A Dirt Bike That's Street Legal!

Well... I want one.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a new 2021 Honda CRF300L. From the first few blips of the throttle as I left the parking lot, to later pushing the 300L’s liquid-cooled engine to near redline – it was clear that this highly anticipated upgrade from the CRF250L has done Honda proud.

I’ll admit that in my time on two wheels so far, street riding has always been my preference. That disclaimer feels important to throw in, because my opinions on this little powerhouse could obviously differ from those of a rider with an off-road background.

The first thing I noticed was how light and zippy this bike is. Damn, 286cc's can pull you along pretty quickly! Hammering on the throttle got me going faster than I thought I was. I looked down at the speedo and surprisingly had to slow down before getting myself in trouble. You go through the first three gears rather quickly to get up to your average road speeds, but the last three gears are rather pleasant and get you moving without hitting higher revs.

The front end can feel a little light when you have starting gears this short and a clutch that only takes the strength of a pinky to pull in and dump. For an experienced rider, getting the front wheel off the ground would be a cinch.

The transmission is smooth and responsive, with no false neutrals to report. Blipping down through the gears is just as smooth as up-shifting, and I opted for that technique more than using the actual brakes in the city.  The suspension is very plush, which feels nice on the trails and soaks up every bump on the road. I will say however, it was so soft that on rough roads with many potholes and ruts, there were times when the rear tire was skipping due to all the bounce it had. I’m 150lbs and didn't adjust anything, so I’m sure just a couple clicks up on the rear shock from the stock setting would help.

The layout of the LCD display is very simple and easy to read, with no blind spots or glare when in direct sunlight. Gear position is on your right in bold numbering, you have an average fuel mileage layout, and of course Trip 1 & 2. A standard layout, but worth noting, as I think the gear position indicator is a new feature for the 300 line up, since the CB300R doesn’t come with one yet.

If I was going to kit this bike out for my kind of riding, it would need more wind protection. I took it on a long day of riding with friends, and we ended up going farther than I anticipated. Comfort-wise, it was surprisingly relaxed, and the seat was comfier than I expected so I had no problem staying in the saddle for over two hours. It was the lack of fairings that made the trek somewhat tiring. The wind hitting me for extended periods forced me to lean forward into the bike, which meant pulling in on the bars and having to use more strength to stay upright. After about an hour I felt noticeably more fatigued than I would usually be, so pulling over to stretch out became more consistent in the latter part of the day.

One of our stops along the way was of course to fuel up. I must say, it felt great to fill up from near empty and only spend 6 or 7 dollars, especially after getting 225km or more to the tank. On this bike your gas stops will be short, and you'll have a lot of room to play for less than $10.

Lastly, I want to mention the throttle response. I’ve seen some other reviewers claim that the 300L’s mapping seems off and that the bike feels sputtery down low, especially while trail riding. Personally, I didn't notice much of that, but I will note that when rolling onto the gas, the response was instant. This bike definitely wanted to leap forward quicker than anything else I’ve ridden, given the same amount of throttle. It’s probably worth mentioning that the closest thing I’ve ridden to this before now was a 2007 KLR650, which was kind of like a tugboat on two wheels.

All in all, this bike was a pleasure to try out. On the pavement, this bike would make an excellent short-haul commuter and in the right hands, it would be a wicked little animal to take off the beaten path.

Author: Enrique Flores-Smith
Photo Credits: Enrique Flores-Smith

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