VOLUME 58 ISSUE 23 JUNE 8, 2021 P101
(Left) It's amazing what a few more cc's will do. The CRF300L
has noticeably more power across the board than the outgoing
CRF250L, making the new one even more fun to ride.
WHAT'S NEW?
Honda unveiled the CRF300L and
CRF300L Rally back in early January,
so we've had plenty of time to chew
on the specs while waiting eagerly for
the 300s to arrive. Both bikes share
the same liquid-cooled, single-cyl-
inder four-stroke engine that, com-
pared to the previous 250cc engine,
has 36cc more displacement for a
total of 286cc. This was achieved by
increasing stroke 8mm (to 63.0mm).
The 76.0mm bore, however, was left
unchanged. In addition, the cam-
shaft's lift and timing were revised
to improve power in the lower and
middle rpm range where this bike is
expected to be ridden most.
Honda claims both the L and the
Rally deliver 27 horsepower at 8500
rpm and max torque at 19.6 lb-ft at
6500 rpm.
More power means the need
for more air, so the air cleaner and
exhaust systems have been revised
for improved flow, though the 38mm
throttle body remains the same.
Both bikes feature six-speed trans-
missions with revised gear ratios—
closer spacing in the lower gears and
wider spacing in the higher gears.
The clutch now features slipper
assist to improve shifting action when
tapping down through the gears ag-
gressively. Clutch pull has also been
reduced by 25 percent, which is
Like the Rally, the L is
easy on the eyes. But we
wish it had the blacked-
out frame like the Rally.
