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Wayne just called with exciting news of his ride on a 2009 Honda CRF230L. The ride was awesome. Weather was a balmy 80° in LA. Traffic was crazy but the numbers he pulled were crazy as well!

19.9 miles @ 114mpg

22.5 miles @ 144mpg

He said overall it smoked the Yamaha. It coasted long and smooth, ride was very comfortable, and it would bump start unlike the Yamaha. He wanted me to post these quick notes and he will follow-up with the full review when time allows. Sounds like it could be a low cost multi-use commuting machine. Knowing Honda motorcycles as I do, I'm not at all surprised.

From Mighty to Mini, Honda has it All!

He is coasting a motorcycle ICE off? That's kinda crazy...

He is coasting a motorcycle ICE off? That's kinda crazy...

Why is that crazy? I used to do it all the time.

Why is that crazy? I used to do it all the time.

Yea, and unlike a car it's not going to affect steering or breaks.

OH NICE! very impressive numbers those are!

I own a crf230 and, like most motorcyclists, I characteristically got around 45 mpg. (See, for example, Thumpertalk.com.) So, I looked at how Wayne got those amazing results. --- The way he rode was not what the bike was designed for. If you work out the figures, you will see that he must have been shifting at around 4500 rpm. The bike's power range begins at around 4000 rpm. To stay in its power range, but still use as high a gear as possible, you need to shift at approximately 6000 rpm. Then, the bike will operate at highway speeds (that is 55 mph). Shifting at 6000 rpm and accelerating moderately, but using no other special techniques, I got 78.5 and 81.27 mpg on two eighty mile trips. They were about 3/4 highway and the remainder country roads.

As the crf230 doesn't have a tachometer, I should give the shift-points:
Shifting at 4500 rpm they are approximately 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mph, and you exceed 4500 rpm at 36.6 mph in sixth gear;
Shifting at 6000 rpm they are approximately 12.5, 20, 27, 35, and 42 mph and you exceed 6000 rpm at 48.8 mph.
At 55 mph you are doing approximately 6800 rpm in sixth gear.
I computed these using GearingCommander.com for the crf230f. They appear to be correct for my crf230L, too.

Hi Robert:

4K was probably about right from the feel of it...

And no, you need to stay as far away from 6K or higher as possible. It is not the power band you want, it is an efficient partial load BMEP area you want to find. The CRF230L simply chews out the miles while barely drinking a drop at low RPM’s and high loads while going advanced when and where it should be evoked.

Here is the formal review and it is still to this day the most fuel efficient bike I have ever ridden other than the pure electric Zero S.

CleanMPG Reviews the 2008 Honda CRF230L (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=178437)

That said, the price increase Honda placed on this bike in the middle of the recession has summarily killed it from my recommendations since the review was written. IIRC, they raised the price from $4,499 to $5,299 or something like that. I just checked and the 08/09 is now listed at $4,999 for any that are still left over on dealership showrooms.

A std. fork tube layout, slightly underpowered for heavy highway duty, a carb and lack of aftermarket accessories are aging the CRF230L quickly. Some will probably still be running in some museum somewhere in the next century but once you go to a fuel injected bike, carbs are a throwback to an era whose time has come and gone and best left in the past.

After that review, I rode the 10 Kawasaki KLX250SF and while it had better road manners and a much more advanced layout, its carb was problematic for the ever present first start of the day. That said, it had great highway capability up to 80 + mph, and it was but a year ago + when Kawasaki was offering them up brand new for just $3,500! There is no way I can recommend the CRF230L over the Kawasaki KLX250SF at parity, let alone a $1,500 price differential for a less capable and less equipped bike.

And then the mighty WR250X… You should read both the overview and the cross country ride to get a flavor of it. While it is by far the most expensive 250cc I would ever consider, it had most of the modern tools other than ABS and a very potent 250 mill that would still easily allow over 100 mpg while being able to slice and dice everywhere but possibly West Texas and the 80 mph limits. That 250’s engine is designed for longevity. Case in point is the valve adjustment intervals.

And then after that, I am sure you read the home page with the Husqvarna SMS630 details. $5,999 MSRP for everything the WR offered but capable of 100 + mph so West Texas or Montana can be conquered if that is your life’s calling and for $500 less! I am not sure of the reliability or its manners yet as I have never ridden it but the price for a powerful and fuel injected modern bike with all the fixins has me intrigued as it should you.

As I walked you down this list, the fuel economy falls precipitously. And this is an area we need to discuss. While the Husky SMS630 is a bargain, I am sure it would need a few gearing changes, new seat, pegs, grips and even a screen to make it more than an everyday commuter bike. Same with the rest of the 250’s we have reviewed as well. But there is no way in hell it will hit 100 mpg. It is simply beyond its capability. Or at least mine anyway? The WR at 108 while crossing the country provided enough so that I could not in good conscious recommend the CRF230L over it. Even for the price differential. At most 3 to 5K miles per year, the difference between 100 mpg and 125 mpg is practically insignificant at the pump. Then it comes to capability. The CRF230L is the most fuel efficient but it is not a bike I could ride across the country or perform two Iron Butt’s on. The WR250X is not only capable of those rides; it is the bike that took me on those rides!

Good Luck

Wayne

dang wayne. you rode a WR250X on an IRONBUTT? HOLY COW. you are the MAN!! someday, i would love to do one, but dang......

Hi 2RR2NV:

With a little prep, decent temps and some short breaks during the ride, anyone can do one ;)

Wayne

^-- He doesn't recommend a rendezvous with antelope, however. ;)