Honda CRF300 Rally?

Lots of people like them on YouTube. "Dork In The Road" has a bunch of CRF300 Rally content/reviews. They are definitely lighter than a T7, and people are taking them everywhere the other bikes are going. I think they compare to an XR when they were good trail bikes. I'm itching to get a dual sport/ADV bike and wanting an CRF300, XR400 or XR650r, but I'm worried how my hip will hold up kicking those. I had an XR440 with no compression release, so I know what I'm getting myself into with the kick start, but I had a good hip back then.

I have had a CFR300L which I believe is the same bike with out the rally pack, very easy bike to ride, feels more like a dirt bike and less like an adventure bike.  I bought it for my girlfriend to learn on, figured if she didnt like it then I would just use it as a trail bike.  Its very easy to manage, but not a lot of power.  

I have one & LOVE IT! Bought it new in 2021 and it is PERFECT for days that I dont have time to load the YZ & drive to the trailhead but need an off-road fix!

Very fun friendly typical Honda with obscene reliability & build quality, even with it coming from the Thailand Honda plant! 
They are grossly undersprung from the factory, & a 90 pound japanese woman would bottom riding out of the driveway! Race Tech makes a spring kit that is very affordable & gets it more appropriate for a full grown dude! 

I added a set of ODI universal perch clamps, my favorite bend of Pro-Tapers with a set of folding mirrors and just ride the crap out of it!

Know going into it, it is NOT a race bike with only about 30hp, and will DEFINITELY need at minimum the spring kit for even modest off road stuff, but Honda has done a great job building a small/light bike that is quiet & reliable for a fair price too!

Great little scooter! 😎 👍❗️

Itchy Boots made it almost all the way across Africa on one before breaking her collarbone. I was really close to buying one but ended up with a Tenere because I spend too much time on the highways. I still yearn for the 300 sometimes, though.

Hell I even added a set of the TUSK pannier racks & luggage platform, grabbed two Northern Tool gun/camera boxes and made it a light weight BDR bike & even with the quiet factory/spark arrested muffler, I have ridden it all over Colorado & New Mexico with zero issue! Honda did a great job with the transmission & 6th gear will easily tolerate short stints at highway speeds!

I can carry this on a hitch rack on the wife’s Grand Cherokee (that my BMW GS or even my KLR is too heavy for!) and bring a bike along on fun family trips with the grandkids!

Been VERY happy with the Rally, and my Buddy with a 700 Tenere prefers to ride my 300Rally in more technical terrain! (Which is fine with me because I love riding his Tenere too! 🤪)

Get’cha one! I don’t think you’d regret as long as you go into it knowing its a friendly trailbike & not expect CRF450R performance!

Cycle World posted this to it's site a couple days ago. Not sure if they're in showrooms yet though. Very intriguing.

https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/ktm-390-adventure-r-revie…

I have ridden the 390 Adventure too after my son got this 2022 brand new and it was FABULOUS!
I really enjoy the Rally, and feel that IF a guy wants a street legal dirt bike for single track and semi technical terrain that isn’t stupid expensive, the Rally is a great choice! IF you are interested in a more “adventure” oriented bike, with a lower seat height and smaller/lighter than the Tenere, I would NOT hesitate to recommend the KTM 390 Adventure either! 
Frankly and in full disclosure, I will admit that I have said in the past that IF I’d known just how damn good the KTM gonna be when I bought the Rally, I woulda gotten a KTM 390 like my son’s and had a matched set! 
This generation KTM was DAMN good and despite being a 390cc single, KTM nailed the gear ratio and this bike was capable of 75-80 without breaking a sweat and was small/light enough for more technical terrain! 
I bet the latest iteration of the 390 Adventure will be even better!

Good luck with yer decision! Having ridden each a LOT…the Rally & the KTM are both an excellent choice! 👍

Comparing the KTM 390 adventure R with the CRF 300 rally, KTM has much more power (45 hp to 27 hp) but it's also more porky (176 kg/388 lbs to 153 kg/337 lbs) so you can save 50 lbs if you can live with 27 hp.

Both also exist in 24 lbs lighter versions going with the 300L or the 390 Enduro.

There is a new 690 Adventure R coming out in a few months. Wait for that. The CRF300 is far from a performance bike. The other option is a Beta Alp which look pretty cool. 

I would think if you’ve been around moto bikes for a long time the 300 Rally would seem way to anemic to have much fun on it, but I haven’t ridden one so maybe I’m being too critical

I raced moto a good chunk of my life and raced everything from 125s to 450s, I recently bought a used crf300l and while it's not the rally version, I bought it to mainly ride to and from work on, I will say the motor and suspension leaves alot to be desired, I actually converted mine to a supermoto cause I had no plans to ride it off road and thought a reliable supermoto would be fun, but there is just not alot of power there, I even added an exhaust, ecu, velocity stack and cbr cams to get some more power but it's just not there

Im pumped on the new  690. A year ago I bought my first adventure bike. An 08 990. Lovely machine for the highway and gravel roads. But Holy shit its a tank for anything else. Ive convinced myself that a 690 is the answer.  150 lbs lighter.

Moto guys: "Bikes are too fast and we need to slow them down. Everyone should ride a 125!"

Also Moto guys: "Don't buy the 300, it'll be way too slow!"

Buy it, it'll do 65 mph if needed and run all day long on back roads. 

Umm a 125 will have more hp than that 300…

What are they selling for (300 Rally) ? I was quoted $7500 with tariff & shipping . Dang Translap was the same price.  

My daughter has one, really likes it. 

Wheelbase it too short to do gravel drifts. A dr650 however is less top heavy than a T7

I am in the exact same boat with a WR250R (2014). The suspension is tuned for my weight... but Its just not powerful enough to feel "safe" on. On the highways its just blows around with every passing car and barely does 65 mph even with taller gearing. Its even worse if I bring the wife and she is tiny. 

I am about to throw money at it to make it a bit snappier but I dont feel it would even be worth it. 

I think the next jump for me is either an Enduro style (plated) 450 with some dual sport tires on it.

I dont think I want to go full adventure bike as I just ride it to the store when Im in the motorhome or to get some smokes in town 5 miles away. 

You Americans can still get the XR650L - I wish we in OZ could still get them.

It weighs just about the same as the 300(s), It's got an E start as do the 300s, it's simple, which a 300 isn't, and, you can get So Many parts for them to make them into Anything you want of them . And, I think they are near to the same price over there

And, no matter what, it's  Far More powerful, Far Better Handling, has Far better Suspension, Is more comfortable (well, I find it so) , and, it is incredibly simple to work on,  and reliable. And, to repeat, you can get so many parts for them, to make it into what you want, pretty bloody cheaply. Or, indeed, spend a fortune on  doing so - as many do with Any of their / our bikes - I've a couple of mates that have put so much money into their 300 Rallys, it just blows my mind. Thousands, basically. 

I've Nothing against the CRF300s - I've used them quite a bit, both the std and the Rally, and, made use of my mates money pits. They are so much better than Std, but at a Huge cost.  But, if I could get a new XR650L, it would be in my garage now - and not a 300. 

It's worth  checking  out the Royal Enfield 450 Himalayan  - it's a pretty good thing , very much of the type of bike that the 300s are, and they are  very affordable as well. I've ridden those, and their 411 predecessor, extensively. The 450, represents quite a step up from the 411.  The 411s have a quite , Old School 'Doof Doof' appeal to them. 

Haven't ridden one but Himalayan is 198 kg / 437 lbs, 40 hp, wouldn't touch one for anything other than light trails. Mate had one doing all kind of clunky noises after a couple hours of trails, direction got loose, built quality is not up to standard (even for Hondas made in Thailand).

I had a xr650L bought it with a tinyAL Bakers silencer way louder than a Harley with drag pipes.the packing was blown out .   Emissions delete more hp you can ride double on sand trails all day & not get tired.  That thick seat is soo nice . They did the Baja 500 on them yrs ago . The bike is built like a tank  .. heavy but perfectly balanced . 

Had one, sold it last year. Was a super fun versatile bike once you beef up the suspension, change bars, and add an exhaust. 

Most of our off road riding is tight, technical jungle trails, so wasn’t too suitable for the way I wanted to thrash it. But on the gravel forestry roads it was a really fun bike. Limited bikes where we live in Asia, and crazy expensive, so I was lucky to get my hands on it. 

Cost me 5k more second hand, than a brand new one would at home (NZ). Luckily I got my thrills and sold it for what I paid for it.  

Was just thinking today that I miss it though haha


 

Retiring soon to Lake Havasu, the CRF300L will be my gift to me. My son is getting a Rally about the same time so that should be fun. Heres a video of a couple Jimmy Lewis's squirrels on the CRF300L and KLX300 at a Big Bear event a year ago plus they have a new one of the 300 vs a 450.