The Honda CRF 250L - Lean and Mean

The Honda CRF literally stands heads and shoulders above most bikes in the city which gives it a more imposing stance. Designed to get its rider thru various obstacles in the off road, the CRF also gets you thru the urban jungle. Its 250-cc strong engine gives enough power to get you thru tight situations when you need it. More power means an option to speed out of a situation instead of just slowing down. Its high stance also gives you a better perspective of your immediate surroundings.

Whilst I was not able to test this bike out in the off road, I’m confident it will hold its own and perform your basic river crossings and loose dirt track. I’m just not sure if it can handle those high jumps though. (not exactly a lightweight). Stopping though, is not a problem with disc brakes on both front and rear. You would feel the front dipping on sudden braking as evident on most off road bikes.

Its seat height of 95cm comes handy as it gives you a better vantage point, but it is not for the smaller rider. I stand almost 6 feet and getting on and off the bike can still be a challenge at times (or maybe i need to take up yoga). I was also careful at high speed turns as the knobby wheels will not offer the same traction as a street tire (imagine spike shoes on hard surface). Another concern is that it tends to get hot around the legs and knees possibly from both the exhaust pipes and the radiator fan - especially in a traffic jam. They could have fitted it with a bigger gas tank as well as the bigger engine consumes the tank's content relatively quick. Other than those, I didn't see any other personal concerns with this bike.

The CRF's handling is quite responsive, and gets thru traffic despite its size. The advantage of having higher foot pegs means they're above sidewalk walls (in case you decide to take that route thru traffic - just be mindful of pedestrians and car doors suddenly opening). Controls are simple and straight forward with a clear digital panel. Transmission is 5-speed which gives you a good combo of acceleration and high speed. With ample ground clearance, expect this bike to get you thru flooded roads and an occasional off road side trip for that matter. Humps and road bumps are no match to the CRF's height and suspension.