Honda has recently launched the CRF250L 2012 so long story short, if you're on the lookout for a dual-purpose bike with great heritage that combines excellent off-road capabilities with on-road prowess then this one might be exactly what you were looking for.
The new CRF250L boasts with being super practical while offering high fuel efficiency. The off-roader is motivated by a 250 cc liquid-cooled single cylinder four-stroke engine mated with a six-speed transmission. The 250 cc unit develops 23 horsepower and a maximum torque of 16.23 lb-ft. More interestingly is the fact that the new bike has been equipped with Honda's PGM-FI system (Programmed Fuel Injection) that will allegedly yield a maximum fuel efficiency of 100 mpg. Considering the fact that the CRF250L has a two-gallon tank, a potential range of 200 miles is very impressive.
The bike sits on a steel twin-tube frame and aluminum swingarm and is equipped with a 43mm inverted fork at the front having 8.7 inches travel, and a Pro-Link single shock with spring preload adjustability and 9.4 inches travel at the back. The brakes consist in a single 256 mm disc with twin-piston calipers at the front wheel, and a single 220 mm disc at the rear. Its wheelbase is 56.9 inches, its curb weight is 320 pounds and has a seat height of 34.7 inches.
Being both an off-road and a city bike, the CRF250L has been designed to please the eye as well, but the only downside is the fact that it only comes with one color scheme, the classic Red/White combination. It also comes with a long seat and fold-up frame-mounted passenger footpegs, which is a pretty big plus if you don't want to ride alone.
That pretty much sums it all up, so it's time to take a look at what you'll need to pay for the Honda CRF250L 2012, if it delivers what you were looking for in a dual-purpose bike. The MSRP price in the US, excluding taxes is $4,499. If you'd also like to consider the alternatives, its key competitor is the Kawasaki KLX250S which has the same engine capacity, is similar in many ways and comes with a price tag of $5,099 MSRP.
