2018 Honda CRF250L Build - in progress

[Tswhit15]

So I posted an update a few weeks ago about how impressed I was with my new Honda. The purpose of this bike is essentially just to be able to have fun around town, ride to work and back and to take to the local trails. We have 3 spots with miles of single track mostly novice but has some amateur and some expert per rider planet ratings. Also the idea is for this bike to be able to complete both a loop of the back country discovery routes in CO/UT/AZ/NM which will be a 3 week trip this fall. The point was to take a smaller bike that's more maneuverable and build it out. A quasi-local dealership was offering a great deal (for this area) on the bike which I got for 4600$ new + taxes obviously but they dropped the delivery charge. I basically purchased the bike for less than the list price of the next closest two dealerships after paying the taxes on it. So on to the build. I enjoy some comfort, who doesn't? I also needed range, fuel economy, and the ability to charge cellphone/tablet/heated gear. I'm also short 29" inseam and needed to lower the bike as well. Taking all this into account, I didn't want to add a ton of weight so the lbs were important to me. I also opted for the non-rally because I'm particular about some things and it just made more sense since I'd be ripping off mods that came stock with the rally.


the list of mods I suppose
barkbusters obviously
bajaworx windscreen - tinted (works awesome)
cell phone mount
dual USB charger with battery monitor - this is tied into an unused accessory switched power point behind the headlight
USB charger mount - it looks crooked because it is (my bad), it was made from aluminum stock in 30 minutes and saved 22$
enduro mirror kit - easier to adjust and lighter
DRC LED light kit front and rear - much lighter with the tail end removed and much less battery draw
LED headlight by cyclops - pricey but so much lighter, and less draw
seat concepts low seat - ok comfort - easier to touch the ground
renthal 13T front sprocket - much better on single track and more usable 6th gear
acerbis poly skid plate - a whole other post on why I chose plastic but it has held up so far
bar risers
kouba lowering links
PMR tail rack
Happy trails side racks - awesome ebay find - the only side racks that utilize 3 mounts, it had to be slightly modified to fit
Honda CRM kickstand - it's shorter and made for the supermoto conversion
I probably forgot something


Parts on order
IMS 3.5 gallon fuel tank should be here next week

Parts I'm considering
the shift lever was dinged and bent, and the brake lever has been bent and rebent multiple times - I'm mulling over my options now which may include carrying a secondary

Now for a couple pics?

 

[Tex68w]

It's coming along nicely, I like what I see. I too prefer poly skid plates, they slide well and don't hang up like their metal counterparts. I am curious as to why you didn't just modify and use the WR250R that you already have in the garage?

 

[Tswhit15]

It's coming along nicely, I like what I see. I too prefer poly skid plates, they slide well and don't hang up like their metal counterparts. I am curious as to why you didn't just modify and use the WR250R that you already have in the garage?

Well the WR250R is modified as well but that bike is my father's bike.

 

[Tex68w]

Well the WR250R is modified as well but that bike is my father's bike.

That's a nice Japanese LW DS combo right there. I bet you'll find that the WR is the better off-road machine and the CRF wins out when on road.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Late to the game here. I owned a WR and traded with my BIL for the CRF. The WR was good but...my 31” inseam was not tall enough for the bike (even with a lowering link and Seat Concepts saddle) particularly on steep single track. Great motor but you really have to wring it out. The CRF allows me to flat foot it (important at my age ?) and like most Honda’s, it’s a tractor even without changing gears. YMMV

 

[Tswhit15]

Just an update, we finished 2.5 weeks on the New Mexico BDR, Colorado BDR, and Utah BDR. We skipped the southern portion of New Mexico and the Northernmost portion of the Utah sections. All seemed well with the bikes. Was able to make it up all the Colorado passes including Ophir going from west to east. There were some sections of highway and high speed roads 65mph + that put our 250s to the test with the loads but that's what a passing lane is for right? Both bikes had no mechanical issues though were new this year and had about 2k prior to the trip. Several drops without any problems but I did bend my handlebars on Hagerman's Pass thank god for the barkbusters. I'm now considering my options for handlebars since I've got the winter to fix it.

 

[Tswhit15]

 

[(none)]

Awesome! I have 250L as well. I enjoy the little bike. Planning a bit of a trip on it this year, might use some of the same mods. Anything you'd do different with it?

 

[Rbertalotto]

Love that bike.....fuel injection, abs, Honda build, low price.....what more could you ask for....crf450l?

 

[Tswhit15]

Awesome! I have 250L as well. I enjoy the little bike. Planning a bit of a trip on it this year, might use some of the same mods. Anything you'd do different with it?

Sorry for the delay, there's not a whole lot I would do differently. One thing I noticed most was when in the high mountain passes I was really lacking some power even despite changing the front sprocket to a 13T. Now it works great everywhere else but having an even lower first gear would have made me a little more confident in those particular sections (elevation) and I wouldn't miss it on the highway. The bigger tank was a must-have and actually one of the easier installs. Also after looking at handlebars at length, I decided to go with another set of stock (under 30$).