2018 HONDA CRF250L RALLY
FULL TEST
P102
ster Energy Race Team riders
compete on in major rallies such
as Dakar. As you can plainly see,
the CRF250L Rally has a lot
more plastic than the standard L
model and is simply a gorgeous
motorcycle that looks like a
$15,000 ADV bike. You will, like
me, often times catch yourself
just standing there staring at it
for way too long, admiring its
shiny plastic, complimentary col-
ors, blacked out rims and frame,
and excellent fit and finish. This
has to be one of the sweetest-
looking sub-$6000 motorcycles
on the road—certainly off the
road.
Unlike the standard CRF250L,
the Rally gets a small CRF450
Rally-inspired windscreen. It's
frame-mounted and incorporated
into the new dual asymmetric
LED headlight bundle. The Rally
comes with a higher-capacity
fuel tank. At 2.7 gallons, it holds
0.6 gallons more fuel than the L.
Also setting the Rally apart
from the L is its large skid plate
to protect its underbelly, and
hand guards to protect your
knuckles.
Full of fuel, at 341.7 pounds
(that's what Honda claims),
the Rally weighs 24.2 pounds
more than the CRF250L. You
can blame this on all that pretty
plastic, new headlight assembly,
windscreen, skid plate, hand
guards and larger fuel tank. To
compensate, suspension is
beefier. Wheel travel has been
bumped up by about an inch at
both ends (1.2 inches up front
and 0.9 inches in the rear),
The Rally's power won't blow you
away but that doesn't mean you
can't have fun on it.
Its 249.6cc, liquid-
cooled, single-
cylinder, four-
stroke engine won't
get you anywhere
quickly. After all,
it's a 249.6cc, liquid-
cooled, single-
cylinder, four-
stroke engine
and can offer
only so much.
GEAR ID'D
GEARSET: FLY RACING PATROL XC
GLOVES: FLY RACING PATROL XC LITE
JACKET: FLY RACING PATROL
HELMET: FLY RACING F2 CARBON FORGE MIPS
BOOTS: SIDI CROSSFIRE 3 SR
GOGGLES: 100%
TOOL PACK: MOTION PRO
