A new sub here. Being a new rider with a height of 6ft4 and 210 lbs ive been researching which duel sport would be better suited for me without having to do a bunch of mods right off the bat, being on a budget has its limits, id be doing most of my riding off the pavement and have the choices narrowed down to three, the DR650, the DRZ400 and the 300 Rally. What would you recommend? there is so many choices to choose from and I keep flipping back and fourth, Thanks
You always keep it real. Obviously you could have edited the drop out, a lot of RU-vidrs would have. Real and honest. That's why I keep coming back. Great job.
BRM good review. Appreciate the fact that you left the 'double drop" in and didn't edit it out. We have all goofed up like that sometime and actually it really demonstrates the bike is not fragile.
You may want that but not everyone needs that. The bigger the engine the heavier and more expensive the bike gets & bigger petrol tank needed (added weight) for the range required for adventures. For female or light riders who need a lighter bike this bike is brilliant. Just wish they would bring them to South Africa.
I’ve owned the Rally for 6 months now it’s a great all around bike even in stock form, although as mentioned on every review of this bike suspension is a problem for larger folks and cargo, I’m 5’10” 175lbs and take shorter trips with no cargo (other than small backpack) it’s not a problem for myself, Thanks for the review, I can’t wait to see future videos of this bike and it’s transformation
The suspension was driving me nuts so I did a cheaper upgrade that's improved it for me. YSS spring upgrade in the front (for my weight of 85kg,) and replaced the rear shock with a YSS MZ456. Parts were ~$800 AUD. Made a big difference for the $$.
You can change at what RPM the shift light comes on and also the look of the Tach by holding "SEL" button and turning on key. Use the SET button to toggle through the options. I love my Rally and have a lot of mods including YSS suspension, skid plate, bars, handguards, Outback Motortek crash bars, ECU reflash, seat concepts, pegs, tires, etc. Now that I have customized the bike for my weight and riding style, I feel I have me a unicorn.
Awesome shoutout for Noraly. I'm a huge fan and can't wait to see what's next for her, probably cross the bottom of the Pacific Ocean ride to China...😃😃🤣😂
Got my Rally 3 weeks ago in New Zealand mainly for the fuel economy as a second vehicle / shopping cart. I changed to a 15T drive sprocket for lower RPM on the highway with extra power coming from a 550 Performance ECU and a Yoshimura full exhaust, the ECU helps with the jerky on off throttle response, crash bars and fixed the rear suspension so far with a Rally Raid system. Ventura rack with their quick to fit luggage.
@@ggs0605 i have a 550 tune with full yosh stock gearing my top speed is 86-90mph. With his sprocket setup I imagine you can hit 95-100, but highway speeds will keep the bike in much lower RPMs which is the annoying part of freeway riding, not the lack of top speed
@@ggs0605 I'm too frightened to go there ATM as that rear tire makes it all feel a bit like a greasy weasel / loose goose at speed until I get around to changing the tires. I am 95% road focused with this bike so I could make it look bizarre by doing the super-moto thing. I can only imagine it is close to 100mph. Yeah the sprocket change of one tooth is a tad under 7% change but I do notice that previously I could start from a standstill in 2nd gear if I wanted to so this change gives longer legs for my intended use, of course it would be no good without the extra power to make up for the torque loss.
I have owned a Rally 250 and 300 and I have almost 10K miles on my 300 Rally now and have ridden a variety of roads, trails, and the IDBDR on it. The suspension is all that you need to fix. Put high quality Rally Raid shock and fork upgrade on it, a GL Coyote on the back and it is good to go. Don't waste money on little stuff like handlebars, handguards, footpegs etc. Upgrade that stuff if you break it. If you fix the suspension and put some super light luggage on it, it is a great ADV lite bike that can do a lot of things very well. Just avoid the Freeways on it, everything else is good. With your proposed upgrade budget of $1500 I would spend it all on quality suspension first and then you will see what a great bike the rest of it is. Don't go cheap on suspension upgrades as that is the only real problem that this bike has from stock form. Don't add any weight to it.. it has just enough power as is. It doesn't need any side racks, heavy skid plates, etc. It has incredible ground clearance and the stock skid plate will take casual hits and glancing blows just fine. Thanks for leaving the drop test gone wrong in the final edit: I got a laugh from that and appreciate that you also mentioned putting it in gear before picking it up is the right way. Looking forward to the rest of the Rally series.
HOnda has sold a bike with no useable suspension, for the intended purpose of the bike. Must be a first. I can accept the lack of power, due to the capacity. I thought my standard DR650 had the worst standard suspension ever made but this bike probably takes the NO 1 position.
My Rally showed better acceleration after about 2.000 miles noticably. I would never tune the engine, not even the exhaust. I´ve owned a lot of bikes over the years, this one brings most fun of them all. It´s not all about speed alone. Nice review!
300th like And I love my regular 300L minus the things you pointed out. But for $5500 the 300L with abs isn’t shabby for a do it all dual sport. Enjoy!
Great test, I have been looking to add this to bikes for a while. Thank you for leaving the drop test in, great to see even the pros drop bikes. Looking forward to the upgrades, thank you Ian.
Thanks for doing this. Your reviews are very good. Somewhere along the way I would be interested in a comparison to the KTM 390 Adventure. Arguably the foremost competitor to this bike.
Glad you mentioned Noraly @ Itchy Boots! She has put this bike through its paces and gives a great idea of what it can handle. Nice to see what it looks like stock and considerations for improved riding.
Great beginning! As mentioned, I'm glad you left the unintentional drop in the video...it shows that even the most experienced riders still make mistakes! As also mentioned, Noraly (Itchy Boots on RU-vid) has really put her 300L Rally to the test (and she did upgrade handguards, suspension, exhaust, etc.). IMHO, I think the suspension has too much squat and is too soft (a common stock Honda malady). As someone that grew up riding an '82 Honda XL250 (I bought new), this hits a very sweet spot with the weight, size, and large fuel tank. Looking forward to your future adventures on this one!
As an owner of a 300L this is a fair and good review . As someone that has been riding for 53 years ,I would say the best part of the bike is the transmission . It is so smooth. worst part on the strait L for me is the small gas tank, I only get 165 kilometers before the light is flashing . I will be following your suspension upgrades because I want to do it as well. I put the TUSK side racks on my bike and they work well . Thanks
Totally agree. That transmission is bang on. I really wish someone would come out with a tank for the L, it would really make this bike a great light adventure bike.
First thing I bought was a Rotopax 1.75(US) gallon tank. I ran the tank bone dry and this refilled it right back up to the bars! For$100(+-) I leave it on the bike all the time! Yes, there are others and one that fits where the tool box is but that’s @$500…and smaller capacity.
@@alesterpadua7884 I think that one is a subjective decision. Personally, I absolutely could. I don't find the seat to be too uncomfortable. I have definitely had worse!
Why!oh!Why! Did Honda produce an off road Rally bike with such soft suspension when even just stiffer springs would've made it a far better bike straight out of the box! It beggars belief,no one is light enough to appreciate such soft suspension🙄 Great video BTW,looking forward to the rest of the series,and the lift test proves sh*t happens,glad you left it in just to prove it😉
I’ve had my 300L for 5000 miles now. Over lots of technical off road and mixed riding. And I would agree with pretty much all of your opinions on the bike. :) I will add, the bike (stock) really shines in slow, technical riding. When you HAVE to ride slow because the single track is so tricky or steep or very uneven, that is when the bike is a fantastic choice. (With better tyres) You can tackle difficult slow terrain for very long periods without getting tired. And the comically soft suspension is, in that circumstance actually a benefit. Harder taught suspension is CLEARLY better when you are going fast. But when going slow over very bad trails the soft suspension soaks up the bumps and stops you getting so tired and rattled. :)
And pretty sure the Jury is in: seat sucks. Aftermarket seat an imperative for long term riding .. I think. My crf250l needed a seat pronto. 300l seat looks the same. Prolly is the same. I think Noraly would go bonkers for a good seat. But might fall asleep she is so comfy.
I love that you left the drop in there, on concrete...but as I'm watching this to educate myself on "is this bike right for me..." I would have loved a camera view of those "scratches". To be honest though, for the same reason already stated, I watched your KLX video and in that one you seemed tired. Thanks for upping your excitement level, or was the KLX not really as good as you said. Hmmm.
The plastic bash plate on the rally is one of the best of any bike. Many have tested it and it's very durable. Many enduro bike come with plastic because it holds up better than aluminium.
This series will show us whether or not the old school DRZ, warts and all, is still a better value. BTW, Noraly had Del’Amo upgrade her suspension when she hit San Diego. She then had the rear spring upgraded on the replacement shock when she hit Canada. So,even for a smallish woman this suspension is problematic.
I agree that all the stock suspension does is stop the tyres from hitting the inside of the mudguards. If you have to spend 40% of the bikes cost on suspension just to make it SAFE and rideable then its not worth the purchase price and why i didnt buy one. I changed my riding style and brought a fully faired road bike instead of junk.
@@robvanduren761 You only need to upgrade the rear shock, the front is acceptable right out the box for me at 109kg (240Lbs). Because the factory rear shock is so soft, any budget shock is a great improvement. YSS is a great budget option. Off the shelf set ups should be less than £400 in the UK. So not a reason to dismiss the bike. It has so many good features, it’s worth the extra spend.
Honda may not allow you to swap ECU since it is a loaner, I don't know.. but the 550 ECU & Full Yoshimura exhaust gave me a lot on the top.. I can pull 85+ MPH where I was struggling to pull more than 70-75 before.. Thanks and look forward to seeing your build / mods.
I would guess if you're mostly driving this bike around sea level it should be able to maintain 80 mph on the highways (without headwind)? Should also get a bit faster after putting a few thousand miles on the clock.
Did you put the preload up in the rear? I found putting 50ml extra of oil in each fork and putting the preload up in the rear was enough for me. Although I am 60kg( 130 lb )
I have the 2022 KLX300 and I'm 6'1" and 212lbs. I installed a 10kg rear spring from Race Tech and I was able to get the bike preload within 27percent of full travel before I loaded my gear on. I did the Idaho BDR with the KLX300 and never bottom out the suspension once. Kawasaki built a good dirt bike with the KLX. I see Honda's strength is with their reputation and the fact that they designed the Rally with a bit larger tank, fuel gauge, wind screen and bigger display. Kawasaki should make a Rally with the upgraded display, screen and fuel gauge. I would like to have the Honda, but you would really need to spend over $2k to equal what the KLX300 does with a proper rear spring. I spent $150 for the spring I installed.
I look forward to watching this series. I'm looking at buying a bike and am struggling between this bike and a 390 Adventure. It would be great to get your comments on how the 2 compare on the road, off road and weight feel? Thanks in advance.
This should be a great series of videos; I'm looking forward to it! I would also find it very interesting if you would consider adding one more chapter (Part 5) to your current plans: Update to a stage 1 550 ECU along with a new exhaust so we can see how that affects highway performance and throttle smoothness, etc. Because of its light weight and off-road capabilities, I think this bike could practically be in it's own very worthy ADV category if it just had a little more HP and torque. And it's priced low enough that one could do significant updates and still spend less money than with most of the alternatives.
Highly recommend gearing the front sprocket down to a 13. Gives a tad more grunt off road without really affecting the top end wierdly. Also 550 performance has ecu flashes that improve performance with 87/91 octane without the need to upgrade the intake or exhaust. I'm waiting for my motox exhaust and I got the stage 1 though. Can't wait!
I am coming up on 4,000 miles since I rolled it off the showroom floor in late May 2022. Its quickly becoming my favorite bike and I have ridden it every day since grabbing it, saving a ton in fuel. Adding Rally Raid front and rear totally transformed it. Their biggest issue seems to be the fact you cant find them. Running a Pirelli MT21 front and Tusk D-Sport rear. Helps a lot and they are wearing well. Stock tries are dog caca as well as the stock rear shock, im 260lbs and had it maxed out. Still wallowed a lot. Typical farkles. Acerbis hand guards. Rear rack. Tail Tidy. Very pleased. $10 gives me enough fuel to commute all week. worst tank 61mpg. Best tank 82mpg. Top speed after Thai ECU, pipe and snorkel removed is 82mph. Stock top speed was 85mph. Its fun and nimble for both traffic and narrow trails. Been riding since 2012 and I really enjoy this bike a lot. The fuel used option is indeed accurate. The Fuel gauge will start flashing when you still have over a gallon left so I would recommend using that fuel used feature to know how much you really have left.
Good video. You mentioned Noraly (ItchyBoots), she had to upgrade her suspension as well, I believe maybe two or three times, so I would guess that is something that either people or Honda (or b0th) need to update.
At one point in this video you said the front tire on the 300 Rally kept trying to wash out on you. I am new to off-road... too new. Second time out my Rally's front tire washed out and plastered me into the gravels. NOT fun! After that I became more cognizant of front tire wash-out and it seemed to happen A LOT. Of course I only fell once but my confidence was all gone. I know you're gonna post more vids, but I need help now. Is it a tire Issue or what is the cause? I'm an older guy and I can't afford to crash every other ride. MT-21 tire gonna fix it?
I have some tips Try to relax and not grip the bars hard(let them wiggle) Move weight toward the rear of the bike when traversing deep sand/ gravel. Also accelerate slightly or maintain speeds in these scenarios. Only brake hard when the bike is 100% vertical. Breaking while leaned over is something that needs to be done very carefully. Apply progressive pressure on the brake levers. You have to wait for the weight transfer to the tire/ ground. Just slamming on the lever will cause a slide. Use more back brake than you would when riding on the street. The tire will help but it's a technique issue. I've ridden on slicks off road just fine. Practicing hard braking on gravel/ and the road will help the most. If the suspension is soft for you a stiffer one will allow you to brake harder. If you need to/or are strong you can brake with just your middle finger. It'll reduce leverage.
Before Itchy Boots upgraded her suspension and even with all the baggage the rear shock was still floating. Given the price tag and the need for upgrading the suspension are there better and lighter bikes than this Honda 300 Rally? And given you've been given this bike for free is this review really honest if you don't compare it to other stock bikes by other manufacturers? "Quality" should mean the bike should perform its dual sport/offroad capabilities like a dual sport/off-road bike should. Why do manufacturers keep producing these bikes when as stock they are not capable? Can you honestly assess this bike without looking at other bikes in the same category or are all these "dual sports" a rip off by all the manufacturers and a gift to after market companies? Did Honda cheap out only to attract new riders to dual sport?
Considering the terrain and what Itchy Boots put her 300 Rally through from South America to San Diego in the U.S.A running luggage, tank bags, gps and go pro's mounted on stock suspension the average 160-175lb rider can get by pretty well with the stock suspension the Rally comes with. These are not motocross or bikes set up for running high speed off road runsbut to more slowly pick your way through off road terrain. Considering the cost of even a Honda Monkey out the door the Honda 300 Rally is a lot of bike for the money.
When will we see part 2? I’m waiting on a ‘23 Rally 300 myself. I have high hopes that this will be a unicorn for me on the tight, slow, technical terrain as well as 60 mph touring March-November.
Recently started following itchy boots and was curious about this bike. I'm in the market for my first adventure bike. Looks like this is too small for me considering I'm your size. I'm leaning towards the BMW 750 or a Tiger 850. Thanks for the review!
I've really enjoyed learning about adventure/dual-sport motorcycles from your channel. Your various tutorials have helped me narrow down my choice for my first motorcycle in about 35 years. I've finally landed on the Honda CRF300L Rally. I'm probably going to acquire one sometime in the spring of 2023. I know I'll need to do things to the suspension (I'm 6'3" and 220 lbs.). Thus, I'm looking forward to seeing your mod's in your ADV/LITE Part 2. Do you have a projected release date at this time? No real pressure from my end, I've got plenty of time before I get the bike. Thanks again for all your great work!
No doubt it's a good bike. The only problem was when I sat on it all of the suspension was gone LOL. So most people can't really ride it out of the box...
Wanted one but it's too small and under sprung to replace my DRZ. And too big and expensive to replace the XT for hard enduro. Love the concept though. Might pick one up used in 4-5 years for half price. 😁
I bought a 2007 GasGas ec 250. With higher gearing, softer settings, adjusted carb for low-speed and two soft bikes it made a fair and fast trail/adv bike. It had new Michelin tyres and was freshly serviced with new piston and small end bearing. 103 kgs wet and about 48 hps, combined with two-stroke torque makes it a really fun bike to ride It already had öhlins and so on. Total cost now, about 17500 SEK, about 1600 USD. Cons: instable and wawy at higer speeds on tarmac. Sometimes difficult to start, carb and no electric starter or battery. I find it good value for money and would not trade it against an 8000 USD four-stroke which would be heavier and slower! It is so fun for me, an old man ith health issues, to be able to ride half difficult trails with ease as youngsters on expensiv, heavy, new bikes. In fact they are worn out faster than I. 150 kgs more kills you in even easy terrain....
KTM 690 is 330 lbs, Please include Fast Flex handle bars 1st to compare improvement to suspension, then after suspension upgrade. I have never owned a pair, I am old and have not bent handle bars in 10 years, do not know if it is due to being old and riding slower, or just riding better, or riding smarter, or being scared of injury. Which dual sport bike would you prefer 2022 CRF300 or 2022 CRF250L plated and money savings placed into suspension Modifications? I think I would prefer the CRF250L, based on weight and air cooled, but have not ridden either. I have owned a CRF250L and liked it. Do you agree that 4% reduction in power per 1000 ft, 5000 ft reduces power 20%? Math problem for you, what % road grade down at 5000' elevation recovers the 20% power loss from elevation (at 50 mph or 44 f/s)?
There a Company in Texas selling fully built out motorcycles for under $2,000 us dollars right be interesting to see your take on that as a truly stupendous price collapse gets underway in this entire Industry or what in the jargon is known as an *"INDUSTRY WIDE SHAKEOUT."*
You briefly mentioned the DRZ400s, same weight and still a better platform. If Suzuki would ever update it, the DRZ would be a no brainer as a comparison. As Suzuki has not done this, its a pick your poison. 5 gears, carb, and decent suspension, or this. It will be interesting how your tweaks work out for this project. As I see it that's "my" comparison, and in stock form the CRF ain't there yet, in it's stock form.
That's very interesting! Is Suzuki out of the game in this arena (400 dual sport) over there or did they replace it with something that they haven't sent to the US?
@@AKAOmnivore In EU, the market for small dual-sport enduro bikes is nearly dead. The main reason are emission laws. In consequence, the manufacturers cancelled all that bikes. Besides that, that's my personal opinion, people always tend to ask for "light enduro bikes", but in the end buy the latest BMW1250GS, because ccm and HP, or at least a Yamaha T7. Suzuki didn't pass Euro 2? witz the DRZ engine, so they cancelled the whole product line. Yamaha WR? Cancelled at least 5-8 years ago. Suzuki DR650? Still produced in US today (which is great), in EU: Cancelled around year 2000. Kawasaki KLR250? Cancelled. Kawasaki KLR300? Never made it to EU. Beta Alp 4 (Suzuki DR350 engine): Cancelled, because Suzuki stopped production of this engine and they barely adapted it to Euro 4 before this happened. So...What's left? Honda CRF300L. Maybe KTM390, but that's more street-oriented. That's basically the ONLY bike in this category in EU that still can be bought new and can be driven legally. E.g.: Honda CRF450L: There is an EU ECU + smaller air intake to pass emission laws. -> 25HP. I bought a Beta Alp4 some time ago and it totally satisfies my needs. It's similar to the Honda CRF300L. Cons of the Honda: -The power is okay, but it simply feels tired.... -The suspension sucks. -Weak Clutch Pros of the Honda: -Sturdy sub-frame. The one in Beta Alp 4 is really weak. -Lots of aftermarket parts available. -Fuel consumption 3-4L, Beta 4-5L.
@@inoasdh7618 Wow, I'm speechless. I find it hard to believe a 400cc bike could possibly put out more emissions than say a delivery truck or a jet. They must go by a cc%. Sorry to hear that for you all over there.
@@Enjoytheinbetween Not the big of a deal imo. When cold I pull the enrichener lever towards me and warm it for thirty seconds or so and then you dont even notice. You should warm every engine before using, hot or cold.
About the "drop, lift, drop lift" demo, as real as it comes... Presence of mind is still key. Yapping while doing a demo review is waay more difficult than doing the actual ride. You just can hear the background yell just about now... "You blithering idiot!... hammond!?" - Jeremy Clarkson -
This bike is what I would refer to as a hybrid ADV and dual sport. This makes it almost a one of a kind in what I think is an insane and "pro rider" on closed course commercial vid,, marketing driven, perception of reality. This does not even address the price, reliability, dealer support realities, after all it's a Honda. The 300 vs 250, gets a longer stroke, good thing. It gets a shorter lower gear ratios, good thing, it gets a slipper clutch, bad thing as the clutch discs are now much smaller then the 250. The suspension violets the most basic suspension set up rules, you can't even set up the static sag correctly, rider weight is irrelevant. It's a "global" bike, still just like the 250, Honda absolutely dropped the ball here, the suspension is wrong even for 150 lbs rider. The rest of it is what a lot of us want, biggest problem is our perception of what we need. For pure joy of riding, for ability to have a real world adventures, for low maintenance costs, pretty much given reliability, staying off high ways and getting lost, this bike is it. Real shame that the bike needs $1000 or lot more, depending on your wallet and taste in suspension fixes, they are not upgrades. I look forward to your Rally project. From sunny Indonesia, a 250 Rally owner (we don't get 300 because of license/tax issues).
Ok Ian, the the " drop/lift" test you could mention "for demonstration purposes only 😉 " i will admit I replayed that a few times. Like the Klim jacket also.
Tuned out at 330 pounds......... This may be great for some...but my DR650 with mods and weight reductions is darn close to that....and much more streetable with a reliable long maintenance interval easy to work on motor. That CRF will get tiresome on the freeway and the maintenance will be there when you get home. I just dont see the point of less HP and Torque and MORE maintanance for almost the same weight. It seems like a great bike for sure, but if I was going small bore I would go WR250. Thanks for your great videos though!
I think 75MPH is good for highways if your not in a rush to go anywhere. Hell my dad is called Mr.Speed Limit for a reason. Man never goes under or above the speed limit. SO high way here is 60mph
Honda should sell the bike in another color than this 1980’s-red. I would never purchase a bike in Honda-red, nor in Kawasaki-green. The grey color from the crf300L-non-Rally-version is a good place to start
Just completed the Smoky Mountains 500 on my rally. My buddy had a T7. I was much faster. Light and nimble is much better off road. I will trade power for less weight every time and twice on Sunday. MRO says 28.8hp from the factory. Yes, slipper clutch. Honda calls it an "assist-slipper clutch." Suspension is too soft unless you weigh 125lbs. OEM IRC tires are actually pretty decent all-arounders. OEM handguards are an absolute joke. It gets way *WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY* more than 150-200 miles on a tank. More like 250 miles unless you wring it out constantly. My OEM skid has taken a beating is still there. Windscreen works great. Yes, will hold up to all day touring. I've done it...many times. Yes, it is slow, but fast enough. The bike can take a beating and hold up well. Yes, sucks on the highways. Last but not least, Itchybutt is a fake.
Ian---nice drop! We've all been there, done that. In my dreams, I wish I could buy the CRF300L--it is a very sweet ride. Honda engineers did an amazing job to produce such a ride for the price point. Honda has excellent after-purchase parts suppliers. Everyone can mod their Honda the way they see fit. I'm 6'4" 250 lbs and am rebuilding my XR650L's engine now. Top end job---valves and new piston. Fun work. I hope you get to show how EASY it is to service and maintain any Honda. Such as dipstick check, grease zerks, Changing of the oil filter. Buying a magnetic drain plug. Air filter maintenance. How and when to change a sparkplug. On Honda's, very easy to service--- a tip of the cap to Honda's engineers. Currently I own 4 Hondas. My fave Honda is my 2009 fuel injected 125cc Honda Wave i. I get about 135 miles per gal or 61 kmpl. Bike is in storage in Thailand along with my sweet Kawasaki KLX DTrackerX 250 cc. With 17" Dunlop motard tyre. FUN STUFF. Great brakes, suspension and engine. Bikes are fun!
Looking forward to this series since e this is the top contender for my next bike. Do you have a release timeline for the series? No pressure, just excited about the content😁😁
I have this bike. I got the first 2021 model available from my local Honda dealer here in Dallas. First off, this bike is not made for highway cruising, so your negative impressions of it in that respect is taken with a grain of salt. For my weight of 140 lbs. the suspension seems just fine. I ordered all the H2C parts available for this bike from Bikers Bitz in Thailand, where the bike is manufactured. They include rear luggage rack, metal bash plate, windshield rock guard, metal chain guard, metal front sprocket guard, metal rear brake cylinder guard, and Moto X full titanium exhaust. I added Zeta had guards from the parts department of Dallas Honda, and Doubletake mirrors. For around town and trail use, my CRF Rally is perfect. I even sometimes commute the fifty-two mile round trip to/from work on Dallas freeways without any negative issues. I have a KLR 650 that I use for the daily commute, as well. Looking forward to seeing what you get up to with your Rally. P.S. thanks for mentioning Itchy Boots. She and her channel are an inspiration.
I love the tank on the rally and the bigger front disc brake. Plus, It looks like something Batman would ride. (The but boy wonder would be on a KLX230) Honda should have went with the 300L and made the 450 the rally version. (Baka!)
Great review of the bike. I've only been riding since spring and this is my starter bike. Its been a perfect starting point for me while I develop my skills (I'm 90% off road). I look forward to your review of it for adventure riding. Hopefully I will be ready by next season to take that next step.
In Canada, this bike ends up just over 9k. Which is too bad, because it's hard to justify that much for an under 300cc bike. All reviews that I've seen gives me the impression that I'd have to spend another 2k (in Canada $) to get it at a very good if not excellent bike. The bike is good, but too expensive for what it offers. I am looking to replace my dr200 which is just too small for my use. Considering dr650 or ktm 390 adv... Suggestions anyone? I've owned the drz400... small tank, too tall for my 30 inch inseam.
Trying to guage the height of the bike, but you say yours stats are 70 inches (5'8"), 180cm (5'9"), and verbally state 5'10" in the video. Not trying to be nit picky, just trying to see height of bike seat. I haven't been to see one for myself yet. Thanks.
