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Honda CRF250L: Top Speed, Specs, and Features Explained

A staple in comfort and reliability, the Honda CRF250L is a popular choice amongst dirt biking fanatics! While its power may not be the wow factor in this category, the convenience and value are what make it everyone’s favorite.

Ever since Honda launched their CRF250L, it has been successful in its sales. Not every bike can give you that feeling of comfort from the first time you take your seat on the saddle.

It’s a great choice to go with because it can do so many things, and do them well. What makes it a great choice? The ultimate capabilities and the features of the bike aim to give you the best of the best riding experience.

Feeling interested? We’d suggest that you keep on reading our CRF250L Top Speed, Specs and Review to find out more.

About Honda CRF250L

In 2012, Honda first released the Honda CRF250L. That was the 2013 version. The bike had a single-cylinder counterbalanced engine with DOHC and fuel injection. Besides, the bike also featured an electric starter.

In 2017, Honda came up with two new versions. One of them was the CRF250LA which had the ABS. The other one was the CRF250L Rally. Both versions had a few changes from the initial model, such as better throttle response, better muffler design, and the exhaust header had a larger diameter.

In 2021, Honda decided to change the Honda CRF250L with the CRF300L and CRF300 Rally. These newer edition bikes went through performance and weight raises. Additionally, Honda also upgraded geometry and fuel capacity.

Honda CRF250L Specs and Features

When you’re getting a bike for yourself, you must know what you’re getting into. Knowing the specs and the features of your bike is essential since it’ll give you a better idea of whether or not the bike is suitable for you. That’s the next section of the CRF250L Top Speed, Specs, and Review is for.

Finely Engineered Engine:

The heart of a bike is the engine, and the Honda CRF250L rocks a 249.6 cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine. Stopping is not what you will want to do with this bike!

This engine is known for its lightweight feature and great fuel economy. Besides, the broad powerband of this engine will surely give a lot of revving.

This engine is de-tuned and benefits more power in the low and mid-range. This bike can drive really quietly, but it’s also a great choice to go with when it comes to training.

The liquid-cooled engine has been tweaked to put out a bit more torque and power at the bottom end, derived from the CBR250R. All this translates to a predictable and progressive delivery.

Super Stopping Power:

The CRF250L offers a great front braking system that is just impressive. You may be going down a twisted path with many cornered entries, which do require a lot of extensive power and control.

In that case, you would be surprised at how well this bike can deliver that necessary power and control to you.

The front brake is a single 256 mm disc with a twin-piston caliper, and the rear brake is a single 220 mm disc.

These work together to give you the best experience riding through cornered roads while driving curvy uphill or downhill roads.

Furthermore, this bike comes with the ABS feature, which gives reliability and safety. That feature is optional; you can have your motorcycle without ABS too. And even if you go with the ABS version, you can always turn it off.

Comfortable Riding Experience:

The 43 mm inverted fork front suspension of the CRF250L does a great deal. However, if going hard is what you live for, you always have the option of going for an upgrade.

The Honda CRF250L does come with a suspension that can provide you with a great riding experience.

It also has a 40 mm diameter shock with the Honda pro link system. Upgrading your suspension kit would definitely allow for a better feel when it comes to cornering, handling, and braking.

Great Aftermarket Support:

It’s always nice to have some equipment and accessories on your vehicle since it makes it look a lot better and makes you feel cooler when riding it.

However, you should remember that the CRF250L is an off-road bike. This means that there’s not a lot of mass available for this.

Moreover, you could easily get some aftermarket accessories for your bike if you really want to.

The Honda CRF250L has some of the best aftermarket accessories, such as crash bars, exhausts, front sprockets, etc. Just choose whichever one you want.

Robust Frame and Fine Bodywork:

If you’re out riding a bike, the bike’s frame plays an important role. The CRF250L top speed comes with a steel semi-double-cradle frame. It’s heavy, but it’s really strong!

Again, while it’s nothing too flashy or exciting, it still fits in this bike’s overall balanced aesthetic 

Additionally, the bike comes with CRF450R looks! Maybe you are not pro enough to get the feel of the CRF465R, but you can always make sure you and your bike look like a real racer!

Higher Fuel Capacity:

The fuel capacity on this bike is rated to be around 7.7 liters. This is actually quite good. The average fuel consumption on this bike is approximately 90 mpg.

Due to the higher capacity, you can easily ride this bike for a longer period. With this, long-distance trails won’t be just a dream now! Make your plan, and hop on!

High-Quality Tires:

The tires are an important part of any vehicle because they are your contact with the ground. Hence, choosing your tires and their size is very important, especially for off riding!

The CRF250L offers you good quality tires, but they are also of a good size. These tires will give you the right amount of grip to don’t slip at the corners.

The tire sizes on this bike are 21 x 1.6 front tire sizes. The rear tire sizes on this bike are 18 x 2.15. Besides, these tires also provide stability while on your bike, allowing you to have much better control.

Honda CRF250L Top Speed

The CRF250L has a maximum speed of 86 miles per hour. This impressive number comes from the beasty engine it has! The single-cylinder can give you exactly what you desire from an off-roading bike.

When getting a race bike, you would want to know the highest speed you would take your bike. But speed is not the most important feature when it comes to the off-roading bike, just like the CRF250L.

Still, the bike can produce up to 24.4 hp. It translates to 18.2 KW and can go up to 8500 rpm. And that gives the bike a top speed of up to 86 mph, and the max torque on this bike is 16 ft pounds.

How to Increase Honda CRF250L Top Speed?

If you are not satisfied with the speed of the CRF250L, you can always upgrade it. Sometimes, you don’t need to upgrade anything; a simple tune or modification can bring wonders to your bike. Here, in this section, we will discuss a few mods you can do to your bike.

1. Remove the Airbox Lid

As simple as it sounds, just remove the lid of your airbox, and you will instantly notice a change in power. As the engine can intake more years, it will burn more fuel. Therefore, the engine will generate more power. Besides, you will also have a change in the sound too as a bonus.

2. Upgrade the Exhaust

Another simple thing you can do to your bike just swap the exhaust with an aftermarket one. The stock exhaust is great, but an upgraded exhaust will give you a better throttle response, and more power. And of course, the sound will be much better!

3. Change the Gear

The CRF250L comes with 14/40 sprockets. These are excellent for highways, as they are fuel-efficient. However, for more power, you can always switch.

Install a 13/42 sprocket to your CRF250L and see the magic. Acceleration will increase significantly, and the main fact is that you won’t burn a lot of extra fuel. In fact, fuel economy will remain quite similar.

The Honda CRF250L Pros and Cons:

We have talked about how amazing the CRF250L is, but not everything is perfect. This bike is able to do a lot of things and do them decently as well. However, there are some drawbacks too. Let’s take a look.

Pros

  • The Fit and Finish:

The CRF250L comes with the Honda fit and finish that any Honda lover would appreciate. It has the typical and yet amazing Honda fit.

  • Dual Sport:

Another great thing about this bike is that it has dual sport. This means that the bike can perform great in both on-road scenarios and take you off-roading without a hitch.

  • Effective Fuel Injection:

A fuel injection that is working properly is an essential thing. It means that your bike is going to have really good startups.

The great thing for you is that you do not have to go through an extensive and annoying routine to start up the bike, even on colder mornings.

  • Affordable Price:

When it comes to smaller dual-sport bikes, this one is the best affordable option that you can go with. The features and the performance that you get with this bike at the price they are offering is quite hard to beat

  • Digital Gauges:

The front of this bike doesn’t come with much, but the digital gauges on the bike are definitely something great. They are easy to use, but they also look great and can enhance the overall feel of riding your bike.

  • Power Delivery:

The power delivery on this bike is also worth mentioning. This is because it provides you with a power delivery that is not only smooth but it’s also quite predictable.

Cons

  • Budget Suspension:

The suspension on the CRF250L is great and workable, but if you have had experience with other bikes, you can easily tell that the suspension is definitely a budget suspension.

  • Heavy Weight:

The CRF250L has to be one of the heaviest dual sports available. This means that with the horsepower of this bike, you’ll surely feel the weight of it pulling you back.

FAQs.

How much horsepower can you get out of a CRF250L?

With a CRF250L, you can get up to 24.4 horsepower at a consistent level. With this much horsepower, you can go at a maximum speed of 86 miles per hour.

Is the CRF250L Reliable?

The CRF250L has been a popular choice for a while now. It is quite well known for its comfort, reliability, smoothness, and value. It is a bike that does everything well enough.

Is the Honda CRF Legal on the Streets?

The CRF by Honda is not just capable of going off-road almost anywhere. It’s also completely legal on the streets with the catalytic converter that it comes with.

Final Words

If you love biking, the best mix for you would be to have a bike that is comfortable to ride on the streets but can also go on the dirt trails easily. A dual-sport motorbike is always highly recommended.

The Honda CRF250L is an amazing overall dual sport motorbike. You can count on it for the best features, such as the powerful 250cc engine and twin-piston caliper brakes.

After going through CRF250L top speed, specs, and reviews, we believe you can judge where this bike stands. The Honda CRF250L is a decent performer in every category, and getting one will never fail to impress you!

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