I have owned 30 dirt bikes and my latest is a 24 KTM 300. Just picked up a 24 CRF 250F to have some fun on in the woods. This bike is a riot and it climbed all the switchbacks and was barking at my buddies heels on the way up on his 23 300XC. I hit the scales at 217 pounds and will stiffen up the rear and front. I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid on my 85 XR 80 or 72 SL 70. I practice pivot turns and will try to learn slow wheelies with it. A absolute riot!
People sleep on these bikes, they insist they need the fanciest race bike they can buy but in reality these air cooled Hondas are extremely capable and all around cheaper
Picked up a 2020 250F as my first bike after a 10 year break from riding. Instantly fell in love with it. I've since grown as a rider and have bigger dual sports to ride, but for casual riding or following my daughter in the trails, I find myself throwing a leg over the 250F over anything else. The low seat height, plushy suspension, and reliability put it in a class of its own when it comes to casual, weekend trail rides.
Great to hear. I'm sure plenty of riders would at the idea of owning one but I can bet they haven't ridden one. About 30 guys rode these in Canada during the summer events there and loved it. Quite a few said they'd seriously think about buying one.
The Pig!!! I bought this for my wife and end up riding it on my flat woods trails more than my 350. I'm 6'4" 210lbs and it isn't very fast at my size and the suspension is super squish. But it's just a fun, chill bike. Only thing I did was wrap arounds and need to get some pegs.
I'm the same height and found it a bit cramped when sitting. Standing was almost impossible, it felt like a kid's toy lol. But still a pile of fun to ride!
Bought mine nearly a year ago. BBR stiffer fork springs, wide foot pegs, hand guards and an aluminum skid plate. This bike is an absolute joy to ride. My other bike is a YZ250FX.
I have a 230f and yz250fx but I honestly ride the 230f more than the fx because it’s just a more chill ride. Wish it had more power. How do you feel about the comparison from fx vs f? Obviously a huge difference but when do you feel you want/need the fx?
Got a 2024 250f, I’ve put wider pegs, flagstyle hand guards, flatlands aluminum skid plate, unbreakable levers, tusk shifter, and Yoshi exhaust system. Bike is a blast! just gotta do suspension. Great to learn on. Pretty fun for all skill levels to, and most importantly bulletproof! Just make sure it’s got fresh fuel, and oil, and stay on top of the air and oil filter maintenance. I’m 5’10 175lbs and the bike feels perfect for me. If your looking for a entry level Dirtbike strongly recommend!
I loved it. I rode it with Dallas after not bonding with the RX. I could see buying a used one and buying some upgrades. I'd go lithium battery, tubliss system, maybe get the suspension dialed in for a 180 pounder, maybe new handlebars and exhaust but only if it gave a real drop in weight without much added noise. It was so nice in tight single track. 20 pounds less would be amazing. I don't really want to go too fast, I just want to get there.
Dallas is seriously thinking about scrapping the RX models completely, and just run with the CRFs but properly set up for riders of various heights and weights. Good idea I reckon!
This is what surprised me about the Honda... awesome for learning but still great once you've got quite a few skills. As long as you aren't pushing that suspension too hard (without mods).
Had one for 2 days as a rental. In my opinion it has plenty of power, even though I daily a 620. The low CG makes it corner really good. In the denser parts of the forest, thats where it shines. It's incedibly easy to jump logs with it. The suspension wasn't bad either for my 75 kgs. On steep and longer climbs, especially on loose gravel, it's losing its breath rather fast, but I don't think that's what it was designed for. Overall a very fun bike.
Started riding as a 47 y.o beginner ~3 years ago along with my wife and now 8 y.o. son and 11 y.o. daughter. To get started, everyone else got the correct 2022 “F” model CRF Honda (250F, 110F, 50F) except for me with a 2022 RX (“I’ll just ride it slowly while I learn,” I said). It was during COVID, so bikes were challenging to find (my defense?), but I got rid of the RX after one hour of use and replaced it with another 2022 250F. Three years later and ~100 hours on the hour meter, I have developed some level of basic competence yet don’t feel close to exceeding the bike’s capabilities. I’ve ridden US east coast (VA) single track along with various easier trails in Moab, UT. I rode Fins N Things in April, which for me was a big accomplishment. The 250F is very forgiving and mellow, and has been a big help “tamping down fear” while trying to learn to ride. The mods I have made are a skid plate, ultra heavy duty tubes, hand guards, a bar pad, softer hand grips, and 15mm bar risers.
Sounds like my experience, to a degree. I’d ridden a friend’s CRF250F and decided to buy one. I checked the ads and a local dealership had one in stock on their website. I went there to buy the bike but they told me someone bought it the day before, but they had a CRF250RX. I bought the RX. I kept it for a year and a half. I wasn’t really ready for that kind of performance. I traded it, eventually, for a Beta XTrainer.
I loved looking at the RX in the garage for the few weeks I owned it, but it was too much bike for me to learn on. I thought about trying to dumb it down with a throttle tamer, taller rear sprocket, etc. but decided that it would still be too much. The throttle response felt binary and it seemed easy to stall when trying to go slowly. I had no business being on it then, and probably still don’t now.
I bought one bc of a vid you guys did. Still love it after three hard years of riding. About to go tubliss and swap the forks with some from an xr400 for compression/rebound adjustment
Great to hear, Kyle! Let us know how the XR fork swap goes. It would be interesting if there was a shock from another model that fit too... I couldn't find one googling around.
@@crosstrainingenduro if i cant find some forks or it still sucks ill do a modern fork swap. Did that on my old 1988 yz125 and it felt like a brand new bike with a 2000 yz250 front end on it. The Brazilians are also doing crazy things with these bikes, its just hard to get those parts purchased and shipped to America.
I am from Brazil. I had a 230 for 10 years. It was good for most cases and cheap in our country of expensive vehicles. I currently have an XCF-W 350. There is no comparison!
These look like a perfect little bike for ripping around on the farm. Very similar to the KLX300R. Would love to see you guys do a review on that bike one day.
i bought a new 2006 230F for the missus to learn trail riding on; after her first crash while trying to go up a fairly steep hill and looping it, she gave up; being stuck with a near new bike and not wanting to lose a few grand by selling it, i made a few mods for me to use as a play bike; BRB exhaust, (rejetted carby); good air filter and opened the airbox a bit; BRB heavier springs front and back, 15wt fork oil, made a taller seat from the stocker; a pair of decent 'pegs, taller renthal 'bars with bark busters and fitted the budget version trailtech speedo; i had an absolute ball on it and used it for sweep riding at Enduro races many times; immediate start with the button, low seat (compared to enduro bikes) and easy power delivery made it such a fun bike to ride; i'm 6'2" (187cm) and was around 100kg at the time; on natural terrain mx tracks it was a surprisingly fast bike; as an enduro sweep mount, i had no problems catching the C graders on the 'latest and greatest' enduro weapons and often had to slow myself down and back off; i can only imagine the 250F being a similarly fun bike...even if one is a bit bigger than the average bear; if one is so inclined, pretty sure mid to late 80's, early 90's XR250 Forks and shock will fit if its anything like the 230F...wheel hubs/brakes and axles exact same as '84 XR; shock linkages same as XR only with longer link (lower); i haven't had a close look at the 250F but i wouldn't be surprised if it too has many parts in common with the '90's XR's; Honda know how to make cheap 'modern' versions of older bikes...they still have all the tooling from years gone by.
That was our experience too. But similar riders on the Honda and a proper enduro bike and the little F was usually faster and easier to throw around on tighter tracks. And yet still very capable on more open terrain... as long as you didn't need a lot of suspension lol.
@@crosstrainingenduro yeah, lack of suspension travel is the only real limiting factor on the "F" Hondas; as long as you stay aware of the suspension limits, they're a great little bike that will get you where you need to go a lot faster than most think they are capable of....then again, beginners and novices aren't looking for speed so the 'F' will accommodate them straight out of the box; they kind of remind of the '80/81 Kawasaki KLX250...a bike that was really under-powered (17hp) but good riders were winning Enduro's outright on them all over this earth; as long as the gearbox held together, they were a great bike with a crappy (under-powered) motor, crap brakes but fantastic handling and decent suspension/travel... maybe the crap brakes had a lot to do with blokes winning enduro's on them......
I bought this bike after 2 decades off riding. I wouldn't change it for any other bike. Reliable beyond belief, fantastic on fuel, easy to start, good braking and just an absolute pleasure to ride. I've been everywhere on this bike. If you can't get over it or through it with this bike, your doing it wrong. Btw I'm about 70kg and the suspension is spot on for me.
i never rode one but in my village here in portugal a friend of mine has one , its a good begginer bike . i used to ride a 125 4stroke pit bike with him , he allways won hahaha now i have a 93' ktm 300 exc 2stroke , now he cant even catch me lol , i believe the crf250f is a good bike for people who wanna start riding , then just buy a 2stroke enduro bike tbh , its the best feeling bikes out there ps : the crf250f never broke ahahah its reliable and durable i can tell you that
I love the low and medium performance dirt bikes but it is a shame that the crf250f and l is considered a replacement for the xr250r. Give us those cartidge forks and 6 speeds. The dirt bike market has a hole right now, you either have full fledged race bikes that pump you up instantly or low performance bikes that have good engines but frames and suspension are lacking for intermediate riders. Gone are the xr400 drz400 drz250 xr250 and the industry is worse for it.
Definitely an accurate summation/review of the F. Buddy I ride with has both a 22 CRF250F and a 24 CRF250RX. The F is a great beginners bike. No one with higher skills would choose to ride it as their primary because the suspension is terrible for faster riding and the engine is anemic. But for a beginner, it's perfect. The RX is too stiff for anything other than racing GNCC unless you are over 200lbs. The engine can be twitchy on tight stuff. Unfortunately, there is no middle of the road bike from Honda in the 250 class. The guy that owns both crashes far more on the RX than the F. He most definitely needs lighter springs on the RX as he's pogo hopped into trees a couple of times. Maybe he'll get the point some day to change out his springs.
A real shame the suspension is so harsh on the RX. Yamaha has the same GNCC model with the YZ250X but the suspension is very plush in the initial part of the stroke. Then soaks up big hits easily as well. Honda used to have a middle model, the old CRF250X. A shame they don't make it anymore. Has your friend backed off the compression damping to zero at both ends? I found this makes the RX a bit better...
@@crosstrainingenduro I don't think he's done that. Thank you for the suggestion to see if that makes his ride better. If not, he'll have to get new springs.
I doubt “most riders” found the limits of the 230f once they acquired “basic riding skills.” On intermediate or hard enduro trails, with the 230f against a race bike, the better rider will do better unless the riders are very close. Guys upgrade for various reasons (looks or feel of the bike, wanting to look like a pro, ego, ability to spin tire, acceleration adrenaline), but I don’t think because of its ride limitations. I ride a TTR230. I see weekend riders all the time who have basic skills, but are intimidated by the power and height of a race bike. And they would take intermediate trails much better on a 230f. I love this channel. I have heard you say many times that it is the rider and to work on your abilities rather than obsess in equipment. But you basically said the 230f is not enough bike except for beginners. You fell into the same trap, which is a disservice to your viewers.
I see your point. But if this was actually a review about the CRF230F I would expand way beyond one sentence! On intermediate/hard enduro trails? If the rider isn't too heavy? There aren't too many rocks or bumps to overcome the very soft suspension? Yes a rider will do well compared to an equivalent rider on an enduro bike. But if I'm restricting myself to one sentence about another bike, I'll assume open trails, a slightly obese rider etc. The 230 has even softer less damped suspension, less power, shorter wheelbase which I think keeps it more in the beginner's category.
i have taken my wifes much smaller crf125f (small wheel) on a ride when i was in between bikes (xr400 to KLR650 to DRZ400).. if the 250f is anything like its smaller brother then its going to be great. i was able to do way more than i ever thought possible and still enjoy it. im 5'10" and while i was cramped, i wasnt in SO much pain from it that i couldnt have fun. probably put over 35 miles of trail riding just that day... couldnt have asked for more fun. if i hadnt gotten my DRZ i was def going to try and get a 250f. if i ever sell mine, ill still try for the 250f haha
They are surprisingly capable! The 150 can really be thrown around! I love this video of Megs Braap hammering the 150... 😂 ruclips.net/video/t5MPb7310c8/видео.html
Ive annoyed a lot of people with how well the 250f can perform... it just needs suspension! Even then its still half as much as your favorite 300 smoker. I also have a buddy who is 6'4" and installed the hyperlite "lift kit" on his and now he rides it more than his ktm 300.
I'd be really interested to see how many experienced shorter riders have bought one, done suspension mods, then embarrass everyone on tight twisty tracks. I remember barely keeping up with the CRF150F in the hands of a good rider. And I was on the CRF250RX lol. ruclips.net/video/t5MPb7310c8/видео.html
What I desperately want to see is the air cooled 250f with a 250rx frame, suspension, and wheels. I’ve had a 2023 250F for a couple years and have really enjoyed it. The only downside is aftermarket support, unfortunately. They’re super popular in South America, so if you speak Portuguese… 😂
@@crosstrainingenduro i had a look at that...interesting bike for sure but with the great suspension and 'adult' ergonomics, people will complain it doesn't have enough power; i'd hate to be a manufacturer.....
But should I spend the extra money on a CRF250F or just get a later model XR250R with the adjustable suspension, lock nut valves, and lights, betting that it'll remain equally reliable despite the age?
Only downside is they didn't release it with road reg, should at least be an optional extra package, probably wouldn't be allowed anyhow with the ABS requirement for registration of new bikes, It's a shame though as if it was able to be registered (especially if it had 6 gears) I'd buy one in a heartbeat. my mate has one and its like my 95 XR250R just upgraded in almost every way (apart from 6th gear) the seat height is amazing improvement for me as i'm a short arse, If only they would bring out a CRF400L though, my XR400R is such a great bike, if it could get the crf treatment it would likely be the most popular bike since the drz400
It is a shame as the CRF300L is definitely not for dirt riding lol. The Kawasaki KLX300 is popular as it's road legal in lots of countries and possibly even better for dirt riding than the Honda. Taller seat height though.
I just bought one. I want to convert to a street legal bike. Does anyone know which head light is durable? I don't know the if a cheap headlight is reliable.
I really enjoyed riding one for a week in BC a few weeks ago. It's a great little bike with a surprising amount of grunt, even for a guy my size it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately for me, bikes aren't allowed on public trails in Quebec without a headlight and brake light, so it severely limits where this bike can be ridden... How does it compare to the crf250L?
Bummer about the lights. The L model is almost a completely different bike. Bigger, heavier. Six gears. Very good on the road but can be a handful if you try to ride dirt racks with any speed as you can on the F very easily.
@crosstrainingenduro Thanks for the video. I had settled on the Beta Xtrainer for my first bike, driving around the property and learning your beginner and novice dirt rider skills. This Honda is my other option. $5-6k out the door instead of $9k with the Beta. I am worried I would have regret buying the Honda though after a couple months, not getting the two stroke and more capability of the beta for some of the fun stuff like log hopping and all that once i progress. Plus Beta is pretty! Thoughts anyone?
Beta would definitely give you more scope for improvement. Although you may need to factor in improving the suspension at some point? Similar with the Honda though.
I've owned an xr250 and ridden the crf. The crf feels much lighter and is much easier to ride. Power, throttle response, suspension, handling, etc. were all better on the crf imo, can't think of anything i preferred on the xr. I was never impressed by the xr250, too big and heavy to be a play bike, and wasn't as good as other bikes in the desert or woods for the same reason. If you're going to get a full sized xr you might as well just get a 600, they're all pigs at the end of the day. But that's just my opinion, I know others love their 250s
There are similarities. But as Ron said, the F feels so light due to the low weight. I think the only advantage of the XR was extra suspension travel but only if you had the right springs. They were very soft stock and probably had the same suspension travel once you were sitting on the bike.... so much sag!
@@crosstrainingenduro having had the 230F, many parts were the same as the 84 XR; i know because i've restored a few 84, 85, 86 XR's and i'd lay odds that the 250F is the same; Honda can make cheap(ish) 'modern' versions of old bikes because they still have all the tooling; Hubs, brakes, axles, shock linkage (longer lower connector on 230) and i suspect the triple clamps were basically the same; find some 87, 88, 89 XR cartridge forks, maybe rear shock and you have a modern engine, button start XR; trailtech speedo, wire in a rear light and it is rec rego ready.
Crf250f is cheaper than competition models and bullet proof reliable and super confidence inspiring for beginners with linear power delivery, but when you consider how much most people spend on upgrading their crf250f like exhaust system, suspension, rims and tyres, it ends up nearly costing the same as buying the crf250rx or more... I can get a 2023 crf250rx demo for 10.5k or pay 8k for 2024 crf250f and spend $1200 on exhaust system, $400 on suspension and $1000 on rims and tyres,
Good question. I'm well over six foot and I was fairly cramped sitting, standing was next to impossible. My brother is six foot and found the same thing but then rode one with bar risers and said it was a better... but still not ideal. At a guess I think five foot 10 inches or 178cm might be the upper limit (with risers too?).
the 230F had '84 XR250/350 dna...linkage was the same apart from longer connecting rod; i suspect the 250F would be similar but with later model XR dna; probably 90's XR parts will fit
I think Honda is pushing the CRF250F too hard for the noob/novice riders. Such as strongly suggesting to avoid jumps. I see many do non-racing 40-50 foot table-tops/doubles on the 250F (when landed correctly). This makes me think Honda just doesn't want any complaints and legal problems from kids jumping and getting injured.
Ha. Not a red cent. No connection with Honda at all. Viewers asked me to do more reviews. So I've already reviewed the Kove 450 I rode in Canada. I also rode four different Hondas so those reviews have started too.
I have owned 30 dirt bikes and my latest is a 24 KTM 300. Just picked up a 24 CRF 250F to have some fun on in the woods. This bike is a riot and it climbed all the switchbacks and was barking at my buddies heels on the way up on his 23 300XC. I hit the scales at 217 pounds and will stiffen up the rear and front. I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid on my 85 XR 80 or 72 SL 70. I practice pivot turns and will try to learn slow wheelies with it. A absolute riot!
Definitely way more fun than expected. And so easy to learn slow wheelies on too lol.
Just got one of these over the weekend and couldn’t be happier 👍🏼
Great to hear!
People sleep on these bikes, they insist they need the fanciest race bike they can buy but in reality these air cooled Hondas are extremely capable and all around cheaper
Ive got a old clapped out honda ctx200 and i can get that pig some places just struggles on STEEP hills
I saw this constantly in Canada. Guys struggling with the race oriented CRF250RX and others on the F flying around the single tracks lol.
As someone who regularly rides a DR200, I couldn't agree with you more. Most people get too much bike for what they need.
Gas gas is just better bro
@@darrenx7629 Longevity not a chance
Bought mine for my girlfriend but ended up loving it so much I've been choosing the CRF250F over my other bikes when I go out riding!
Picked up a 2020 250F as my first bike after a 10 year break from riding. Instantly fell in love with it. I've since grown as a rider and have bigger dual sports to ride, but for casual riding or following my daughter in the trails, I find myself throwing a leg over the 250F over anything else. The low seat height, plushy suspension, and reliability put it in a class of its own when it comes to casual, weekend trail rides.
Great to hear. I'm sure plenty of riders would at the idea of owning one but I can bet they haven't ridden one. About 30 guys rode these in Canada during the summer events there and loved it. Quite a few said they'd seriously think about buying one.
The Pig!!! I bought this for my wife and end up riding it on my flat woods trails more than my 350. I'm 6'4" 210lbs and it isn't very fast at my size and the suspension is super squish.
But it's just a fun, chill bike. Only thing I did was wrap arounds and need to get some pegs.
I'm the same height and found it a bit cramped when sitting. Standing was almost impossible, it felt like a kid's toy lol. But still a pile of fun to ride!
Bought mine nearly a year ago. BBR stiffer fork springs, wide foot pegs, hand guards and an aluminum skid plate. This bike is an absolute joy to ride. My other bike is a YZ250FX.
I have a 230f and yz250fx but I honestly ride the 230f more than the fx because it’s just a more chill ride. Wish it had more power. How do you feel about the comparison from fx vs f? Obviously a huge difference but when do you feel you want/need the fx?
Got a 2024 250f, I’ve put wider pegs, flagstyle hand guards, flatlands aluminum skid plate, unbreakable levers, tusk shifter, and Yoshi exhaust system. Bike is a blast! just gotta do suspension. Great to learn on. Pretty fun for all skill levels to, and most importantly bulletproof! Just make sure it’s got fresh fuel, and oil, and stay on top of the air and oil filter maintenance. I’m 5’10 175lbs and the bike feels perfect for me. If your looking for a entry level Dirtbike strongly recommend!
😎👍
I loved it. I rode it with Dallas after not bonding with the RX. I could see buying a used one and buying some upgrades. I'd go lithium battery, tubliss system, maybe get the suspension dialed in for a 180 pounder, maybe new handlebars and exhaust but only if it gave a real drop in weight without much added noise. It was so nice in tight single track. 20 pounds less would be amazing. I don't really want to go too fast, I just want to get there.
Dallas is seriously thinking about scrapping the RX models completely, and just run with the CRFs but properly set up for riders of various heights and weights. Good idea I reckon!
Just rode one of these on a training course. Absolute solid tank of a bike, modulating the clutch all the way through, no problems at all
This is what surprised me about the Honda... awesome for learning but still great once you've got quite a few skills. As long as you aren't pushing that suspension too hard (without mods).
Gret video on one of Honda's wee bikes. Even when I was racing my CR250R back 100yrs ago, I still rode an XR100 and had a blast.
Had one for 2 days as a rental.
In my opinion it has plenty of power, even though I daily a 620. The low CG makes it corner really good. In the denser parts of the forest, thats where it shines. It's incedibly easy to jump logs with it. The suspension wasn't bad either for my 75 kgs. On steep and longer climbs, especially on loose gravel, it's losing its breath rather fast, but I don't think that's what it was designed for.
Overall a very fun bike.
Yep, you can really flick this through tight single track so easily. Too much fun lol.
Meanwhile we all want a 450f we can tune and improve shocks on. Could you imagine an xr400 reborn?
😁👍
Started riding as a 47 y.o beginner ~3 years ago along with my wife and now 8 y.o. son and 11 y.o. daughter. To get started, everyone else got the correct 2022 “F” model CRF Honda (250F, 110F, 50F) except for me with a 2022 RX (“I’ll just ride it slowly while I learn,” I said). It was during COVID, so bikes were challenging to find (my defense?), but I got rid of the RX after one hour of use and replaced it with another 2022 250F. Three years later and ~100 hours on the hour meter, I have developed some level of basic competence yet don’t feel close to exceeding the bike’s capabilities. I’ve ridden US east coast (VA) single track along with various easier trails in Moab, UT. I rode Fins N Things in April, which for me was a big accomplishment. The 250F is very forgiving and mellow, and has been a big help “tamping down fear” while trying to learn to ride. The mods I have made are a skid plate, ultra heavy duty tubes, hand guards, a bar pad, softer hand grips, and 15mm bar risers.
Great to hear!
Sounds like my experience, to a degree. I’d ridden a friend’s CRF250F and decided to buy one. I checked the ads and a local dealership had one in stock on their website. I went there to buy the bike but they told me someone bought it the day before, but they had a CRF250RX. I bought the RX. I kept it for a year and a half. I wasn’t really ready for that kind of performance. I traded it, eventually, for a Beta XTrainer.
I loved looking at the RX in the garage for the few weeks I owned it, but it was too much bike for me to learn on. I thought about trying to dumb it down with a throttle tamer, taller rear sprocket, etc. but decided that it would still be too much. The throttle response felt binary and it seemed easy to stall when trying to go slowly. I had no business being on it then, and probably still don’t now.
Love the sound of the air cool engine
We are having tons of fun with it in Colombia 🎉
I bought one bc of a vid you guys did. Still love it after three hard years of riding. About to go tubliss and swap the forks with some from an xr400 for compression/rebound adjustment
Great to hear, Kyle! Let us know how the XR fork swap goes. It would be interesting if there was a shock from another model that fit too... I couldn't find one googling around.
@@crosstrainingenduro if i cant find some forks or it still sucks ill do a modern fork swap. Did that on my old 1988 yz125 and it felt like a brand new bike with a 2000 yz250 front end on it. The Brazilians are also doing crazy things with these bikes, its just hard to get those parts purchased and shipped to America.
I am from Brazil. I had a 230 for 10 years. It was good for most cases and cheap in our country of expensive vehicles. I currently have an XCF-W 350. There is no comparison!
Basically the old XR250R, with EFI, and rear disc break. The old XR's were also indestructible.
Yeah but without the suspension. If this bike had a suspension and just a little more power, it would be an awesome bike.
These look like a perfect little bike for ripping around on the farm. Very similar to the KLX300R. Would love to see you guys do a review on that bike one day.
I reckon for taller riders the KLX is probably a better option. It's even cheaper than the Honda here in Australia.
i bought a new 2006 230F for the missus to learn trail riding on; after her first crash while trying to go up a fairly steep hill and looping it, she gave up; being stuck with a near new bike and not wanting to lose a few grand by selling it, i made a few mods for me to use as a play bike; BRB exhaust, (rejetted carby); good air filter and opened the airbox a bit; BRB heavier springs front and back, 15wt fork oil, made a taller seat from the stocker; a pair of decent 'pegs, taller renthal 'bars with bark busters and fitted the budget version trailtech speedo; i had an absolute ball on it and used it for sweep riding at Enduro races many times; immediate start with the button, low seat (compared to enduro bikes) and easy power delivery made it such a fun bike to ride; i'm 6'2" (187cm) and was around 100kg at the time; on natural terrain mx tracks it was a surprisingly fast bike; as an enduro sweep mount, i had no problems catching the C graders on the 'latest and greatest' enduro weapons and often had to slow myself down and back off;
i can only imagine the 250F being a similarly fun bike...even if one is a bit bigger than the average bear; if one is so inclined, pretty sure mid to late 80's, early 90's XR250 Forks and shock will fit if its anything like the 230F...wheel hubs/brakes and axles exact same as '84 XR; shock linkages same as XR only with longer link (lower); i haven't had a close look at the 250F but i wouldn't be surprised if it too has many parts in common with the '90's XR's; Honda know how to make cheap 'modern' versions of older bikes...they still have all the tooling from years gone by.
That was our experience too. But similar riders on the Honda and a proper enduro bike and the little F was usually faster and easier to throw around on tighter tracks. And yet still very capable on more open terrain... as long as you didn't need a lot of suspension lol.
@@crosstrainingenduro yeah, lack of suspension travel is the only real limiting factor on the "F" Hondas; as long as you stay aware of the suspension limits, they're a great little bike that will get you where you need to go a lot faster than most think they are capable of....then again, beginners and novices aren't looking for speed so the 'F' will accommodate them straight out of the box;
they kind of remind of the '80/81 Kawasaki KLX250...a bike that was really under-powered (17hp) but good riders were winning Enduro's outright on them all over this earth; as long as the gearbox held together, they were a great bike with a crappy (under-powered) motor, crap brakes but fantastic handling and decent suspension/travel... maybe the crap brakes had a lot to do with blokes winning enduro's on them......
I bought this bike after 2 decades off riding. I wouldn't change it for any other bike. Reliable beyond belief, fantastic on fuel, easy to start, good braking and just an absolute pleasure to ride. I've been everywhere on this bike. If you can't get over it or through it with this bike, your doing it wrong. Btw I'm about 70kg and the suspension is spot on for me.
Right on!
I got 2 Brazilian crf250fs......thats a lot of bikes
I am glad to see this, i picked mine up today. I have a 450R but wanted something requiring less attention.
450L is pretty low maintenance compared to the R
@@jarrod1687BUT, but, but - the R rips!!!!
Yeah I can only Imagine, my L is already too much offroad for me haha
Hell yeah, brother! @@jarrod1687
I had a 230f. I called it the Hondonkey. It'll kick you a bit but you get everywhere the big boys go.
😂 True. We were stunned at some of the monster hill climbs Coxy was doing. Just full throttle all the way and hang on.
I'm wondering how close the Yamaha XT250 is to this in the woods. I like this CRF250F but it's not road legal in western Canada.
i never rode one but in my village here in portugal a friend of mine has one , its a good begginer bike . i used to ride a 125 4stroke pit bike with him , he allways won hahaha now i have a 93' ktm 300 exc 2stroke , now he cant even catch me lol , i believe the crf250f is a good bike for people who wanna start riding , then just buy a 2stroke enduro bike tbh , its the best feeling bikes out there
ps : the crf250f never broke ahahah its reliable and durable i can tell you that
I love the low and medium performance dirt bikes but it is a shame that the crf250f and l is considered a replacement for the xr250r. Give us those cartidge forks and 6 speeds.
The dirt bike market has a hole right now, you either have full fledged race bikes that pump you up instantly or low performance bikes that have good engines but frames and suspension are lacking for intermediate riders.
Gone are the xr400 drz400 drz250 xr250 and the industry is worse for it.
Definitely an accurate summation/review of the F. Buddy I ride with has both a 22 CRF250F and a 24 CRF250RX. The F is a great beginners bike. No one with higher skills would choose to ride it as their primary because the suspension is terrible for faster riding and the engine is anemic. But for a beginner, it's perfect. The RX is too stiff for anything other than racing GNCC unless you are over 200lbs. The engine can be twitchy on tight stuff. Unfortunately, there is no middle of the road bike from Honda in the 250 class. The guy that owns both crashes far more on the RX than the F. He most definitely needs lighter springs on the RX as he's pogo hopped into trees a couple of times. Maybe he'll get the point some day to change out his springs.
A real shame the suspension is so harsh on the RX. Yamaha has the same GNCC model with the YZ250X but the suspension is very plush in the initial part of the stroke. Then soaks up big hits easily as well. Honda used to have a middle model, the old CRF250X. A shame they don't make it anymore. Has your friend backed off the compression damping to zero at both ends? I found this makes the RX a bit better...
@@crosstrainingenduro I don't think he's done that. Thank you for the suggestion to see if that makes his ride better. If not, he'll have to get new springs.
You forgot to mention the fuel usage is amazing. My wife has one while I have an orange 300TPI and her fuel usage is a third or less of mine.
yea its insane how long they'll go on a tank. wifes 125 holds just over a gallon and will easily go all day of riding and beating the snot out of it.
I doubt “most riders” found the limits of the 230f once they acquired “basic riding skills.” On intermediate or hard enduro trails, with the 230f against a race bike, the better rider will do better unless the riders are very close. Guys upgrade for various reasons (looks or feel of the bike, wanting to look like a pro, ego, ability to spin tire, acceleration adrenaline), but I don’t think because of its ride limitations. I ride a TTR230. I see weekend riders all the time who have basic skills, but are intimidated by the power and height of a race bike. And they would take intermediate trails much better on a 230f. I love this channel. I have heard you say many times that it is the rider and to work on your abilities rather than obsess in equipment. But you basically said the 230f is not enough bike except for beginners. You fell into the same trap, which is a disservice to your viewers.
I see your point. But if this was actually a review about the CRF230F I would expand way beyond one sentence! On intermediate/hard enduro trails? If the rider isn't too heavy? There aren't too many rocks or bumps to overcome the very soft suspension? Yes a rider will do well compared to an equivalent rider on an enduro bike. But if I'm restricting myself to one sentence about another bike, I'll assume open trails, a slightly obese rider etc. The 230 has even softer less damped suspension, less power, shorter wheelbase which I think keeps it more in the beginner's category.
i have taken my wifes much smaller crf125f (small wheel) on a ride when i was in between bikes (xr400 to KLR650 to DRZ400).. if the 250f is anything like its smaller brother then its going to be great. i was able to do way more than i ever thought possible and still enjoy it. im 5'10" and while i was cramped, i wasnt in SO much pain from it that i couldnt have fun. probably put over 35 miles of trail riding just that day... couldnt have asked for more fun. if i hadnt gotten my DRZ i was def going to try and get a 250f. if i ever sell mine, ill still try for the 250f haha
They are surprisingly capable! The 150 can really be thrown around! I love this video of Megs Braap hammering the 150... 😂 ruclips.net/video/t5MPb7310c8/видео.html
Wouldn’t mind seeing what I could do on a bike like that
If it had the suspension of the R it would be a no-brainer
Cool, been waiting for this one
Good bike, better price
Then Kawasaki came out with a similar model shortly after I bought mine
Hades and back on this one, ,is it 2 valve? 6 speed? ,,brilliant bit of red
Ive annoyed a lot of people with how well the 250f can perform... it just needs suspension! Even then its still half as much as your favorite 300 smoker. I also have a buddy who is 6'4" and installed the hyperlite "lift kit" on his and now he rides it more than his ktm 300.
I'd be really interested to see how many experienced shorter riders have bought one, done suspension mods, then embarrass everyone on tight twisty tracks. I remember barely keeping up with the CRF150F in the hands of a good rider. And I was on the CRF250RX lol. ruclips.net/video/t5MPb7310c8/видео.html
What I desperately want to see is the air cooled 250f with a 250rx frame, suspension, and wheels.
I’ve had a 2023 250F for a couple years and have really enjoyed it. The only downside is aftermarket support, unfortunately. They’re super popular in South America, so if you speak Portuguese… 😂
The AJP 240 has the XR clone motor with all the modern stuff. They’re supposed to be really nice.
I was thinking the same thing. AJP... ajpmotos.com/collections/enduro/products/spr-240-extreme
@@crosstrainingenduro i had a look at that...interesting bike for sure but with the great suspension and 'adult' ergonomics, people will complain it doesn't have enough power; i'd hate to be a manufacturer.....
So what would be a good suggestion for an intermediate rider?
Impossible to say, there are so many variables. We'd probably need the answers to at least 20 questions to even hazard a guess.
But should I spend the extra money on a CRF250F or just get a later model XR250R with the adjustable suspension, lock nut valves, and lights, betting that it'll remain equally reliable despite the age?
Certain year models weren't that reliable in the XR, I'd suggest doing some research.
I spent $500 upgrading my suspension and it made a big difference in the bike
What sort of mods did you get for the $500?
Suspension shop upgraded front and rear to race tech heavier springs. Also, air bleeders for front forks.
Only downside is they didn't release it with road reg, should at least be an optional extra package, probably wouldn't be allowed anyhow with the ABS requirement for registration of new bikes, It's a shame though as if it was able to be registered (especially if it had 6 gears) I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
my mate has one and its like my 95 XR250R just upgraded in almost every way (apart from 6th gear) the seat height is amazing improvement for me as i'm a short arse, If only they would bring out a CRF400L though, my XR400R is such a great bike, if it could get the crf treatment it would likely be the most popular bike since the drz400
It is a shame as the CRF300L is definitely not for dirt riding lol. The Kawasaki KLX300 is popular as it's road legal in lots of countries and possibly even better for dirt riding than the Honda. Taller seat height though.
I just bought one. I want to convert to a street legal bike. Does anyone know which head light is durable? I don't know the if a cheap headlight is reliable.
I really enjoyed riding one for a week in BC a few weeks ago. It's a great little bike with a surprising amount of grunt, even for a guy my size it was a lot of fun.
Unfortunately for me, bikes aren't allowed on public trails in Quebec without a headlight and brake light, so it severely limits where this bike can be ridden...
How does it compare to the crf250L?
Bummer about the lights. The L model is almost a completely different bike. Bigger, heavier. Six gears. Very good on the road but can be a handful if you try to ride dirt racks with any speed as you can on the F very easily.
@crosstrainingenduro Thanks for the video. I had settled on the Beta Xtrainer for my first bike, driving around the property and learning your beginner and novice dirt rider skills. This Honda is my other option. $5-6k out the door instead of $9k with the Beta. I am worried I would have regret buying the Honda though after a couple months, not getting the two stroke and more capability of the beta for some of the fun stuff like log hopping and all that once i progress. Plus Beta is pretty! Thoughts anyone?
Beta would definitely give you more scope for improvement. Although you may need to factor in improving the suspension at some point? Similar with the Honda though.
Wonder how it would compare to the old xr250
I've owned an xr250 and ridden the crf. The crf feels much lighter and is much easier to ride. Power, throttle response, suspension, handling, etc. were all better on the crf imo, can't think of anything i preferred on the xr.
I was never impressed by the xr250, too big and heavy to be a play bike, and wasn't as good as other bikes in the desert or woods for the same reason.
If you're going to get a full sized xr you might as well just get a 600, they're all pigs at the end of the day. But that's just my opinion, I know others love their 250s
There are similarities. But as Ron said, the F feels so light due to the low weight. I think the only advantage of the XR was extra suspension travel but only if you had the right springs. They were very soft stock and probably had the same suspension travel once you were sitting on the bike.... so much sag!
@@crosstrainingenduro having had the 230F, many parts were the same as the 84 XR; i know because i've restored a few 84, 85, 86 XR's and i'd lay odds that the 250F is the same; Honda can make cheap(ish) 'modern' versions of old bikes because they still have all the tooling; Hubs, brakes, axles, shock linkage (longer lower connector on 230) and i suspect the triple clamps were basically the same; find some 87, 88, 89 XR cartridge forks, maybe rear shock and you have a modern engine, button start XR; trailtech speedo, wire in a rear light and it is rec rego ready.
Cab you review the dr 200 ag bike next?
Not really suitable for an enduro channel unfortunately. Plus I don't know how we'd get access to one.
Crf250f is cheaper than competition models and bullet proof reliable and super confidence inspiring for beginners with linear power delivery, but when you consider how much most people spend on upgrading their crf250f like exhaust system, suspension, rims and tyres, it ends up nearly costing the same as buying the crf250rx or more... I can get a 2023 crf250rx demo for 10.5k or pay 8k for 2024 crf250f and spend $1200 on exhaust system, $400 on suspension and $1000 on rims and tyres,
Personally I wouldn't be spending anything more than $1000 or so. Otherwise you probably have just bought the wrong bike lol.
So, it's an up to date Honda Serow.
Not registerable in OZ. 😞
Only rec reg in the states you can get this if you put a headlight on it.
How tall would be too tall for this bike ?
Good question. I'm well over six foot and I was fairly cramped sitting, standing was next to impossible. My brother is six foot and found the same thing but then rode one with bar risers and said it was a better... but still not ideal. At a guess I think five foot 10 inches or 178cm might be the upper limit (with risers too?).
Have you ridden the Klx300r or Klx300 for comparison to the Crf250f ?
Careful , its full of xr 200 dna , and even a hidden pro link.
😗😁
the 230F had '84 XR250/350 dna...linkage was the same apart from longer connecting rod; i suspect the 250F would be similar but with later model XR dna; probably 90's XR parts will fit
I think Honda is pushing the CRF250F too hard for the noob/novice riders. Such as strongly suggesting to avoid jumps. I see many do non-racing 40-50 foot table-tops/doubles on the 250F (when landed correctly). This makes me think Honda just doesn't want any complaints and legal problems from kids jumping and getting injured.
I haven't seen those promotions. Interesting! You really would want to land it right with the stock suspension. I'd hate to land too early...
Wow, the Honda check must have cleared, 2 adds in 2 days.
Ha. Not a red cent. No connection with Honda at all. Viewers asked me to do more reviews. So I've already reviewed the Kove 450 I rode in Canada. I also rode four different Hondas so those reviews have started too.
@@crosstrainingenduro lol, I was just messing with you.
Its a camp bike at best soooo sloooow.
65/70mph with me , i wouldnt say thats slow its a trail bike not a race bike , and its not that far from the 250rx top speed .