The frame and wheels are heavy. Suspension components are heavy ( the rear knuckle is steel!. I have a aluminium one that saves 0.8kg alone). The biggest reason for an exhaust change is to lose weight ( I suspect very little HP/torque gain). A proper aluminium frame would dump some real weight. The actual difference in manufacturing price would not be substantial. The bike is aimed at the "everyman " user. A 450cc with the same sort of camming would be awesome , but for the vast majority of riding this 250 will more than do the job.
Whilst I am not a believer in big heavy ADV bikes I can see why some have interest in these little bikes particularly the older and the less experienced. Yes they can go more hard enduro type places but that’s not what 99% of ADV riders do and the whole point of ADV is you have to get there first. I couldn’t think of anything worse than spending days on an underpowered little buzz box. It would’ve been hell riding that thing valve bouncing for 800km in two days.
You're making a couple of assumptions. It's no where near valve bouncing at 110 kph. Please look back at the review we did on it. th-cam.com/video/lpWrdIekcGg/w-d-xo.html
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV i did actually ride one about 7mths ago....I think there is an enormous difference between being all loaded up and safely overtaking from say 90kmh quickly. Maybe do a video where your all loaded up and overtaking on Bells Line Rd and I'd be particularly keen to see it coming out of Lithgow toward Bell. You know the hill I mean. The BMW G310GS is the same ....I've ridden several of those as loan bikes.
Just put Nitron R3 rear shock with remote preload and Nitron TVT forks on my vfr1200x Both ends have High/Low compression adjustment, fantastic improvement cost $5K Fancy one of these 300’s for small trails, what did your suspension upgrade cost? Thanks
Thank you guys! Really been anxious to see your results in this video. My bike should be delivered any day now, and I'm already sold on the Rally-Raid L2. Will have all winter to mod before spring now. Question: Would getting rid of the slipper clutch give a bit more feeling of "bark"? I think where I live quieter will be better, so not sure the pipe/ecu route would work. th-cam.com/video/GMTa0a_Dn8E/w-d-xo.html
I wouldn't know , i'm just comparing it to my 250l , opening up the exhaust , losing a bit of back pressure and adding fuel makes the bike pull longer but losing around 20mile range per tank.
That's a different world in so many ways, but you'd be surprised. Go to our channel and look at movie length adventures at the top of the page and there is a movie there featuring the Honda crf. Worth a look and you quesion will be answered in detail.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV mid range power is smoothed not any noticeable difference above 8k. But 4500 to 6500 pulls much better. Off idle throttle response is much smoother
So apart from the suspension, engine, seat, handlebars and exhaust - it's a great bike - LOL. Seriously though - giving it thought - solo riding 2 things really count in my fervid imagination: weight and the reliability to get out of wherever you got yourself in.
If weight is a factor for you that’s not the bike to buy. I was doing an Albanian rally on it. I got the bike in a deep rut left by a spring stream in the mountains, the bank of the rut was as high as the bike. I couldn’t get it out by myself. Only by luck could I find two locals sitting in the mountains, who helped me get it out. So three people were needed to get it out of a deep rut. After that I was so exhausted, I couldn’t even use my clutch for an hour and had to switch gears without it. I must give Honda kudos for a great gearbox, but the rest is nothing to write home about on this bike.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV sorry that's not what I mean. The test with everything on it full kit. I suppose you guys will do that later in a ride video. Cheers
Dave, you're actually going to have to go into a shop and try one on. As evidence by our extensive coverage on this bike there are bar risers and higher bar bends that can help.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Was great to see you thrashing it around properly. Definitely top of my upgrade list when I get my bike. Will be doing the install myself, so that should be interesting. Gotta save pennies somewhere.
Are you younger guys who look older, or older guys who ride younger? You must have done a lot of dirt bike riding before you got into the heavies. Great job!
I've been a pensioner for 3 years and Clubby is aspiring to be one in 3 years.
Thanks Dave. Rally Raid are just down the road from me so this video has pretty much sold me on their upgrades front and rear.
Good to hear!
Honda is soooo close to making the unicorn. The 300 Rally and 450L need to have babies……
Yep. Strongly agree with that.
Haha, people said that at the 250 Rally
@@Shishou_Shi maybe a brother then…
@@niceguyrides what cc are you thinking of?
their current line up has a lot on the low end, from 50cc, 110 to 125F, then 150, 250, 450Rs
now the 300 Rally, and 300L, seem to have discontinued the 250 Rally in EU.
I think there's space for a 450 Rally maybe but that's about it
@@Shishou_Shi I think an extra 50CC would have made this sit on highways more comfortably. A 450 Rally would be amazing with a good adventure frame. We are still having to decide between road performance/comfort and single-track. The 450L is missing the adventure ergos and the 300L is missing the power and suspension.
Retune the 450 for longevity and service and throw it in the 300L Rally Frame. Put the 450 suspension on there and you have something very interesting.
Thanks for the updates, have one myself and have been modified similar to yours, just added some additional items.
Good stuff! Tell us what you've done.
You had my attention team. The way you gel with each other talking the hard yards is right on the money and really gets what you're on about, across. That was an entertaining video. My Rally joined me today, after five months of waiting. Now all the goodies I acrued during that time can go on the bike. 'Bring it onnnnnnnn'.
Right on. Good luck
Videos always make hills look less steep. Those rock steps looked huge and steep on my screen. I have a CRF 300 Rally and I am totally impressed what you went up and down. Amazing.
They are big, real big.
Been waiting for this vid for ages and it is the final confirmation for me. I will get this done to my 250 Rally in NZ next summer. Thanks for an awesome vid
You'll never look back.
Nice update lads. I definitely think you should go the 550 ECU and do another dyno run after dyno running the exhaust. 👍
Listening
I'm lovin this build fella's!!
And you know what.......bugga the budget!! Let's go full beans on this red rooster hey??
Ha ha.
You guys do such a great job talking about this stuff. The excitement and enthusiasm is pure. Another great video by you guys. I got my 300L rally back in November and absolutely love it. Haven't done any modes to it yet. I don't mind the suspension but like you said on fire roads and dirt roads it's not bad. That is probably where I will be staying on till I learn to ride a little better. Great video once again can't wait to see where to take this little red rooster!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for another great vid guys! Your experience and perspective is appreciated, as I build mine up, definitely doing the suspension, the rally raid gear looks the goods.
Certainly is.
You need to get the 550 performance ECU if you want that "bark" and more low end torque. Just the exhaust is not gonna cut it.
Re: the 550 ECU. I have a MotoX exhaust with the dB killer opened out to allow full flow , no mods to the intake as yet. Using 95RON ( as stipulated for this flash) the bike is currently running rich enough to be giving a very sooty deposit on the exhaust. I have to investigate furthur but just giving a heads up.
Listening
The 550 performance ECU isn't even Dyno optimised. It's based on a 250l to 300l conversion
@@grom-ish Maybe, but from experience, it makes a big difference !
+1 for ECU tune
That was a great video, thanks again gentlemen. It's nice to see you getting the good bits as well as the bad bits, it is a budget bike but it seems to punch well above its weight. Imagine doing thay rocky stuff on standard suspension
You would end up in hospital
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV 🤣🤣🤣 this is true especially when doing that rocky bit. You were pushing it then, even with the rally raid suspension I was worried for your safety (or the bike's really)
Great review guys! I have been reviewing suspension options for my CRF300L Rally. Really enjoy your honest and thorough reviews, I think I will go with Level 1, as I am 5'6". Its a great bike, rode it way over my comfort level in Moab in early May and it handled everything I threw at it, no problem!
Great to hear. An under rated little bike.
Just installed RR level 1. Front and back. Perfect.
It’s great
Nice video! Loving my crf300l from NY! Just hit 5500miles. So far 550 ecu, irc tr8 up front and tusk d sport out back. A bunch of protection and last thing to do is suspension! Really leaning torwards the rally raid!
Have a similar setup and ordered the Rally Raid Level 2 kit last week. It's worth it. The value is definitely there for what you get.
If you get the Rally Raid just be sure what you want in terms of height, level 2 or level 1. There is litle difference in performance.
I am 5’11. 230 lbs. level 1 or 2 shocks???
11 hours of riding in a day on the rooster...respect indeed. I think we have a unicorn bike in the making. I wonder why there are so many WR250s on the 2nd hand market at the moment?
Yeah, I think we've moved on
Probably more due to the flavour of the month with the only new bike competitor in the 300cc catergory in Australia being....nothing else. Selling a WR250R to buy a Honda crf300l is like changing your underwear. They both will just have very small skidmarks inside them after a whiskey throttle.
Hello from Sweden. Looking forward to se what you have done with the CRF300
Thanks Pelle. Next is exhaust system.
Good to see proper suspension testing and not just a few whoops. Great vid!
Thanks! 👍 Yeah we certainly put it through its paces, but due to wet weather we could get to our good suspension testing ground. But we got enough.
Dave, I appreciate the work that you have put into the CRF300L but I still think that the DRZ400E is a better bike for around the same money. Here is why. The DRZ suspension is a better package right out of showroom may just need a spring upgrade for your weight. 45ish HP means you can run a higher gearing like 15/44, still have plenty of bottom end for hill climbs and 110km is reasonable comfortable on the road. 100KMPH is cruising. Yes, it's not FI but the pumper carb is snappy of the bottom. They are around the same weight. I would go as far as to say that the DRZ is a more heavy duty bike. I'm sure you have ridden enough DRZ400E's to either agree or disagree but it would be good to do a back to back comparison for those who are considering these two bikes.
We've done a lot of rides on the DRZ400. Yep great bike. Don't disagree with anything your saying. But the 300 has a lot to offer.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV As in big red money
Nice Guys! Cant wait to get the suspension done on my 300LR !! :D
Have fun!
Thanks for the review. If I tried jumping more than 6" with my KTech rear shock I would have a compressed spine. I'm going to make the switch to Rally Raid.
It is very good. Ktech is great, but there are different levels of capability.
yes please I'd like to see the exhaust and tuning mods 👍
Very thorough review. Will be following your example on the suspension upgrade. I have put the lower end yss suspension on it and it has done well but it will bottom out with a fully loaded bike when pushed on unsupported trips. That bike has exceeded my expectations in so many ways just finished the the Simpson and now half way through the cape. It truely does give you a different mindset and it takes a full load well. It is worth proper suspension.
Glad it was helpful!
If you ever try a proper enduro bike, you will never even approach this Honda ever again.
@@cheetah694 I have used a couple for fun Including a beta 300 and even a trials bike though they are good for their application which is short fun rides but doing a 12500 ks trip unsupported and fully loaded, through the Flinders Simpson cape York Frasier and more would not be fun. I thought of using the Beta as a mini Adv but the expense and heavy maintenance schedule of those bikes is not worth it for me. These bikes are cheap come with most adv needs straight out of the box, can carry enough weight to do the Canning and will do the so-called hard 4WD tracks and some single tracks with ease and that is what I need the bike for. So unfortunately no I will not even look at those bikes for this kind of application.
I'm watching this build closely. The whole small bore adv bike is started to appeal to me more and more the older I get.
Good safe fun. The fundamental enjoyment of otorcycling.
Yup.
Love your Channel guys. And Lovin the upgrades on the Red Rooster.
Am considering getting one myself.
Just an FYI....Itchie Boots has just done the Rally Raid suspension upgrade as soon as she entered the states. She appears to be enjoying it...allbeit...shes now had a wee crash and twisted her ankle. Put her out for a few days.
Anyhow keep up the good work regards From Christchurch NZ
Thanks Brendon. Yeah we knew she was getting the RR suspension.
Would love to see how much of a difference an ECU and exhaust makes! And a dyno tune even more so.
Let's see how we go.
Add up suspension, ECU and pipe mods, and you can buy a competition enduro bike already, which will also be lighter by two sacks of potatoes.
@@cheetah694 you're missing the point of this bike. If people want an enduro bike they'd buy one rather than this.
@@andystm The point of this bike is navigating Asian roads at slow pace. People modding this bike are the ones missing the point, not me.
Nice
Looks way better Dave, look like better ground clearance as well. Look forward to see you do along ride on it,
The rocks confirmed the need for the upgrade,
Looks really saveable when you stop on a slope,
Brilliant..
Thanks 👍 We think it's an excellent result.
Phenomenal video guys! Nicely done! What a bike!
Thanks a ton!
I’m with Clubby. The bike needs the 450cc donk. There is no replacement for displacement! The 250 / 300 is a great nimble bike once you sort the suspension, but just lacks the bite to take it closer to the dual sport unicorn🦄 Oh and you can have your electric bike. Where you be charging that shite out in the sticks…
If you're going to go 450 why not stroke it to 500cc for more torque like KTM did with their 500 EXC? Better yet 550 or 600. I'd love to see a truly lightweight adventurized dual sport with passenger pegs. Sadly Dave mentioned previously he doesn't think it will happen.
I think reciprocating engine R & D is now dead. We have the engine that we have.
great vid, need to liaise with Noraly, or do a video vlog with her, her little one has done a lot, these little Honda's are bomb proof and go well, rally raid have done well again with their suspension, well worth the money.
I'm open to anything.
American friend here, and owner of a red rooster preparing ourselves for the TAT, this has been my favorite video on this bike yet! So far, the seat concepts seat has been one of the biggest improvements I could have done to my bike. I just could not ride mine for longer than 2hrs without getting a soar arse! Either I’m a pansy, or you guys have some tough arses!
Your begging for that extra 150cc, and I agree, but I don’t want any more weight! So I will just be happy with what I have for now!
My biggest question for you today is, which crash bars would have served the bike best in this fall? Would it had been the upper portion type crash bars from Outback Motortek, like itchy Boots has, Or would the lower protection type of bars, like the ones manufactured in Thailand worked better in this situation??
The weight it not there, I don't think to warrant crash bars. The cowlings are very cheap to replace, but as can ben seen they are quite tough.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV 👍
it's funny you're calling the 300L rally a "light bike" when the main reason i got rid of my 250L rally was the weight, second reason was the weak power, third was the ridiculously soft suspension.
Light in comparison to 220 kilogram bikes I guess. It makes me laugh my 701 is about the same weight.
Dave, sometimes I think Clubby would sacrifice you in a heartbeat for a special shot. 2 teeth off rear helps on low speed but over revs motor on big road. Mosko Princess bag bag. Sargent has a seat for it, Seat Concepts also. Those are some pretty tough wheels on it too. Hard licks on those rocks. Clubby, lets have some of those new fangled talky films. Hear they are fun to watch. Hey you fellows take care, be safe. From East KY USA ride on.
thanks Sam, good points. Yeah we certainly have fun.
How about a test with the Fantic Caballero, and the APJ 7 rally.
Not interested in the APJ7
Great review and good pics as well.
Glad you enjoyed it
I had the 250L and I used Rox bar risers the 2 inch was as long as you can go without new cables.
Thanks, good to know.
That lack of instant power can actually get you into trouble. Power can often be your friend when things get iffy.
Inclined to agree with that,
You touched on it at around 23 min mark a smaller front cog for some more toque in bush and std for fire trail and back road and blacktop.
Yeah, that's a solution that is also used on my friends KTM500 EXC.
I wish it was in your budget to do the ECU for the stock exhaust, and the aftermarket exhaust. I'm sure most of us would love to see the difference. I personally would like to keep the stock quiet exhaust, but would like a little more low-end power. Curious minds want to know if there's a big enough leap in power to justify the aftermarket exhaust, and sacrifice the lower noise level. Can the extra power be had with just the ECU tune, is what I'm asking?
You and me both!
Manufacturers just fail over and over to realize that buyers will pay a little more for full features on light adv bikes! Cruise control, better suspension, even a quick shifter! Would sell like hotcakes!!
Just good suspension out of the box would suit me.
Not sure that cruise control would be too efficient on a 300cc but I agree about paying more up front for better spec on these bikes
I usually work by the rule - if you're suspension isn't bottoming at least a couple of times during *regular* riding, then you're paying for suspension travel you're not using. There is alot of fear of bottoming, but what it tells you is that you are using more of your suspension most of the time, which is what it's there for. P.S TH-cam CRF300L and Yoshi and hear how amazing they can sound. Look forward to how it sounds with your system.
Yeah good point. And that's why at two bottomings I've left it as they were on the extreme end.
You can put O rings on your forks and see how far they travel. "touching" the bottom without feeling it is the sweet spot ... unless you do some extreme stuff and you'll bottom regardless. I have them on my KTM and my compression damping dialed in spot on.
Thanks for the perspective guys. How hard would it be to stuff the 471cc from the CB500X in that thing? Hopefully the upcoming NX500 is something like that.
It's been done long ago. A lot of modifying to make it work. Look on the adv rider forum for the 500 swap.
Good question!
I really don't understand why Honda hasn't updated the XR650 to fuel injected like the KLR650 has. They are honestly missing a part of the market on the midsized ADV bikes, you either get the 300Rally or just jump to the Africa Twin. The 450 is a great bike with just way to short of service intervals for it to be a great RTW bike.
Correct.
Emissions regulations
After adding a pipe and Thailand version of the ECU it really transformed the bike. I could preload the forks and get the front tire up in 2nd gear without the clutch.
I don't agree with the 10% increase in price for "better suspension" since most Western riders will still need springs no matter what because they are designed for petite Japanese customers.
Most people in the US still need to add springs at a minimum so you'd still be diving into the suspension and spending the same money.
Good points.
Hello Dave, regarding paying more for better suspension, generally we'll still end up with wrong valving and weak springs so I guess the best option is to be offered an even cheaper bike without rear shock and no springs in the forks to get it right ourselves😁
On a serious note; could you go over 'just decent' shocks like YSS and fork upgrades for folks that are moving at travel speeds? I had my WR250R done with springs and Racetech internals for $1000CAD and for me that's all I'll ever need. Cheers!
Sorry no. Suspenion is now locked and loaded on our bike.
The vid at 4:00 demonstrates that even the best setup suspension is no match for a bad line...😁 And when it did make it, the bike just looks easy and unfussed.
Yep. It's great.
GOPRO. If your listening. step up and sponsor these guys. I know you'll do the right thing ✌
Yes please. The was an expensive day.
Hi and thanks for this series of videos about the 300 Rally. I'm really tempted to pull the trigger myself on this bike given its versatilty on and off road and your videos are pushing me in that direction. It's not the first time i hear you mention the Coyote as the best travel bag for this bike, how does it compare to the Mosko Moto Reckless 40 in your opinion?
I don't know. I have been sponsored by Giant Loop for over 10 years as per opening on all my videos. I haven't recommended the Coyote all the time. My preference has been for the Great Basin and Siskyou Panniers
Hey boys ( Dave, Clubby and Nugget.) - love the content .
I only recently found your channel a couple of months ago and LMAO over some of the back video.
Old mate Nugget taking a wiz when reviewing the KTM .
I digress.
Have you seen and will you do the CB300 intake venturi Mod and the CB300 cams.
Over the past few weeks I have seen a lot of guys doing the venturi Mod and the cam mod and even a new 550 performance ECU and a vented side cover with frog skin screen Check Shonky Productions here in Aus.
also Jake the Garden snake in USA do the cam mods along with a few others.
as the CRF300L is basically the CBR300 engine the 300 cams and intake venturi are standard fit . a bit of air box jiggery pokery required but all easy for talented blokes like your selves.
A stark varg once they get their enduro version might be a worthy test ride.
Agree, well be talking about them this Sunday.
Hi, great videos, thanks! I think this bike will replace my xr600…
Did u ride in the night? How LED lights perform? Ciao and great job…
P.S. my personal opinion but money spent on suspensions is the BEST money u can sped on any motorcycle ( if u remember that u also have to do some maintenance)
Led lights are shite on this bike. I almost killed myself on a highway because of it. Lights on or off, you ride like a blind man. Also note that the beam doesn’t shine to where your handlebar points, so making turns at night is super sketchy even at low speed. Never ever will I buy an offroad bike where the lamp is not mounted to the handlebar.
More videos of this bike want to see what power mods are available
Another video is coming in a couple of weeks.
I like how it looks...but listening at yours opinions I think, with my KTM 350 excf from 2012 I already have better option, I don't care about oil changes. Are you agree?
A couple of people we know have adventurised ktm350s and they go well for short day adventures.
Hey, I'm looking to purchase a 300L soon and various reviews specify the suspension as one of the weak points on the bike. I'm not looking to spend too much on upgrades and was wondering if only upgrading the rear shock would be good enough to ensure comfortability? Looking to mainly do off-road riding and I weigh about 80kg, thanks.
You should get static sag on front and rear sorted at the very least with springs. for your weight plus the gear you're going to carry.
Just wondering if the Rally Raid suspension level one would be okay for somebody who is 5'5" inches. New to motorcycling but about ready to retire and plan on traveling, moto camping and fishing and traveling for month after month. Plan on buying the Honda CRF300L Rally soon. I am Canadian. Love your videos.
Level 1 kit would be good.
Kind of funny that the 300 Rally is considered a light ish weight, easy to manage bike, and the 15lb (6.8kg) heavier XR650L is considered a heavy pig of a bike.
Agree
Would like to see the klx 300 review by you guys see how it stacks up against the Honda
I don't think that's going to happen but you never know.
Great review.. so... What will this bike cost to get to where you want it.
I think we've got it close. The Rally Raid suspension was without doubt the transformational modification. In Australia you're looking at around 12,500 AU to get it where you want it maybe a little less. If you are from another country please to the currency calculation for your country.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV well that's not beyond reasonable. And at today's market value not too far from normal. It would be interesting what a hamburger with the lot would cost. Ecu, pipe suspension front and rear, bars risers, rear bags. Is it possible to a structured cost break down.. I see a lot people really relying on all the efforts of this review. I think "cost vs function" will make this CRF the true standard for light weight Adventure bikes Unless Yamaha come up with something this will be the bike that many will move to. It's already too late for me, I'm sworn to my SWM RS500 for life. BUT my wife...well that's another point of interest...
Question- I’m 5’7”
Would it be better to fit level 2 and a lowering link?
Or level 1?
For resale value most would prefer level 2 I’m guessing.
Or is that silly putting a losing link on after jacking up to level 2?
P.s. great review.
I'd go level 1 for resale. Level 2 is the same height as a 701 and that's not for everybody.
Hi guys, just wondering how much each of you weigh. I was contemplating getting a smaller bike at one time. Gone are the days I weighed 185 lbs. I'm 6'2" and weigh 275. I would probably never see the kind of stuff that you are riding in here. I already know what I want, it's just a matter of finding the model I want. Enjoyed the vid. 👍
Nugget doesn't look like the lightest fella in Australia.😂
94 kilograms aound 200 pounds and a bit.
Just do the judder spring removal for better bite, down to 39 t rear and after fitting lighter exhaust strap on an ejk to get longer pull on the highway.
something is lost a little in translation there. I think you mean the new exhaust will improve things and reducing the size of the rear sprocket.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV listening to the video sounds like you want to pop the front up easier, a judder spring delete would solve that for you, and 39 teeth on the rear may make top end better for the long highway but only with better fueling from a ejk kit or ecu to make up for the ratio change, not done it myself but if i was you and all that.. but then again if i was you i wouldn't put an arrow exhaust on , wasting torque, will be interesting to see dyno and fuel economy.
@@dnx789 Good point
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV th-cam.com/video/GMTa0a_Dn8E/w-d-xo.html
Would have been nice to have gotten a better view of that new bash plate.
Stand by for the review.
How do you feel about crash bars? Some people are shying away from the Rally because of all the plastics and then the added weight of bars to protect it. But you seemed to be giving the fairings a pretty hard time without too much consequence.
I don't think yuo need crsh bars on that bike.
Plastic is brittle and very expensive compared to other options out there. Just check the prices at your dealer. You will think twice before taking it offroad after that. It takes skill to ride like in the video. This is not the bike to learn on. Unless you want to make your dealer rich that is.
Great review👏I(95kg & 189cm) am going to buy my first adv. I've been going back and forth on 300 rally, 390adv and kawa x 300 and cannot find a conclusive video. Considering the mods and money spent on the rally, my question is if it would be better to spend that on the 390adv or x300 to build the optimum adv bike? A comparison video or any feedback will be highly appreciated. Thank you
Modding this bike is like putting lipstick on a pig. I recommend starting with a proper dual-sport bike, like a Beta 480. You will need to change the oil more often, but you will be rewarded for that. This engine is reliable, but the whole package is a look-alike, not the real thing. You will be miserable swollowing dust when your friends on their KTM EXCs ride faster with no effort and a grin under their helmets.
Can you compare the Rallye to a Wr250 Yamaha? Is the Yamaha the better bike to start with or are there significant differences that makes comparison a challenge? 👍👍
They're a great bike and you'll find a test of it on this channel, But they aren't produced anymore, so what's the point. I'd encourage you to look at the test.
Hi, love the channel! I have a Rally too, im 5.10 too, but I have dreadful buffering, did you guys have the same experience? Cheers
Not at all. Maybe your helmet.
Thank you for replying.
Where’d you film those rocky parts at around 8mins etc? Looks fun. Great build!
Eastern Australia
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV haha I know that, i meant specifically, I live near Dural.
@@broncoridesagain3176 Sorry mate, not keen on sharing as everyman and his dog will wear out our places.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV fair enough!
As I watched the rocky bits ..I had a bizarre recall that 37 years ago I had ridden that track on an IT200 .
37 years ago ..it felt like yesterday as I watched you guys take it on.
Great entertainment ..but never known a bike that needs so much work to use it like an old IT 200.
Dave I might have missed it, but comparing this crf300 rally vs gs310 for a rtw trip? I realize itchy boots is o n the crf300 rally, but I'm leaning towards bmw 310gs ?
same same for what and how she rides
Oey mate, what tires do you recommend for the kind of riding you’re doing? I always fear wearing my knobbies off on the bitumen or not having the grip in the mud… recommendations would be appreciated.
Firstly, I'm supported by Pirelli. For this ride we fitted dirt oriented knobbies, Pirelli MX Scorpions because it's been so bloody muddy. Usually I would have something like a Pirelli Rally Scorpion.
As Motul (one of your sponsors) makes 6 different weights of fork oil, which one did you use, and did you try different weights? Did you try different weight oils with the stock suspension, a $20 (US) modification.
Didn't waste time with the stock suspension, it's too soft. No we didn't use different weights.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV ; Years ago I worked in a bike shop where the owner was very adamant about the weight of different fork oils and how they effected the suspension. In that Motul is one of your sponsors and a leading maker of fork oil I would have thought that at least you would have given different weights a try and reported of your results, even if it was just subjective feel.
@@johndavidwolf4239 Too much work mate. The bike is great with the oil in it. Yes I used to muck around with viscosity, but why muck around when you are happy.
I'm a bit confused between the RR level 1 & 2. So with the level 1 the suspension is actually less than the stock suspension but the seat height remains the same because there is little sag but when you sit on it you dont loose most of the travel because its a better shock? And the level 2 the seat is and actual 1 inch taller than stock and has more travel than stock? I can't decide on which one LOL. I have no problem throwing my leg over the bike with the stock suspension
You don't sound confused Reg26, your description is spot on.
Is it not better to just start with a 701 or 690?Thanks.
I have a 701 anf there is a test on this channel. But they are no for everyone for a range of reasons.
I wouldn’t trust a 690/701 for remote touring.
It is.
@@nathanf1934 What’s remote touring? The more remote you ride, the farther you will have to walk when you are stuck. And what if you are injured and cannot walk? Remote offroad touring is nonsense.
@@cheetah694 Thats why it's called ADVENTURE riding. I also carry a Garmin in reach mini. Australia is a big open country. Most of the riding is remote.
While on downhill or jump. Why does the front part of the bike goes vertically down even when i try to balance it by puting the body weight back. I seriously need suggestion
Cyrus, I'd suggest going an off road skills training day.
When are you going to do more with the 300l rally? Been over a month and you’ve done nothing but put shocks on…
We have a lot on at the moment. We will return to it soon. There's a lot of new bike announcements.
I keep watching this and still can't catch what bash plate you fitted 🤔
It is a series. A play list on the channel. Watch the videos.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV how does that answer my question?
@@R0ger007 Don't be lazy. There are a series of videos and the answer is there about ten times. You watch a video on suspension. I'm sick of people who imply they watch a video, they don't and just expect and answer. Watch the videos!
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV there's a billion videos on TH-cam, if I was particularly lazy I'd have time to watch them all. A simple question requiring a simple answer, you've obviously had a bad day 😔
@@R0ger007 No I'm having a wonderful day. I find this discourse interesting. You're to lazy to go to my channel and find what you need and I'm not going to hand feed you.
First (only?) video where better riders push the bike a bit. Rider weight? Cheers for a real test finally.
92 Kg.
Glad you have managed to deal with such terrain even on a relatively low 300cc engine, so I am convinced most cases it is NOT the bike that reaches its limit but the rider themselves. BTW, have you heard or invested in 550 ECU flash for this bike, which I have seen several TH-cam video viewing that one. This user ( th-cam.com/video/L4XIzV0CeIs/w-d-xo.html ) even ordered one to be shipped to AU from US and result seems promising.
Good point!
5:40 I can tell you there is nowhere on the TAT that is as tough as that little section you’re doing there. I’ve done the TAT twice and its all pretty tame.
A nice little section isn't it.
Love your work boys but…. why do we have to work the suspension to a Rally model Honda capable of riding off road ?? Hmmm it’s not good enough off the floor if you have to add $4,000 to make it work! Buy a 501 Husky
Yes we know that. The Husky 501 is too tall, too powerful for many and doesn't have long service intervals and a short fuel range. Although I love the 501 the CRF is more adventure orientated out of the box, although I do appreciate you can modify the 501 into a cracking adventure bike with not too much effort.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Long service intervals are overrated. Every night you will sleep at a motel. There is no problem doing a simple oil change. But you will be rewarded the next day. On this bike you are never rewarded. Ride it full throttle until your wrist is sore, it’s just going nowhere.
Love to chat bikes. I’m Australian and the distances between stops are sometimes a long way. I have a KTM 690 and a Husky 501.
The Husky is incomparable in the Snowy Mountains or on two/three day enduro rides. It lacks the legs out on the western plains.
Your concerns about service intervals are unfounded. All the Husky needs is fresh oil and a clean air filter. It will go and go! Seriously the Husky suspension is so much better than the sponge rubbish dished up by Honda it’s no contest.
@@flyingfox7252 It’s hard to explain to people until they try another bike for themselves. They are miles ahead of Honda. Even if you look at their road bikes, any other manufacturer has a better suspension. It’s ridiculous people still buy them, despite of how cheaply they are made. Used to be a “Honda guy” myself, now that I’ve got more experience I understand I was in a trap of my own misconceptions.
@@cheetah694 Sorry mate disagree. on so many levels. Just came back from an 1800 km ride with bigger bikes and the 300 not only kep up but the tracks tightened the crf300 blitzed them.
My 300 rally has a weird front suspension bounce from 37mph to 50mph, I’ve had both wheels checked for balance, and making sure they were trued round. A local Honda shop told me I was basically too heavy for the factory suspension(220lbs) would this suspension sort out my weird uncomfortable bounce in the front end?
I have no idea.
It’s not about suspension. Spoked wheels on this bike are so cheap you cannot really true them, even if you try hard. There is always a deviation that you will feel at certain speeds. Dirt bikes are not comfortable on tarmac, real dirt bikes are even worse, since they’ve all got rim locks, so you cannot even balance those wheels. Also from my experience, Honda dealers are so road focused, they just don’t get spoked wheels. The chance is, they haven’t done anything at all (since they cannot), instead chose to say your are the problem, which is pretty lame.
Great review. I've done the same to my CRF300L along with Rally Raid's bar riser and Renthal bar kit. The one issue I'm having and not sure how to address it is I'm finding the front end isn't as planted as it was before. At higher speeds (80kph+) it wants to wobble. I have the level 2 kit mated with Dunlop D606 tires. Moving my weight forward doesn't help. Setting the rear preload was fairly straightforward. Doing the same for the front suspension not so much and I'm wondering if this is playing a role? You mentioned that you upped the preload and damping for the hard trails you were on. Did you leave it there afterward or return it to previous settings for the trip home?
I don't understand this, you should contact Rally Raid and discuss.
Put an M21 on the front instead of the 606. This is a common problem.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV I just returned from an 8 day adventure ride in Northen Ontario Canada. The bike was so skittish that I was ready to bail after Day 2. One of our tour organizers took the bike for a ride and suggested we move the handlebars back to a more neutral position. (I didn't realize that it wasn't in a neutral position). Absolute game changer. The rest of the ride was an absolute treat. Tires and suspension settings had nothing to do with it. Just moving the bars back an inch completely transformed the bike from a squirrel to a mountain goat. Unbelievable.
@@ricdoedens3431 interesting
On the "450cc thing" . This bike could get more performance by a real weight reduction. The frame and wheels are heavy. Suspension components are heavy ( the rear knuckle is steel!. I have a aluminium one that saves 0.8kg alone). The biggest reason for an exhaust change is to lose weight ( I suspect very little HP/torque gain). A proper aluminium frame would dump some real weight. The actual difference in manufacturing price would not be substantial. The bike is aimed at the "everyman " user. A 450cc with the same sort of camming would be awesome , but for the vast majority of riding this 250 will more than do the job.
I agree. But as Cavin says, the best room to lose weight off the bike is me! :)
Whilst I am not a believer in big heavy ADV bikes I can see why some have interest in these little bikes particularly the older and the less experienced. Yes they can go more hard enduro type places but that’s not what 99% of ADV riders do and the whole point of ADV is you have to get there first. I couldn’t think of anything worse than spending days on an underpowered little buzz box. It would’ve been hell riding that thing valve bouncing for 800km in two days.
You're making a couple of assumptions. It's no where near valve bouncing at 110 kph. Please look back at the review we did on it. th-cam.com/video/lpWrdIekcGg/w-d-xo.html
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV i did actually ride one about 7mths ago....I think there is an enormous difference between being all loaded up and safely overtaking from say 90kmh quickly. Maybe do a video where your all loaded up and overtaking on Bells Line Rd and I'd be particularly keen to see it coming out of Lithgow toward Bell. You know the hill I mean. The BMW G310GS is the same ....I've ridden several of those as loan bikes.
Just put Nitron R3 rear shock with remote preload and Nitron TVT forks on my vfr1200x
Both ends have High/Low compression adjustment, fantastic improvement cost $5K
Fancy one of these 300’s for small trails, what did your suspension upgrade cost? Thanks
@@occymanscenic hill .?
Thank you guys! Really been anxious to see your results in this video. My bike should be delivered any day now, and I'm already sold on the Rally-Raid L2. Will have all winter to mod before spring now.
Question: Would getting rid of the slipper clutch give a bit more feeling of "bark"? I think where I live quieter will be better, so not sure the pipe/ecu route would work.
th-cam.com/video/GMTa0a_Dn8E/w-d-xo.html
This is a very good point. I lacked the 'punch' to lift the front wheel.
Remember any exhaust or ecu mods will kill fuel economy.
I'm not sure exhaust will.
@@H3avyHaul3r adding more fuel uses more fuel.
I wouldn't know , i'm just comparing it to my 250l , opening up the exhaust , losing a bit of back pressure and adding fuel makes the bike pull longer but losing around 20mile range per tank.
How does it compare to the Husky 701 ?
That's a different world in so many ways, but you'd be surprised. Go to our channel and look at movie length adventures at the top of the page and there is a movie there featuring the Honda crf. Worth a look and you quesion will be answered in detail.
Get a 550 stage 1 ecu it changes the bike
Listening
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV mid range power is smoothed not any noticeable difference above 8k. But 4500 to 6500 pulls much better.
Off idle throttle response is much smoother
@@bzrider29 Noted
So apart from the suspension, engine, seat, handlebars and exhaust - it's a great bike - LOL. Seriously though - giving it thought - solo riding 2 things really count in my fervid imagination: weight and the reliability to get out of wherever you got yourself in.
Yep.
If weight is a factor for you that’s not the bike to buy. I was doing an Albanian rally on it. I got the bike in a deep rut left by a spring stream in the mountains, the bank of the rut was as high as the bike. I couldn’t get it out by myself. Only by luck could I find two locals sitting in the mountains, who helped me get it out. So three people were needed to get it out of a deep rut. After that I was so exhausted, I couldn’t even use my clutch for an hour and had to switch gears without it. I must give Honda kudos for a great gearbox, but the rest is nothing to write home about on this bike.
Oy... Where's the rest of the build? Racks and bash plate and pipe?
The link to the full series is at the end of the video.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV sorry that's not what I mean. The test with everything on it full kit. I suppose you guys will do that later in a ride video. Cheers
@@ToriADVMoto Yep
Does anyone think this bike is ok for a 6 ft 190lbs guy or should I look for a bigger bike?
Dave, you're actually going to have to go into a shop and try one on. As evidence by our extensive coverage on this bike there are bar risers and higher bar bends that can help.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Ty, your videos are extremely helpful in this regard.
Love to see a bit more off road footage... No offence Clubby....
Yeah normally we would but I had commitments.
I reckon you guys should seriously reconsider your diet since are way too heavy for that little bike
Agree
What's a snot block?
Ohhh James, if you have to ask ... you don't deserve one!
@@clubby8549 if I join a tragics ride one day, perhaps I can find out then
What he said
"...that's because it popped out...."
A bit more than popped out.
Shoe horn the CB500x engine in the. Be a sweet ride then.
Deal! :)
This should be good…
Hopefully you were right.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Was great to see you thrashing it around properly. Definitely top of my upgrade list when I get my bike. Will be doing the install myself, so that should be interesting. Gotta save pennies somewhere.
I reckon if you lost 2-3 stone you'd not bottom out that bike even doing that mad shit
Thanks Cavin. Actually my target is 1.. 5 stone :). Meanwhile keep eating your carrots son.
Ah great, all the best with your goal...hope it helps with you being able to continue enjoying your adventures👍
Wow it can ride up some rocks, now try overtaking a caravan loaded with luggage. Rip.
What, do you want nuclear power Paul? Pick your gear, pick your place, pick your time and think and it will do it.
Ecu
Yep