I went home washed the bike had a shower and went to sleep . You went home,changed gearing and went out riding some more ! Well done mate that bike flies .
Hi Sean! Me again. I’m on a ‘21 300Rally. Thanks for continuing to test and share. I’ve got a bucket list ride coming up w/my 30 y o son (he’s on KTM690😳) this summer to very rugged steep Telluride, CO Rockies’ passes , Moab, Utah also west to Pacific coast. I’m running standard sprockets, Tusk Dsport 120/90-18, full Yoshimura, airbox with 550’s mod plus Jake thegardensnake’s big pipe coupling (course uni filter Mat’l oiled w/Bel-Ray) and Hurricane final filter….aka:LOTS of air flow, deleted PAIR, MY21+ ECU, cbr300 v’stack . Watching intently thinking Stage 3 for lower rev tractoring torque on those wicked rock filled Colorado passes and other off road TransAmerica Trail terrain (we’re only doing western most portion of TaT Colorado through Oregon) and if I want top end plus added HP….swap cams and ECU to Stage 4 after returning home. It just seems that by virtue of the higher S4 revs for the extra power we’re inducing the added engine wear that comes with higher rpm’s plus I’d lose that low end torque that 4-cycles have been popular for and known to produce. I’ve always found it easier to ride technical spots at lower torque filled rpm’s. None of this is criticism. Things change, lol, I’m 66 y o. Please feel free to comment. What am I overlooking overthinking missing here? S4 does appeal greatly because of the extra HP and torque except for the high revs. That part seems more akin to the way we all used to need to ride 2 strokes in the woods ‘back in the day’ cranked and on the throttle especially for challenging hill climbs covered with leaves, roots rocks ruts etc etc.
Wow some beautiful trails you have there. All very interesting love the amount of testing you are doing with these mods and all the fine tuning. Doing some interesting trails in Tasmania at the moment and disabled the abs for the steeper more technical trails and I am amazed when this little bike will go fully loaded. Can’t wait for your final thoughts on stage 4.
Thanks for sharing these videos. I like your thought process with the testing. That looked like an awesome ride. Great scenery. Keep up the good work. 👍🇦🇺
Love the testing you're doing so I don't have to! I maybe recognise that rocky ledged hill you turned around on at about 19:30. I got there from the other side, but there was no way I was going up those ledges. If it's the same place, you'd find a locked gate at the bottom. You can get around the gate, but then you'll find yourself literally in some guy's back yard. I got there coz old mate had left his gates open and by the time I realized it I decided to keep going. Then I saw that hill, and had to make my way back past old mates clothesline with my tail between my legs. To make matters worse, the gates were closed on my way back, so my presence had been noted. It's remarkable the things that end up on a map and called a "road".
I am very please with the 550 92 octain and the full air intake mod. I chose to keep the stock cams . I run 14 39 gear and 110 rear tire. This set up gives me great all around . Ist and second gear power wheelies 3rd gear clutch ups. I ride most trails in 4th at 4500 to 5000 rpms
I still have stock tuning on my 250 but have messed a lot with gear tuning. Many says that 13/40 is a good set up I found it a bit to revy for traveling but great on the trails I ended up settling with 14/42 and found that to be the perfect compromise for both low end torque and maintaining high way speeds without excessive revs and the speedo isn't to far off either
Great job on your gearing setup. It is very dependant on your intended use for the bike and it sounds like you have got it setup perfect for your use 👍
Nice one👌🏼 I know you have tested gearing thoroughly but here in muddy uk the general gearing change is 13 front standard rear. Seems the best compromise 😊
Very useful information and comparison with other bikes and different types of mods effects on bike. Thank you for the video! Impressed with performance, is that 140 number in history on GPS? That means at least 150 by speedo. It seems like you discovered formula of unicorn adventure motorcycle. Here in Korea motorcyclists have very limited permission to make performance mods, especially visible one as exhaust modifications, have to find out how to make same modifications with stock modified exhaust.
Thanks for all your great vids & sharing your experience. I’ve installed: -cbr cams -cbr boot -I think 550 hi-flow airbox cover -stainless air filter -exhaust spark arrestor delete -charcoal canister delete -550, 91octane stage 1.5. WHAT STAGE AM I AT? I redline & dump clutch & it won’t come up??? No confidence clearing logs..etc…
You are definitely Stage 1.5 and should be able to lift the front. Perhaps watch a few how to videos or enrol in an off road course. You might need to preload the suspension and move your body weight more.
16:10 Quick tip! Don't reset ignition after tipping the bike. Just reset the cut-off switch with your right thumb... (The Big Red Button) I've dropped my bikes so many times. Good thing i have crashbars...😅
I don't know how you feel about 130 tyre with the 14/40 gearing? I don't know if it could make a good middle ground.. I also like the look of a fatty in the back :D@@ShonkyProductions
Is the talk of "stage 3" and "stage 4" just about your own progression testing the bike or is this some kind of standard nomenclature? Thanks for all the videos
Stage 1, Tune, air filter and exhaust. Stage 2, CBR cams, CBR throttle tube and tune. Stage 3, 301cc big bore kit and tune. Stage 4, Sports cams and tune.
@@trevb2308 Yes, there is a big difference. It's the extra CC's plus the higher compression, improves squish and matching tune that adds up to a good improvement.
I'm testing out the stage 4 development of the bike in various conditions and applications to help people decide which might suit them and their riding style. Fine tuning the gearing setup of each stage takes a little time over several rides to find a good compromise.
Hey mate, I just came across your channel as im in the market for an adv bike. I haven't been on a bike since i was a kid so ill be getting my bike license and am hoping a crf rally can replace my 4wd which is my daily at the moment. Given my use case and riding experience, would you say this bike is a good fit for me? My main concern is on the freeway (i need to drive a while to get to campsites), is it too light to the point where it doesn't feel as safe as a bigger bike? The tracks you rode in this video are pretty much the limit i intend on riding in as im a solo traveller. I'd feel much more confident on these tracks solo on a bike than my 3t 4wd Ps im referring to the bike stock, with the total price of mods and tune. Are there any bikes you can recommend that will do the job at the same price point that might be a better fit? Reliability is a pretty high priority too Thanks for your time
Hi Josh, thanks for checking out the channel. The stock CRF300 Rally can do all you ask, you just need to ride to its limits in regards to suspension. For solo riding, at a sensible pace you will be fine. Once you have added a few mods it will do things easier, but it will always be a light bike and be affected by winds on the freeway more than bigger bikes. I wouldn't feel comfortable riding a bigger bike solo on the tracks I did, but on a CRF300... I would. As for other bikes... Anything like a KLR650, DR650 will do what you want with minimum fuss.
@ShonkyProductions that's okay, if it bothers me that much I'm happy to upgrade the suspension. Every 4wd I've owned I've needed to upgrade the suspension so that's not a deal breaker The klr650 is on my list too but I just worry it'll be too top heavy for me to pick up by my self, apparently they tip over easy too. The big pro is that it will ride better on the freeway if it's heavier Such a shame suzuki discontinued the dr650 as that could've been a good option. I'm wanting to buy new so I'm not too keen on buying an old one. I've been looking into the vstrom 650xt though 🤔 Thanks for your help 🙂
I’m new to off-road riding. I’ve been street riding liter-bikes for a decade. Living in NYC, I have to highway travel a lot. I don’t really find the 300 rally to be under powered on highway. Wind is noticeable. But I never feel unsafe. Im 5’6” w/29” inseam. I’ve lowered mine 1.5”- but I was getting pretty used to the bike before…..just difficult for an off road novice……& I know the (needed) suspension upgrade will make it taller again.
Thanks guys, that's very helpful. One word that you used there is the deciding factor, until of course I get my license and can test ride it to confirm, but that's that it feels safe at those speeds
No, Stage 4 suits my needs nicely. I like the ability to sit comfortably on the highway and have more top end for keeping up with bigger bikes off road. Yes, it gives up some bottom/mid range power but it is still so easy to ride in rough/steep trails.
I went home washed the bike had a shower and went to sleep . You went home,changed gearing and went out riding some more ! Well done mate that bike flies .
Haha... thanks.
Installing my stage 3 in the next week! Thank you for the videos they continue to be very informative.
Just wait till you ride it... you'll love it.
Hi Sean! Me again. I’m on a ‘21 300Rally. Thanks for continuing to test and share. I’ve got a bucket list ride coming up w/my 30 y o son (he’s on KTM690😳) this summer to very rugged steep Telluride, CO Rockies’ passes , Moab, Utah also west to Pacific coast. I’m running standard sprockets, Tusk Dsport 120/90-18, full Yoshimura, airbox with 550’s mod plus Jake thegardensnake’s big pipe coupling (course uni filter Mat’l oiled w/Bel-Ray) and Hurricane final filter….aka:LOTS of air flow, deleted PAIR, MY21+ ECU, cbr300 v’stack . Watching intently thinking Stage 3 for lower rev tractoring torque on those wicked rock filled Colorado passes and other off road TransAmerica Trail terrain (we’re only doing western most portion of TaT Colorado through Oregon) and if I want top end plus added HP….swap cams and ECU to Stage 4 after returning home. It just seems that by virtue of the higher S4 revs for the extra power we’re inducing the added engine wear that comes with higher rpm’s plus I’d lose that low end torque that 4-cycles have been popular for and known to produce. I’ve always found it easier to ride technical spots at lower torque filled rpm’s. None of this is criticism. Things change, lol, I’m 66 y o. Please feel free to comment. What am I overlooking overthinking missing here? S4 does appeal greatly because of the extra HP and torque except for the high revs. That part seems more akin to the way we all used to need to ride 2 strokes in the woods ‘back in the day’ cranked and on the throttle especially for challenging hill climbs covered with leaves, roots rocks ruts etc etc.
Geez man. Thanks for all the really useful info and opinions. Saves a heap of experimenting!
My pleasure mate. That's why I share all the steps I've taken, so others can save time and money.
Wow some beautiful trails you have there. All very interesting love the amount of testing you are doing with these mods and all the fine tuning. Doing some interesting trails in Tasmania at the moment and disabled the abs for the steeper more technical trails and I am amazed when this little bike will go fully loaded. Can’t wait for your final thoughts on stage 4.
Thanks Tony, Enjoy Tasmania, I haven't been there on the bike... Yet.
Thanks for sharing these videos. I like your thought process with the testing. That looked like an awesome ride. Great scenery. Keep up the good work. 👍🇦🇺
Thanks mate, still a little fine tuning to do I think...
Really enjoying these videos about the Stage 4 . Very interesting!
I still need to do a little fine tuning and a rethink about the realistic use of the Rally as an adventure bike for owners.
Love the testing you're doing so I don't have to!
I maybe recognise that rocky ledged hill you turned around on at about 19:30. I got there from the other side, but there was no way I was going up those ledges. If it's the same place, you'd find a locked gate at the bottom. You can get around the gate, but then you'll find yourself literally in some guy's back yard. I got there coz old mate had left his gates open and by the time I realized it I decided to keep going. Then I saw that hill, and had to make my way back past old mates clothesline with my tail between my legs. To make matters worse, the gates were closed on my way back, so my presence had been noted.
It's remarkable the things that end up on a map and called a "road".
Yep, that sounds like the same place.
I am very please with the 550 92 octain and the full air intake mod. I chose to keep the stock cams . I run 14 39 gear and 110 rear tire. This set up gives me great all around . Ist and second gear power wheelies 3rd gear clutch ups. I ride most trails in 4th at 4500 to 5000 rpms
That's a great setup. I was running a very similar setup in my first year on the bike.
Bullshit. There's no way you dropped a tooth in the back and got more torque.
My man thank you so much for these vids
Shonky ,trial and error I think you'll get there in the end mate ,well done so far ye 👋🤠👍
Thanks for your confidence. Luckily I enjoy the research and development phase.
I still have stock tuning on my 250 but have messed a lot with gear tuning.
Many says that 13/40 is a good set up I found it a bit to revy for traveling but great on the trails I ended up settling with 14/42 and found that to be the perfect compromise for both low end torque and maintaining high way speeds without excessive revs and the speedo isn't to far off either
Great job on your gearing setup. It is very dependant on your intended use for the bike and it sounds like you have got it setup perfect for your use 👍
That's almost the exact same setup. One in the front is three in the back.
Nice one👌🏼 I know you have tested gearing thoroughly but here in muddy uk the general gearing change is 13 front standard rear. Seems the best compromise 😊
I need to improve my mud riding techniques... That's would make crawling through mud much easier on the clutch 👍
Very useful information and comparison with other bikes and different types of mods effects on bike. Thank you for the video!
Impressed with performance, is that 140 number in history on GPS? That means at least 150 by speedo. It seems like you discovered formula of unicorn adventure motorcycle. Here in Korea motorcyclists have very limited permission to make performance mods, especially visible one as exhaust modifications, have to find out how to make same modifications with stock modified exhaust.
Thanks for all your great vids & sharing your experience.
I’ve installed:
-cbr cams
-cbr boot
-I think 550 hi-flow airbox cover
-stainless air filter
-exhaust spark arrestor delete
-charcoal canister delete
-550, 91octane stage 1.5.
WHAT STAGE AM I AT?
I redline & dump clutch & it won’t come up???
No confidence clearing logs..etc…
You are definitely Stage 1.5 and should be able to lift the front. Perhaps watch a few how to videos or enrol in an off road course. You might need to preload the suspension and move your body weight more.
Maybe you're too fat.
16:10 Quick tip! Don't reset ignition after tipping the bike. Just reset the cut-off switch with your right thumb... (The Big Red Button)
I've dropped my bikes so many times. Good thing i have crashbars...😅
Thanks, great tip 👍
I don't know how you feel about 130 tyre with the 14/40 gearing? I don't know if it could make a good middle ground.. I also like the look of a fatty in the back :D@@ShonkyProductions
@@samtheman1287 good idea... I might have an old 130 D606 in the used pile behind the shed.
Can you share with viewers how much it has cost $$ to get the bike to this point?
Great question... I cover that in the future.
Is the talk of "stage 3" and "stage 4" just about your own progression testing the bike or is this some kind of standard nomenclature? Thanks for all the videos
That the way 550 performance name their tunes.
10:47 shonky put a power bomb header on like they do the Motorcross Hondas for mid range 👋🤠👍
I am already running the Moto-X header pipe with its "power bomb". It definitely had great mid range with the Stage 3 setup!
What is the top speed of the stage 4 with your new gearing ?
still untested as I need a longer road. I have hit 140kph in 5th gear.
Im a bit lost in all those stages Shonky , can you break down the stages a bit for us dummies?
Stage 1, Tune, air filter and exhaust.
Stage 2, CBR cams, CBR throttle tube and tune.
Stage 3, 301cc big bore kit and tune.
Stage 4, Sports cams and tune.
Is there a big difference between stage 2 and 3? I’m wondering how the big bore with only 12 extra cc could make much difference?
@@trevb2308 Yes, there is a big difference. It's the extra CC's plus the higher compression, improves squish and matching tune that adds up to a good improvement.
if you were still enduro'ing, fine, but stage this and stage that for riding in red mud?
I'm testing out the stage 4 development of the bike in various conditions and applications to help people decide which might suit them and their riding style.
Fine tuning the gearing setup of each stage takes a little time over several rides to find a good compromise.
Hey mate, I just came across your channel as im in the market for an adv bike. I haven't been on a bike since i was a kid so ill be getting my bike license and am hoping a crf rally can replace my 4wd which is my daily at the moment.
Given my use case and riding experience, would you say this bike is a good fit for me? My main concern is on the freeway (i need to drive a while to get to campsites), is it too light to the point where it doesn't feel as safe as a bigger bike?
The tracks you rode in this video are pretty much the limit i intend on riding in as im a solo traveller. I'd feel much more confident on these tracks solo on a bike than my 3t 4wd
Ps im referring to the bike stock, with the total price of mods and tune. Are there any bikes you can recommend that will do the job at the same price point that might be a better fit? Reliability is a pretty high priority too
Thanks for your time
Hi Josh, thanks for checking out the channel. The stock CRF300 Rally can do all you ask, you just need to ride to its limits in regards to suspension. For solo riding, at a sensible pace you will be fine.
Once you have added a few mods it will do things easier, but it will always be a light bike and be affected by winds on the freeway more than bigger bikes.
I wouldn't feel comfortable riding a bigger bike solo on the tracks I did, but on a CRF300... I would.
As for other bikes... Anything like a KLR650, DR650 will do what you want with minimum fuss.
@ShonkyProductions that's okay, if it bothers me that much I'm happy to upgrade the suspension. Every 4wd I've owned I've needed to upgrade the suspension so that's not a deal breaker
The klr650 is on my list too but I just worry it'll be too top heavy for me to pick up by my self, apparently they tip over easy too. The big pro is that it will ride better on the freeway if it's heavier
Such a shame suzuki discontinued the dr650 as that could've been a good option. I'm wanting to buy new so I'm not too keen on buying an old one. I've been looking into the vstrom 650xt though 🤔
Thanks for your help 🙂
I’m new to off-road riding.
I’ve been street riding liter-bikes for a decade.
Living in NYC, I have to highway travel a lot.
I don’t really find the 300 rally to be under powered on highway. Wind is noticeable.
But I never feel unsafe.
Im 5’6” w/29” inseam.
I’ve lowered mine 1.5”- but I was getting pretty used to the bike before…..just difficult for an off road novice……& I know the (needed) suspension upgrade will make it taller again.
@@BobSmith-vs5jp you can get the suspension setup for more serious off road work and shortened at the same time.
Thanks guys, that's very helpful. One word that you used there is the deciding factor, until of course I get my license and can test ride it to confirm, but that's that it feels safe at those speeds
Are you going back to stage 3?
No, Stage 4 suits my needs nicely. I like the ability to sit comfortably on the highway and have more top end for keeping up with bigger bikes off road. Yes, it gives up some bottom/mid range power but it is still so easy to ride in rough/steep trails.
I can remember as a fifteen year old, when they had snow on sugarloaf, by the way iam still riding adventure bikes.
Wow, that would have been a cool sight... Pun intended 😂
Great to hear you're still out there 👍
👋🤠👍
Can you maybe use timestamps or edit it more coherently? Don't really have time for a stream of consciousness rambling 25 minute whatever-this-is.