FIRST RIDE: 2023 Honda XR150L | Ride Review and Initial Impressions
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- Опубліковано 23 чер 2023
- #hondaxr150l #xr150l #dualsport
First off, thanks to the boys at MNNTHBX (mnnthbx.com/) for inviting me to their amazing Barber Small Bore event at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Alabama to ride this bike! Not only is the event a blast overall, it was extra special of them to offer me the opportunity to take this bike for a little while and test it out!
So the 2023 Honda XR150L is a new addition to the Honda lineup, and it's an exciting one for many of small bore enthusiasts out there. There is no shortage of small bore Honda bikes to choose from, but not all of them are fully street legal or sized appropriately for some riders desired use. For instance, you can choose from about a dozen different offroad and motocross bikes in Honda's lineup, but only 2 of them are street legal (300L and 450RL). The 300L is a nice option for those who don't want the ripping motocross-like performance of the 450RL, but for some, the 300L is a bit more - both in terms of size and weight - than a casual small bore-type rider would really want. The beauty of small bore motorcycles is that they are super easy to ride, lightweight, not intimidating, and focused purely on leisurely fun local riding. Honda captures the "local fun riding" perfectly with their mini-moto lineup (Grom, Monkey, Trail 125, Cub, Navi), but if you plan to go offroad or your local riding conditions primarily include dirt or gravel roads, the mini-moto's will leave you needing to make modifications to accomplish this (ask me how I know!). So, this is where the XR150L comes in! It perfectly fills the gaps between the non-street legal smaller bore offroad bikes, the mini-motos, and the larger dual-sports.
The most interesting and attractive aspect of the XR150L is the price. There's no denying this. You can't ignore it or dismiss the fact that for less than $3000, you can have a genuine Honda that can tackle offroad riding conditions and on-road in the same ride, AND be street legal! In comparison, the mini-moto's all (except the Navi) come in at north of $3500-4000. So how is this bike so affordable and does that make it "cheap" in nature?
The key to the affordability of the 150L is apparent when you take a look at the engine. Feeding the air cooled cylinder is a good old fashioned Keihn carburetor. No sophisticated fuel injection with corresponding ECU and all of the engine programming that comes with such a system. This alone will slice tons of development time and cost off of a vehicle!
Glance over from the carb and notice there's no radiators for engine cooling. A simple air cooled cylinder is all this bike needs, so no radiators, water pumps, hoses, thermostats, and so on. So subtract that from the cost.
Sit on the bike and notice the simple dial gauges. No ECU and associated electronics means simpler methods of displaying speed and fuel.
Take a look at the brakes. Notice that the rear is a drum brake? This eliminates the need for fluid control and the master cylinders needed to push it. Not a huge cost in these items, but it counts when you can just use an $5 cable to activate your brakes!
Now scan over the suspension. Traditional upright forks, non-remote reservoir rear shock, and box steel swingarm all maintain simplicity and proven "trail bike" designs. Simple and affordable, are you getting the idea with this bike yet? It's actually enlightening and amazing to me that the price of the mini-moto's are what they are considering they HAVE all of those above items (maybe not the suspension, but...). It's also no wonder that the 300L is $5400 and the 450RL is $10k, as they have all of the above (with the super high tech stuff going on the 450RL).
Ok, so we get that this bike is a bargain, right? It is, and that shouldn't be forgotten when we consider this bike. So what is is like and how does it feel? Watch the video and find out! - Авто та транспорт
$2971 is too expensive.
I would definitely buy it if the price was $2970.
😂
You drive a hard bargain 😂
For anyone who hasn't been, "Awe inspiring" can't even begin to describe the museum at Barber. That place is like a motorcycle heaven.
That was the best review for this motorcycle that I’ve seen online so far thank you well done. Wish you had taken Off Road more …
Thank you! I wish I had more time with it and I would have
I prefer carburetors and air filters because I know I can fix them
There is a beauty to the simplicity of a carb sometimes
Please review after the 1rst phase of intial break in {650 mi} re-tighten oil change. Looking forward!!!!
If I counted your shifts correctly, your top speed runs were made in 4th gear, not 5th gear.
Correct. We got it to a GPS 70 in 5th, slightly downhill....
That would be quite embarrassing but I honestly hope that’s the case, cause I expected a bit more on the top end
I counted with 3 fingers on the shifts. On level ground and I'm near sea level 4th or 5th gear can cruise at 50 easily.
good stuff im looking at one for the crew. we love our 650l so the little brother would deff fit in . hope your out chasing some right now and #livetoride
It’s a fun bike! Super lightweight and will be fun on trails. I wish I had the chance to hit some on this test ride
@@John5XRis it good for starters
🙂Great Video 🙂
Thanks 😁
All dealerships i try to deal with want $ 4,000-5,000 ! I keep walking away🤣
I would like to see a kick start like the non US models and an oil filter.
nice bike sir
It was! Thanks to the gang at MNNTHBX and Honda for letting me take it for a spin!
Hi John,
Love to hear your thoughts comparing the xr150 to your ct125. Which one would you pick if you could only have one? And for what reasons?
I appreciate the feedback. I have a ct125 and now consider getting the xr150.
Cheers John
Bryan
Seems very similar to the CRF230 I had back in the day.
But with much less power 😉
The ABSOLUTELY WORST thing about the xr150l, is paying 67% extra in dealership fees and tax.. $3k bike is now $5k.. Pssssssshhhhhh, yeah right.. Gonna wait for a reseller.
I paid about $450 above MSRP.
In Canada we pay 15% tax the shipping and dealership assembly cost and fees . Ouch ! Mine was
$5300 Can $ . plated out the door . But worth every penny I mean nickel .
Cheaper then a Grom mached top end way more comfortable I am loving the stock seat .
@@edgarbradfordI paid 4,441 otd in Ca. Only 3:50 1,479 = tax lic shop fee set up!
@@edgarbradfordout the door?
I would pay an additional $1,000 for the same bike with a (same design, but larger) 250 cc engine, a rear disc brake, a 6-speed manual and Fuel Injection. I don't care about upgrading the rest of the bike, it is fine, forget about outdated! I mean the seat design is just fine! Why change it to something else? Imagine it under $4000.....
Yamaha's XT250 is $5,299...it has most of the features I want except for the 5-speed.
Oh! Sorry, I know why.....It's called the CRF300L from Honda and it would pose a threat and cannibalize sales.
Any way of swapping out for another, larger Honda engine?
I just want to be able to travel on the highway at a (rather slow but maximum) comfortable cruising range of 70 MPH, nothing more!
Yes I did see the video with the dude in the same bike, Akrapovic exhaust, hit 71 MPH but that was straining it to the max in a tucked position.
I would choose this bike over walking, any day of the week.
The price of the XR150L is probably part of the reason why this bike took so long to make it on the North American markets. Why spend 6-10k if all you need is a basic beginner bike.
Could be, the logic of that checks out
The price for one of these in 🇵🇦 is only $ 2300.
how many gears are on this bike?
5. I wasn’t hitting the rev limits in 4th on the ride and was thinking I was in the top gear, so there might be more top speed in the bike
The xr150l is a 5 speed and will do 50 mph. an hour all day top speed on mine 66 mph. tailwind , wide open throttle for miles , tucked down and trying to draft a bus . Can easily do 55 mph. average condition . 60 mph if pushed little wind and level ground .
How many miles on it at the time of this video?
Ya know I’m not sure! I can’t imagine it was more than a few hundred
1800
I have 1900 miles definitely broken in now . Loving the fuel mileage . Low operating cost is it's strong point .
Would it be good for my 120 lb wife? I have a 300l would she keep up with me, what’s top speed
I think this bike would be perfect for ladies or beginning riders. It’s very comfortable and easy to ride. Have her sit on one first to make sure the height is right, but as far as road handling and speed, it would be a compliment to your 300l. I only got it up to around 60, but am told it should go close to 70
I get 70 mph at 200lbs
60 mph is comfortable but starting to get wrung out.
Looking back on my video, I couldn’t top out 4th gear on my test ride, so I was seeing slower mph’s than I should have been. Maybe the hills in Alabama effected it more than it would on flat ground in Florida
For most under 1000 ft. stock bike is lean so up to a 115 main will improve mid range to top end torque . This US carb has no air , fuel mixture screw . but has a carb heater . Go figure.
We need the best plug and play carb or and injection system .
wr155 goes much harder
I’d be willing to test it!
Not in Canada yet , hopefully soon . And at what price . The bike has good numbers, speed , light over all a good dual sport .
Я такий самий купив собі новий в Україні в 2023 році у офіційного дилера Honda за 2700 у.о. У нас в країні на мототранспорт ніяких налогів не має.
Am i the only one that thinks the clutch is horrible on the xr? You have have 2 inches of nothing and then it springs out in a centimeter.
I didn’t notice anything weird on this bike
@@John5XR eh. Maybe it's just me. I haven't been on a bike in almost a decade, and getting on it it seemed really rough
Mine is the same. I was hoping it was something I could adjust.
Easy fix install some nice adjustable levers , remember it's a cheap bike , dress it up a little , your pegs are a must. Led headlight . Foldable shifter USB/volt meter . The stock tank bag works fine . Kimmie Moto tail bag . now it's a fun grocery hauler too .
JOHN.ITS CHEAPER CUZ ITS MADE IN CHINA ,GREETINGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES
nah its cuz its a pretty bike. Im getting one in 13 days yay
Biggest cost savings because it's assembled in Mexico and shipped North . They are also decades old and proven reliable. Until maybe the WR155R gets here .
Why don't you just say it is made in China instead of the song and dance. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but time will tell. All you have to do is look on the data plate to see where it is made.
Cause I was assuming it was made in Thailand like the Grom/Monkey/Trail 125/etc… I trust those bike and have no reason not to trust this bike, but it helps explain the costs a bit more
Mine was assembled in Mexico.
It's made in Mexico