@@richarddevaottien7724 yes I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and now I’m bed ridden for the rest of my life. Being my age I probably only have a year at the most. Whatever!
I always think to myself, imagine if this bike came out 30-40 years ago and how amazed people would be with its performance and capability. Buyer's remorse and Analysis paralysis are the two top reasons why people don't like the bike they purchased. In reality, almost any bike you choose for your desired riding in this day and age will be more than enough. Unfortunately, people prioritize the tool they are using above the goal they're trying to achieve.
Very true. Every time I see a video of some guy in South America on like a 1982 street bike flying up a trail that I’d be afraid to walk up, I think that I’m way overthinking my bikes.
I thought they were more off road capable stock (9000km before I sold her). Another buying factor was the price (now $1300 more than in mar 21 when I bought my first)
"it's great if you compare it to a ancient bike from 40 years ago!" has to be the worst way to justify parts of the CRF being poor lol. It may do the job but why wouldn't you want a better tool?
People also buy the wrong tool for the job. Look at the "I'm selling" videos and you'll quickly notice a trend. They compare it to a race 450 AND an Africa twin. Typically the comparison goes something like this: "I like my tenere/africa twin/KTM 890 adventure much better for logging 1000 miles over the weekend. So much more power and comfort. But the bigger letdown is that I can't hit off road on it like my yz450/crf450/rmz450. So I'm selling it" Or like this: "I have to ride off road ever day on my commute. Which is why I bought it, but I just don't like it for the rest of the commute" then they show their "off road" is a well maintained gravel road. That any bike could handle.
Great point, I daily drive a honda ruckus at the moment, it's by far slowest street legal bike you can possibly find, but I knew what my goal was when I bought it, and now when I move up to a 300 in spring I'll appreciate that much more
I do not own a 300L and have no desire to ever consider one (cruiser guy) but watched the entire video. You made a very good, pleasant to watch, video. Good job!
Love my 300L because it is good enough. I think another reason is people are never content with what they have. Always wanting more, whatever that might be.
BINGO. I personally know one particular guy who has pissed away hundreds of thousands of dollars making up excuses why he needs to trade in or upgrade stuff he's had a year or less. The simple truth of the matter is most people out there are materialistic minded drones. They're searching for happiness in possessions, always in competition with the Jones's and buying things they don't even need to impress people they don't even like. I call them LOOSERS. Advertising and marketing actually works on people and that has always amazed me to no end. I know another guy that literally f**** things up as soon as he buys them. He starts messing with this that and the other thing... it's unbelievable to watch. The older I get the more infinitely stupid people seem to me.
@@rickhadfield1097 Well it's not a highway bike so...🤷 A dual sport is for taking scenic backroads to get to offroad riding locations, fun city errand run arounds and commuting to your close workplace to save gas money and have a kick before and after work.🤷 I don't understand what people don't understand about that.
@@phantomshtter a dual sport can be fun and have good power though… dr650 or even the drz400 uncorked are great. They rip and have great power, so much fun and are better offroad than the Honda too and for adventures and hauling gear…..The Honda and small dual sports are super boring because they have no power and are literally scooters. Boring. If you wanna accelerate slower than a prius and ride at 10 under the speed limit then go for the little dual sports, lol.
Agree with all those scenarios! As a new rider my Rally is all I need at this time. It gets me to the Canyon to explore the trails on and behind Timp and just recently out to your area checking out those trails around Lake Mtn. Just have to use it for its intended type of riding, within its design limits. I'm having a blast with mine!
Right on dude I'm glad you enjoy your 🏍️💨 it's a badass bike I got the 250 rally & love this shit out of mine they're fun to ride comfortable, dependable & for me it has enough capability cuz I'm not trying to go all crazy, could it be better yeah I'm sure everything could be a little better LOL but like you said ride it within its intended purpose & the bike is a freaking riot to ride 💪💪💯🏍️💨
That makes so much sense and what an interesting fact Mark. I currently have 700 miles on a new 2024RL and breaking this thing in just might break me at age 55. If or when I do end up getting hurt I will retire on a 300 after I get out of the ICU.✌🏻
For me, the 250L Rally was a great first motorcycle. Easy to learn on. Not to much power. Very refined transmission and brakes. It was the perfect short distance commuter and trail motorcycle. As my experience and skills increased, I was riding longer distances on tarmac to get to trails. I gravitated to logging roads and atv double tracks. On the trail, I find myself having to shift a lot because because the motor doesn't have enough low end grunt. There's not enough power to lighten up the front wheel for going over objects easily. And the suspension will require a lot of work for anything more than slow paced gravel roads. I still love the motorcycle and will keep it for around town and nearby trails. I'll be getting a T7 for my coast to coast travel.
The T7 is one of the bigger bikes I've had my eye on for a while. But, if I ever get one (or something else in that class), I'll be hanging on to the CRF as well.
@HighDesertHills No one is selling their Honda CRF300L/CRF300 Rally in droves like you mentioned. Adventure Undone still has his Enduro/Dual Sport bikes. Sure, some owners will "outgrow" this and other small bikes like it. People will buy a bike hoping that it is a "one bike for all" scenarios motorcycle. There's no such thing as a best bike for every road condition.
For me my Rally is all of those problems and I knew it would be, but I wanted reliability and economy first and foremost and the rest I can put up with, it's "apparent" shortcomings when I use it for local shopping or 30 minute trips into our larger city nearby and all road use. So I have not had a bike for 30 years and the last was a DR600, this 300L has some great technology as a new bike and very throttle responsive. A great bike to use as a stepping stone to biking again. I modded immediately with the ECU, exhaust and it is just great. I've watched users on here thrash the tripe out of this engine and the result of it kind of sold it for me.
I think that’s the key to enjoying any bike - knowing it’s shortcomings beforehand. Of course for me it’s a little different. I came from an XT250, so a lot of the “shortcomings” of my Rally are a big step up from what I was used to.
Ha, Im am in literally the same scenario. Almost exact life details too and everything mirrored! haha. Im 49 and raced as a kid and getting this non -rally model after decades. SO ill take your Mod suggestions. But What would you get if you didnt get this?
Agreed with everything. I have had a CRF300 Rally since October last year and love it. its not a sports bike or a motocross bike. I have a T7 for long trips road and dirt, an MT09SP for sports stuff. I feel people just buy the wrong bike sometimes. there are a lot of people putting out a lot of information on many bikes that probably can't ride or have little experience riding who shouldn't. I think some people get confused and buy or avoid buying bikes because of the misinformation. I have had loads of KTM's and enduro bikes which are great off road but no good on the road. The Honda is just a great all round trail bike. its also a cheap platform you can add things to get it how you like it, it does not need a service twice a month and does everything well. Great review I will be keeping mine until a 450 version comes out. Mick
That’s a great group of bikes you have. And if Honda has ever doubted the demand for a 450 Rally, they should come read the comments on this video. So many people waiting for one.
@@HighDesertHillssuch a shame they messed up the previous 450L, hopefully the Himalayan encourages them to bring out a decent low maintenance 450L. I had the 250L and sold it for a ktm 300, I could actually keep up with people riding ktms on my 250L but I had to rag it to its limit, ended up doing much more technical enduro on the KTM and got a 790 adventure for dual sport, it does on and off road much better than the Honda
Perfectly put on this Video, my 300rally is easy to ride and cheap to live with as opposed to my ex 950 adventure - awesome to ride but she was thirsty, heavy and expensive to date, none of em are perfect you just gotta know that fact and love what you got
@Manuel Urrego I had a bit of a gap between the two bikes... get a test ride first if you can Manuel, just so you know what you're getting power wise, I know you know but I miss that top end pull for overtaking anything above 50mph
I had a CRF1000L I used it off-road, the reason I am looking into this bike is: almost in every country Honda has parts if I decide to go on a world tour. The second one I will not be tired picking this bike up for the 6th time. Also extremely easy to maintain and the maintenance interval is brilliant!
Yup. I picked up a 300 Rally a few months into covid. The previous owner had upgraded several things but not the suspension. I liked the bike well enough but I soon realized that I didn't look forward to riding it. I was considering upgrading the suspension (hint: $$$) when someone offered me $1000 more than I paid for it. SOLD! That left me without something to take on the trails but I really didn't mind. 4 months later I happened to be at the local Kawasaki dealer sitting on the few bikes they had in stock for a lark when a truck rolled up with two KLX 300s and a couple other new bikes on the back. The dealer was as surprised as I was but apparently inventory showing up out of the blue was how it was at the time. He had a long list of people interested in the bike but no one had plonked down a deposit so... Long story short I'm now a very happy KLX owner.
I really wish they were road legal in Australia but the reality is they are not. I bought first crf300la mar 21. They are ok but I had expected more off road capabilities with the advertising at the time. Enjoy your bike & stay safe out there 👍
I really wanted a 300L Rally, but my commute included about 25 miles of highway (75-80 mph). I bought a Tenere 700 instead and had a blast with it. I moved from Virginia to Thailand, so now I'm in the market for a 300L again. They are made here, so they are both cheaper and more available. The roads here are perfect for this bike.
I am an Enduro racer and I race a YZ250X 52hp 2stroke beast, I am happy with my Rally,I call it my lil adv bike that could. Yes it's not as nimble and as fast as my 250x but with suspension done and skills I make it fun for me and keep up with all my friends on their 501s,701s 650s ect....on dirt yes is not as fast as the other ones on street but I make it work on the dirt and I have a blast on it!! I LOVE MY UNICORN 💪🏾😎
@@HighDesertHills Hey as long you having fun its what really matters, I ride with guys that are in their 70s and have Rallys also and they love the bike!!
Anyone who would buy a 300L Rally or the 300L to commute on freeways that speed is above 80 may have not done enough research before purchasing those bikes I’m happy with both on and off road capabilities I did my research obviously they didn’t do good research before purchasing one the reviews and thought are out there informative vid 👍🤟
Where I live you can’t even find one. None for sale within 200 miles. I did find a Versys 300 at a good price and so far I’m loving it. I also have a big bike for longer trips.
I've had a KLX 300 for the last 6 months, done quite a few mods, and really got it feeling great for most of what I do. But I think I'm going to be selling it by summer at the latest. Feel like I've graduated to something like a Beta 390 or maybe a Tuareg 660. I want to do BDR's and other longer range dirt-focused touring.
@@jamesadams2334 Beta 390 is lighter than a KLX 300. Tuareg is a whole different animal and certainly heavier but would be considerably more comfortable for long range while still quite dirt worthy on anything except single track and hard enduro type stuff.
The Beta 390 is a great bike. It reminds me a lot of my old KTM XCW400 which was a fantastic do it all bike. For me Honda missed the mark with the 300. Under powered and wimpy suspension.
@@user-se7vt5ow4e Yeah, I will never buy a bike lower than 350cc. But I also don't want anything bigger than around 700 if I'm going off-road. 350-650cc is the sweet spot.
Interesting comments from High Desert. Maybe the owners should live here in WI - the highest speed limit is 70 and 95-100 gets you jail time. As for so many for sale, that conflicts with the "unobtainium" status of supposedly none at the dealers and the above-retail prices on used ones.
I had a 450L I put over 3k into. Such a waste it turns out. In almost 2 yrs I had it I put 996 miles on it. Picked up a new 300 Rally and love it. In 3 months I put just over 3000 miles on it. Can't wait to do some up grades. But, what I'm looking for may not be what you're looking for.
@Anders D . Well, to be fair it was part of my unrealistic expectation. After the up grades did very well off road. But, here are my personal issues. Putting that much money into an already expensive bike to operate how it should stock is wrong. Mostly I prefer to ride alone and cruise and explore. The 450 likes to go fast. Maintenance intervals. Even if doubled still aren't acceptable for me. (My fault). 450L could easily do a BDR. But...do I want to ride it home on the road afterwards? No thanks. It seems like many people had expectations like I did. Anyway, just know what you want. It can good but for a price!
Having one myself I can tell you why I will replace mine. It's a lawnmower! It barley makes highway speed. It really gets hot if your in any kind of temperature outside. It's very tall. Soft suspension. But mostly it is way under powered. By the time you do any mods to try and get more out of it you may as well have bought a Tenere 700.
I would love to own one. I have a cr250r that makes me happy on the dirt tracks bud I live in the Spanish mountains and there are so many beautiful dirt roads to discover. And I think that a low maintenance bike should be perfect. I don't need adjustable suspension for that. Just a bike that's not gonna brake down. I also love the fuel capacity. And by experience I feel a lot more comfortable on a smaller bike doing some rough terrain than on a tank like the gs or a afrika twin. Personally I think you have to be a very good driver to control that big bikes in complicated situations.
As a new rider I think this is the perfect fit for me. I ride it off road 90% of the time and it doesn’t allow me to get into too much trouble. I will keep this for a long time since its two years old now and I only have 500 miles on it.
One unsaid problem with dual sports depending on where you live is not having places to ride off-road. I grew up out in the county with plenty of land to ride on. Got my first Yamaha yz when I was like 13. But now I live in the city. There are some dedicated off-road parks around here but it’s expensive to pay every time you want to ride off-road. And most of the parks are not really suited for dual sports. Like the ones here are more so designed for either all out dirt bikes with jumps that are too extreme for dual sport suspension, or they have stuff for jeeps and 4x4 trucks and side by sides that has water that’s too deep or are all torn to hell and brutal to ride a bike on. I love dirt bikes and dual sports but for me small naked bikes and super motos make a lot more sense for the type of riding I do
That’s a great point. Thankfully not an issue for me out here in the desert, but yeah - gotta have a decent place to ride off-road or a dual sport just becomes a mediocre street bike.
My problem is the distance to travel to get into back roads in mo ,ar and colrado is 2-3 hrs just to get to the closer ones. My star venture eats up the road so its really hard to find the adventure bike that can do those 550 mile days when you only have a week long holiday once a year. Maintenance of your chains become a daily event then looking at shaft drive bikes weight and costs become an issue so I'm stuck ag the drawing board for now.
These are perfect for everything except when you expect more. Freeway mine hit 154kmh (standard 300la led ABS in Australia) its ok but don't expect that a perfect bike off road or on road. Its a dual sport! I recommend changing tyres from day1 though
Could not agree more I think these are great starter bikes that can do a lot. I am trying to help a friend find one of these or a KLX300 for a decent price. I am really excited to see what Kove can do to the market for dual sports.
I have noticed that when you upgrade one aspect of a bike you expose another short coming in a different area.. suspension improvements, now need more power, power up now I need better tires, brakes and larger fuel tank.
I picked up a silver 2018 250l Rally with 900 miles. Great bike. No mods other than a concept seat. I decided to ride it as is and if the suspension bottoms out to much then it's time to go on a diet and use your knees a bit more. Just wish my legs were a bit longer. As for tight trails I have a smaller dirt bike that weights a hundred pounds less and goes anywhere I aim it. 😁
I rode my 300 with the stock suspension for a year and had an absolute blast. But yes, my legs definitely got a workout from being the extra suspension 🙂
IMO for someone under around 150lbs the 300L Rally might be the best lightweight ADV bike on the market... but for bigger folks it will depend on how you like to ride. If your riding style is laid back rural roads and light offroad I suspect the 300 will be a very nice option for any size. I'm a pretty hard rider and I'm over 220lbs so opted for the 701 Enduro to get more power... primarily for road segments where you can use it, but if I was smaller I'd absolutely have given the Honda a hard look. As for all the mods needed on the Honda to get it to "the $11,000 ktm" level... I bought the ktm and STILL needed to do all that stuff to get the bike configured for my use... the difference is instead of paying $11,000 to get it configured like the Honda would cost... I spent $20,000.
I agree on both counts. I'm about 195lbs, and the Rally still feels like the perfect lightweight adventurer for me, and the type of riding I do. And yes - If I bought an $11,000 bike, I'd still be modding the crap out of it too.
the KTM needed mod is maybe a larger tank so for $$ invested your not comparing it accurately...plus you have far more performance on all components w any Ktm dual sport.
@@dirtrider9268 If you're cost sensitive then absolutely that changes the equation a lot... but I didn't have a problem dropping $20k on the 701 (that's what it took to get it ready for the TAT) so cost wasn't a concern for me, my calculations were entirely based on "what was the best bike for lightweight offroad ADV for me". I did 7000 miles of the TAT on the stock tank (with 1 gallon of extra fuel that I used twice)... but in hindsight I'd have been happier with the LR kit on the 701 because I did deal with a lot of range anxiety. The 3 things I didn't do that I wish I'd done to the bike were LR tanks, heated grips and Cruise control.
Thanks for this, after all the soft suspension reports im 5'10 145 on a good day super fit surfer guy 50yrs old- raced dirt as a kid, haven't had a bike in decades. I feel this will be a dream for me. Might outgrow it quick with my riding knowledge but im happy to just get a bike again so hopefully the joy lasts a couple years.
@@kuhndj67 ahh, i was commenting on the comparison of honda mods up to $11k being similar to ktm mods of $20k. Obviously the 701 platform is different and superior for that task, over the budget built Bangkok 300L rally. If someone has to have Red on a tight budget..., happy trails to them.
I bought the 2017 original rally without abs, I love it use it quite a bit bit not happy with everything, New gear ratio does wonders, New exhaust and fender eliminator kit as well. Haven't done the fuel mod or airbox mods yet. Suspension sucks but rear coil can be adjust, made a huge difference but I have bottomed the forks a few times now 😂 only gripe was I wish it didn't look so damn sexy, I laid my bike down a few times and the plastics are cracked, scratched and some are missing. And the biggest complaint is little to no non-oem plastics kits. Unless you drop 1k for a new set at Honda lol the crf250l and 300l have exchangeable plastics and a new set is 40-200$
Haha, yeah - my plastics are starting to look a little sad. On my first bike (an XT250) I would go buy a new plastic every time I got a gouge, but that got expensive 😂
Everyone that I’ve seen selling them on Facebook is asking well over MSRP, and the money they have in them. In my case, I could not find a rally to buy last year, so I settled for a standard CRF 300 L. Recently a local dealer had a rally that I had tried to buy, but it was already sold. Recently that customer returned it, saying it was too tall, and the dealer offered it to me for $1800 plus my 300l. No thanks! 😊
Yeah, I’ve seen some crazy prices in the used market. I guess that’s another reason that I didn’t mention - there are actually sold flippers out there trying to make a profit.
I love my CB500X but I'm still selling it. If I can make myself post it. Sometimes you have to move on, or want to try something different. CRF300L is on my wish list now. Who knows how long I'd keep it.
I've actually been anxious to try a CB500X. Best of luck with whatever bike you end up with next. There's no rule that says you have can't rotate through bikes as much as you want :)
I bought my crf 300r at 65y they go anywhere cheap to run Honda reliably. Yes done all the mods as it’s the fun of buying the bike plus I weigh 100kg so you have to do the suspension. If you put some genius rider on the bike you would be astounded where they will go. Shonky productions in Australian does some good off-road singe track on the 300. I have an 2022 Africa twin for highway and dirt roads long haul. Pick your weapon cheers for the content
I went from wr250r to ktm 500excf. I wish I hadn’t sold the wr. The ktm was one of the most awe inspiring motorcycles I have ever owned. However i just don’t have anywhere within 90 min to really ride it. If I lived right off a BDR or near a lot of trails I wouldn’t have sold it. The Wr was just fun for poking around and exploring and checking property lines on my homestead. I really see a rally in my garage soon. I’m gonna upgrade the suspension and exhaust and call it a day.
Whack the throttle in Fourth gear in deep sand with good tires and it’s like the bike is trying to break your grip on the bars. Torque for days. It’s bmw gs 1200 level torque and midrange. I love bikes where the power is easy to get to. Give me a good bottom end and midrange. The 6th gear is very usable. It’ll cruise 70 all day. Your butt won’t want to but the bike can do it
@@HighDesertHills it’s a tall bike for sure. Great video by the way! You really hit on the sometimes unseen and unthought of variables that dictate whether someone buys, keeps, sells, enjoys or hates a particular bike.
Had one loved most of it, did not like the small gas tank, the side stand did not fit the bike and it uses, bike leaned over way to far, so far if I wanted to use the foot peg to mount the bike it would start to tip towards me if the ground was even a little on even or soft. Tried to get a good lowering kit for it and could not get one hear in Canada, and dealer was no help. Once on the bike and going it was a great bike did more than I needed on and off road. I stopped where the ground was a little on even and could hardly get off of it, put my foot on the peg and the bike started to tip over. Mind you I am 74 years old. This could of been fixed with a good lowering kit witch you can get in the USA but I was unable to get in Canada Honda dealers seem once they sell you the bike they only want to service it and get what is on there list, do not want to go out of the way for you once you have bough the bike. So now I get what I want before I sine the deal for any bike from them. I now use a Honda Trail 125, the only problem with it is the small gas tank, but do wish it came with the 5 speed the same as the Grom. Having trouble when I switch form the CB500X to the Trail have to really think for the first bit of the ride. And would much rather have a hand clutch than having to use the foot on the down shifts. Think having two bikes is the way to go one for long distance highway or highway touring, or tiding with other on larger bikes, and the Trail for the great fun factor, on 80 km roads and under. The Trail has been a god send for me, as I have just got a compression fracture on my spine, and it is so easy to get out of the shed and ride, Just have to make sure I am up on the pegs when ever going over bumps in the road, Speed bumps are a killer if on the seat. Right now softer suspension would be nice but hopping in three months will be back to normal. Honda should push there dealers to make available more after market parts for there bike, or Honda should offer them. Even though I love my Hondas, I am not far away going back to other brands, as I have never had problems getting parts for the Kawasaki, or Yamahas I have had. I do no this is a Canada thing.
That’s something I should have included in my list. Sometimes a bike just doesn’t fit the rider. Based on what you said, it’s too bad the CRF300LS wasn’t available when you bought yours. Seat height is 2” lower.
When I purchased the first one I thought it was more off road friendly due to all the hype at the time. I was disappointed being honest but I understand its place now (I ended up buying more later 👍 as I don't mind 300la for fire trail kind of riding)
He said if your on the freeway you will feel a little underpowered is the understatement of the year when it comes to the 300L. 80moh you are lucky if you hit 65 and that's without gear ..... It's a dirt moped.
Iv had some tall bikes but I didn’t expect this bike to be as tall as it is . I’m going to install a lowering kit but if I can’t get it low enough without sinking a million dollars into it then I’m going to sell it for that reason.
the biggest issue is people with no riding experience, running out and buying whatever, most often accompanied by sales pitches and peer pressure. it usually end up bad. the best advice I can give? find friend whom ride and tag along with them, ask questions, and see if they'll help teach you and let you ride their bike/s! most will be willing and patient to help a friend enter the sport or freedom feeling of road riding. when I was a kid, my choices were go for a ride on the back hanging on tight, until I was old enough to afford a little peanut size bike(yamaha mx 80), it was well worn out and I spent lots of time and money working on it myself, only getting help when I couldn't do the work myself like machining or things that required major tooling I didn't have. also car rides to the parts stores(kid under age 16). I rebuilt it more than once and other older bikes afterwards, mostly all older than me, then jumped head first into VW powered rail buggies (none were mine) but built engines and had fun on weekends. lol
I wanted to buy a 250L back in 2019, then winter came and that season rolled into the 'pandemic' and the want was even greater, but due to lack of work and uncertainty, I was not able to justify the purchase. Then, the 300L came and the want was even greater! Still have yet to get one due to my wife's medical requiring us to relocate from Alaska to the lower-48 and still have yet to find a job. The goal is to get one at the end of this winter, it will be used for exploring back roads and trails at slow speeds during the weekends and nothing more. I have no intention to drive it into the big city since traffic on a motorbike scares the heck out of me.
Definitely. Sometimes my rambling is a little in-cohesive, but one of the points I was trying to make is that if you see a couple of "for sale" posts each week in a Facebook group, it may seem like "everybody" is selling, but when you consider that the group has 20,000 members worldwide, the reality is that very few people are getting rid of them.
Great video and points. I really like how you are riding while making the video =] My first vehicle was a motorcycle at 15 years old in California (allowed to ride on a permit without a license \o/). I'm 44 now and have been riding all these years on many different bikes. I'll be moving from the USA to the Philippines very soon and this bike is going to be perfect. I will be on hardball and dirt roads daily. The speed of traffic there is MUCH slower than the USA so I won't miss or need the extra power. I also won't be jumping the thing or hitting any serious offroad tracks/areas either, it'll be pure transportation in the Philippines. I haven't ridden one yet, but I have enough experience to know exactly where this bike fits in the lineup. I'd say it's a great value at its price point just for the utility, fuel efficiency, and durability (HONDA). It's also less expensive in the Philippines which is nice (I believe it's around $5,200). It won't need any tinkering for my use so I'm sure I'll be happy with it stock. I've looked at many in its class and I'm just a Honda guy.... they've never let me down in the past and I've owned many Hondas.... in fact, I can't remember a single time any of my Hondas ever broke down. My favorite was the NT650GT Hawk =] Again, great video, and thanks for the data and perspective.
I loved my Rally 250. Just sold it after 25,000km cross country travelling. I am buying a Triumph 400X to replace it. I want style and a bit more power to manage highway work. I plan on buying a CRF300l for a dirt bike later though. Hard to beat a dual sport with a street bike motor in it like the CRF. I had a couple WR250R's that also had a very street like motor in them but damn Yamaha quit making them and refused to up the power to a 300-450 [which would have sold a ton of bikes] With soft luggage the Rally is world class. Its reliable and cheap to buy and to run and put a lot of smiles on my face. I live in Asia and the locals would come over and ask me about my CRF250 Rally. Every small town here has CRF's in it. They seemed to ignore the BMW guys that are everywhere here touring. It can do highway speeds but got blown around a bit too much some days with heavy crosswinds.Also i hate highways but need to do them and having passing power is important. No bike can do everything but the Rally is damn close. I think the CRF is the bike of the people, for the people. I almost feel emotional thinking about this bike.I'll buy the 300L soon to have for dirt. They are just too good.
Most likely due to being under powered. People most likely didn’t realize this when they bought it. I have the Rally 250 but I’m a light weight 50 year old and don’t care about the lack of power.
Great video. I would love to be riding in the area that you are. That is the kind of riding that I would be doing. Mostly dirt roads and cruising country roads.
I was gonna get this bike because I’m a first time rider at 49 but many experienced riders told me to go with the XR650L since I’m 6’-5” tall & 235 lbs. it was a tough bike to learn on but no matter what whether you get the 650 or the 300 it’s a Honda so reliability is there Ride Red, Ride Safe!!
They can't keep them in stock , most are sold before ever getting to the dealership , and i've never seen a used one here at a dealership, ever..in years.
It's a decent bike for the money. It doesn't do anything great. But it does everything you'd need it to ok. I'd never consider it if I had highway commuting it's not got enough power to stay at highway speeds without red lining it the whole time.
Dudes always telling me I’m going to have to replace the suspension right off the bat. All while standing next to their non-CRF bikes that they have spent thousands of dollars on because they weren’t good enough
I’m happy with my Rally…apart from the head light…and the rear suspension. The head light is woeful and points off to the right (and can’t be adjusted) I got a Nitron rear shocker and that has improved the handling 100% That headlight though, amazed Honda would make something so very badly designed, I mean how can you not aim the beam!!!???
Interesting. I've always been happy with the headlight. I was actually surprised by how well it lit everything up when I first tried it. Maybe my old bike just really sucked :)
Top Ten Dual Sport perks 10. No pit rules 9. No time limits 8. No competition 7. No speed limits 6. No stinkin' Lua’s 5. No waver signing 4. No waiting around 3. No entry fee gates 2. No boundary limits 1. No repetitious lap's ~Gasser Classic~
I'm not even trying to sound like an a****** or nothing but if you buy a 300 l to go 90 mph on the freeway you shouldn't be buying a motorcycle at all. You need to go back to square one and start doing your research. There's plenty of bikes in the category that will do it. Price range? Hell no. You're not going to get anything that holds that kind of speed comfortably without paying for it. Plus what are you doing buying a dirt bike to ride on the freeway? That has to be the most nonsensical thing I've heard all day....and I got a 6 year old
If any flat Earth folks were watching this they probably had to bail early fearing they'd see you ride off the edge , what a spectacular landscape ! All good points you make...thanks ...
Love my 250cfl, im going to buy a 300 eventually. 300 is perfect size. Im 6'1 210 lbs and the 250 is great so a little more hp would make the Appalachia hills nicer. Not that i have abproblem with the 250. Dual Sports are the only bikes you can lock up the brakes in an emergency which always happens the more you ride. I only ride dual sports.
The Tinkerer - I have the same syndrome with guitars. I've been playing since I was a kid. But my real talent is in building and modifying. Oh sure... I can play all the cool ACDC songs and a few by Metallica (except the solo's, Kirk is better than people give him credit for). But if you just bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard (expensive and notoriously bad out of the box!) and need it set up to play and feel like butter... Im your guy. I've bought entry level Jacksons and built them into pro level gigging greatness.
@robertmitchell6080 yep, the XR150L seat is comfy. Lot of people, including me, wish the seat was flat so we can sit further back on the seat. The "hump" sucks. Bi-level seats on dirt/dual bikes doesn't make sense. Hoping Honda releases the 230 Jewel in 2025. Beautiful bike and no "hump". ✌🏻
Agree with most everything you said. I am one of those mod-obsessed folks. Currently, farkling my 450L, which I bought a month ago after selling a WR250R. I was looking for a 300L Rally but couldn't find one.
@@keithquinn5624 no comparison between a dr650 and 450l. Iv ridden both. I have respect for both bikes but you have no place telling someone what they should or shouldn’t have gotten.
The hype and 8 month wait time...A true unicorn doesn't exist. I don't agree with it being a first bike. It's too tall especially with aftermarket suspension. It's a motorcyclists bike. Power sucks. But I challenge you to find a bike that will do everything. I ride in Tasmania. I can ride 200km on road then spend a day off road. Saying that, I also own a Z800. COMPROMISE. We are waiting for a Honda 400ish Rally...Honda we are waiting. And BTW. I've spent plenty on aftermarket upgrades. And it's only added to the bike Honda should have produced out of the box. But then it'd be more expensive. Which would have prohibited people buying it in the first place. Come on Honda! Give us a 450 version of this bike and keep in under 170Kg and $12000AUS.
Yeah, it would have been too tall for me to start on, but I think it’d be an easy bike to start on for the long legged guys. And yes. A 400-450 rally would sell like crazy.
People tend to forget that this is only a 300cc, or maybe they are unaware that 300cc is a very small engine. Nevertheless if you need to ride on the highway, forget this bike and get something above 600cc imo
I had a BMW 650 Dakar - sold it at 110 000KM Bought a 300 rally had it for 6 months sold it at 1500 km and bought the best bike ever Suzuki V Strom 650
I am heavy (100kg) and 64 years old. This looks like a good bike for me. I do not want something very heavy, or with enormous power. I will not try to go fast on the road, and I am not looking to going on really rough terrain. On dirt roads I would not be going fast either. Do you think it is suitable for me ?
I think it'll work great for you. I did upgrade the suspension recently on mine, but if you don't mind taking it a bit slow over the rough stuff, the stock suspension is fine in my opinion. For reference, I'm about 90kg.
Honda should have just put their cb500x engine in a dirtbike frame. I don't know why japanese manufactures struggle so much to make a unicorn adventure bike. The formula is simple. -400-600cc thumper or twin with large oil capacity and long maintenence interval (street motor) -Adapt a motocross frame to fit the motor. Along with off the shelf motocross suspension that they already have. -large fuel capacity Boom. Unicorn bike that everyone wants
Think it's funny about mostly the middle aged crowd..300cc was never going to push around a 200+ pound rider and 40-50 pounds of gear.. and it's like Ralph Lauren clothing.. yes you can look like rough and outdoors type but it's just a look people are on the street 90..95 of the time.. and off road.. means dirt roads.. nothing technical and it's a single.. there are no 290ish twins..If Honda just did mods on the 500 twin and put it in the frame of the 250 or 300 would not be able to make them fast enough.they all should be making a big twin
You’re pretty close to my size. I’m 5’9 and about the same weight. Plus I have shorter legs than most people my height (about 29” inseam). It felt a little tall to me at first, coming from an XT250, but it didn’t take long before it felt totally normal. Now my XT feels super short 🙂
Very well said, subscribed. There were also a lot of cheerleaders with this model. Any negative comments on power or suspension were down voted or disputed. I understand people want to defend their purchase but it also misleads new riders. As you said, know what you're buying. It looks like a great little bike and I really hope they blend it with the 450L soon and give us a 550-600cc big brother one day.
On paper, the XR definitely outshines the 300L in a lot of ways. It's more powerful, faster on the highway, arguably better off road, and only about 15 lbs heavier than the Rally. Comparing it specifically to the rally, where it falls short, in my opinion, is tank size and gas mileage. It only has a 2.8 gallon tank, and gets 40-50 MPG. The Rally has a 3.4 gallon tank and gets about 70 MPG. That equates to about 100 miles of extra range on the Rally, which is a big deal for me out in the desert. Beyond that though, the biggest deal breakers for me on the XR are the seat height (37" is a bit tall for my short legs) and the lack of EFI. If those things don't bother you, the XR would be an awesome choice.
I’m 67 yrs old and paid cash for my 300L. I don’t ride a lot but when I get the urge to take a ride I know it is in the garage waiting for me.
I'm 63 and just got mine 2 weeks ago, a great bike for old farts to putt around on ;)
One fall at your age and you're crippled for life😮
@@richarddevaottien7724 yes I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and now I’m bed ridden for the rest of my life. Being my age I probably only have a year at the most. Whatever!
@@richarddevaottien7724
Well, clearly he is not a soy boy living in fear like you.
@@2shoestoo Don't do drugs! Like ever!
I always think to myself, imagine if this bike came out 30-40 years ago and how amazed people would be with its performance and capability. Buyer's remorse and Analysis paralysis are the two top reasons why people don't like the bike they purchased. In reality, almost any bike you choose for your desired riding in this day and age will be more than enough. Unfortunately, people prioritize the tool they are using above the goal they're trying to achieve.
Very true. Every time I see a video of some guy in South America on like a 1982 street bike flying up a trail that I’d be afraid to walk up, I think that I’m way overthinking my bikes.
I thought they were more off road capable stock (9000km before I sold her). Another buying factor was the price (now $1300 more than in mar 21 when I bought my first)
"it's great if you compare it to a ancient bike from 40 years ago!" has to be the worst way to justify parts of the CRF being poor lol. It may do the job but why wouldn't you want a better tool?
People also buy the wrong tool for the job. Look at the "I'm selling" videos and you'll quickly notice a trend. They compare it to a race 450 AND an Africa twin. Typically the comparison goes something like this:
"I like my tenere/africa twin/KTM 890 adventure much better for logging 1000 miles over the weekend. So much more power and comfort. But the bigger letdown is that I can't hit off road on it like my yz450/crf450/rmz450. So I'm selling it"
Or like this:
"I have to ride off road ever day on my commute. Which is why I bought it, but I just don't like it for the rest of the commute" then they show their "off road" is a well maintained gravel road. That any bike could handle.
Great point, I daily drive a honda ruckus at the moment, it's by far slowest street legal bike you can possibly find, but I knew what my goal was when I bought it, and now when I move up to a 300 in spring I'll appreciate that much more
I do not own a 300L and have no desire to ever consider one (cruiser guy) but watched the entire video. You made a very good, pleasant to watch, video. Good job!
Thank you!
Love my 300L because it is good enough. I think another reason is people are never content with what they have. Always wanting more, whatever that might be.
Very true. I’m guilty of that myself sometimes.
Most gutless bike on the highway but fun off road
BINGO. I personally know one particular guy who has pissed away hundreds of thousands of dollars making up excuses why he needs to trade in or upgrade stuff he's had a year or less. The simple truth of the matter is most people out there are materialistic minded drones. They're searching for happiness in possessions, always in competition with the Jones's and buying things they don't even need to impress people they don't even like. I call them LOOSERS. Advertising and marketing actually works on people and that has always amazed me to no end. I know another guy that literally f**** things up as soon as he buys them. He starts messing with this that and the other thing... it's unbelievable to watch. The older I get the more infinitely stupid people seem to me.
@@rickhadfield1097 Well it's not a highway bike so...🤷 A dual sport is for taking scenic backroads to get to offroad riding locations, fun city errand run arounds and commuting to your close workplace to save gas money and have a kick before and after work.🤷 I don't understand what people don't understand about that.
@@phantomshtter a dual sport can be fun and have good power though… dr650 or even the drz400 uncorked are great. They rip and have great power, so much fun and are better offroad than the Honda too and for adventures and hauling gear…..The Honda and small dual sports are super boring because they have no power and are literally scooters. Boring. If you wanna accelerate slower than a prius and ride at 10 under the speed limit then go for the little dual sports, lol.
Agree with all those scenarios! As a new rider my Rally is all I need at this time. It gets me to the Canyon to explore the trails on and behind Timp and just recently out to your area checking out those trails around Lake Mtn. Just have to use it for its intended type of riding, within its design limits. I'm having a blast with mine!
Yeah, it doesn’t do everything, but it does what it does very well. I hope the trails out here treated you right 🙂
Right on dude I'm glad you enjoy your 🏍️💨 it's a badass bike I got the 250 rally & love this shit out of mine they're fun to ride comfortable, dependable & for me it has enough capability cuz I'm not trying to go all crazy, could it be better yeah I'm sure everything could be a little better LOL but like you said ride it within its intended purpose & the bike is a freaking riot to ride 💪💪💯🏍️💨
The smart people who hold onto their 300's are those who've had bigger cc and more powerful bikes in the past and realise smaller is better
That makes so much sense and what an interesting fact Mark.
I currently have 700 miles on a new 2024RL and breaking this thing in just might break me at age 55.
If or when I do end up getting hurt I will retire on a 300 after I get out of the ICU.✌🏻
You mean people who probably bought a bigger bike before even having basic riding skills and then needing to go back down. Fixed it for you.
That may be what she tells you, but when you're at work she's at my place.
For me, the 250L Rally was a great first motorcycle. Easy to learn on. Not to much power. Very refined transmission and brakes. It was the perfect short distance commuter and trail motorcycle.
As my experience and skills increased, I was riding longer distances on tarmac to get to trails. I gravitated to logging roads and atv double tracks. On the trail, I find myself having to shift a lot because because the motor doesn't have enough low end grunt. There's not enough power to lighten up the front wheel for going over objects easily. And the suspension will require a lot of work for anything more than slow paced gravel roads.
I still love the motorcycle and will keep it for around town and nearby trails. I'll be getting a T7 for my coast to coast travel.
The T7 is one of the bigger bikes I've had my eye on for a while. But, if I ever get one (or something else in that class), I'll be hanging on to the CRF as well.
What's a T7 bike?
Yamaha Tenere 700
@HighDesertHills
No one is selling their Honda CRF300L/CRF300 Rally in droves like you mentioned. Adventure Undone still has his Enduro/Dual Sport bikes. Sure, some owners will "outgrow" this and other small bikes like it. People will buy a bike hoping that it is a "one bike for all" scenarios motorcycle. There's no such thing as a best bike for every road condition.
@@HighDesertHills
I've never heard people call the Tenere 700 bike....a "T7". That nickname by you makes me think of the Terminator movies. Lol
For me my Rally is all of those problems and I knew it would be, but I wanted reliability and economy first and foremost and the rest I can put up with, it's "apparent" shortcomings when I use it for local shopping or 30 minute trips into our larger city nearby and all road use. So I have not had a bike for 30 years and the last was a DR600, this 300L has some great technology as a new bike and very throttle responsive. A great bike to use as a stepping stone to biking again. I modded immediately with the ECU, exhaust and it is just great. I've watched users on here thrash the tripe out of this engine and the result of it kind of sold it for me.
I think that’s the key to enjoying any bike - knowing it’s shortcomings beforehand. Of course for me it’s a little different. I came from an XT250, so a lot of the “shortcomings” of my Rally are a big step up from what I was used to.
Ha, Im am in literally the same scenario. Almost exact life details too and everything mirrored! haha. Im 49 and raced as a kid and getting this non -rally model after decades. SO ill take your Mod suggestions. But What would you get if you didnt get this?
Almost got CRF300L and ended up with new DRZ400SM. Built set of ADV wheels 17/19 with TKC80 and could not be happier.
Agreed with everything. I have had a CRF300 Rally since October last year and love it. its not a sports bike or a motocross bike. I have a T7 for long trips road and dirt, an MT09SP for sports stuff.
I feel people just buy the wrong bike sometimes. there are a lot of people putting out a lot of information on many bikes that probably can't ride or have little experience riding who shouldn't. I think some people get confused and buy or avoid buying bikes because of the misinformation.
I have had loads of KTM's and enduro bikes which are great off road but no good on the road. The Honda is just a great all round trail bike. its also a cheap platform you can add things to get it how you like it, it does not need a service twice a month and does everything well.
Great review I will be keeping mine until a 450 version comes out.
Mick
That’s a great group of bikes you have. And if Honda has ever doubted the demand for a 450 Rally, they should come read the comments on this video. So many people waiting for one.
@@HighDesertHillssuch a shame they messed up the previous 450L, hopefully the Himalayan encourages them to bring out a decent low maintenance 450L.
I had the 250L and sold it for a ktm 300, I could actually keep up with people riding ktms on my 250L but I had to rag it to its limit, ended up doing much more technical enduro on the KTM and got a 790 adventure for dual sport, it does on and off road much better than the Honda
Perfectly put on this Video, my 300rally is easy to ride and cheap to live with as opposed to my ex 950 adventure - awesome to ride but she was thirsty, heavy and expensive to date, none of em are perfect you just gotta know that fact and love what you got
I can totally relate, 05 950 Adventure here! She’s fun but dam you described her perfectly, hence why the 300L is my next bike
@Manuel Urrego I had a bit of a gap between the two bikes... get a test ride first if you can Manuel, just so you know what you're getting power wise, I know you know but I miss that top end pull for overtaking anything above 50mph
19:45 you nailed it. I keep my H or KTM for the week end, but at 54 000kms in 3 years my CRF dual sport is the ideal horse in my stable.
I had a CRF1000L I used it off-road, the reason I am looking into this bike is: almost in every country Honda has parts if I decide to go on a world tour. The second one I will not be tired picking this bike up for the 6th time. Also extremely easy to maintain and the maintenance interval is brilliant!
Yup. I picked up a 300 Rally a few months into covid. The previous owner had upgraded several things but not the suspension. I liked the bike well enough but I soon realized that I didn't look forward to riding it. I was considering upgrading the suspension (hint: $$$) when someone offered me $1000 more than I paid for it. SOLD! That left me without something to take on the trails but I really didn't mind.
4 months later I happened to be at the local Kawasaki dealer sitting on the few bikes they had in stock for a lark when a truck rolled up with two KLX 300s and a couple other new bikes on the back. The dealer was as surprised as I was but apparently inventory showing up out of the blue was how it was at the time. He had a long list of people interested in the bike but no one had plonked down a deposit so... Long story short I'm now a very happy KLX owner.
Awesome timing! Congrats on the KLX!
I really wish they were road legal in Australia but the reality is they are not. I bought first crf300la mar 21. They are ok but I had expected more off road capabilities with the advertising at the time. Enjoy your bike & stay safe out there 👍
I really wanted a 300L Rally, but my commute included about 25 miles of highway (75-80 mph). I bought a Tenere 700 instead and had a blast with it. I moved from Virginia to Thailand, so now I'm in the market for a 300L again. They are made here, so they are both cheaper and more available. The roads here are perfect for this bike.
I’ve seen lots of videos and pics of people on 300Ls in Thailand, and it looks amazing. Enjoy the riding over there!
I live and ride in Northern Thailand and just ordered the 2023 CRF300L. Can't wait till it arrives.
I am an Enduro racer and I race a YZ250X 52hp 2stroke beast, I am happy with my Rally,I call it my lil adv bike that could. Yes it's not as nimble and as fast as my 250x but with suspension done and skills I make it fun for me and keep up with all my friends on their 501s,701s 650s ect....on dirt yes is not as fast as the other ones on street but I make it work on the dirt and I have a blast on it!! I LOVE MY UNICORN 💪🏾😎
Awesome to hear. And I’m sure you on your Rally could dust me on any bike at all 🙂
@@HighDesertHills Hey as long you having fun its what really matters, I ride with guys that are in their 70s and have Rallys also and they love the bike!!
@@thumbgas888 Amen to that. If I had any ego about my riding skills, I would have given up a while ago. It’s all about the fun 👍
@@HighDesertHills 💯
I did my suspension upgrade and my 300L is a great bike for the cash it gets you to the trail then becomes fun .
Anyone who would buy a 300L Rally or the 300L to commute on freeways that speed is above 80 may have not done enough research before purchasing those bikes I’m happy with both on and off road capabilities I did my research obviously they didn’t do good research before purchasing one the reviews and thought are out there informative vid 👍🤟
Where I live you can’t even find one. None for sale within 200 miles. I did find a Versys 300 at a good price and so far I’m loving it. I also have a big bike for longer trips.
Nice! I’ve heard great things about the Versys, but haven’t had a chance to ride one personally.
I've had a KLX 300 for the last 6 months, done quite a few mods, and really got it feeling great for most of what I do. But I think I'm going to be selling it by summer at the latest. Feel like I've graduated to something like a Beta 390 or maybe a Tuareg 660. I want to do BDR's and other longer range dirt-focused touring.
Those other bikes will be heavier and get less mpg. I think that if you are doing BDR's your KLX 300 might be a better bike.
@@jamesadams2334 Beta 390 is lighter than a KLX 300. Tuareg is a whole different animal and certainly heavier but would be considerably more comfortable for long range while still quite dirt worthy on anything except single track and hard enduro type stuff.
The Beta 390 is a great bike. It reminds me a lot of my old KTM XCW400 which was a fantastic do it all bike.
For me Honda missed the mark with the 300. Under powered and wimpy suspension.
@@user-se7vt5ow4e Yeah, I will never buy a bike lower than 350cc. But I also don't want anything bigger than around 700 if I'm going off-road. 350-650cc is the sweet spot.
I have a 390rr since 4 years. Swiss knife, real enduro bike plated. Yes it can hurt your butt on tarmac but the fun erase all suffering 🎉
Interesting comments from High Desert. Maybe the owners should live here in WI - the highest speed limit is 70 and 95-100 gets you jail time. As for so many for sale, that conflicts with the "unobtainium" status of supposedly none at the dealers and the above-retail prices on used ones.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that speed limits tend to decline the farther east you go. A bunch of speed demons out here in the west 🙂
Where are all those used Honda CRF 300 L Rally being sold at?? I cant find anything but brand new ones being advertised for sale.
Often they leave bikes up for sale on there sites but don't even have them anymore .
I had a 450L I put over 3k into. Such a waste it turns out. In almost 2 yrs I had it I put 996 miles on it. Picked up a new 300 Rally and love it. In 3 months I put just over 3000 miles on it. Can't wait to do some up grades. But, what I'm looking for may not be what you're looking for.
I’ve been having a blast both riding and upgrading mine. Definitely my unicorn.
@Anders D . Well, to be fair it was part of my unrealistic expectation. After the up grades did very well off road. But, here are my personal issues. Putting that much money into an already expensive bike to operate how it should stock is wrong. Mostly I prefer to ride alone and cruise and explore. The 450 likes to go fast. Maintenance intervals. Even if doubled still aren't acceptable for me. (My fault). 450L could easily do a BDR. But...do I want to ride it home on the road afterwards? No thanks. It seems like many people had expectations like I did. Anyway, just know what you want. It can good but for a price!
Having one myself I can tell you why I will replace mine. It's a lawnmower! It barley makes highway speed. It really gets hot if your in any kind of temperature outside. It's very tall. Soft suspension. But mostly it is way under powered. By the time you do any mods to try and get more out of it you may as well have bought a Tenere 700.
Interesting philosophizing when you drive on the great plain fields 😀 Really enjoyed it.
Thank you!
I would love to own one. I have a cr250r that makes me happy on the dirt tracks bud I live in the Spanish mountains and there are so many beautiful dirt roads to discover. And I think that a low maintenance bike should be perfect. I don't need adjustable suspension for that. Just a bike that's not gonna brake down. I also love the fuel capacity. And by experience I feel a lot more comfortable on a smaller bike doing some rough terrain than on a tank like the gs or a afrika twin. Personally I think you have to be a very good driver to control that big bikes in complicated situations.
Yes, this bike is perfect for exploring dirt roads 👍
As a new rider I think this is the perfect fit for me. I ride it off road 90% of the time and it doesn’t allow me to get into too much trouble. I will keep this for a long time since its two years old now and I only have 500 miles on it.
Just got my CRF 300L...
Great video and we have the same all around thoughts of this bike ...
Honda 4 Life
Congrats on the new bike!
Thanks and Ride safe bro!!
One unsaid problem with dual sports depending on where you live is not having places to ride off-road. I grew up out in the county with plenty of land to ride on. Got my first Yamaha yz when I was like 13. But now I live in the city. There are some dedicated off-road parks around here but it’s expensive to pay every time you want to ride off-road. And most of the parks are not really suited for dual sports. Like the ones here are more so designed for either all out dirt bikes with jumps that are too extreme for dual sport suspension, or they have stuff for jeeps and 4x4 trucks and side by sides that has water that’s too deep or are all torn to hell and brutal to ride a bike on. I love dirt bikes and dual sports but for me small naked bikes and super motos make a lot more sense for the type of riding I do
That’s a great point. Thankfully not an issue for me out here in the desert, but yeah - gotta have a decent place to ride off-road or a dual sport just becomes a mediocre street bike.
My problem is the distance to travel to get into back roads in mo ,ar and colrado is 2-3 hrs just to get to the closer ones. My star venture eats up the road so its really hard to find the adventure bike that can do those 550 mile days when you only have a week long holiday once a year. Maintenance of your chains become a daily event then looking at shaft drive bikes weight and costs become an issue so I'm stuck ag the drawing board for now.
These are perfect for everything except when you expect more. Freeway mine hit 154kmh (standard 300la led ABS in Australia) its ok but don't expect that a perfect bike off road or on road. Its a dual sport! I recommend changing tyres from day1 though
Could not agree more I think these are great starter bikes that can do a lot. I am trying to help a friend find one of these or a KLX300 for a decent price. I am really excited to see what Kove can do to the market for dual sports.
I have noticed that when you upgrade one aspect of a bike you expose another short coming in a different area.. suspension improvements, now need more power, power up now I need better tires, brakes and larger fuel tank.
I think that’s accurate.
I picked up a silver 2018 250l Rally with 900 miles. Great bike. No mods other than a concept seat. I decided to ride it as is and if the suspension bottoms out to much then it's time to go on a diet and use your knees a bit more. Just wish my legs were a bit longer. As for tight trails I have a smaller dirt bike that weights a hundred pounds less and goes anywhere I aim it. 😁
I rode my 300 with the stock suspension for a year and had an absolute blast. But yes, my legs definitely got a workout from being the extra suspension 🙂
If that is the case why are there absolutely none available second hand. ? (Here in the UK)
They sell new or used fast af , I had to settle for a 2018 250 instead of a 300, but mine only had 900 miles on it and is in black .
IMO for someone under around 150lbs the 300L Rally might be the best lightweight ADV bike on the market... but for bigger folks it will depend on how you like to ride. If your riding style is laid back rural roads and light offroad I suspect the 300 will be a very nice option for any size. I'm a pretty hard rider and I'm over 220lbs so opted for the 701 Enduro to get more power... primarily for road segments where you can use it, but if I was smaller I'd absolutely have given the Honda a hard look.
As for all the mods needed on the Honda to get it to "the $11,000 ktm" level... I bought the ktm and STILL needed to do all that stuff to get the bike configured for my use... the difference is instead of paying $11,000 to get it configured like the Honda would cost... I spent $20,000.
I agree on both counts. I'm about 195lbs, and the Rally still feels like the perfect lightweight adventurer for me, and the type of riding I do. And yes - If I bought an $11,000 bike, I'd still be modding the crap out of it too.
the KTM needed mod is maybe a larger tank so for $$ invested your not comparing it accurately...plus you have far more performance on all components w any Ktm dual sport.
@@dirtrider9268 If you're cost sensitive then absolutely that changes the equation a lot... but I didn't have a problem dropping $20k on the 701 (that's what it took to get it ready for the TAT) so cost wasn't a concern for me, my calculations were entirely based on "what was the best bike for lightweight offroad ADV for me".
I did 7000 miles of the TAT on the stock tank (with 1 gallon of extra fuel that I used twice)... but in hindsight I'd have been happier with the LR kit on the 701 because I did deal with a lot of range anxiety. The 3 things I didn't do that I wish I'd done to the bike were LR tanks, heated grips and Cruise control.
Thanks for this, after all the soft suspension reports im 5'10 145 on a good day super fit surfer guy 50yrs old- raced dirt as a kid, haven't had a bike in decades. I feel this will be a dream for me. Might outgrow it quick with my riding knowledge but im happy to just get a bike again so hopefully the joy lasts a couple years.
@@kuhndj67 ahh, i was commenting on the comparison of honda mods up to $11k being similar to ktm mods of $20k. Obviously the 701 platform is different and superior for that task, over the budget built Bangkok 300L rally. If someone has to have Red on a tight budget..., happy trails to them.
Thank you for this information. I hope to save money and buy myself this bike.
Honda should put out a dual sport 350cc w/ 6-speed transmission that reaches 90mph
Best description I've heard of the 300L/300L Rally is "perfectly adequate."
I bought the 2017 original rally without abs, I love it use it quite a bit bit not happy with everything, New gear ratio does wonders, New exhaust and fender eliminator kit as well. Haven't done the fuel mod or airbox mods yet. Suspension sucks but rear coil can be adjust, made a huge difference but I have bottomed the forks a few times now 😂 only gripe was I wish it didn't look so damn sexy, I laid my bike down a few times and the plastics are cracked, scratched and some are missing. And the biggest complaint is little to no non-oem plastics kits. Unless you drop 1k for a new set at Honda lol the crf250l and 300l have exchangeable plastics and a new set is 40-200$
Haha, yeah - my plastics are starting to look a little sad. On my first bike (an XT250) I would go buy a new plastic every time I got a gouge, but that got expensive 😂
If everybody is selling, then who is buying from them??
Everyone that I’ve seen selling them on Facebook is asking well over MSRP, and the money they have in them.
In my case, I could not find a rally to buy last year, so I settled for a standard CRF 300 L. Recently a local dealer had a rally that I had tried to buy, but it was already sold. Recently that customer returned it, saying it was too tall, and the dealer offered it to me for $1800 plus my 300l. No thanks! 😊
Yeah, I’ve seen some crazy prices in the used market. I guess that’s another reason that I didn’t mention - there are actually sold flippers out there trying to make a profit.
They aren't. At least not here in OZ, hard pressed finding one for sale...
I love my CB500X but I'm still selling it. If I can make myself post it. Sometimes you have to move on, or want to try something different. CRF300L is on my wish list now. Who knows how long I'd keep it.
I've actually been anxious to try a CB500X. Best of luck with whatever bike you end up with next. There's no rule that says you have can't rotate through bikes as much as you want :)
I bought my crf 300r at 65y they go anywhere cheap to run Honda reliably. Yes done all the mods as it’s the fun of buying the bike plus I weigh 100kg so you have to do the suspension. If you put some genius rider on the bike you would be astounded where they will go. Shonky productions in Australian does some good off-road singe track on the 300. I have an 2022 Africa twin for highway and dirt roads long haul. Pick your weapon cheers for the content
I went from wr250r to ktm 500excf. I wish I hadn’t sold the wr. The ktm was one of the most awe inspiring motorcycles I have ever owned. However i just don’t have anywhere within 90 min to really ride it. If I lived right off a BDR or near a lot of trails I wouldn’t have sold it. The Wr was just fun for poking around and exploring and checking property lines on my homestead. I really see a rally in my garage soon. I’m gonna upgrade the suspension and exhaust and call it a day.
I keep hearing great things about the excf. I’m going to have to try one someday.
Whack the throttle in Fourth gear in deep sand with good tires and it’s like the bike is trying to break your grip on the bars. Torque for days. It’s bmw gs 1200 level torque and midrange. I love bikes where the power is easy to get to. Give me a good bottom end and midrange. The 6th gear is very usable. It’ll cruise 70 all day. Your butt won’t want to but the bike can do it
Sounds like a blast. Just wish my legs were a couple inches longer. That west height is pretty intimidating
@@HighDesertHills it’s a tall bike for sure. Great video by the way! You really hit on the sometimes unseen and unthought of variables that dictate whether someone buys, keeps, sells, enjoys or hates a particular bike.
Thanks!!
Thanks for going to the effort of making such a great video. Terrific points for anyone considering buying any new motorcycle.
Glad it was helpful!
Had one loved most of it, did not like the small gas tank, the side stand did not fit the bike and it uses, bike leaned over way to far, so far if I wanted to use the foot peg to mount the bike it would start to tip towards me if the ground was even a little on even or soft. Tried to get a good lowering kit for it and could not get one hear in Canada, and dealer was no help. Once on the bike and going it was a great bike did more than I needed on and off road. I stopped where the ground was a little on even and could hardly get off of it, put my foot on the peg and the bike started to tip over. Mind you I am 74 years old. This could of been fixed with a good lowering kit witch you can get in the
USA but I was unable to get in Canada Honda dealers seem once they sell you the bike they only want to service it and get what is on there list, do not want to go out of the way for you once you have bough the bike. So now I get what I want before I sine the deal for any bike from them. I now use a Honda Trail 125, the only problem with it is the small gas tank, but do wish it came with the 5 speed the same as the Grom. Having trouble when I switch form the CB500X to the Trail have to really think for the first bit of the ride. And would much rather have a hand clutch than having to use the foot on the down shifts. Think having two bikes is the way to go one for long distance highway or highway touring, or tiding with other on larger bikes, and the Trail for the great fun factor, on 80 km roads and under. The Trail has been a god send for me, as I have just got a compression fracture on my spine, and it is so easy to get out of the shed and ride, Just have to make sure I am up on the pegs when ever going over bumps in the road, Speed bumps are a killer if on the seat. Right now softer suspension would be nice but hopping in three months will be back to normal. Honda should push there dealers to make available more after market parts for there bike, or Honda should offer them. Even though I love my Hondas, I am not far away going back to other brands, as I have never had problems getting parts for the Kawasaki, or Yamahas I have had. I do no this is a Canada thing.
That’s something I should have included in my list. Sometimes a bike just doesn’t fit the rider. Based on what you said, it’s too bad the CRF300LS wasn’t available when you bought yours. Seat height is 2” lower.
When I purchased the first one I thought it was more off road friendly due to all the hype at the time. I was disappointed being honest but I understand its place now (I ended up buying more later 👍 as I don't mind 300la for fire trail kind of riding)
He said if your on the freeway you will feel a little underpowered is the understatement of the year when it comes to the 300L. 80moh you are lucky if you hit 65 and that's without gear ..... It's a dirt moped.
Iv had some tall bikes but I didn’t expect this bike to be as tall as it is . I’m going to install a lowering kit but if I can’t get it low enough without sinking a million dollars into it then I’m going to sell it for that reason.
the biggest issue is people with no riding experience, running out and buying whatever, most often accompanied by sales pitches and peer pressure. it usually end up bad.
the best advice I can give? find friend whom ride and tag along with them, ask questions, and see if they'll help teach you and let you ride their bike/s! most will be willing and patient to help a friend enter the sport or freedom feeling of road riding.
when I was a kid, my choices were go for a ride on the back hanging on tight, until I was old enough to afford a little peanut size bike(yamaha mx 80), it was well worn out and I spent lots of time and money working on it myself, only getting help when I couldn't do the work myself like machining or things that required major tooling I didn't have. also car rides to the parts stores(kid under age 16). I rebuilt it more than once and other older bikes afterwards, mostly all older than me, then jumped head first into VW powered rail buggies (none were mine) but built engines and had fun on weekends. lol
Sound like an amazing childhood!
I wanted to buy a 250L back in 2019, then winter came and that season rolled into the 'pandemic' and the want was even greater, but due to lack of work and uncertainty, I was not able to justify the purchase. Then, the 300L came and the want was even greater! Still have yet to get one due to my wife's medical requiring us to relocate from Alaska to the lower-48 and still have yet to find a job. The goal is to get one at the end of this winter, it will be used for exploring back roads and trails at slow speeds during the weekends and nothing more. I have no intention to drive it into the big city since traffic on a motorbike scares the heck out of me.
The 300L will be perfect for that. Best of luck with your wife’s medical stuff.
Just bought a 150 hp Pan American. I am looking at these as a second bike for the BDR’s.
Those PanAms are gorgeous
If this bike was at least 400cc and 35 to 38 hp. Lots of people would have been happy.
I’m ok with the power, but if they made a 450 Rally, it would sell like crazy.
I daily drive a honda ruckus, and there are always rural routes and highway to just about every destination in u.s.
I'm very tempted to buy a ruckus. They look so fun.
First off, Not everyone is selling it. A lot of people are still buying and a lot keeping it! Period..
Definitely. Sometimes my rambling is a little in-cohesive, but one of the points I was trying to make is that if you see a couple of "for sale" posts each week in a Facebook group, it may seem like "everybody" is selling, but when you consider that the group has 20,000 members worldwide, the reality is that very few people are getting rid of them.
@@HighDesertHills 👍
Great video and points. I really like how you are riding while making the video =] My first vehicle was a motorcycle at 15 years old in California (allowed to ride on a permit without a license \o/). I'm 44 now and have been riding all these years on many different bikes. I'll be moving from the USA to the Philippines very soon and this bike is going to be perfect. I will be on hardball and dirt roads daily. The speed of traffic there is MUCH slower than the USA so I won't miss or need the extra power. I also won't be jumping the thing or hitting any serious offroad tracks/areas either, it'll be pure transportation in the Philippines. I haven't ridden one yet, but I have enough experience to know exactly where this bike fits in the lineup. I'd say it's a great value at its price point just for the utility, fuel efficiency, and durability (HONDA). It's also less expensive in the Philippines which is nice (I believe it's around $5,200). It won't need any tinkering for my use so I'm sure I'll be happy with it stock. I've looked at many in its class and I'm just a Honda guy.... they've never let me down in the past and I've owned many Hondas.... in fact, I can't remember a single time any of my Hondas ever broke down. My favorite was the NT650GT Hawk =] Again, great video, and thanks for the data and perspective.
Thanks for the great comment, and best of luck in the Philippines!
@@HighDesertHills Thank you =]
Is the Rally the same motorcycle used by Norally of Itchy Boots from Ecuador to the tip of Alaska. She even named it Alaska.
It is 🙂
I loved my Rally 250. Just sold it after 25,000km cross country travelling.
I am buying a Triumph 400X to replace it. I want style and a bit more power to manage highway work. I plan on buying a CRF300l for a dirt bike later though. Hard to beat a dual sport with a street bike motor in it like the CRF.
I had a couple WR250R's that also had a very street like motor in them but damn Yamaha quit making them and refused to up the power to a 300-450 [which would have sold a ton of bikes]
With soft luggage the Rally is world class. Its reliable and cheap to buy and to run and put a lot of smiles on my face. I live in Asia and the locals would come over and ask me about my CRF250 Rally. Every small town here has CRF's in it. They seemed to ignore the BMW guys that are everywhere here touring. It can do highway speeds but got blown around a bit too much some days with heavy crosswinds.Also i hate highways but need to do them and having passing power is important. No bike can do everything but the Rally is damn close.
I think the CRF is the bike of the people, for the people. I almost feel emotional thinking about this bike.I'll buy the 300L soon to have for dirt. They are just too good.
Very well said. Thanks for the great comment!
Most likely due to being under powered. People most likely didn’t realize this when they bought it.
I have the Rally 250 but I’m a light weight 50 year old and don’t care about the lack of power.
Yeah, it’s got plenty of power for the stuff I do on it, but I keep it pretty simple.
Bought 300L, did 3800 miles in 2 months, outgrew it quickly. Sold it for KTM 390 ADV, much better suited to my longer travel use.
Nice. Those 390s look awesome.
@@HighDesertHills so far, im loving it. Adj suspension and 44hp is sweet.
Great video
Great video. I would love to be riding in the area that you are. That is the kind of riding that I would be doing. Mostly dirt roads and cruising country roads.
Thanks! Yeah, loads of great riding out here 👍
I was gonna get this bike because I’m a first time rider at 49 but many experienced riders told me to go with the XR650L since I’m 6’-5” tall & 235 lbs. it was a tough bike to learn on but no matter what whether you get the 650 or the 300 it’s a Honda so reliability is there
Ride Red, Ride Safe!!
The XR looks awesome. When I was in the market for a bigger bike, I seriously considered it, but at 5’ 9” the seat height scared me away.
Probably because the seats massively high. Only giants can ride em. Unless you to fight em. Itchy boots seem to do fine though and shes pretty short
The seat height take a little getting used to with my 29” inseam, but it feels normal now. Unfortunately most dual sports are ridiculously tall.
They can't keep them in stock , most are sold before ever getting to the dealership , and i've never seen a used one here at a dealership, ever..in years.
It's a decent bike for the money. It doesn't do anything great. But it does everything you'd need it to ok. I'd never consider it if I had highway commuting it's not got enough power to stay at highway speeds without red lining it the whole time.
Dudes always telling me I’m going to have to replace the suspension right off the bat. All while standing next to their non-CRF bikes that they have spent thousands of dollars on because they weren’t good enough
I’m happy with my Rally…apart from the head light…and the rear suspension. The head light is woeful and points off to the right (and can’t be adjusted)
I got a Nitron rear shocker and that has improved the handling 100%
That headlight though, amazed Honda would make something so very badly designed, I mean how can you not aim the beam!!!???
Interesting. I've always been happy with the headlight. I was actually surprised by how well it lit everything up when I first tried it. Maybe my old bike just really sucked :)
Why don't I live in a place where the landscape and roads are like this? Where are you? Greetings from the UK.
The grass is always greener. I’d love to be able to tour through Europe 🙂 I’m in Utah.
Top Ten Dual Sport perks
10. No pit rules
9. No time limits
8. No competition
7. No speed limits
6. No stinkin' Lua’s
5. No waver signing
4. No waiting around
3. No entry fee gates
2. No boundary limits
1. No repetitious lap's
~Gasser Classic~
Never ridden on a course, and you’ve just convinced me not to 🙂
I'm not even trying to sound like an a****** or nothing but if you buy a 300 l to go 90 mph on the freeway you shouldn't be buying a motorcycle at all. You need to go back to square one and start doing your research. There's plenty of bikes in the category that will do it. Price range? Hell no. You're not going to get anything that holds that kind of speed comfortably without paying for it. Plus what are you doing buying a dirt bike to ride on the freeway? That has to be the most nonsensical thing I've heard all day....and I got a 6 year old
only a handful on sale in entire UK
If any flat Earth folks were watching this they probably had to bail early fearing they'd see you ride off the edge , what a spectacular landscape ! All good points you make...thanks ...
😂Disproving flat earthers is an unexpected bonus
Love my 250cfl, im going to buy a 300 eventually. 300 is perfect size. Im 6'1 210 lbs and the 250 is great so a little more hp would make the Appalachia hills nicer. Not that i have abproblem with the 250. Dual Sports are the only bikes you can lock up the brakes in an emergency which always happens the more you ride. I only ride dual sports.
I’m with you there. Dual sports are the only way to go.
The Tinkerer - I have the same syndrome with guitars. I've been playing since I was a kid. But my real talent is in building and modifying. Oh sure... I can play all the cool ACDC songs and a few by Metallica (except the solo's, Kirk is better than people give him credit for). But if you just bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard (expensive and notoriously bad out of the box!) and need it set up to play and feel like butter... Im your guy. I've bought entry level Jacksons and built them into pro level gigging greatness.
Haha, I actually sold my Les Paul Standard in order to buy my first motorcycle. Maybe I would have kept the guitar if you had modded it for me 🙂
Go small or go home. Honda XR150L is where it's at baby. 😂
I wish the CRF300 had its seat.
@robertmitchell6080 yep, the XR150L seat is comfy. Lot of people, including me, wish the seat was flat so we can sit further back on the seat. The "hump" sucks. Bi-level seats on dirt/dual bikes doesn't make sense. Hoping Honda releases the 230 Jewel in 2025. Beautiful bike and no "hump". ✌🏻
I wish I knew who was selling them because I can't find one new or used anywhere!
Agree with most everything you said. I am one of those mod-obsessed folks. Currently, farkling my 450L, which I bought a month ago after selling a WR250R. I was looking for a 300L Rally but couldn't find one.
Modding out a 450L sounds like a blast.
Shoulda went dr650… way better, mods galore too. And wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper
@@keithquinn5624 no comparison between a dr650 and 450l. Iv ridden both. I have respect for both bikes but you have no place telling someone what they should or shouldn’t have gotten.
The hype and 8 month wait time...A true unicorn doesn't exist. I don't agree with it being a first bike. It's too tall especially with aftermarket suspension. It's a motorcyclists bike. Power sucks. But I challenge you to find a bike that will do everything. I ride in Tasmania. I can ride 200km on road then spend a day off road. Saying that, I also own a Z800. COMPROMISE. We are waiting for a Honda 400ish Rally...Honda we are waiting. And BTW. I've spent plenty on aftermarket upgrades. And it's only added to the bike Honda should have produced out of the box. But then it'd be more expensive. Which would have prohibited people buying it in the first place. Come on Honda! Give us a 450 version of this bike and keep in under 170Kg and $12000AUS.
Yeah, it would have been too tall for me to start on, but I think it’d be an easy bike to start on for the long legged guys. And yes. A 400-450 rally would sell like crazy.
People tend to forget that this is only a 300cc, or maybe they are unaware that 300cc is a very small engine. Nevertheless if you need to ride on the highway, forget this bike and get something above 600cc imo
I have been daydreaming a lot lately about something in the 600+ CC range to add to this :)
What's the MPG on the crf300 l /Rally
I’ve been averaging about 74, but it depends a lot on your riding style.
Same reason, I sold my CRF250L. It does everything well, but not exceptionally well, being bland in the process. Reliable, but uninspiring.
That's why I sold my 300l. Outstanding motorcycle but not exhilarating. A motorcycle should be exciting to ride!
Definitely - if you're not inspired by it, I say find something that does inspire you. Happily, it's still inspiring for me :)
I had a BMW 650 Dakar - sold it at 110 000KM Bought a 300 rally had it for 6 months sold it at 1500 km and bought the best bike ever Suzuki V Strom 650
I've heard nothing but good things from V Strom owners. Glad you found the perfect bike for you.
I am heavy (100kg) and 64 years old. This looks like a good bike for me. I do not want something very heavy, or with enormous power. I will not try to go fast on the road, and I am not looking to going on really rough terrain. On dirt roads I would not be going fast either. Do you think it is suitable for me ?
I think it'll work great for you. I did upgrade the suspension recently on mine, but if you don't mind taking it a bit slow over the rough stuff, the stock suspension is fine in my opinion. For reference, I'm about 90kg.
I have the XT250. Great bike. Put knobby tires on it, 16tooth front sprocket.
Honda should have just put their cb500x engine in a dirtbike frame.
I don't know why japanese manufactures struggle so much to make a unicorn adventure bike. The formula is simple.
-400-600cc thumper or twin with large oil capacity and long maintenence interval (street motor)
-Adapt a motocross frame to fit the motor. Along with off the shelf motocross suspension that they already have.
-large fuel capacity
Boom. Unicorn bike that everyone wants
I’m half convinced they don’t want to make a unicorn. They want people to buy three bikes.
A dual sport is never gonna be great at anything....but it can do everything reasonably well enough
Amen to that 👍
I seen maybe new color in 23, I don't own one yet but maybe one day.
I love the new gray option on the 300L. Wish they had that scheme for the Rally as well.
Think it's funny about mostly the middle aged crowd..300cc was never going to push around a 200+ pound rider and 40-50 pounds of gear.. and it's like Ralph Lauren clothing.. yes you can look like rough and outdoors type but it's just a look people are on the street 90..95 of the time.. and off road.. means dirt roads.. nothing technical and it's a single.. there are no 290ish twins..If Honda just did mods on the 500 twin and put it in the frame of the 250 or 300 would not be able to make them fast enough.they all should be making a big twin
They really should. I had high hopes for the new Transalp, but it looks to be a little too trans, and not enough alp.
450ccm like Dakar needed ❤️
Nice video. Solid advise. Is this New Mexico? Man those mountains, Just amazing.
Thanks! I’m in northern Utah. Lots of amazing riding out here 🙂
IMHO, spot on.
Nice work!
Thanks!!
Actually the weight, center of gravity, suspension and torque do matter - if making cost comparisons..
I Will going to buy 300l rally in few weeks the only concern that I have is the height of the bike I’m 5.8 and 90kg I don’t know if fit that bike :)
You’re pretty close to my size. I’m 5’9 and about the same weight. Plus I have shorter legs than most people my height (about 29” inseam). It felt a little tall to me at first, coming from an XT250, but it didn’t take long before it felt totally normal. Now my XT feels super short 🙂
Very well said, subscribed. There were also a lot of cheerleaders with this model. Any negative comments on power or suspension were down voted or disputed. I understand people want to defend their purchase but it also misleads new riders. As you said, know what you're buying. It looks like a great little bike and I really hope they blend it with the 450L soon and give us a 550-600cc big brother one day.
Thanks for the feedback - and the sub!
It really needed an 10-20hp so it can cruise at 75-80 without stress on the engine.
You are describing a 250 4stroke MX bike. How long do those motors last?
They aren't selling them up here in Canada - at least use.
It just needs 75cc/10hp and some rather minor suspension adjustments.
There is no one bike solution! The sooner you get 2-3 minimum the sooner you can embrace what each one does best :)
How does the 300L/Rally compare to the XR650L?
On paper, the XR definitely outshines the 300L in a lot of ways. It's more powerful, faster on the highway, arguably better off road, and only about 15 lbs heavier than the Rally. Comparing it specifically to the rally, where it falls short, in my opinion, is tank size and gas mileage. It only has a 2.8 gallon tank, and gets 40-50 MPG. The Rally has a 3.4 gallon tank and gets about 70 MPG. That equates to about 100 miles of extra range on the Rally, which is a big deal for me out in the desert. Beyond that though, the biggest deal breakers for me on the XR are the seat height (37" is a bit tall for my short legs) and the lack of EFI. If those things don't bother you, the XR would be an awesome choice.