Honda CRF300L

While the off-road motorcycles are generally minimalist and not-so-beefy in terms of the way they look, the Honda CRF 300L lacks the appeal which a modern dual-purpose motorcycle should possess in the current world. Honda could have worked a bit more to make the CRF 300L look a bit more special and feature-rich. However, the tall and slim stance of the Honda CRF 300L surely makes it look like a proper dual-purpose motorcycle.

At the front, the Honda CRF 300L looks very simple with an arrow-head-shaped headlamp, which is aligned almost vertically. This headlamp is surrounded by a small but edgy-looking bikini fairing, which has a sloping surface above the headlamp. The side edges of this fairing are flanked with amber-coloured turn indicators, which along with the halogen setup for the headlamp, make the front fascia look a bit date. Honda could have incorporated a complete LED setup, which would have lifted up the visual appeal of the front face of the CRF 300L.

As with all the dual-purpose motorcycles, the Honda CRF 300L to gets a high-mounted front fender and off-road tyres wrapped over spoke wheels. The golden-coloured front forks of the motorcycle do get plastic shrouds over their lower parts, which further add to its go-anywhere looks. Its silver-coloured engine sits much higher above the ground, however, it doesn’t get any kind of underbody protection or bash plate. The minimalist side body panels and high-mounted fuel tank with thin plastic panels around it and vertical shrouds further expose the frame of the motorcycle, making it look even more rugged.

Below the small single piece and almost flat seat of the Honda CRF 300L are placed wide body panels which flow towards the rear end of the motorcycle in an angular way. The rear of the motorcycle, like the front end, also looks very plain and minimalist with a small LED tail lamp that gets turn indicators besides it. Another trait of the motorcycle which makes it look like a proper dual-purpose motorcycle is the high-mounted single-sided exhaust beneath the tail section.

The Honda CRF 300L gets a very small but very informative fully digital rectangular instrument console, which shows digital data for speed, engine rpm, fuel level, clock, gear indicator, odometer, and two trip meters. Fit and finish levels and quality of body panels and switchgear are perfect for a motorcycle of this class.

The Honda CRF 300L is a proper dual-purpose motorcycle, and its basic mechanical setup ensures this fact. The motorcycle gets a long-travel setup for both upside-down hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and a pro-link mono-shock at the back. The tall 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel with off-road spec tyres with big tread blocks make it a cakewalk over rough terrains. The bike is armed with a 256 mm disc brake at the front and a 220 mm disc on the rear wheel.

The engine which sits at the heart of the Honda CRF 300L is a four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 286cc engine. This engine is essentially the bored-out version that of the CRF 250L, which makes it produce higher maximum power and torque figures, which are rated at 26.2 bhp and 26.1 Nm respectively. The short gearing from its 6-speed gearbox makes it a quick and fun-to-drive motorcycle.

Save for a dual-channel ABS, the Honda CRF 300L gets no other prominent safety feature or riding aid, which helps in keeping the weight of the motorcycle under check.

For today’s standards, the Honda CRF 300L might feel a bit dated and underequipped. However, the motorcycle feels rock-solid over rough roads, and it is where its engine and overall riding dynamics truly shine.