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HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE

The CRF230L is all for fun, and fun for all - no matter your skill level, size, age, or gender! This machine easily adapts to virtually every situation. Its features make it a great machine for riding just about everywhere or hauling it to distant destinations. I often wonder why people ride scooters or small street machines when such ride-friendly and far superior machines like this are around.

The CRF230L's motor is a 223cc SOHC two-valve, air-cooled four-stroke equipped with a 30mm CV carburetor. It has a lightweight high-tensile steel, semi-double cradle style frame and a box-type aluminum rear swing-arm. This machine is built to last.

For its drive train, we find two steel sprockets and a heavy duty 520 size O-ring chain which further illustrate the point. Though it has not officially been reported yet, I estimate the 230L to have between 18 and 23 horsepower. The bike has great low-end torque, yet still delivers enough power throughout its six speed transmission to provide an impressive range of duty.

For example, it can climb steep trails at walking speed when necessary, and it will haul you along at 70 mph while powering up long moderate grades.

The CRF230L is light and highly maneuverable. Its turning radius is a mere 52.7 inches, without slide factor. Having a curb weight of 267 pounds and a seat height at 31.9 inches, it is easy to imagine how user friendly this bike is for nearly all riders.

Showa long travel suspension (nine inches front, 6.3 inches rear) helps smooth the bumps whether on or off road. Having ground clearance of close to ten inches is frosting on the cake.

In city riding the bike simply eats pavement. The ride is smooth and the six-speed transmission allows you to cruise comfortably at nearly any speed. Furthermore, because of its six gears, you can tag a lower gear for power if needed for maneuvering in traffic or on the trail.

Responsive, well-tuned braking is another positive aspect of the CRF230L. At the levers, there is a quick yet gradual feel which permits the rider sensitive application and precise response and control. This, of course, comes in handy both on and off road.

The CRF230L is primarily designed for local riding. By this I mean 50 to 70 miles out in rigorous, steep billy goat conditions (which would require a full day), or up to a couple hundred miles of twisting two-lane tarmac where gas is available. There's no question this machine will do double duty well.

Considering the off-road side of the coin, the CRF230L is engineered to be a trail bike. Its height, light weight, tight turning capability, and torque-happy first few gears establish this. Its suspension is tuned best to pick precise trail maneuvering in rocky or wooded trials like mountain riding and to rolling desert contrails, leaving high-speed open-desert whoops as the least preferred option.

When on pavement, this machine can do in-city tight maneuvering with finesse. Riding the twists with this bike is a genuine blast!

At the right time, in the right situations, bigger 600cc machines can't shake a little bike like this with a skilled pilot on it. The top speed of the CRF230L, or its fastest generally happy speed is at about 70 mph on flat tarmac. Considering this bike's design, a 140-mile day would be a casual or friendly day's ride for an average rider. For the most part, the CRF230L finds itself at home when riding on two-lane highway conditions. Winding highways or two lane commuter conditions are very reasonable on this machine.

When considering the CRF230L for freeway riding, one should pause. In terms of modern ride conditions where most cars on the freeway are traveling at 80-plus miles per hour, I wouldn't spend a lot of time on freeways with this machine. Short distances on freeways might be tolerable. While the CRF230L meets the legal requirement in terms of horsepower for freeway riding, due to today’s real and risky freeway environment, I would avoid them on any bike with less than 30 - 35 horsepower.

Early testing indicates this bike's fuel economy to be about 70 miles per gallon. According to Honda, the CRF230L holds 2.3 gallons of fuel, including a 0.7 gallon reserve; therefore, the range of the bike is roughly 150 miles. Due to this and the bike's size, most practical riders would not consider the CRF230L for long distance travel. Though I've heard of a few adventurous souls who have taken even smaller machines across continents, over several-thousand mile journeys, personally I'd pass with this bike.

SUMMARY

Photo Credit: Sharewallpapers.orgOriginally running around Japan as an XRL, the bike is now in America designated as the CRF230L. A classic trail bike and one of the handiest bikes you'll ever run across, it denies the stereotypical myth that dual sport bikes are a compromise.

It is a medium-to-small size motorcycle that offers big versatility with a surprising ability to both climb mountains and commute to nearby cities or towns. As all good things must have limits, the CRF230L has a certain range which it is best suited for; however, the amount of fun you can have with this machine is impressive. Most scooter and moped owners would move to machines like this if only they knew what they're missing. The CRF230L is more than the well-integrated sum of its parts.

The base price for the CRF230L is $4,499. Retail purchasers of new machines receive a one-year complimentary membership in the Honda Rider's Club of America. The motorcycle comes with a transferable one-year limited warranty, and extended coverage is available with Honda's Protection Plan. Regardless of status or ability, pretty much everyone should enjoy and appreciate this machine.