Honda CRF300L: Top Speed & Specs
Are you in the market for a capable and fun all-terrain sports bike? The Honda CRF300L is a well known option, but what’s the scoop on its specs and top speed?
The Honda CRF300L is a capable enduro bike available from 149 to 449cc options, ensuring smooth and powerful control over rough terrain. This bike is commonly capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 MPH depending on conditions.
If that’s enough to get you interested in the Honda CRF300L, then you’re in luck, because we have plenty more to cover. Stick around to learn all about this great bike including its history, specs, who this bike is best for, and more!
Table of Contents
- Honda CRF300L Background
- Honda CRF300L Engine
- Honda CRF300L Suspension
- Honda CRF300L Brakes
- Honda CRF300L Weight
- Honda CRF300L Size and Dimensions
- Honda CRF300L Tires
- Honda CRF300L Top Speed
- Honda CRF300L Common Issues
- Is the CRF300L A Good Bike?
- Conclusion
Honda CRF300L Background
Launched in 2000 as the successor to the Honda CR series of dirt bikes, the CRF is a full-sized bike with a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine. From its inception, the Honda CRF series has been considered among the best in its class. This bike even earned recognition from CycleWorld eight years in a row for best motocrosser!
The CRF series saw a number of different additions to its roster. Some of the most popular and highly regarded options from this series you are likely to come across are:
- Honda CRF 450R
- Honda CSR 250R
- Honda CRF 450X
- Honda CRF 250X
The models listed in the latter half of the list above mark the transition of this bike model into primarily off-road usage. This task is what the CRF300L is known for.
Honda CRF300L Engine
This bike is powered by a single-cylinder 4-stroke 286CC liquid-cooled engine. This provides the bike with a healthy 27 horse power. While you might initially think this sounds a bit light on muscle, that is far from the reality.
In fact, as a relatively lightweight bike, this is more than enough power to keep things moving at high speed on hills or highways. This balance allows this bike to maintain a reasonable amount of speed without needing a stronger engine, and the heavier, more expensive parts to hold it up.
Honda CRF300L Suspension
While researching a bike, the suspension should always be under close scrutiny, especially if you plan on using the bike as an off-roader. The suspension will be responsible for how the bike feels under you while on the trail and has a great impact on rider comfort. Beyond that, the suspension will also have a bearing on the effectiveness of your bike while out on the trail.
The suspension for the CRF300L is good enough to get the job done and feel smooth and easy while riding on pavement. Still, some riders might find the back shock a bit bouncy on more rugged terrain. While off-roading, the suspension may have a little bit of ‘give’ resulting in a pogo stick effect that may be unpleasant.
Still, if you would like to replace the suspension there are DIY kits available, as is true for most widely available bikes on today’s market. We recommend only doing a modification or replacement of your suspension if you have proven skills, and are confident you will be capable of completing the task yourself.
Honda CRF300L Brakes
It’d be good to make sure that any options you consider have brakes that work well, wouldn’t it? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that not only do these brakes work quite nicely, but you also get a choice of options between a bike with or without ABS.
ABS is an automatic braking system designed to assist the bike in maintaining control when the bike is skidding. This feature can be useful for the driver when you’ve lost traction and need to regain a grip on the road.
As for brake specs, the front brake consists of a single 256mm disc with a twin-piston caliper. The year brake is a single 220mm disc. On the ABS model, both the front and back will be equipped with ABS functionality.
Honda CRF300L Weight
The Honda CRF300L is generally regarded as a fairly lightweight sport bike. But exactly how much does this machine weigh?”
The Honda CRF300L weighs around 309lbs on average without the ABS system. If you choose to include the ABS system, the bike will take on a few extra pounds, weighing in at 311lbs instead. With fuel, the bike will, of course, be exceptionally heavier and weigh in at 333lbs.
Honda CRF300L Size and Dimensions
This bike is typically grouped in with small bikes, and judging from its footprint, we understand why! The CRF300L takes up 87.8 inches in length, and holds a width of 32.2 inches. The bike is 47.3 inches with a ground clearance of 11.2 inches.
The seat height of this bike is 34.7 inches, putting it at a typical height for bikes that is appropriate for a pretty good range of heights. As one of the lightest dual-sport bikes around, these dimensions keep things pretty tight. Still, riders tend to feel roomy yet comfortable while in the seat.
Honda CRF300L Tires
The wheel design is similar to many other quality off-road vehicles, being 21 inches in the front and 18 in the back. This design allows the bike to effectively grip and climb up rugged terrain, keeping the ride smooth, even when the terrain is as rough as can be.
The stock tires that come with a new model are the IRC trails GP. Some users might be skeptical of stock tires, but these prove to be reliable in a wide variety of terrain types and different conditions.
These tires tend to have a reliable character that should not often surprise the rider, and this is a good thing! Predictable tires will help the driver to anticipate how the tire will handle different circumstances, so they will know how to better react with each moment.
Honda CRF300L Top Speed
This bike is able to reach some impressive top speeds, over 80mph depending on the tuning and conditions. The CRF has excellent handling and acceleration of roads, and is able to reach high speeds with little effort or wear. This makes the bike a super fun and agile option for street biking too!
Additionally, the bike is able to comfortably cut turns at high speeds, doing well in tight corners, or cutting through rough terrain on a backcountry trail. This makes the bike a great choice for riders who appreciate speed but don’t want to sacrifice handling and agility.
Honda CRF300L Common Issues
The CRF is a great and reliable bike enjoyed by many. A fair share of its popularity has come from its high performance and reliability, both of which are greatly appreciated by their owners. But no bike is without a few common issues. Which issues might the owner of a CRF300L come across? We’ll get into it.
Engine Rattle
Some users report experiencing some pretty intense engine rattle when moving into certain RPM ranges. This rattling may go away as the user advances into higher RPMs, but this is not a fix and rather a feature of this odd issue. Engine rattle seems to usually kick in around 5k RPMs, so watch out when you’re nearing this setting.
Non-Adjustable Seat
Another annoyance owners have to put up with is that the seat height of these bikes are non-adjustable. While this seat should be suitable for most, this aspect can be particularly troublesome for short riders.
To adjust the seat of a CRF300L an aftermarket kit is needed. It’s nice to have this as an option, but the trouble and cost of doing so is not so desirable, and a stock option for adjustments would be beneficial.
Low Fuel Capacity
The fuel tank is quite small and is only able to carry around 7.8 liters of gas at a time. For short rides, this should be no issue but may prove a bit low compared to other bikes of its size. Because of this, it is likely that you will need to perform multiple refills during longer rides on this bike.
A larger fuel tank would be appreciated, but if you decide to go on a long ride, we might also recommend bringing a spare fuel can or two if conditions allow for it.
Is the CRF300L A Good Bike?
As always, the answer to this question depends on what you are looking for. This bike is a highly popular option, and with all of its positive aspects, we understand why. If you value speed, reliability, and even affordability, without needing to sacrifice a quality build, then this bike is a great choice!
The CRF300L can prove to be an exceptionally fun option, not rivaled by many other choices for the price. The CRF300L manages to do everything a dirt bike should, and does so with style and reliability!
Conclusion
The CRF300L series are some of the most popular bike options in their class. They are well-known as being super fun and approachable to ride, a huge factor in establishing this model’s status as a favorite.
Do a cursory search on one of these things, and you’ll see constant praise and surprise at how much this bike is able to deliver for the price. All things considered, it doesn’t get much better than that!
