Posts
15
Joined
9/5/2012
Location
Greeneville, TN
US
Edited Date/Time
11/9/2013 2:13pm
Hello Im new here and I just purchased this really nice bike for some off road trails and I might ride it to work from time to time . This is the first one I have purchased and so far I am very happy with it! I'm just curious of what everyone thinks about this bike and what upgrades I could add. So far all I plan to do is upgrade the exhaust but I was wondering if there is anything I could do to give this bike some extra HP!!!! I cant promise anything but I will try to post some videos of me riding soon on/off-road but so far Ive managed to hit 84mph before running out of road and Hthink it still had some pull LOL... This thing seems to ride really well but from what Ive been reading some people are bashing this bike and now Im kinda nervous about buying this one but for the price I thought it was a steal.....(4k usd) I think this bike will be good for a first purchase but Id like to spice it up if I could xD any replies would be appreciated
Not new to riding but this is the second bike I have owned and the first one I have purchased I really would l like to learn more about dirtbikes and how to ride so I could use any information anyone has to offer (magazines/how-to-guides)
Not new to riding but this is the second bike I have owned and the first one I have purchased I really would l like to learn more about dirtbikes and how to ride so I could use any information anyone has to offer (magazines/how-to-guides)
front or rear sprockets?
any feed back would be appreciated....
As far as the gearing, lower gearing will work better for the trails, trading off some road-abilty. You have to decide for yourself how you intend to use the bike, and adjust it accordingly.
To drop the gearing I prefer a larger rear sprocket as it is easier on the chain. The drawback is that this generally requires a longer chain. You can accomplish the same thing with a smaller front sprocket, but I feel this is harder on the chain, as it runs in a tighter radius around the smaller sprocket.
I have a couple of dual sports, one of which is a DRZ400S. It is street legal and does see some pavement, but it is set up primarily for dirt use. I run DRZ400E (the full-on off road version of the DRZ) gearing. The bike is still streetable, but doesn't like to cruise above 60 for extended periods of time. This might be similar to gearing your "L" more like the CRF230F.
If you decide to use it primarily for dirt, I might be able to give you more suggestions.
Specifications
ENGINE
Engine Type 249.4cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore And Stroke 76mm x 55mm
Induction PGM-FI, 36mm throttle body
Ignition Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance
Compression Ratio 10.7:1
Valve Train DOHC; four-valve
DRIVE TRAIN
Transmission Six-speed
Final Drive #520 chain; 14T/40T
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION / BRAKES
Front Suspension 43mm inverted fork; 8.7 inches travel
Rear Suspension Pro-Link® single shock with spring preload adjustability; 9.4 inches travel
Front Brake Single 256mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear Brake Single 220mm disc
Front Tire 3.00-21
Rear Tire 120/80-18
DIMENSIONS
Rake 27°35' (Caster Angle)
Trail 113mm (4.4 inches)
Wheelbase 56.9 inches
Seat Height 34.7 inches
Curb Weight 320 pounds
Fuel Capacity 2.0 gallons
Miles Per Gallon TBD - Honda's fuel economy estimates are based on EPA exhaust emission measurement test procedures and are intended for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.
Ground Clearance 10.0 inches
The Shop
As far as the gearing, if you need 70mph cruise you will probably wind up sticking with the stock gearing.
You could probably go up a tooth or two in the rear without killing your top end completely. It would be a noticeable change, but not a drastic one.
I don't know how similar the L engine is to the others, but I doubt it is the same. Your engine is designed for a long life, the others are designed for performance at the expense of longevity. The price you pay for a race engine in a bike is far more frequent overhauls compared to a trailie or dual sport.
My experience with most dual sports and trailies is that they all come out of the crate lean, and respond to normal mods nicely. I haven't had the pleasure of tuning an injected dual sport yet.
What would you do if you had this bike and kept it for off road use only???
How much am I looking at if I wanted to replace the front and rear suspension?
I've looked on motosport for parts for this bike and they don't really have anything... do you think it would be ok to use the crf 250x 2013 sprockets and parts?
I have had my 250l for about a month and have found that the gearing is too tall for off road. I am only riding forestry tracks and fire trails, not hard core enduro. If I were to do the enduro thing, I would have to say that I have the wrong bike, due to the suspension and gearing. It is a trail bike, and many people knock the 250L, as they falsely compare it to the other bikes in CRF family.
They come standard 14/40 sprockets and I am looking at going to a 42 tooth on the rear, just to give me a bit more bottom end torque. If you reduced the size of the front sprocket, your chain life will be significantly reduced due to the chain turning on a tighter radius. If you go to a larger rear sprocket, the torque output will be slightly increased with a slight reduction in top end speed. Have a look at www.sprocketcalculator.com and this will show you how each change will affect the output. From this website, going to a 13/49, your torque will increase around 24%, and top end power will drop about the same. You will also have to go from a 106 link to a 124 link chain to keep your wheel base the same.
The 250l is no speed demon, but you would just need to get a bit more torque in the bottom to mid range
If you go to a much larger rear sprocket, you will have to go to a larger chain to keep the wheel base the same, as reducing the wheel base will also affect the handling. Also the rear chain guide will have to be removed, as there is not much room between the rear sprocket and the guide in the standard setup. I reckon I will get away with a 42 tooth, with out any problems. Any bigger, and the big will be transformed massively. A simple way to look at it is, reduce the front sprocket by 1 tooth, is pretty close to increasing the rear by 4 teeth.
At the end of the day, the 250L is a good little bike. With all the mods that your looking at, it may have been cheaper to buy a Husqvarna TE 310, or A yamaha WRF or YF (if rego is not an issue). Keep us posted on how you go.
"Look guys I have owned the "L" for over a year now. I found out the hard way, I'm 56 and I stayed on the ground more than I stayed up on the bike. I have rode bikes all my life dirt and street. If you are going to ride trails make sure the trails are well maintained, 70/30 tires don't like sand nor a lot of mud. 1st thing I would do is, invest in tires to keep you on the bike or be very careful. Street riding you are fine. The bars are very weak for dirt riding, if you fall they will bend (I know). I recommend KTM stock fat bars with universal clamp, FMF Header, FMF Can, 13T front sprocket, EJK fuel tuner box or FMF tuner they all come with recommended settings. I found out the tuner is made all at the same place. Air Box mods will be a plus with air filter mods. Don't forget the 02 sensor (disconnect it). Shifter will also bend change it as well and be head of the game. BDSB web, Rick's modifications web pages will assist you. This bike is left up to you on what style of riding you plan to do, then adjust. You will not get but 24 hp tops out of this bike, after mods are complete."
Pit Row
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