Hi there, I have one and I ride in BC. I have changed the rear shock spring only for a stiffer one and it works well. Also changed the counter sprocket for a 13 tooth and now the bike revs higher and is faster, about 10 km/hr faster. I also changed the handlebars for higher aluminum ones and added an aluminum skid plate. It's awesome! Albert
Hi, I was wondering how the shock would behave with just a spring swap. I was concerned it would be even more bouncy with not enough damping to counter the stiffer spring. How is yours in that regard? Sounds good though. I decided to wait till the spring and bring it to a suspension specialist locally to investigate similar. Did you add a SpeedoDRD or Speedo Healer to correct your speedometer after the sprocket change?
@@Scoottoots Hi there Scoot Toots, the stiffer spring works better because I'm riding higher on it and it's less bouncy because there is more spring below it to soak-up the energy. When I sat on the bike before, with the stock spring, it used to sag quite a lot and thus I was riding on the bottom half of the spring, thus the pogo-stick effect. However a proper shock swap would be better but more expensive of course. I didn't want to spend too much money on such a cheap bike which is kind of gutless. The sprocket change maybe not as good as it first appears. I don't have a speedo DRD and thus it's probably indicating more speed than what it is. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I've kept the original sprocket so that I can always go back. What I've noticed is that it pulls a bit better with the 13 tooth and first gear is now like a tractor for muddy uphill trails. I like that it pulls stronger and the shifts are shorter, it's got more dirt-bike feeling but it uses a bit more gas and thus less range. I'm planning to upgrade to a larger IMS tank. Also, a proper set of knobby tires would make a big difference in the dirt. Another point I'd like to share; to avoid adding weight to the bike, the lighter the better. An after market pipe would reduce total weight by about 4 lbs. and aluminum handlebars are lighter as well. It's a small amount of weight reduction which might not be noticeable but it lowers the center of gravity of the bike as it's removed from the upper part of the bike. Lowering the center of gravity will be noticeable in the handling by making the bike more nimble and flickable. Cheers!
@@restagnoalberto7382 Thanks. That's good information regarding the spring. I will talk to the local outfit about that after the winter. I like the stock gearing. I think it is good all round for my use. I used 13/45 on my crf250l and had a full Yoshi system, with EJK fuel controller. Downsides of the pipe and the controller are way less fuel economy. More power of course, but this one has enough power for the bike it is designed to be. I won't be getting an exhaust for this one. Apart from the fuel economy of upping the power, the noise of the aftermarket exhaust grated on me, especially since I had the spark arrestor installed, and on the Yoshi, that means you can't use the decibel reducer insert. With the arrestor installed the exhaust is much more open and louder. :-)
@@Scoottoots true, it's got that dual progressive carb on it, dual exhaust coming out into one, I had one in 84, 87 and in 2016 I found this baby, had 426 miles on it, stored for over 28 yrs in a controlled environment, it was missing the mirrors and the back turn signals, the rubber was gone, Honda still sold the mirrors and I found a reproduction of the rear turn signals, 2 small dings in the tank, runs like new, all red, people trip when they see it, I get guys passing me on the road on hogs and slow down real quick to get a look and do a thumbs up at me, takes me back to simpler time Scoots, I just got ride of my 2014 CRF250L, it was nice, but nothing like this nimble easy riding vintage bike, it is so lite compared to that newer bike and if you ask me, it out performs it's current newer version of this old bike, when both those carb open up, damn thing takes off like a 2 stoke. Have a good one and be safe.
@@warisbs That's so cool. Those old carb'd bikes were simple and they ran great. Less weight, smooth throttle, and as you say, more power per cc. Good stuff. Enjoy :-)
Had an 86 XR250R. They need to bring bikes like the XL and XR BACK. Would buy one in a heartbeat. I like the older suspension much better than the long travel soft suspension on the 250l and 300l.
Oh how I understand about the knees. I'm in my 70's & have a 2014 KLX250 which suites me fine . Unfortunately I don't get out as much as I'd like but I sure enjoy that bike when I do. Certainly enjoyed your video. KLX250
Thanks Bill. Yup, the knees are such an integral part of off road riding. I agree, these small dual sports are just the ticket to happy times.. Smaller motorcycles in general, to me anyway, are more fun.
I don't think this shock is good enough to fool with. The spring rate is not right and the damping is ineffective, so no amount of preload whether by the adjuster (which is maxed out) or by washers, will solve those issues well enough to be worth the trouble of modding it. But thanks for the suggestion :-)
Yeah it's got to happen. I wish they used the shock they used on the 250L. It wasn't great but it was less bouncy than this one and it had enough preload adjustment to correct the sag. I could live with that. I can't live with this. What a great bike though :-)
Oh man, you gotta be kidding! The wr250f is twice the price, not road legal, and has ridiculously short maintenance intervals. It's not a dual sport and can't be compared to the CRF300L. I paid about the same price as you would for a good quality bicycle.
@@florinadrian7957 Ah, yeah, the wr250r is a great bike. They don't make them anymore however. Regarding the difference though, they have maybe bit more hp but less torque in the low to mid range than the 300L, which is where you want it. The seat is a lot higher and less comfortable on the WR. The suspension was much better than the 300L, but again, when they did make them they were a lot more expensive. The 300L with a suspension upgrade (in the works) would be a better all round bike for less money, in my opinion. The KLX300 is another good true dual sport, priced well with better suspension than the 300L. Some shortcomings balance the difference.
Do not understand why people do not trade there stock tires for better ones before they pick up the bike, my dealer traded me even when I got my KTM 390 Adventure for Dunlop TrailMax Missions, and will also be putting on Dunlop D606 on the rear and Pirelli M 21 on the front of my CRF 300 L before I pick it up Like your videos a lot thank you. .
Great ride 👍 I guess you are going to keep it for some time so get a shock and at least a new front tire, it will be money well spent 👌 Runs hot...hmmm EJK and a slipon will cool it down 😜
Yes on the shock for sure when I can afford it. I don't think I'll be putting a tuner on it though. It's designed this way and runs good. The heat is something I notice but not really bothered by. Thanks. Great bike :-)
all the crap I here about tires gets old they work fine for me I air down to 13-14 psi when they wear out i'll replace them with some thing else. I went up and down hixon trail rated most difficult made it no problem and I'm old 58 and havent been on a bike in 30 years. i dont know what people expect this is a trail bike . If you want a dirt bike with lights go get a $13000 ktm
I know these tires well. Maybe better than you. I put 14,000 kms on the rear IRC and 22,000 kms on the front (same tires as these) on my 250L. So I'm not that guy who expects high level equipment and performance from a budget dual sport. If you watched the video you should should that. This is the very first time I am 'tempted' to switch out the tires before I wear them out. The reason I am tempted is because of the good design decisions Honda made with this bike would be more on tap to enjoy with a better front tire. You're a young guy. When you get to be my age you learn not defer things. Simple as that. You do you. I'll do me.
I've already adjusted the preload to the max but the adjustment range on this shock is less than an inch. It reduces the race sag by only 10mm, leaving the race sag at 140 mm which is way too much. The old 250L shock was better. It had a lot of adjustment, allowing you to get the correct sag, plus it wasn't bouncy.
@@Scoottoots - I'm currently using the Tusk D-Sports on my 250L. The rear is really good but the front washes out pretty badly even on gravel. I'm thinking of also trying the 244 or the K270 next.
@@Casey_Schmidt Check the speed rating of the 244 in the sizes you need, because when I checked a few years back one of the sizes was speed rated at less than the top speed of the 250L.
I may go back to the Kenda K270's. They last and they hook up pretty good on dirt trails. Gotta watch the lean angle on pavement though; lean too far and the side knobs flex. But I'm thinking that's what I'll go to.
I have this bike on order and have seen the issues with the shock. Found this with a little research. www.ktechsuspensionusa.com/p-24753-k-tech-suspension-razor-r-lite-rear-shock.aspx
Thanks, yes, that's an option at a descent price. Thanks. The YSS shock through BikerzBits is the least expensive, and seems to be excellent according to many reviews over the years with the 250. Olins makes one, as does Nitron in the UK, and I think Racetech is working on one. Those are all beyond my price bracket however. The YSS might be the one for me :-)
Thanks for sharing! At 150lbs, the suspension suits me pretty well. Maybe a tiny bit bouncy. Here's a little ride in Northern BC: th-cam.com/video/xK1ZrexPgL4/w-d-xo.html
I watched your video. I enjoyed it. The area and type of routes are so similar to ours down here. I am about 185 lbs and when I ride the bike I feel like I am in a pickup with an overly heavy load in the bed. Like the rear is sinking down far too much and then with the bounciness it just puts it over the edge for me. I guess it wouldn't be such an issue if the shock on the crf250L wasn't so much better than this one, IMO. The 300L is such an improved bike, to put this downgraded shock on it seems counterproductive to their design intent, so that irks me, lol :-)
Hi there, I have one and I ride in BC. I have changed the rear shock spring only for a stiffer one and it works well. Also changed the counter sprocket for a 13 tooth and now the bike revs higher and is faster, about 10 km/hr faster. I also changed the handlebars for higher aluminum ones and added an aluminum skid plate. It's awesome! Albert
Hi, I was wondering how the shock would behave with just a spring swap. I was concerned it would be even more bouncy with not enough damping to counter the stiffer spring. How is yours in that regard? Sounds good though. I decided to wait till the spring and bring it to a suspension specialist locally to investigate similar. Did you add a SpeedoDRD or Speedo Healer to correct your speedometer after the sprocket change?
@@Scoottoots Hi there Scoot Toots, the stiffer spring works better because I'm riding higher on it and it's less bouncy because there is more spring below it to soak-up the energy. When I sat on the bike before, with the stock spring, it used to sag quite a lot and thus I was riding on the bottom half of the spring, thus the pogo-stick effect. However a proper shock swap would be better but more expensive of course. I didn't want to spend too much money on such a cheap bike which is kind of gutless. The sprocket change maybe not as good as it first appears. I don't have a speedo DRD and thus it's probably indicating more speed than what it is. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I've kept the original sprocket so that I can always go back. What I've noticed is that it pulls a bit better with the 13 tooth and first gear is now like a tractor for muddy uphill trails. I like that it pulls stronger and the shifts are shorter, it's got more dirt-bike feeling but it uses a bit more gas and thus less range. I'm planning to upgrade to a larger IMS tank. Also, a proper set of knobby tires would make a big difference in the dirt. Another point I'd like to share; to avoid adding weight to the bike, the lighter the better. An after market pipe would reduce total weight by about 4 lbs. and aluminum handlebars are lighter as well. It's a small amount of weight reduction which might not be noticeable but it lowers the center of gravity of the bike as it's removed from the upper part of the bike. Lowering the center of gravity will be noticeable in the handling by making the bike more nimble and flickable. Cheers!
@@restagnoalberto7382 Thanks. That's good information regarding the spring. I will talk to the local outfit about that after the winter. I like the stock gearing. I think it is good all round for my use. I used 13/45 on my crf250l and had a full Yoshi system, with EJK fuel controller. Downsides of the pipe and the controller are way less fuel economy. More power of course, but this one has enough power for the bike it is designed to be. I won't be getting an exhaust for this one. Apart from the fuel economy of upping the power, the noise of the aftermarket exhaust grated on me, especially since I had the spark arrestor installed, and on the Yoshi, that means you can't use the decibel reducer insert. With the arrestor installed the exhaust is much more open and louder. :-)
Which spring did you go with? Do you have a link? Also was it easy to swap out?
I got an old 1984 XL250R, still a bad ass bike to this very day.
That awesome. They didn't have to jump through as many regulations then as they do now.
@@Scoottoots true, it's got that dual progressive carb on it, dual exhaust coming out into one, I had one in 84, 87 and in 2016 I found this baby, had 426 miles on it, stored for over 28 yrs in a controlled environment, it was missing the mirrors and the back turn signals, the rubber was gone, Honda still sold the mirrors and I found a reproduction of the rear turn signals, 2 small dings in the tank, runs like new, all red, people trip when they see it, I get guys passing me on the road on hogs and slow down real quick to get a look and do a thumbs up at me, takes me back to simpler time Scoots, I just got ride of my 2014 CRF250L, it was nice, but nothing like this nimble easy riding vintage bike, it is so lite compared to that newer bike and if you ask me, it out performs it's current newer version of this old bike, when both those carb open up, damn thing takes off like a 2 stoke.
Have a good one and be safe.
@@Scoottoots and the tank holds twice as much, over 2 gallons
@@warisbs That's so cool. Those old carb'd bikes were simple and they ran great. Less weight, smooth throttle, and as you say, more power per cc. Good stuff. Enjoy :-)
Had an 86 XR250R. They need to bring bikes like the XL and XR BACK. Would buy one in a heartbeat. I like the older suspension much better than the long travel soft suspension on the 250l and 300l.
Happy to see you back enjoying the trails!
Thanks, me too :-)
Hi John.
It's so good to see you back on a "dirt" bike.
Take care of the knees.
Looking forward to your future offerings.
Regards from S Africa
Clive
Ah yes, the knees. We'll see how that goes. Thanks Clive :-)
Thanks…..appreciate your comments on this bike
Cheers. It's a good one :-)
Oh how I understand about the knees. I'm in my 70's & have a 2014 KLX250 which suites me fine . Unfortunately I don't get out as much as I'd like but I sure enjoy that bike when I do.
Certainly enjoyed your video.
KLX250
Thanks Bill. Yup, the knees are such an integral part of off road riding. I agree, these small dual sports are just the ticket to happy times.. Smaller motorcycles in general, to me anyway, are more fun.
I am really enjoying these off road videos. Thank you for sharing them.
Thanks. Lots more to come :-)
Time to do the washer mod for your rear shock to stiffen up the spring
I don't think this shock is good enough to fool with. The spring rate is not right and the damping is ineffective, so no amount of preload whether by the adjuster (which is maxed out) or by washers, will solve those issues well enough to be worth the trouble of modding it. But thanks for the suggestion :-)
Thanks for the update Scoot, agreed on the rear shock replacment.
Yeah it's got to happen. I wish they used the shock they used on the 250L. It wasn't great but it was less bouncy than this one and it had enough preload adjustment to correct the sag. I could live with that. I can't live with this. What a great bike though :-)
yes you can do bather , its called wr250f more hp , less kg , adjustable shock absorbers , and reliability is the same !
Oh man, you gotta be kidding! The wr250f is twice the price, not road legal, and has ridiculously short maintenance intervals. It's not a dual sport and can't be compared to the CRF300L. I paid about the same price as you would for a good quality bicycle.
@@Scoottoots sorry i meant wr250r , i have a friend and after 40 000 km the valves where stil in parameter
@@florinadrian7957 Ah, yeah, the wr250r is a great bike. They don't make them anymore however. Regarding the difference though, they have maybe bit more hp but less torque in the low to mid range than the 300L, which is where you want it. The seat is a lot higher and less comfortable on the WR. The suspension was much better than the 300L, but again, when they did make them they were a lot more expensive. The 300L with a suspension upgrade (in the works) would be a better all round bike for less money, in my opinion. The KLX300 is another good true dual sport, priced well with better suspension than the 300L. Some shortcomings balance the difference.
@@Scoottoots thank you for the info..
Do not understand why people do not trade there stock tires for better ones before they pick up the bike, my dealer traded me even when I got my KTM 390 Adventure for Dunlop TrailMax Missions, and will also be putting on Dunlop D606 on the rear and Pirelli M 21 on the front of my CRF 300 L before I pick it up Like your videos a lot thank you.
.
That's a great idea. I've not thought of it before. Would have been wise in this case since I know what these tires are like. Thanks :-)
Pretty scenery. West coast?
I'm in the Okanagan Valley B.C. Thanks :-)
just did the yss rear shock. night and day on the handling
That's good to hear. Likely opens up a lot more riding ease and pleasure. Thanks for that feedback!
I wonder if searching eBay for a 250L shock might be an economical solution to the shock issue.
I think there is a fitment difference, but yeah I thought about too. I'll likely go with a YSS shock and do it proper though. What the heck eh :-)
Do you think that Michelin Anakee or the Shinzo 705’s would be a mod that one would consider first on the list?
Not familiar with Anakees. The Shinko 705 would be great for anyone who does mainly paved roads with some hard packed conservative off-road thrown in.
Great ride 👍 I guess you are going to keep it for some time so get a shock and at least a new front tire, it will be money well spent 👌
Runs hot...hmmm EJK and a slipon will cool it down 😜
Yes on the shock for sure when I can afford it. I don't think I'll be putting a tuner on it though. It's designed this way and runs good. The heat is something I notice but not really bothered by. Thanks. Great bike :-)
Thanks for the video
Cheers Mike :-)
nice video , very good quality !
Thanks florin :-)
Great video as always. A set of Dunlop 606 tires will help that bike. :)
Thanks. I used the D606 years ago on the rear. Quite good for soft, loose, and muddy terrain.
all the crap I here about tires gets old they work fine for me I air down to 13-14 psi when they wear out i'll replace them with some thing else. I went up and down hixon trail rated most difficult made it no problem and I'm old 58 and havent been on a bike in 30 years. i dont know what people expect this is a trail bike . If you want a dirt bike with lights go get a $13000 ktm
I know these tires well. Maybe better than you. I put 14,000 kms on the rear IRC and 22,000 kms on the front (same tires as these) on my 250L. So I'm not that guy who expects high level equipment and performance from a budget dual sport. If you watched the video you should should that. This is the very first time I am 'tempted' to switch out the tires before I wear them out. The reason I am tempted is because of the good design decisions Honda made with this bike would be more on tap to enjoy with a better front tire. You're a young guy. When you get to be my age you learn not defer things. Simple as that. You do you. I'll do me.
You know you can spin that ring on that shock with a flat head screw driver and hammer. That will stiffen that shock to your liking!!
I've already adjusted the preload to the max but the adjustment range on this shock is less than an inch. It reduces the race sag by only 10mm, leaving the race sag at 140 mm which is way too much. The old 250L shock was better. It had a lot of adjustment, allowing you to get the correct sag, plus it wasn't bouncy.
Oh ok
Thanks. Just beautiful
Thank you. I love where I live :-)
I sold my GS to get a crf250 lighter and more fun cause of the weight loss from the swap. It’s a high value bike for sure At a third the price.
A third the price always feels good. Enjoy :-)
Do you know which tires you'll go with for your next set? Or are you still deciding?
I think I'll go with the Kenda K270's. I've had good experience with them before.
@@Scoottoots - I'm currently using the Tusk D-Sports on my 250L. The rear is really good but the front washes out pretty badly even on gravel. I'm thinking of also trying the 244 or the K270 next.
@@Casey_Schmidt Check the speed rating of the 244 in the sizes you need, because when I checked a few years back one of the sizes was speed rated at less than the top speed of the 250L.
Any thoughts on what you'd replace the tires with?
I may go back to the Kenda K270's. They last and they hook up pretty good on dirt trails. Gotta watch the lean angle on pavement though; lean too far and the side knobs flex. But I'm thinking that's what I'll go to.
Man, the Kenda 270s are great on gravel roads, and don't cost to much !
@@markcollins5026 Exactly, and gravel roads are where most of the front end slip happens with the stock tire. The 270's hold the line much better.
I just replace my irc with bridgestone tw301/tw302 . Not much choice over here. I think they’ re well rounded.
@@ginotremblay739 Good stuff. Likely a big improvement. I haven't tried though.
Awesome bud cheers 👍🏻
Thanks man :-)
I have this bike on order and have seen the issues with the shock. Found this with a little research. www.ktechsuspensionusa.com/p-24753-k-tech-suspension-razor-r-lite-rear-shock.aspx
Thanks, yes, that's an option at a descent price. Thanks. The YSS shock through BikerzBits is the least expensive, and seems to be excellent according to many reviews over the years with the 250. Olins makes one, as does Nitron in the UK, and I think Racetech is working on one. Those are all beyond my price bracket however. The YSS might be the one for me :-)
Sounds like they could have charged another 300 bucks for the bike and really cornered the market
Absolutely true. I'm certainly willing to spend a few hundred to overcome its major shortcoming. They will sell really well regardless though.
Thanks for sharing! At 150lbs, the suspension suits me pretty well. Maybe a tiny bit bouncy. Here's a little ride in Northern BC: th-cam.com/video/xK1ZrexPgL4/w-d-xo.html
I watched your video. I enjoyed it. The area and type of routes are so similar to ours down here. I am about 185 lbs and when I ride the bike I feel like I am in a pickup with an overly heavy load in the bed. Like the rear is sinking down far too much and then with the bounciness it just puts it over the edge for me. I guess it wouldn't be such an issue if the shock on the crf250L wasn't so much better than this one, IMO. The 300L is such an improved bike, to put this downgraded shock on it seems counterproductive to their design intent, so that irks me, lol :-)
Thanks for the video.
Cheers Dan :-)