Why Do I Only Own "Beginner" Bikes? The CRF125F, XT250, and CRF300L Rally
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- I took all three of my "beginner" bikes for a spin today, and talked about the pros and cons of them all for both new and more experienced riders.
0:00 Introduction
1:25 Honda CRF125F
11:38 Yamaha XT250
22:09 CRF300L Rally
30:47 Conclusion
I have an XT 250, a Ninja 250 and I just bought the Royal Enfield Classic 350. All " Beginner" bikes. I love them all and have no need for anything bigger.
That Royal Enfield Classic 350 is a gorgeous bike ❤️
@@HighDesertHills I have the Halcyon Green and so far it is as beautiful to ride as it is to look at. I am waiting for this Central Nevada snow and the road salt to be gone before I take it out too much.
I would love to see Honda bump the 300L up to 350cc’s or as close to it as possible. Not so much for the trails but to make it a bit more highway worthy. The KTM 390 is a great example of what a single cylinder can do on the road, that mixed with the 300l’s off road capability would make it amazing.
You and me both!
XT250 owner with at CRF Rally on order--Thanks for the comparison!
Congrats!
Another cool video HDH. One thing these neat "beginner" bikes have in common.........Fun. Any experienced rider/race would jump at the chance to play on the 125. I have both the XT and a CRF300L..plus a few others. (DR 650 for one).
Now, I am back to the beginner stage as I just had full knee replacement a couple days ago. Yup......doing great. No pain meds, no walker or cane. Riding my Honda quad. But am certainly waiting impatiently to hop on the 300L. (My XT250 is living at Mt. Shasta with a friend who has promised to keep the battery charged......by riding it everywhere she can.)
Best of luck for a speedy recovery from your surgery. Glad to hear it’s gone well so far!
Great bike line up and review(s). I'm a shorter novice rider and enjoy simple yet reliable bikes as well. I'm not mechanically inclined either. I'm thinking I'll never be an experienced rider on a larger CC super expensive bike and that's ok. I like you just want reliability and feel your choices have a proven track record.
Put your video on a background as I was working on stuff for videos, watched the entire thing. Great perspective overall.
My daughter rides a TTR125 mainly and I swapped the carb for a VM23 2 stroke carb to give it more kick, she loves it we take it up enduro paths on mountains.
Also in my top 5 tips to be a better rider video shes on there riding my Tenere 700 lmao. I had the 300L and now I have a rally, I have watched a few of your videos, I love how humble you are about riding overall. I did sell a XT225 but Im looking for an XT250 for when my daughter gets her license in a year or so.
Sounds like I need a T7 to keep our garages more similar 😂 Thanks for the great feedback!
@High Desert Hills can I ask how old you are? I don't know of you watch my content at all but did you see the video I did: "benefits of riding dual sport motorcycles offroad particularly for older riders" man I feel like all of us out here on these bikes are a bit older so I dug up a ton of studies to show how good riding is for our brains as well a physical form.
Cool! I’ll definitely check out that video. I’m 49.
Yea, I don't like motorcycles being classified as beginner bikes. That's not ever that accurate of a statement. It's more of what bike fits the best application. Never seem to be a perfect bike, for all riding conditions. All bikes are fun in their own sort of way.
I see plenty of people with Africa Twins or the BMW's. Now selling or trading it off for things lighter. A small CC bike will go all places a high CC bike will go. (Speaking of everyday riding.) Not much fun handling a super heavy bike out in the mud trails, or mountain cracks.
It does seem like a trend these days to go from heavy to light. You’re exactly right - it’s all about the application.
The XT is one of the best options for the new lady riders, I’m in the market for one right now for my lady. So, yeah, that is a thing. However, I am a bit torn between the XT and the TW...
I’ve always wanted to try a TW, but I was swayed by the fuel injection of the XT.
Good video. I'm between the XT250 and CRF300LS (low seat). Would you say the extra power of the Honda is worth the radiator? I'm not so sure. I feel like the XT250 is the perfect dual sport.
Yeah that’s a tough choice. It really depends on what your priorities are. In my opinion, if you’re ok sticking with speeds around 60MPH and under, you really can’t beat the XT. It’s bullet proof, and the low seat height combined with very respectable ground clearance is just awesome. I also think the build quality beats out the Honda. But the Honda is better if you want a bit more speed, and a bit more tech. Little things like a gas gauge and gear indicator are really nice to have. Good luck with your choice.
@@HighDesertHills Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I can't imagine trying to ride any of these 250s over 60MPH anyway, wrong tool for the job. I have a very old Suzuki GS450 and it's already not fun at those speeds. The wind, the lack of power, not the right bike for that situation. The XT250 is made in Japan while the CRF is made in Thailand, I think that matters and may explain any difference in consistency of quality. It does bother me the CRF's engine is from a CBR300R. It's just most likely the XT was a ground up purpose-built dualsport. I don't like tech, my Suzuki is an '82 (still running, never did any work on it). All I want is fuel injection and low seat height. I'd take a kickstart if I could get it. Kickstart worked fine for me when I was a kid. I lean heavy towards Yamaha and Suzuki because Suzuki makes 100% of their bikes in Japan, Yamaha maybe 85%. Honda and Kawasaki far less than those two. Great to get advice from someone that owns both! Can only do so much comparing on paper. Thanks again!!
The Rally can also be good for someone like me who is nearing the end of their riding career, coffin bike maybe:]
Coffin bike… I like it 😂
No more tail rack on the rally?
Just temporarily. A company is sending me a different one to demo, so I took mine off for now.
Where did you buy your skid plate for your Honda rally?
It’s a flatland racing skid plate. I got it at crfsonly.com, but it’s also available directly from flatlandracing.com
@@HighDesertHills thanks I got it
Did you make an installation video regarding the plate or product review?
It’s a great skid plate. I think you’ll be very happy with it.
@@rafalgorski8151 I did. In this video I'm installing a new chain guide as well as the skid plate. The skid plate portion starts around 10:45 th-cam.com/video/I9RXYBiI00U/w-d-xo.html
because you dont use a scalpel to make a fine pbj. a butter knife works best.
Great analogy!
Check out the Kove 450 Rally when you get a chance.
That looks promising. Certainly checks a lot of boxes. The "low seat height" version is still a little intimidating to me at 36" inches though.
I tried to enjoy your content on this one, but your camera was pointed almost straight to the ground. Don't know if this was intentional. I skipped ahead a few times, hoping you had adjusted it, but gave up, seeing only about 5% of the video.
Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, I debated even posting it for this very reason. I’ll be sure to adjust the camera angle better on future vids.
@@HighDesertHills Well, don't let my comment discourage you from your videos. I watch all that you produce, and at 67 years old, I can identify with your choices. I sold my brand new Adventure Sports Africa Twin DCT with only a handful of kilometres on it because my old legs could not reach the ground with any security. I bought it because my mind still thought I was younger. Sold my XR650L because even with a lowering link I felt unstable. Now I have 2100 kilometres on my CRF300L with D606 front and MT21 rear, and I can't wait to get out there whenever possible.
Damn, I meant D606 rear and MT21 front.
No, I genuinely appreciate constructive feedback. I’m obviously not a pro videographer, so it’s good to hear what works and what doesn’t.
Haha, the other way around would be something different 😂