HONDA CRF250L (2012 - 2018) Review

Fantastic fun bike! Seat is like a slab of wood but hey, thats fun. Rides great and corners well even on the semi knobbly tyres.

Powerful?? No. Fast?? No. This engine is quiet as a mouse and the clutch and gearbox are super smooth and easy! Wonderful package.

Bike has covered 3700 miles and looks new, but look more closely and all of the fittings are rusty!!! Honda quality was never like this, all of the bolts seem to be mild steel and no stainless to be seen!! Shame.

Just oil changes really, plus some dosh for new screws and stuff to replace the rusty stuff.

Has exactly what it needs, nothing more and nothing less.But look at the price!!!

Only a four on this as the rear shock is just too soft with no adjustability definitely the worst bit about the CRF but I knew that anyway. This is the Achilles heel of the CRF when upping the pace on more challenging green lanes, however a new Hagon shock adjusted to my weight and riding style has sorted that out. Fork action is soft but the damping action is good and a spring upgrade to suit your weight is a cheap and easy fix. Brakes are fine for the style of bike, ebc HH pads have improved their performance just remember to deactivate the abs when going down steep trails, I sometimes forget!

Probably the best feature of the CRF. It's never going to win any traffic light grand Prix but it's so smooth and willing great on both the road and the trail. The positive gearbox and smooth engine can be worked hard on twisty minor back roads which is fun, just avoid motorways.

Excellent given it's a budget bike, very low maintenance. Honda's know how to build tough reliable trail/enduro bikes. Think of it as a softer more road friendly version of the old XR 250.

Very easy to service yourself. Mine is used solely for green laning so tyres, wheel bearings, chain and sprockets and brake pads are replaced regularly. If ridden on the road these would last much longer. Shim valve adjustment and irridum spark plug means long service intervals. Regular air, oil and filter changes are all that's required if you do low mileages like me.

Pretty good for a trail bike with ABS, fuel gauge and hazard warning lights, very modern compared to the DR350 it replaced. Maxxis IT Pro tyres work well on my local green lanes and although noisy on tarmac they grip well considering their aggressive pattern.

Can take easy green lanes in it's stride, and capable of easily holding 60 mph on the open road in between them. I find the suspension good enough for me (ten stone) and the brakes are more than adequate. Would handle a pillion for short distances.

Plenty of torque for a small engine, and very little vibration for a single, even when making progress.

One or two bolt heads have gone rusty, and spokes have tarnished, despite never seeing a salty road. Otherwise, still comes up shiny when all the mud and grime is cleaned off.

Easy enough to work on yourself, although haven't done enough miles to need a valve check yet. Every thing else is straightforward.

2016 model doesn't have ABS, but I haven't missed it. No whizzy electronics or rider aids fitted, or needed, so less to go wrong.

probably the most uncomfortable bike on the market, you will last no more than an hour in the saddle

very unreliable engine. prone to oil / coolant leaks. issues noted with cam chain tensioner as well

had 3 of these bikes, all 3 have developed engine related issues despite regular cleaning and main dealer servicing

prone to punctures so budget for ultra heavy duty tubes & slime

basic lcd display but functional info on it

Jack of all trades master of none. I'd describe the bike as a farm bike with 6 gears. It's great on single track roads. (Round the island of mull for example, it'll do small jumps over the bridges etc) is great on Forrest roads. I put a pair of Michelin trackers on it for a while but it was like putting expensive football boots on your gran.

For green Laning 23bhp feels like plenty. First gear feels really short and second needs the clutch half in for slow/technical off road. A happy little work horse. Just don't expect a n actual supermoto.

Can't go wrong for the money. Had mine just over 2 years and all fixings are rust free. Header pipe is starting to show the odd early signs of rust at the welds. Otherwise great.

Runs on a thimble of fuel. Can have a lot of fun for a tenner. First service at 600 miles done by honda garage for £49 (was discounted as part of the purchase deal).

Get what you pay for. Does what you need it to.

Brakes are sharp but progressive. Only let down by the suspension which lacks rebound damping making the ride a little vague when pushed on the road. Front end dive is alarming on the brake until you learn to trust it. Bought for learning how to ride off road so perfect for that. Comfort good for about 100 miles but then I'm looking for a break and fuel. No experience of a pillion.

Perky, rather than powerful, but just what I need on greenlanes. Likes to be revved and you have to use the gearbox to keep momentum up on the road. Just as well that the gearbox is typical honda slick.

So far so good but only covered around 500 miles in 2 months.

Will be doing only around 3000 miles per year so a set of tyres and an oil change only the expected servicing requirements.

It has a clock. No frills as this isn't what it is designed for.

You always want a bit more bhp

Love the crf red colour

Tyres could be more road focussed as this is where the bike is mainly used don't inspire confidence

good enough for what im doing mainly commute 14 miles per day £6- £10 per week in fuel

Not up to the same level as the CB500x but still to Honda high standard

first dealer service done by Eccose Motorcycles Aberdeen last week £99 great job throttle adjusted chain etc lubed and adjusted

switch gear is similar to CB500x but fuel cap etc could be better

Again I've given the bike a 5 due to the cost of the vehicle. You are not getting showa suspension or brembo top notch brakes. It isn't the fastest, it isn't the most comfortable nor are the tyres the best. But what it is just a fantastic little machine. Pillion passenger is a non starter unless you weigh about six stone each it ain't going to happen.

Another 5 from me as said above remember what you are buying it is a 250 accept that and ride it for that. Then you will not be disappointed its not going to be slow, slow, slow, by any means but it wont break the speed limit either. You will see 70 on the clock and it will gladly cruise 60/65 no problem. The little engine is a gem keep it in the right gear and you will be rewarded with lots of fun.

The bike has been no bother whatsoever faultless runs bob on. Word of warning I put on Oxford heated grips and cracked the throttle body and had to buy a new one at £34.00. Reason being the plastic on the throttle body towards the end where switch gear is very thin. This is due to the plastic being drawn up from this area in production to make a disk sort of. This stops the grip sliding along the throttle body onto switch gear. If your not confident and want them get dealer to do it. But serously easy enough just wish someone had warned me!

The first service was £100 as said above but from now on I will do my own. Its going to be very cheap/reasonable not going to break the bank. The bike is very frugile on fuel I did 80 mile at a cost of £5 when fuel was £1.28 litre. Tyres are wearing well, when I take my bikes out least mileage will be around 80 miles. When I get home always clean and re-wax chain. Doing that makes them last a very long time. I use dry lube for the purpose of not flinging it every where.

For the money rear abs switchable, clock, fuel guage, rev counter and thats about it. I put on barkbuster storm hand guards, oxford heated grips and I have run usb power to the handle bars. I have put on phone holder and the usb feeds power to this, handy for sat nav. Now the tyres well what can be said about the stock tyres all I can say is Mmmmmmmmmmm! They add fun to the ride they are 50/50 road off road supposed to be. Fast road riding is very entertaining and because it adds fun I will be very, very tempted to fit them again. I get little if no feedback when fast riding on tarmac. I have not yet been off road with the bike having to much fun on the road at the moment.

Stick to fields, dirt tracks, back lanes, and A and B roads, and this bike will give you as much fun as any other. It will get to 60mph in about 7 seconds, which when done down a narrow lane on something with the dimensions of a large bicycle, is plenty thrilling enough! Flying up through the gears with that single cylinder sound is endlessly fun. After about 100 miles, my behind usually needs a break. Pillions tend to start complaining after about 25 miles. But this bike isn't really for carrying extra people.

This is really what makes the bike. Up to 5k rpm, it's quite restrained. from 5-6.5k rpm you notice a definite pick up. Then from 6.5k + the sound changes entirely, as well as the pace, and you'll find yourself looking for every opportunity you can to give it some. I swapped a litre sports bike for this, expecting it to keep me from being naughty, but it can still easily tempt a person to do otherwise. The engine became noticeably smoother (it was already very much so to begin with), and seemed more powerful after 1000 miles, so it's worth bearing that in mind if buying from new.

It's early days, but so far perfect. Adjusted the chain once, when new, and had to do it again 1000 miles later. The tires were not the best when new, but after about 500 miles improved considerably. The shock preload was set a little low from new, so I turned that up too. The adjustment was a little tricky to reach in-situ, so I removed the shock (which took all of 15 minutes), and did it like that, then popped it back on. It improved the handling on and off road immediately.

£7 will fill a tank, and even with spirited riding, I'll get 120 miles out of that. The first service cost £100, but doing it yourself would be simple. The engine and bike are very simple to work on, everything is easily accessible.

It doesn't have anything it doesn't need, and is pretty well set up from stock. I tried changing the sprocket gearing from a 14/40 stock set up to a 13/42 set up. It is a common modification to gain extra acceleration. However, I wasn't impressed. Fuel economy went down, the speedo was completely out of whack, and it lost more practicality than it gained. The modification would make more sense if your riding was majority off road. Stock gearing is absolutely fine for a combination of terrains however, and I went back to the original set up.

My only gripe...Stock tyres are passable but not fantastic

It's a Honda 👍

Cheap to run and insure ... first service as part of my purchase ....Servicing every 8k... Parts easily available.

Handguards as part of standard equipment would be a nice touch.

A quality bike.

Enough for what it is.

The 4 is for the brakes not the ride quality. The rear is wooden, the front is good but the lever operates too far out. One day I'll get a spare lever and modify it to bring the actuation point closer to the bars. The clutch is smooth as silk and the gearbox is a joy - unless you decide to stop in a high gear for some reason. It doesn't like to click through gears whilst stationary so get down the box as you come up to a junction (as you should). As above, the seat is a bit thin for long days in the saddle - but I don't think the bike has been designed to be sat on for hours. I look for fuel at about 90 miles so I get a rest at least once a day. The riding position is superb: relaxed, upright and roomy. I haven't carried a pillion - I imagine it would be a bad experience for us both.

For a 250 it's fine - excellent economy. As you would expect you need to rev the bike to make it come alive. Riding in a spirited way is very engaging and requires decent rider concentration - excellent fun. As above, put the 300 engine into this chassis and I'd be straight down the Honda shop. I think going from 23 bhp to 28 bhp with the commensurate torque increase would make this a very fine all rounder. I'd like a smaller (and hence lighter) silencer. The one Honda fit to meet Californian emission rules is lumpen and sticks out too much.

So far so good, I'll let you know about the finish after some winter rides - not in salt though.

First service was £98 - without a valve clearance check. As the service consists of an oil and filter change and a poke round it isn't going back to the shop. I checked the valve clearances at 2000 miles - they were spot on, the next check is now due at 18000 miles. The 8000 mile oil and filter change interval seems a bit long for a revving single so I did one last week at 4050 miles. I'll be doing one every 3500 miles. I was getting 82 mpg on the original trail tyres, at 3000 miles the original rear was worn out so I put a pair of Avon Trailriders on it. I have a smoother ride and now get 85mpg. this is excellent economy as I like to keep the engine buzzing. I expect the rear Trailrider to last at least 7000 miles.

The equipment is what I would expect, i.e. very little. I like having the clock and two trips. The mirrors are excellent. I'd love a centre stand but I know that manufacturers won't make provision for them on a putative trail bike. I'd also like to see heated grips as standard on all new bikes. I've added a 12V socket for the phone/sat nav and a rack and top box to make the bike suit my purpose. I shall put muffs on it for the cold weather.