The Malaysian quarter-litre motorcycle class sees
two new additions in the adventure bike segment, the 2017 Honda CRF250L and
CRF250 Rally, priced at RM 24,378 and RM 28,618 respectively, including GST, but
excluding road tax, registration and insurance. Taking design cues from the
Honda CRF450 Dakar racer, the CRF250 adventure bikes are designed for the urban rider who
likes things a little rough.
Both the CRF250L and CRF250 Rally carry the same 249
cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC single-cylinder power plant that delivers a claimed
24.4 hp at 8,500 rpm and 22.6 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, fed by a revised Honda
PGM-FI and throttle body. All-new for 2017 are the airbox, connector tube and
lightweight exhaust that exits on the right.
Power gets to the ground via a six-speed gearbox and
chain final drive, and a primary balance shaft reduces engine vibration while
the clutch is designed to withstand off-road abuse. Typical of motocross styled
machines, the fuel tanks on both CRFs are slim, but the CRF250L is fitted with
a 7.8-litre tank, while the Rally has a 10.1-litre tank.
A digital dashboard is found in the cockpit, and ABS
is standard equipment for both the CRF250L and CRF250 Rally, with the option of
switching off the rear wheel ABS for off-road riding. Honda lists the kerb
weight for the CRF250L as 146 kg, while the CRF250 Rally clocks in at 157 kg.
On the suspension side of things, both the CRF250L
and CRF250 Rally share the same setup, 43 mm diameter upside-down forks in
front, and Honda’s Prolink monoshock at the back. Rolling on 21-inch front and
18-inch rear wheels, both CRFs get single hydraulic disc brakes front and rear,
and as earlier mentioned, two-channel switchable ABS is standard. Seat height
on the CRF250L is set at 875 mm, while the CRF250 Rally lifts the rider a lofty
895 mm off the ground. Only one colour option is available for both bikes –
Extreme Red with black and white accents, and the CRF250L comes with a halogen
headlight while the Rally gets a twin LED headlight setup.
