It may not be the
lightest in class or have
the best bottom end
power, but it feels light
to ride and is fast and
still easy to ride
The steering is quick, almost a little too quick
in stock setup for deep sand. The rider needs
to stay on the gas with their weight back in
these conditions or it will tuck the front in
deep soft sand turns. Of course, a sand set-
up would make a big difference here from
the out of the box one. Sliding the forks down
the clamps and lowering the rear ride height
is a good place to start. But, for me, a quick,
accurate and planted turning bike like this
Honda is always a win, because it’s easy to
slow a fast turn-in down a little, but much
more difficult to get a slow steering bike to
start turning properly.
The chassis feel is superb and its design
allows the CRF to have excellent ergonomics.
The 250 feels small and light to ride but quite
roomy in the cockpit. I’m tall (well over six feet)
and I never felt cramped and my legs or boots
never caught on anything as I rode. Oversize
Renthal Fatbars finally grace the top clamps
and the fact that they can now be positioned
in four different places to suit riders of varying
heights is a very welcome improvement.
The brakes are great with the rear being
particularly good. I like the rear brake pedal
too, as it does not flex, it feels solid and my
boot never slipped off it. The front is good
and strong with great feel, but lacks initial bite
compared to the top Euro stoppers. The clutch
is quite nice to use, but is not fade free when
worked hard and sometimes the take-up
throw feels a little long – overall not bad, but
not as good as a hydraulic clutch. Of course,
the electric start is fantastic. I wouldn’t buy a
bike now that doesn't have electric start... oh
how times have changed!
Overall I rate this Honda. It may not be the
lightest in class or have the best bottom end
power, but it feels light to ride and is fast and
still easy to ride. The suspension, handling,
ergonomics and chassis are excellent. The
brakes are great, the clutch okay and it’s
beautifully made. This Honda CRF250R is a
bloody good machine – get a test ride, it's sure
to impress.
KIWI RIDER 61