new CRF250L enduro from Honda

[haven]

Looks like Honda is getting serious in the 250cc dual purpose bike class with this 22 hp liquid cooled CRF250L. This new model will be introduced at the Tokyo Auto Show in a few weeks.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/tokyo-honda-crf250l/19469.html

 

[Bobfab]

Fingers crossed it comes to America!

 

[Flagster]

wish my crf450 had the L option when I bought it...

 

[AFSOC]

I am very excited to see how the CRF250L compares to the WR250R. By all accounts Yamaha knocked the little WR out of the park. As a Honda partisan since the late 70's, I'd love them to stack up with the Yamaha, head to head. I also wish both companies great success in this market segment. I like to see success bleed into development of the CRF450Lfi or even a CRF650Lfi. I'd also be fun to see a legit three quarter litre Afrika Twin or Tenere on our shores someday but of course will take whatever is served up.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Ditto. I had always ridden red until I bought the WR250r. A great bike with some minor hiccups...too heavy, geared towards the street, crappy tires, quite tall. I hope Honda has been reading the write-ups on the blue bike and responds accordingly. If they do, it'll be a homerun. :sombrero:

 

[Clutch]

KTM is executing that niche better than the Hon-dar, Kawasaki, and the Yammie. Guessing the Honda is going to weigh what the Yamaha does, around 300 lbs. The KTM is under 220 lbs. Lower seat height too..

Why is it that "brand new" Hondas already seem dated?

Question is, if it will see the US shores...

A 24hp detuned version of their 45 horse 350 4T...wonder with little remapping of the FI you can retune it. :ylsmoke:

The keen eye will notice that is the electric Freeride chassis...prolly the best thing they did to that bike, was to put a gasser motor in thar...:snorkel:

KTM 350 Freeride

KTM 350 Freeride, video

Yank off those trials tires, I could easily see me doing my 10 mile round trip work commute on this.
Of course I would be looking for stuff to jump off, along the way...like I do now with my mountain bike commuter...

 

[sandalscout]

There are two major problems with the KTM, maybe three.

1. The price. I can't seem to find pricing on the Freeride right now, but I bet it's more than the $8500 350SX-F. You could buy any of the 250s discussed about and completely outfit it for less money.

2. It's not street legal. (unless I'm missing something completely here)

The third is that the aftermarket for race parts on the KTM is sure to be there, but I doubt that there will be any support for long-distance. Not a goal of everyone, but that bike has a tiny tank on it (I think I read 6 liters somewhere) and that seat is probably not very comfortable. If using it locally, I'm sure it would be fine.

Don't get me wrong, the 350 looks awesome, but KTM themselves seem to be calling the Freeride a cross between a trials machine and a motocrosser. Doesn't sound fun for more than an hour or two to me.

 

[Clutch]

There are two major problems with the KTM, maybe three.

1. The price. I can't seem to find pricing on the Freeride right now, but I bet it's more than the $8500 350SX-F. You could buy any of the 250s discussed about and completely outfit it for less money.

2. It's not street legal. (unless I'm missing something completely here)

The third is that the aftermarket for race parts on the KTM is sure to be there, but I doubt that there will be any support for long-distance. Not a goal of everyone, but that bike has a tiny tank on it (I think I read 6 liters somewhere) and that seat is probably not very comfortable. If using it locally, I'm sure it would be fine.

Don't get me wrong, the 350 looks awesome, but KTM themselves seem to be calling the Freeride a cross between a trials machine and a motocrosser. Doesn't sound fun for more than an hour or two to me.

1.It is going to be an entry-level enduro, it will be priced under the 350 XC, KTM has stated this. Sign of the economic times, there is a 125/200 Duke on the way as well.

2. It will come in a street legal format. Super easy to make street legal with aftermarket anyway. My KTM 505 is street legal, it didn't come that way.

3. Bigger tanks will come, trust me....easy fix.

4. 80 lbs lighter than the other company's offerings...sounds like a Hell of a lot of fun to me....probably have a hard time getting me off of it.

5. Not trying to be sexist, but this will be a great bike for women. Lightweight, mellow power. Going to be a great replacement for my girlfriend's pipey KX100.

6. Yes, the downfall is it probably won't see the USA until 2013. Europe always gets the cool stuff first.

More information here.


.

 

[sandalscout]

Okay, I hate KTMs website. The freeride section has been blank on the USA site since it was announced and I first went to look at it. They don't have pricing that's easy to find. I have no idea what the 350XC pricing is (btw, I HATE the way that they name their models), but KTM-parts has it at $9599. If so, saying that the Freeride is less than $9599 means nothing to me.

The fact that it might/will be available in street trim is cool, but if it's not, it might not be easy for everyone to convert. It's become quite difficult to get a dirt-only bike plated in Tennessee, especially since I know that KTM ships the certificate of origin with a big fat "For Offroad Use Only" stamped on it. At least that's what a buddies bike 2008ish KTM came with a few years ago. Took him MONTHS to get it registered, after several attempts, he found a small town DMV that would register it under slightly sketchy circumstances. On top of that, if you have to get a kit (looks like it has a headlight/taillight, so probably not) from someone like BajaDesigns, you could be talking another $500-600 on top (again, probably not, but still).

The fact that a street legal version is going to be available will definitely make it a more desirable bike, to me anyway, and the weight looks awesome. I am curious to see how it does, and find out more about it, it's plastic subframe, and it's capabilities. Not very likely to replace or supplement my current bike, but still a cool looking ride.

 

[Clutch]

Oh, I am guessing the pricing will be competitive with the other bikes listed above. Around $5500-6000. I have seen the 350 XC-F's go for $8000. Don't read too much into MSRP.

Yeah, KTM names their bikes oddly (must be an Austrian thing) my 505 is actually a 477. Looks aside, the specs of the 350 Freeride blows the others out of the water. And not trying to be a KTM fan boy, wish the other manufactures had a model line similar to KTM, as I really like the Honda dealer we have here, but nothing too exciting has come from Honda in years, including that CRF250L...

I always look on the Euro KTM sites to see what is on the way, they have great Facebook page as well.

Some states make it a complete pain to make a dirt bike street legal. Which is odd to me, a motorcycle is a motorcycle. No matter how high or low it sits, or what kind of tires it has. Husaberg (KTM) sell street legal Super Moto bikes...all they are, dirt bikes with road tires, lights and mirrors. They sell a street legal enduro as well. Just paper work all that it is...the parts are simple bolt ons.

AZ is super simple, hand over the RV title or MSO, a little cash, you get back a street legal title and plate. We don't even do inspections or have to do emissions here.

Trail Tech is much better than Baja Designs by the way...The KTM is fuel injected so no need to get a more powerful stator, it already has lights. LED turn signals are an easy installation. KTM tail lights already have a brake light, just need throw on a hydro-switch/pig tail. Enduro Engineering sells those for cheap. That is if it doesn't come street legal from the factory.

 

[Amontgomery]

From experience with the CRF250L's sibling, the CBR250R, the engine should be very smooth.

Mine is just getting broken in, at about 2000 miles (since August), but I have loved the powertrain so far.

It will also have the advantage of getting CBR250R hard parts, like the high compression pistons in the works (or the option to re-use a stock piston from a CBR1000RR), plus the option to tune the cam timing from the factory. A fuel mapping program should be along shortly as well, which could add a bit more power, albeit at the top of the rpm range.

 

[Bruin]

Sure wish the CRF250L comes to the U.S. and in 2012. I think they stopped making the CRF230L a few years ago (2009?), and with the KLX250 and WR250R being a little too tall for my taste, I am hoping that Honda's new offering is in keeping with the lower saddle height of the CRF230L and Yamaha XT250. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[Cody1771]

1.It is going to be an entry-level enduro, it will be priced under the 350 XC, KTM has stated this. Sign of the economic times, there is a 125/200 Duke on the way as well.

2. It will come in a street legal format. Super easy to make street legal with aftermarket anyway. My KTM 505 is street legal, it didn't come that way.

Talked to the local KTM dealer about this, it WILL NOT have a street legal version in the US or Canada this year, possibly in a later model year though, it does not meat emissions standards in NA yet. nor does it meet the safety standards. we can still hope though.

oh yeah, and you should see it on in your local KTM shop by fall this year

 

[haven]

Motorcycle.com has a page listing the 2012 CRF250L specs (100+ mpg), plus a bunch of Honda publicity photos. No announcement has been made about when (or even if) the CRF250L will come to USA.

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/04/13/manufacturers/honda/2012-honda-crf250l-specs-released/

 

[Clutch]

Talked to the local KTM dealer about this, it WILL NOT have a street legal version in the US or Canada this year, possibly in a later model year though, it does not meat emissions standards in NA yet. nor does it meet the safety standards. we can still hope though.

Still pretty easy to make it street legal...at least in Arizona. All it is, is paper work, AZ doesn't even do inspections anymore, nor do they do emissions for motorcycles in my county. Made my Gas Gas 2-Stroke 300 street legal with ease...actually the dealer did it when I bought it.