Honda CRF 250 Rally: the little one with an adventurous style [ROAD TEST]

Honda CRF250 Rally

Its DNA derives directly from that of Team HRC's CRF450 Rally. If you fell in love with the Honda CRF 450 Rally line, but you don't have a large budget to spend, or you want something less demanding because you're not interested in racing performance, this Honda CRF 250 Rally is for you. With a design inspired by its Dakarian older sister and with an adventurous spirit, the little 250 is able to satisfy and entertain even the most demanding riders, all this thanks to a mix of factors, which make it attractive even for the female public. Yes, because the Honda CRF 250 Rally is easy and fun, thanks to its low weight and generous engine. A motorcycle that is, for all this, truly pleasant off-road. She offers a lot of substance and opts for clever choices, with a look that makes her decidedly attractive, with that little face stolen from her older sister, but not only that. Standing on the stand it looks like a large-displacement motorbike, but as soon as you get on the saddle you immediately notice its featherweight, 157 kg with a full tank of petrol. This motorbike with an adventurous spirit was also created for everyday commuting, weekend trips or long journeys. The CRF 250 Rally brings the spirit of Rally-raid to every driving occasion.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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Spirit and lines from Dakar

That the Honda CRF 250 Rally is an intelligent motorcycle is made clear by many details. For example, the lighting system is sophisticated and effective. The small Rally is in fact characterized by a very personal, asymmetrical LED front light cluster (one large and one small), which makes this quarter-litre unmistakable. The rear light cluster is also pleasant, with the direction indicators, also LED, reminiscent of its older sister. The digital dashboard (replica of that of rally bikes) is easily readable even when riding standing on the footrests. It offers drivers a series of information necessary for everyday driving: rev counter, two trips, total, speedometer and petrol indicator, although we would have appreciated the presence of the gear indicator and the flashing of the high beam placed in the more classic position in the rear part of the left block. Also on the left side we find a practical storage compartment. Then there is the fixed transparent screen, the large hand guards, which protect from wind and dirt and a generous 10 liter tank (offers over 300 km of autonomy, as declared by the Japanese company). We must make a note of merit to the shapes of the tank, which accommodates motorcyclists of all sizes, from the shortest to the tallest. To tackle the most demanding off-road routes, the baby 250 also has a large sump guard. A perfect mix of practicality and emotions, which such a pleasant-to-ride motorbike can offer, even on the most demanding routes.

Aesthetically, the Japanese company has done an excellent job: the plastics are of excellent quality and with attention to detail and have a good fit. The controls are intuitive and well done. They allow you to manage the numerous on-board functions with just a few buttons. The saddle-footpegs-handlebar triangulation is excellent which, together with the low weight, allows you to move the motorbike from a standstill without too many worries and without the need to get off the saddle.

Engine and performance:

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Same engine as the CRF250L, of which it retains its character and efficiency

Even after the transition to Euro 4, the liquid-cooled, 4-valve DOHC single-cylinder engine is smooth, both at low and medium rpm. This is the same engine used by the CRF250L. The extreme efficiency of intake, supply and exhaust is the result of careful design. In addition to the behavior and very low consumption, all the solutions adopted result in a regular and fluid delivery of the single-cylinder, with a remarkable determination when you push it beyond 8.000 rpm up to the limiter zone. If you want to get the most out of the CRF 250, you have to rev it high, just like the old 125s from the '80s. In the city you can move through traffic without problems. The clutch is soft and below 7.000 rpm the vibrations are almost non-existent. The gearbox is appreciated, smooth and precise in the engagements, even in offroad, where there is never any uncertainty when entering the gears. The disengageable ABS is the number one rule for guaranteed off-road fun. It is precise and never invasive, it protects you from dangers, for example on a stretch of road with an uneven surface. The 6-speed gearbox is also strengthened, as is the clutch. Both have been designed to cope with the stresses of off-road driving, even in the most severe conditions.

To obtain a perfect mix of reliability, power and reduced consumption, the DOHC single-cylinder twin cam engine uses a roller rocker arm for distribution, which is extremely robust and efficient, thanks to low friction, thus helping to create a compact cylinder head. To reduce contact losses, the solution of the offset cylinder was chosen, inside which a molybdenum-coated piston slides. The maximum power, which is equal to 24,8 CV at 8.500 rpm, we assure you that it can be enough to have fun, obviously without the effort becoming extreme, even off-road. In our test we focused precisely on this, with 80% of the test taking place on terrain heavily covered in mud.

Ride and handling:

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Light and easy to handle, it is fun and easy

Moving on to the chassis, the new Honda CRF 250 Rally is based on the steel perimeter frame, made up of two oval-section descending beams and a semi-double lower cradle. As soon as we get into the saddle we appreciate the instrumentation, which is very complete and easy to read, but it is when we ride it that it convinces us even more. Quick and agile through even the most extreme curves, the front transmits a good feeling, with the handlebars high enough to allow the rider maximum control. With such a low weight, body movements make the difference, making driving safe and fun. The height from the ground, with the saddle at just 830 mm (you can have one raised to 850 mm), makes it a truly easy bike. The wheelbase of 1.455 mm, associated with a steering head inclination of 28,1°, for a trail of 114 mm and a minimum height from the ground of 270 mm, guarantee great ease of handling in the tightest bends. turn the motorbike, without having to force the turn.

The CRF 250 Rally performs really well in terms of chassis and feels narrow between the legs, as does the perceived weight. Let's remember that the one on the scale is alone 157 kg in running order. In offroad the front transmits a decent feeling, with the right handlebar height, which allows the rider to always have maximum control, even in the most difficult points. The small 250 proves to be very balanced and easy to handle and is above all a bike of substance, thanks also to the perfect calibration of the Showa fork, with 43 mm upside down legs, with a travel of no less than 250. Certainly an excellent feature for extreme routes in offroad, in which the Japanese car performs very well, even when walking on extremely muddy paths.

The soft set-up must be exploited by making the suspension work a little, which once under pressure glues the bike to the ground, traction is really good when you want to "brush", thanks to an excellently calibrated rear monoblock and a linear engine in the its delivery. Also noteworthy is the swingarm, which is die-cast, monobloc in aluminum and which allows an excellent balance between rigidity and flexibility, while reducing the suspended masses. The braking system works at the front on a 296 mm wave floating disc (on the L it is fixed 256 mm) with 2-piston caliper, while we find a 260 mm wave disc, also wave, at the rear. Everything is managed by the ABS, which can be deactivated at the rear. Braking is decisive and well modulated, while when traveling the bike remains stable and well balanced, just a touch of the throttle is enough and the little Honda CRF 250 Rally comes out of curves with ease.

In fact, operation is optimal both on asphalt and in off-road use. On the tire front, we find IRCs, with a design obviously aimed at off-road and which are mounted on 21" rims at the front and 18" at the rear. They make the Honda CRF 250 Rally safe when tackling even rather challenging off-road terrain. The thing that struck us during our test was the extreme maneuverability of the CRF 250 Rally, which goes from one hairpin bend to another very easily, without requiring any physical effort, just a touch of the gas, a little balance and the game is done.

Price and consumption:

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Attractive price, low maintenance

During our test we asked ourselves several times what type of audience this bike would be of interest to. The answer, at least in our opinion, is that it can be the perfect solution for a young audience, beginners on two wheels, but also for those who want to have fun offroad without too much commitment. Yes, because thanks to its agility and lightness, the Honda CFR 250 Rally can entertain even experienced riders, who will be able to work hard to exploit it fully, realizing that high power is not only needed to get great satisfaction. This motorbike is also useful in traffic and can be useful for those trips out of town during the weekends. The price of this Honda CRF 250 Rally is 6.190 € and is available in this Extreme Red color.

As for consumption, thanks to the many attentions that Honda dedicates to the efficiency chapter and with a tank of 10 litres, the company claims over 300 km of autonomy, with a consumption of over 30 km/l. In our rather extreme test, in which the engine was fully exploited in off-road use, we nevertheless detected an average value close to 30 km with one liter of petrol.

Tester clothing:
Helmet: Scorpion-EXO
Mask: Cemoto
Jacket, gloves, pants and boots: Alpinestars

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Ease of driving, fuel consumption, handling, engine
We do not like it:
Non-adjustable levers

Honda CRF250 Rally: the Motorionline Report Card

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