So now that I have a few rides (and about 180 miles) on the CRF250L I think it is time for a review.
Well it’s not as punchy as my former KTM450exc (good by and good riddance to KTM). Nor is it as smooth or as fast as my KLR650 on the road. So what is it?
When I swing my leg over I easily reach the ground almost flat footed. All my rides start on the pavement and strong acceleration off the line feels similar to the KLR except the 250 utilizes higher rpms. Sixty miles per hour down the highway is windy as you might expect but not overly buzzy. The real fun starts as I veer onto a dirt road. This bike is great blasting down unmaintained dirt tracks. The size of the bike instills confidence in someone my ability and height (45 years mostly dirt dual sport riding, 6ft tall, and 33” inseam). It feels very light yet soaks up the bumps in the track quite well. Round a grassy corner a bit too fast only to discover a big water filled depression? On big bikes this is NOT a good time to be leaned over this far! However, just a dab with my foot gets all 300 pounds upright. Whatever it weighs, it sure feels light and flickable. Some gravel roads have perfectly sized rocks to make ball bearings. Under the wheels of any bike they can cause the rear end to wobble just a bit. I can maintain control of the CRF even while traveling down such gravel at 50mph.
The fuel injection gives a moderate punch almost anywhere in the power band. I don’t think my old 1983 XL250r has this kind of punch now or when new. While not a full big bore race bike punch, this new CRF has enough to put a smile on this face. Part way into my ride the trail disappears into high tall grass. On the KTM this is nerve racking because it is hard to slow down enough so I can see what’s hiding in the grass without lugging or overheating. On the KLR tall grass is scary because you don’t want a hidden rut or log to yank the front end sideways into a washout. No such drama on the 250. Its fan came on as I crawled through the grass and then abandoned grass for a parallel highway. Next the route goes off the highway once more for really tight sandy trails. Peg work with a little knee action keeps this baby in the zone with very little effort. The 250 seems to enjoy the challenging terrain. I gotta get this puppy to the Sam Houston multi-use trails as soon as the engine is broken in.
In conclusion the CRF250L dual sport is great for trail riding. The plate allows you to connect trails with pavement runs. Above 50mph a bigger bike is smoother and has better wind protection. On the race course a full out race bike has more punch. However on the dual sport CRF250L just about any kind of terrain is fun from highways, to city streets, to single track trails.