We have been waiting for the Honda CRF250L Rally to debut for a long time now.
It has been 20 months since Big Red first showed us the Honda CRF250 Rally concept in Japan, and today in at the EICMA show Italy, the 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally finally broke cover.
The idea behind the Dakar-inspired machine is pretty simple. Take the venerable Honda CRF250L platform, and add pieces to make it mimic the design for the Honda CRF450 Rally race bike.
The result is a lightweight adventure bike that appeases those riders who feel ADV machines are to big and heavy.
In addition to the changes that are coming to the 2017 Honda CRF250L, Honda says that the Rally version gets a “floating” windscreen, as featured on the 450cc Dakar racer.
The Honda CRF250L Rally also gets radiator shrouds, an asymmetrical LED headlight, and other bodywork pieces. The effect of turning the CRF250L into a Dakar Rally racer may not be as complete as was shown on the concept, which may turn-off some would-be buyers.
Most interestingly though, the 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally will have dual-channel ABS standard, which will allow the rear wheel ABS to be switched off by the rider.
The fuel tank holds 2.66 gallons, and Honda says there is plenty of power and torque from the revised 250cc engine for 2017, which gets new fuel mapping, throttle bodies, airbox, and lightweight exhaust for the coming model year.
Expect to see the 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally in US dealerships in March 2017. Pricing will be $5,899 MSRP.
Source: American Honda
As always, Asphalt & Rubber will be covering all the new bikes debuting at EICMA this year. Be sure to follow our coverage for the most recent news and photos.
Comments