CRF250 L thread

[garyboy]

craig gascoiyne's spec ..


So the CRF305L TET project bike nears completion. Takegawa 305cc hyper bore kit installed today and waiting running in. Racetech spring, Gold valves, Wilbers shock, FMF exhaust and header, air box mod, K&N air filter, EBC heavy duty clutch and springs, Acerbis 3 gallon tank, Renthal high bars and 35mm risers, DRC extra wide foot pegs, Ad-Tek aluminium skid plate, Hel stainless brake lines, RFX rear brake pedal with brake snake, CRF250L Rally gear change with flexible toe, Domino grips, Polsport handguards, LED tail tidy, AXP Racing Radiator guard, R&G case covers, Apico hour meter with rev counter, Garmin GPSmaps 276cx sat nav with Talkytoaster UK, Spanish & French maps subscription, 12 Volt handlebar and USB power points, home made tool tube, home made rear rack and carriers, overboard waterproof cylinder bags with home made Cordura covers for abrasion resistance, Quechua Ultralight tent (1.9kg), 3 season ultralight sleeping bag, tarp, air pillow, ultralight high back camping chair….. Do you think I’m taking this serious enough?

[ggp59]

As I've just bought a CRF250L this thread obviously looked interesting
There seems to be a huge amount of information floating around the internet about which modifications are needed to turn it into the managable trail, road or TET type bike I hoped I'd bought.
But now struggling to work out what's really nessary or just nice (but expensive!) luxurys.

Currently going with the following plan.......

Already fitted with an ear bleedingly noisy Yoshimura pipe (ordered a quieter tip for it)
Proper bash plate
Renthals
Bar risers
Tail tidy
Unbreakable no. plate
Hand guards
Heated grips
Luggage rack
13T front sprocket
Power supply
Garmin Montana cradle

Then there are the more American recommdations......
Air box opened up
Fuel thingy - EJK?
Bigger fuel tank
Rear shock
Fork springs
Which sounds like more air (and possibly river water!) in, so need to also add the EJK to keep it supplied, then a bigger tank to cope with the newly created thirst, then better suspension to deal with all that speed and weight

Or am I just being cheap by trying to avoid spending the thick end of a grand to find out if all it transforms the bike or mearly add about 2bhp, more noise and bugger all other advantages

[garyboy]

read the mods and their reviews on here, especially minky's .. and judge with your bank balance handy.
each stage of mod is going to improve the bike .. but I reckon by only a small amount??
remember that 2017-on models are `improved` anyway.

tyre choice and tyre pressure are probably just as important/effective.

my 250L has only the basics to take it onto trails .. and i am constantly amazed at its proficiency
as a long distance trailie
tarmac slogger
and mud plugger



20180107_115724_LI by gary boy, on Flickr

20180419_151114 by gary boy, on Flickr

44464602_10216930536123285_909289673719808000_n (2) by gary boy, on Flickr

[ggp59]

Thanks for that
Have read all info on here and a lot of other places (especially Minky's) but still not sure for example if the EJK thing actually does anything worthwhile, or seen as great by people who have paid for one and now don't want to admit it only makes a tiny difference!
Think I'll do the first bits, ride it a lot more, maybe have the odd drag race with mates who have done loads, stop expecting it to be anything like my CRF250X and see how it goes!
I guess if I chuck the 1500 quid at it deemed necessary by some still won't have spent a fortune on the whole thing

Ps. the scarey Tuppaware tyres went after 100 miles, and will go back on when I sell it

[garyboy]

I got to admit that I keep thinking .. "if only a little bit " ,,, faster ,, lighter .. gruntier ..


but that's so with most bikes??

"just that little bit " (more) .. would make it a great bike !!!
.. but the cost?????


wise decision to try the different stage mods first




ps … I still got the front oem irc tyre on the front …. after 8,500 miles … love it .. but overdue now for a change

…………………………………………………………………..
today …. front irc

20181020_124916 (2) by gary boy, on Flickr

[garyboy]

20181024_142851 (2) by gary boy, on Flickr

well .. .. after falling off due to front wheel slip and wobble in a deep rut (nothing to do with skills level or lack of concentration, honest like) .. having done 9000 glorious miles, of mostly tarmac, but also significant trails .. I was eventually forced to change the front oem IRC tyre .. .. .. and put on a (part worn) 644 army special.


its wot u lounge is for .. `new` 644 ON .. old IRC OFF .. .. ..
20181024_132246 (2) by gary boy, on Flickr


I was in a rush to use it the next day, so it ended up out of centre, with a nice humping wobble on the front, which could not be felt at speed, strangely. (will have to deflate, add paste or liquid, and pull up the sunken bit?)


It felt really strange .. pressure a bit too low, and it went where it wanted,, too high and it bounced of stone alarmingly) .. but eventually I could feel the benefit, especially when I realised that, compared with the IRC, I was no longer riding with bated breath and a loose turd up me ass. .. .. I could also feel the higher height difference of the tyre profile, making for less control, but gliding over trail stuff well.



I have been doing a lot of distance work, a lot of tarmac, to get to mid wales and to west wales (.. o .. and Salisbury plain ) .. so my tyre and geering set up has suited me fine. .. However, doing a tough, (steep, stony, muddy, rutted) welsh lane yesterday, my rear E09 was slipping like a greased pig on the slimy steep stony slope, the clutch juddered and stopped, and I had to adjust the clutch on two occasions on the same bit of slope. .. .. I had had to ride the clutch (slip the clutch) to get any movement, as the engine would stall on the steep slope, followed by clutch drag! .. (this disappeared when cooled down ????? , and was over=adjusted …… very strange .. any explanations????)


When I got home i had a re-think, bearing in mind i won't be doing such long distances this winter, and ordered a rear Metzeler Unicross (120-90/18 .. £56 from oponeo) .. and a 45 tooth rear sprocket (£22) from mandp (14 std on front, still.)

(14/40 std) .. 14/42 now .. 14/45 to come.

.. .. .. hoping this will improve matters?
(rear grip. and clutch fade? pull up steep hills)

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I've no experience of this bike, but generally think drilling/cutting the airbox is a mistake. You might get a tiny bit more top end but conversely less bottom end as intake air velocity is going to be reduced and at anything less than full throttle, its the 'throttle' (clue in the name) that restricts air flow. In any case the extra dirt drawn in into your air filter will reduce air flow anyway.

Against that, the bike is far more likely to drown in very wet conditions.

[minkyhead]

knocking on theree years now .. and a couple of years with the 300r engine it really is a great upgrade to do ..done the same to me crf rally ...its cheap to do and gives the bike longer legs ...thers nothing out there that has reasonble light weight big service intervals in a new ish package to help with longerterm reliability ......so i kind of try and make me own and the crfs have a lot of options

theres so much you can do to the crfs ... they can make a very very good mini adv bike ,,,that doesnt mean they do mini distances though ...i could ride mine ..anywhere .. its better than you may think by along way well worth the extra few bob to set up i think ..what a pity they idnt kame it into a 400 ...but the 300 is pretty good for me ....no regrets at all love the little thing

36966749_10156317473198400_1415383580221112320_n by minkyhead56, on Flickr


zz by minkyhead56, on Flickr

bb by minkyhead56, on Flickr

[garyboy]

great pics there, Minky ..

yeah .. the 250L is a very good all-round little bike
but it could have been even better ..
lighter frame
bigger engine
better suspension
better brakes
etc

but as we know, it is a budget bike, built with eastern markets also in sight, using an existing engine, a steel frame, and Taiwanese labour.

Honda have dropped a googlie bollokk with the crf450L .. thinking the L designation would carry on the success of the smaller L.
but the short service intervals are a major blunder.


A long-service interval engine is going to be bulky, usually, and honda should have embraced this and accepted (some) higher weight in the interest of popular demand for a more powerful long distance trail plugger?? .. alleviating the weight with their already high quality 450 suspension, hybrid frame, brakes, etc.




.

[garyboy]

I've no experience of this bike, but generally think drilling/cutting the airbox is a mistake. You might get a tiny bit more top end but conversely less bottom end as intake air velocity is going to be reduced and at anything less than full throttle, its the 'throttle' (clue in the name) that restricts air flow. In any case the extra dirt drawn in into your air filter will reduce air flow anyway.

Against that, the bike is far more likely to drown in very wet conditions.

Yes .. I have always though that altering the oem setup is going to alter a bike's longevity! .. and service intervals!

Lower Performance = less tune = less need to maintain at frequent intervals.

Higher Performance = higher tune = bigger airbox, less restricted exhaust, more fuel in, more speed, more wear, more maintenance, more headaches.

Ok if you want that, and a lot do, of course, especially if u into competitions, but then a competition machine is more suited?

A careful trail plugger doing long distances? ... the std CRF250L, and the rally,seem to be fine.


I found out recently that the 250L has a tilt sensor .. so when I got damp recently, the engine cut out before/as it hit water … good to know.
I had trouble re-starting the bike .. and apparently you have to turn the ignition off, then back on, to reset/restart!! …
(which I did automatically, anyway)
this is also the case in the dry, on land

but..
a sensor is needed to detect water coming in through the air filter, surely????
in the case of riding in too deep a water?