CRF250F VS CRF300L - Why I Chose Less 

My wife and I just bought 2 of these after watching a bunch of your videos, turns out my brother in law Tyler Miller knows you as well and he was also encouraging us to get the crf250f. We ride the track with our GSXR750’s and are looking for another 2 wheeled outlet that is low maintenance and will help us with the learning curve of dirt riding. Love it, keep up the videos!

Your 300L videos is how I found your channel and also ended up getting a 300L. I don't regret it because it's a great bike but it's definitely not a dirtbike. More at home on back roads and wide easy trails.

My nephew keeps his 2021 250F at my place so I ride it here and there. It's a great bike, with plenty of power and a nice feeling frame. I could only imagine how much better yours is with refined suspension, since that is the one thing I noticed with the stock 250F, the suspension isn't great when you start to push it. I know if he ever wants to get rid of the 250F, I'll make sure to buy it for me! Glad you're having fun out there bub!

You helped me pick this as my first bike. I'm 32 so a little older but I have confidence I picked the right bike. Just used your link to buy a rear rotor guard. Thank you for your help.

the beta 500 rr-s really is the do all bike if your more off than on road. power to weight is absolutely amazing.

next weeks video: Why I am selling my 250F

Glad you have choose the 250. I have always been pushing you to get one.

Let’s see that thing in action. Insight on your plans and experiences are great but the “adventures” is what we’re here for.

Makes sense: simplicity, light weight and reliability - I like it!

Your the reason I bought by 250f. Can’t wait until weather improves so it can leave my living room finally

Still love my crf300L. Jumped into the ADV game this week with the new Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition. It’s a beast. Bet when you get a little older like myself you’ll jump on a Africa Twin or so! Enjoy that bike and your others my friend! Good video! 🏍💨

Your Logic is perfectly Reasoned 👍🏼 People are Always quick to ‘hate’, which is one of the Many reasons that I don’t (do) content. I don’t give two shits what people’s (opinions) are, and more often than not, Unqualified. Back to the bike, I was leaning toward the ‘300’; but for Me, it’s all about Weight. I really have a Strong desire to come in (under) 250lbs wet (one can dream, can’t they), street platable (CA), 4 stroke. I will be subscribing, and going through your library. Separately, I’m a pretty die hard Honda Guy from my road racing days (when I was Young and ‘bulletproof’ 🤦‍♂️).

This is the perfect bike to use when you are traveling. Rock solid ,and repair parts are available.

I actually get your decision. I am thinking the 300L is probably more my pace but I don't really know.

I sat on a 300L for the first time a few days ago. It didn't impress me as being a great dirt bike, and I would much rather have the bulletproof air cooled motor. I dual sported a 2000 (?) WR400 years ago, and just wasn't thrilled with it. It ripped, and the suspension was amazing, but I never really loved the bike. I had the first PRO LINK XR200R (tall one) when I was a kid, and loved that. It was slower on top than some of the bikes I was riding against, but it buried them in the corners. Pretty sure I'd love the CRF250F.

I really like your videos, and really like the CRF 250 F. I am 65 years old and have some health issues. If I was younger, in the day I would be at the Honda dealer right now to buy one. My DR 650 does a good job for me, just easy fire roading and trail riding.

Awsome 250f content as always, had someone ask if being 80lbs lighter than my drz400 really made that much of a difference😂

Another great bike is the KLX 140 (144cc actually), its 21 kilos lighter than the Honda, also has greater ground clearance (12.4 vs 11.3 inch) even though it has a bit lower seat height (33.9 vs 34.8 inch), 18 and 21 inch wheels in both.

For the type of riding you do, you definitely made the right choice. It's a great bike for Alexis as well. Excellent choice.

I loved my old CRF 150 BBR big bore and i had one of the best off road machine it can be tossed around can’t wait to pick up my CRF250

Why not a KTM 350 EXCF? Same maintenance schedule as the CRF250F, in fact valve checks are less frequent. And it's lighter and has more power. Loved that bike, regret selling it, but I just got a 300L and also loving it in a different way. 300L is 16000 miles between valve checks vs 600 miles on the 250F! I'd rather be on the trails than checking valves and changing oil.

Unfortunately this kind of bike doesn't suit everyone. I'm a 6"1 and over 300lbs former powerlifter, built like a tank and I KNOW from experience that i would literally kill this bike, the suspensions and the engine couldn't cope with a super heavyweight "bear" like me 😅. Sometimes I really wish I had more like a "standard physique" but you are what you are 😁.

Love the channel man,looking for a dual sport but more for the road,not long rides but city riding!

I have an fe 501 as well as a 230f and a 250l. I can say confidently that the husky 501 is the best bike by far. As for the 230f and 250l the 230f is so much lighter and has more dirtbike power. I wouldn't recomend the 250l/300l to anyone unless you want to do almost all road riding and don't care about power

Honda 250 F good Choice I have had mine for three years with no problems 👍

I love the cow staring at the end!

That are some valid points - and the bike seem right for you at this point. I'm still hoping that ktm will eventually put the 390 motor in a proper lightweight "offroad" frame - that could be the "unicorn" for me. You are very lucky that you can put plates on almost anything + ride "wherever you want" - atleast halfway legally. In Norway the rules are super strict - you cant ride anything without plates - and you cant put plates on anything that isn't factory approved. In addition you will get heavily fined for doing any sort of "offroad" riding. There was this one guy not long ago who got fined like 7500usd for driving a non plated snowmobile outside the permitted areas....

The 2023 CRF 250 RX is the real beast! My son just bought one! He can also make it street legal in our state! The 250F is anemic compared to the 250RX!

As an owner of a 300l 300l rally a 2022 sherco 300 se factory, and previously a crf230 I have to say the sherco 300 or any 300 TPI/Carb 2 stroke is the best for the tight single track that you are looking to conquer. I absolutely love your built 250 and I can tell it’s very capable however for the worst of the worst trails and hardest conditions the 300 will be better as you’ll have the super slow crawling capability that a 4 stroke would struggle with. Keep up the Awesome videos bud 😎👍

300l rally for me. Can ride comfortably all winter with some coveralls etc. Guess my 300l rally did super great off road. To me it feels very light but guess the crf230 I had was lighter but it didn't seem any better to me. I agree though a 450 is probably too much and for off-road only a 250 would be really great but I like to Cruise down the road a lot too and wanted wind protection and I hate having windscreens on handlebars because it affects the steering and then they can catch on crap and turn your handlebars. The 300L rally seems perfect for me. I don't understand why people think mounting a windscreen to the handlebars is a substitute cause it's really not. I look over the wind screen so I don't even care if it gets scratches. And if you want even better wind protection you just put a clip on screen on it and you're good to go. It's definitely not a road only bike and is more back roads and off-road than on pavement but the stock seat seems really comfortable all day to me so far which was surprising after struggling with a KLR 650 even using custom seats and all never could be comfortable.

A video on everything you did to make it road ready. Thanks

I just brought a 300L yesterday I come from a Motocross background, it's got full K-Tech suspension and loads of bits it's pretty slow and it's not brilliant at one thing but it's pretty good at everything and I'm getting 85mpg so I'm pretty happy with it.

I got a 2023 KTM 500 last year. It's unreal but it's just expensive. I've did loads of single track and it lugs in first and second. Once get a ecu then it's going to be a lifetime bike. Come off a 2014 250xc and it does feel a little heavier even though on the scales it close.

Great comparison, and straight forward video 👍

I went with a 52 tooth and the stock chain length works. XR 250r forks add 2.5 inches of travel.

I hear the same crap about my 2020 Yamaha XT250. Its to old, slow, under powered. I am not trying to clear triples or shave seconds in the whoops. If I was I would own a different bike It will go anywhere I am willing to, and go faster than I want to crash.

You built a weapon with that bike! Manageable power with a built suspension. It looks like a super fun bike to beat on and not feel bad lol.

The XR250 "spirit" is back! Last year i buy a used CRF230F .

Years ago, I saw you ride the 250l in skill level better than anyone else. The 250f would feel better on trails.

I swapped from a 250L to a 250F! Great change

Yeah, I'm too old for a dirt bike, so my crf250l I got cheap is ideal really. I love bouncing down an old gravel or dirt road full of potholes and there are a lot around where I live. It's adequate on the highway and I would never take any motorcycle on the freeway. It's what you do with it. My dog weighs 30 lbs and he rides on the back. Weight isn't that big a deal. It feels light to me.

You chose wisely that's a good tight woods I'll bet you can run circles around some of the guys on their KTM 300 I've always found out in the woods less is more I had a 300L for about 1 month and sold it keep up the good work

I had a 250f and threw on a yoshi and tuner and it was awesome. Traded it in for a 500excf and love that but I miss my 250f.

For a 300 dual sport, the KLX300 beats the CRF300L off road, by far, in my opinion. I have a buddy with the CRF300L and I had a KLX300, so I got to ride both off road. But another buddy had a CRF250F and I got the chance to ride it, the first real trail bike I'd ever ridden. It totally smokes both the KLX300 and CRF300L off road. So I get it. Anyone who thinks you took a step backwards by getting a CRF250F from a CRF300L obviously hasn't ridden both off road. I wonder how a KLX300R with a dual-sport kit would do? I'd think it would be much more like what you've done with the CRF250F than it would be like the KLX300 dual sport. I ended up with a CRF250RX (with a dual sport kit) for the tighter stuff and a CRF450L for the more wide open stuff. I think I've got my bases covered. I would like to maybe add a CRF250F as a buddy bike.

I agree, my old crf230 was by far the best bike I ever owned. I bet the newer 250f is a little more refined but not much. I wish they’d make one of these with full race suspension. The newer klx300r has caught my eye lately have you looked at those at all?

I'm in the market for my first dual sport/dirt bike, and I've watched several of your videos and I'm glad you made this one!! Thanks for sharing this video, definitely gonna be exploring more on this 250f.🤘🏻 Ride safe and have fun!

I am totally drinking your cool-aid! I’m rocking a ‘95 XR250L and love it. Would like to upgrade to this decade with a street legal CRF250F. Did you expect any issues with cooling riding tight stuff in the woods or deserts?

You guys are lucky to still be allowed to convert dirt bike to be road legal. Here in Quebec it's gotta be road legal from the factory.

Totally agree, wish they were available in South Africa...😢

It pretty much makes the Same amount of power as the 300l but less weight. Those big bore kits and cams from force in Brazil make big power on these engines. They dyno 32hp that's like a 250mx bike...

I've been riding twin-cylinder off-road bikes for 40 years, for me the 300 is embarrassingly light, then everything is relative, for those who do trials your 250 will be heavy.😁

Also you my like to know BBR makes a spring upgrade for you 😊

Have you ever considered the Beta 4 stroke bikes 390rr, 500rr, etc? Seems like they would be such a great fit for the reasons you wanted to go back to the 250f.

*buys homie bike* "Yeah actually... I'ma keep it for me" haha yess!!!

Love your content man. You're about the most unbiased and informative rider that I've found thus far. As far as the bikes go, I'm still on my first bike ever, a '15 FC250. I'll definitely be keeping it for track use, but I wish 250 and 300 xc-w's and te-i's weren't so hard to find or expensive when I do. I too want to expand to a trail 2 stroke. Only been riding for 3 years, and only have 11 hrs total seat time. Lol. Looking forward to more videos. Kudos to you 2 for keeping up with the Channel. ✌🏽

If you're ever up in CT area you can test ride my ktm 500. Got a 58 mile enduro loop on the eastern side of the state.

A super video. I agree with many of your arguments. Best wishes. However Both the 250 and 300 are possibly bloated and overweight ! A Honda CRF450RX is 40kg lighter ! 107kg , 54HP … 13kg less than your 250

Street legal dirtbike> factory dual sport

I'd really like to see you try the wr250r with a couple mods on it too.

how about the kawasaki klx300r

I’d definitely go with a 15 or 16 ktm 500 I can find one of those for about 5k . At 5000 dollars nothing beats it for dirt oriented dualsporting and reliability

I got a xt250 which is pretty similar except the rear travel is less. Luv the light weight but she’s slow on highways..

This comparison makes no sense. Apples vs. pears. CRF300L is a street legal motorbike. It is also a budget motorbike, unlike CRF450L. Dirt bikes are not street legal and it is impossible to convert it into street legal in most parts of developed world because it would have to meet all current regulations. Most notably strict emission limits, noise, EMC, ABS, fuel evap, ... If I get caught even just crossing a public road on dirt bike, my driver license would be suspended for one year. That would really suck.

Is that the large or small tusk tank bag? Looks great on the CRF250F!

I have a 21 KTM 500 with vortex ecu and a 20 KLX230. The KTM is a great all around bike. It will tractor just as well as the 230 then rip your arms out of the sockets when you open it up. The 500 is so much better than the 450l ever was. No flameouts or jerky throttle. The 230 is a fun slow bike to ride fast.

I have to completely disagree respectfully. I started out on this bike( first bike I ever rode) rode my buddy’s ktm 150xcw and fell in love went out and bought a 250 XCW would never go back haha I enjoy the videos anyways keep er goin!

This is why I own the 300l and the 230l. Tanner, how would you compare the 250f to the 230L.

What is the maintenance like on this bike ? How often do you have to do oil change ?

I would say it’s a successor to the xr250r.

Have you thought about a 250rx? I'm looking for my 1st dirtbike and deciding between 250f and 250rx .

Did the Honda CRM 250 get sold in America ? The mark 3 AR was apparently an awesome 2stroke trail bike that was happy on the road

You guys still have the Xtrainer? Did she not like that bike?

How is the hard enduro with the non adjustable front fork ? Is the R something you would consider for single track being significantly lighter and more power ?

"You chose wisely."

What about the Kawasaki KLX 300R dirt bike? That bike is only 282 LBS, almost 25 LBS lighter than the 300L, basically in between the CRF 250 F and the 300 L in weight and probably doesn't require much maintenance. Pretty sure I saw you ride someone's KLX300R in a video once. I imagine the CRF 250 X or a newer RX probably requires almost as much if not the same amount of maintenance as the KTM/Husky 350, 500 and/or CRF 450 L.

I currently have a 250l and yeah the weight sucks but the trails I ride aren’t too gnarly. It does suck to turn around on tighter spots and to pick up. The weight is definitely the biggest issue. Looking at getting a 125 2 stroke in the future and a 4 stroke 250. Think I’ll just end up with a dirt bike and a street bike.

Is the 250 street legal w turn signals stock ? Trying to upgrade from my klx 140 to a dual sport but not sure the crf 250 is road ready stock ?

I wish somebody could make a little bit bigger gas tank for this bike. As of now I still can’t find one and that is the only thing that’s holding me to get this bike.

anyone knows if the crf250F is the same as the crf250L ? I can only find the L version in my country and no infos.

What does the 250f weigh after the modifications?

Have you ridden the Klx300R(off-road version)? The CRF looks awesome but so does the 300R

I am honda fan as well

sadly I can’t purchase it in Poland:/

So besides the cost, does this bike have any advantages over the crf250rx?

Why did you choose this over the 250rx?

When are you going to add in an aftermarket exhaust ?

Are these green sticker in California? Any possibility to plate these in CA?

Have you considered the KLX 300R?

4:08. Cow down. Cow down!

I live in Ohio what all do I need to do to make it street legal

Should I trade my 06 yz250f for a 2022 crf250f

Why not a WR250R... Suspension is way better and the engine revs harder.

Beta 500 or ktm500exc lighter better suspension more power proper off road bike sound better to

Let’s check in one year later.

Why not something better like a crf250x?

id just like to arsk is a klx 300r a good trail bike?

250f or 250x your thoughts?

Where does that extra 50lbs come from on 300L ?

Two strrroooke! I get it though.

why not just get the best dual sport money can buy? KTM 500 EXC-F