2017–2020 · Enduro · Buyer's Guide
Buy It, Ride It, Forget It
The CRF250L runs a liquid-cooled 249cc single making 25 hp and 16 lb-ft, tuned for low-stress pull rather than headline numbers. A 6-speed box, 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear give it the geometry of a real dirt bike, and at 317 lb wet it stays honest-light for a street-legal machine. This is the friendly end of the dual-sport class: enough grunt to lug up a rocky climb, gentle enough that a newer rider never feels ambushed. It asks nothing of you before it earns its keep.
Ride it and the picture holds. Power arrives smoothly and the chassis forgives, which is exactly what you want on a loose trail or a Monday commute. It ages the way good Hondas do, with an 8.8 reliability read that rewards basic care and cheap parts. The honest caveat is reach and pace. At 34.4 in the seat sits tall, the front fork is non-adjustable, and a 70 mph top end makes the interstate a chore rather than a cruise. Buy it for dirt and back roads, not for covering big highway miles in a hurry.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 25 hp (18 kW) @ 8,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 16 lb-ft (22 Nm) @ 7,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 249 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 3.00-21 |
| Rear tire | 120/80-18 |
| Wheelbase | 56.9 in (1445 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 10.0 in (255 mm) |
| Front travel | 9.8 in (250 mm) |
| Rear travel | 9.4 in (240 mm) |
| Seat height | 34.4 in (875 mm) |
| Wet weight | 317 lb (144 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.0 gal (7.7 L) |
| Top speed | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 78 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Swing a leg over and the first thing you notice is how slim and light it feels between your knees, the 317 lb barely registering as you paddle it around. The single thrums with an easy, unhurried beat at town speeds and never turns frantic. The bars sit wide and upright, the pegs low enough for all-day comfort, and the tall 34.4-in perch gives you a commanding view down a rutted lane. Push toward that 70 mph ceiling and the vibration climbs into the pegs and grips, a clear hint this single would rather be trailing along at 55. The 2.0-gal tank is small, though at 78 mpg you still stretch a useful distance between fill-ups. It feels built to be used, not babied.
This read comes from years of hearing riders out: the questions that reach me directly, the back-and-forth in ownership circles, and the honest talk that surfaces after people live with a bike for real. On the CRF250L, that chatter lands in the same place nearly every time: owners trust it, and they wish it did more on the road.
The praise clusters around how little the bike asks of its owner. Riders call it easy to move around and reassuring when the going gets slow and technical, and beginners note how calmly it lets them pick through rough spots. Alongside that sits a steady chorus about dependability and cheap upkeep, with owners logging big mileage on routine care and small fuel bills.
The complaints are just as settled. The suspension draws the loudest, soft and floaty once the pavement ends and quick to dive when you grab the brakes, which pushes plenty of owners toward stiffer springs. Highway stretches wear on people too, the motor working hard to hold pace and the ride growing tiresome over distance. Two smaller grumbles round it out: a tank that runs short between fills and a seat that turns hard inside an hour.
Starter relay (magnetic switch) recall (2013–2015)
NHTSA recall 15V439000: certain 2013–2015 CRF250L units (among other Honda models) were recalled because the starter relay (magnetic switch) could fail, potentially preventing the engine from starting or causing intermittent starting problems. A separate 2018 CRF250L campaign (18V630000) covered a wiring-harness issue.
Where this Honda CRF250L pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CRF250L is actually built for.
On slickrock and sand this light single is a gift, flickable where heavier bikes fight you. Plan around day-trips though: 25 hp and a 2.0-gal tank favor short technical loops over long desert hauls.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
Honest truth: this is lighter and less powerful than the middleweight you're mapping. It shines in tight technical sections and sips fuel, but 25 hp and a 2.0-gal tank make long BDR logistics a stretch.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2012–2016
Buy It, Ride It, Forget It
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