New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

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OB1
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New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by OB1 »

286 cc - 31 bhp - 139 kg - LCD dash - slipper clutch



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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by johnnyboxer »

Lighter and more power is a good step forward
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by daveuprite »

johnnyboxer wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:49 am Lighter and more power is a good step forward
Looks more like "Not much lighter and not much more power" to me. Disappointing. Honda are so conservative compared to their old days. The 450 version was under-powered too, despite being based an an MX engine.

A nice little 300 dual sport should be about 35-38bhp and 130kgs really, which is easily achieved and still low-stress. A DRZ400E, designed to perform much the same role, had more power and similar weight twenty years ago.

Not having a pop at the whole idea of the CRF, which is a great little all-purpose trailie, but an upgrade and a cc increase was a chance to give it a fair bit more zip. Honda always seem to play it safe, knowing that their reputation for reliability always bales them out and keeps the sales buoyant. They used to take big risks with new bikes (RVF, NC, Fireblade, etc etc etc). And does the standard bike not even come with a bash plate? Tight-arses.
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by johnnyboxer »

daveuprite wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:32 am
johnnyboxer wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:49 am Lighter and more power is a good step forward
Looks more like "Not much lighter and not much more power" to me. Disappointing. Honda are so conservative compared to their old days. The 450 version was under-powered too, despite being based an an MX engine.

A nice little 300 dual sport should be about 35-38bhp and 130kgs really, which is easily achieved and still low-stress. A DRZ400E, designed to perform much the same role, had more power and similar weight twenty years ago.

Not having a pop at the whole idea of the CRF, which is a great little all-purpose trailie, but an upgrade and a cc increase was a chance to give it a fair bit more zip. Honda always seem to play it safe, knowing that their reputation for reliability always bales them out and keeps the sales buoyant. They used to take big risks with new bikes (RVF, NC, Fireblade, etc etc etc). And does the standard bike not even come with a bash plate? Tight-arses.
At least oil changes, will be 8000 miles and not 8000 seconds on an enduro bike
Minky loves'em...............probably all that most UK trail riders need, in reality
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by daveuprite »

johnnyboxer wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 9:50 am
daveuprite wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:32 am
johnnyboxer wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:49 am Lighter and more power is a good step forward
Looks more like "Not much lighter and not much more power" to me. Disappointing. Honda are so conservative compared to their old days. The 450 version was under-powered too, despite being based an an MX engine.

A nice little 300 dual sport should be about 35-38bhp and 130kgs really, which is easily achieved and still low-stress. A DRZ400E, designed to perform much the same role, had more power and similar weight twenty years ago.

Not having a pop at the whole idea of the CRF, which is a great little all-purpose trailie, but an upgrade and a cc increase was a chance to give it a fair bit more zip. Honda always seem to play it safe, knowing that their reputation for reliability always bales them out and keeps the sales buoyant. They used to take big risks with new bikes (RVF, NC, Fireblade, etc etc etc). And does the standard bike not even come with a bash plate? Tight-arses.
At least oil changes, will be 8000 miles and not 8000 seconds on an enduro bike
Minky loves'em...............probably all that most UK trail riders need, in reality
I like them too. Very impressed with Will's CRF up in the Pyrennees, and it has a decently geared top-end too for road work. It just seems a wasted opportunity for Honda not to go a bit further. A 38bhp 300cc dual sport is not too ambitious and shouldn't need short service intervals. Sherco comfortably get 40rwbhp out of their 300cc four stroke, and that's before you put a free'd up exhaust on it.

Or maybe they should have gone for 350cc and improved low down grunt a bit.

I'd still buy one for sure, if I was after a small capacity dirt bike and if weight or enduro suspension were not my priorities. At least it can carry some decent luggage, which is more than you can say for my Beta. And they're not expensive either (or at least they weren't...).
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by catcitrus »

People always rabbit on about max power and minimal weight--largely irrelevant for most that like trail riding and doing some distance/camping. The Honda concept at the price is incredibly popular--look at US sales (we are flyshit here). I've ridden with Minky and other friends that have pretty much stock Rallies, and because they are half decent riders the bike goes ANYWHERE and is as good on the trails(if not better than any KTM--too peaky-its an enduro bike!). The key is look, reliability, AND PRICE. A little bit of sorting and they are good to go anywhere. Peak power is almost irrelevant as I said--especially when lugging through a bog or up a stony track--they deliver torque in the right place and have a decent wide spaced gearbox. I have a WR250R which is well sorted--and still incredibly popular in the US for the same reasons--they are similar bikes(except that the Yam here was way more expensive). Honda appear to have done what Minky and others have already done and given it 300cc (probably emissions related as well). If they more or less hold their price they will still be the best seller----the people have spoken!
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by OB1 »

catcitrus wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 11:32 am People always rabbit on about max power and minimal weight--largely irrelevant for most that like trail riding and doing some distance/camping. The Honda concept at the price is incredibly popular--look at US sales (we are flyshit here). I've ridden with Minky and other friends that have pretty much stock Rallies, and because they are half decent riders the bike goes ANYWHERE and is as good on the trails(if not better than any KTM--too peaky-its an enduro bike!). The key is look, reliability, AND PRICE. A little bit of sorting and they are good to go anywhere. Peak power is almost irrelevant as I said--especially when lugging through a bog or up a stony track--they deliver torque in the right place and have a decent wide spaced gearbox. I have a WR250R which is well sorted--and still incredibly popular in the US for the same reasons--they are similar bikes(except that the Yam here was way more expensive). Honda appear to have done what Minky and others have already done and given it 300cc (probably emissions related as well). If they more or less hold their price they will still be the best seller----the people have spoken!

By the look of it, your sump guard should fit straight on the 300 with no modifications!
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by catcitrus »

I agree on the bashplate--looks like the 300 is Thailand only to start with and new 250s elsewhere--hence the confusion.
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by JtheLakes »

I’m a Rally owner and owned a 250L and catcitrus has got it right. The bike could do with more power and be a little lighter but for the money its extremely difficult to beat this package. A KTM weighs 40kg less, costs another £4,000 and would not be much fun to ride on a motorway.
According to a Thai YouTube video the new engine puts out 31hp compared to 21.8hp and torque increases from 22Nm to 26.2. By my calculation that’s a 42% increase in Hp and 19% in torque. They shaved 5Kg off the weight , which feels like a token gesture as I still find lifting 139Kg quite a strain but the extra power should make the bike a lot more fun.
I did buy the big bore kit for my present Rally from CRF’s only in the US. Don’t bother , its a lot of money and doesn’t enhance the usable power and did have a tendency to stall on steep sections as I guess it wasn’t very well matched to the flywheel. It also didn’t fair well when I dropped the bike in a river crossing as the EJK drowned and refused to work afterwards.
I’ve added the Ohlins shocks front and back which are a big improvement but if you’re on a tight budget they’re a luxury . The biggest difference to the bike has been changing tyres. Initially to Heidenau K60’s (good on roads lousy on muddy fields) to Pirelli MT21’s (good off road , treat with respect on the tarmac).
If anybody has managed to fit Motoz Extreme Hybrid to their bike I would be interested as the tyre is 120/100 and I wonder if it will fit.
I would definitely buy the CRf300if it comes here as I like the Honda reliability and for the money its a complete package that you could take anywhere.
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Re: New Honda CRF300 L and CRF300 Rally

Post by JtheLakes »

Thank you for contacting Honda UK.

We appreciate your interest in the Honda CRF300 Rally.

Currently, there is no official information stating whether the Honda CRF300 Rally will become part of the UK motorcycle range. As soon as we have any details about upcoming models, we publish them on our websites. If you would like to stay up to date with any news and updates, we would recommend visiting our official webpages regularly - https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles.html & https://hondanews.eu/gb/en/motorcycles.

Thank you for contacting Honda UK and for your interest in our products. If there is anything else we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Kind Regards,

Nikolay Stamenkov

Honda Customer Service
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