HONDA CRF300L VS KAWASAKI KLX300 DUAL-SPORTS: THE WRAP

This week we returned to our roots. It was all about driving small-bore dual-sport bikes. We’ve got the Honda CRF300L and the Kawasaki KLX300. The principle attraction to each bikes is worth; they every promote for round $5500. Each are made in Thailand and each are extra about easy transportation than going quick off-road.

The Honda CRF300L and Kawasaki KLX300 are extra about path transportation than grime thrills.

The Honda CRF300L first appeared because the CRF250L again in 2017, then it bought a serious replace in 2021. The stroke was elevated by 8mm to reach at 286cc. It bought new camshafts, and each the airbox and the exhaust had been redesigned. The end is excellent, the brakes are made by Nissin and the edges are aluminum. You must rise up near see the cheap stuff. The suspension is about as primary as attainable. The rear has adjustable spring preload and that’s all; no reservoir, no clickers. The handlebar is ⅞-inch metal, and there are not any handguards or body guards. It is available in at 286 kilos with out gas.

The Honda has the higher hand in mid-range energy and floor clearance.

The Kawasaki KLX300 has a really completely different backstory. It’s been blinking out and in of existence since 1994. In its early days, it was certainly one of only a few small-bore off-road four-strokes. In expertise, it was miles forward of the Honda XR250R and the Suzuki DR250 of the day, which had been each single overhead cam and air cooled. The off-road model of the KLX lasted about 15 years–most of that point as a 300. The twin-sport model KLX250 was launched in 2006 and lasted till 2014. It disappeared for a quick interval after which confirmed up with gas injection. The model of the bike you see at present got here to life in 2021 when the displacement was upped to 292cc. One space the place Kawasaki splurged was in suspension. The fork has adjustable rebound damping, and the piggyback shock has adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping. On our scale, the Kawasaki is 282 kilos with out gas.

The Kawasaki will get the higher of the Honda within the suspension division. It is also a extra compact bike.

Each bikes are taller than you would possibly anticipate. With unladen suspension, the bottom a part of the Kawasaki’s seat is 36.5 inches. The Honda’s is 37.2. That modifications as quickly because the bikes settle below their very own weight. They’re comfortable–very comfortable. The Kawasaki settles greater than the Honda, making it just a little simpler for the short-inseam crowd to the touch the bottom. Conversely, the Honda has extra floor clearance. Each bikes include very street-oriented tires. So as to go on an off-road journey of any substance, it is advisable to substitute them with full knobbies. We put in Dunlop’s new Geosport EN91 tries, that are knobbies with DOT approval.

Up entrance, you gotta perceive what these bikes are. They had been made for road transportation and delicate path driving. One on one, although, they’re nice path companions. Their efficiency is so related which you can’t assist however have enjoyable driving them collectively–simply don’t invite these guys on 300 two-strokes. The Honda and Kawasaki each make round 23 horsepower and rev out round 9500 rpm. That’s sufficient energy to go respectably quick on stage, hard-packed path. While you get into sandy hills, they wrestle. You must shift like a madman. Should you attempt to stretch a gear by abusing the clutch, each bikes fall flat. Should you actually concentrate, you uncover that the Honda has barely extra low finish energy. It’s additionally geared decrease in first and second gear. Each bikes might use decrease closing gearing and be happier on the path. Within the large image, although, the motor efficiency on these two bikes is so related it’s virtually eerie.

The seat peak is far more related. Not solely is the Honda just a little taller, nevertheless it has a wider seat. Meaning quick riders will wrestle simply to get a leg over it. Riders who’re taller and those that are extra skilled, alternatively, will just like the Honda’s further floor clearance. It isn’t nearly clearing rocks and stumps, it’s about how shut your ft are to the bottom. On the Kawasaki you’re nervous about wiping your ft clear off its slender little footpegs.

The Honda CRF300L weighs 286 kilos with out gas. The Kawasaki KLX300 is 282 with out gas–each measured on our scale.

Within the suspension division, neither bike is set-up for actual off-road driving. They’re made to be comfortable and cozy across the campsite; nothing extra. The journey that feels so cozy and plush on the street turns right into a pitchy, divey affair in even the mildest off-road terrain. Within the case of the Kawasaki, you a minimum of have the choice of delicate fine-tuning. You possibly can enhance preload on the rear shock and enhance each compression and rebound damping. That provides you just a little extra safety, however the vary of adjustability is proscribed. The Honda, alternatively, has no adjustability and desperately wants extra damping at each ends. You possibly can enhance each bikes by spending cash, however all the cash on the planet gained’t make them into race bikes. Proper now we’re attempting to be taught extra concerning the bike to find out an general winner. You possibly can try the February, 2023 print version of Dust Bike for a comparability.

BETA 350RR

One other bike new to the check fleet this week is the Beta 350RR. It is a new mannequin that we didn’t know a lot about. We had been conversant in the 350RR-S dual-sport and the 350RR Race Version, however now there’s one which splits the distinction in efficiency. It additionally sells for lower than both of the opposite Beta 350s–though it’s nonetheless not precisely low-cost. Keep tuned; as we spend extra time on the bike we’ll report what we be taught.

FUN WITH THE LAWRENCE BOYS

THE CASELLI CUP

Proper now the Dust Bike employees is within the argument stage of selecting the recipient of the following Caselli Cup. We don’t actually consider this as a “Rider of the 12 months” award as a result of we don’t like wanting backwards. That is our rating of the highest 25 riders as of the beginning of the 2023 season. Naturally, the earlier yr’s outcomes play closely in that call, however we attempt to look previous accidents and misfortune. In 2022, there was a variety of that. Listed below are the riders into consideration and their outcomes from 2022.

GNCC XC1

1 JORDAN ASHBURN 267

2 CRAIG B DELONG 225

3 RICKY A RUSSELL 181

4 BENJAMIN M KELLEY 180

5 TREVOR BOLLINGER 148

6 JOSHUA M TOTH 135

7 GRANT BAYLOR 133

8 STEWARD BAYLOR JR 113

9 JOSH V STRANG 84

10 THADDEUS DUVALL 60

11 JOSEP GARCIA 37

12 TYLER D MEDAGLIA 26

13 STEVE HOLCOMBE 19

14 LAYNE MICHAEL 14

GNCC XC2

1 LYNDON SNODGRASS 291

2 RYDER LAFFERTY 229

3 RUY BARBOSA 219

4 CODY J BARNES 191

5 LIAM DRAPER 191

6 MICHAEL WITKOWSKI 190

7 ANGUS RIORDAN 185

8 BENJAMIN HERRERA 183

9 JONATHAN T JOHNSON 160

10 SIMON J JOHNSON 143

NGPC PRO

1 DANTE OLIVEIRA 270

2 AUSTIN WALTON 196

3 COLE MARTINEZ 172

4 TYLER LYNN 150

5 DARE DEMARTILE 134

6 DALTON SHIREY 130

7 JUSTIN HOEFT 123

8 GIACOMO REDONDI 113

9 TREVOR STEWART 107

10 TALLON LA FOUNTAINE 94

NGPC 250 PRO

1 MATEO OLIVEIRA 240

2 JACK SIMPSON 205

3 KAI AIELLO 195

4 JUSTIN SEEDS 145

5 COLTON AECK 142

6 THOMAS DUNN 134

7 MASON OTTERSBERG 105

8 TYLER BELKNAP 99

9 JP ALVAREZ 73

10 COLE ZELER 73

WORCS 450 PRO

1 DANTE OLIVEIRA 240

2 AUSTIN WALTON 195

3 TYLER LYNN 185

4 DARE DEMARTILE 178

5 COLE MARTINEZ 140

6 TREVOR STEWART 132

7 JUSTIN HOEFT 102

8 TRAVIS DAMON 89

9 MATT MAPLE 83

10 TALLON LAFOUNTAINE 80

WORCS PRO2

1 MATEO OLIVEIRA 225

2 KAI AIELLO 195

3 JACK SIMPSON 177

4 THOMAS DUNN 177

5 COLTON AECK 111

6 COLE ZELLER 65

7 JUSTIN SEEDS 50

8 TYLER BELKNAP 39

9 CHASE LARSON 31

10 JAKE ALVAREZ 28

ENDUROCROSS (Incomplete)

1 Trystan Hart 113

2 Jonny Walker 112

3 Taddy Blazusiak 96

4 Cody Webb 95

5 Colton Haaker 90

6 Cooper Abbott 82

7 Ryder Leblond 71

8 Tim Apolle 66

9 Max Gerston 58

10 Ty Cullins 55

AMA NATIONAL ENDURO

1 Grant Baylor 245

2 Josh Toth 204

3 Ryder Lafferty 191

4 Steward Baylor Jr 187

5 Craig Delong 178

6 Ricky Russell 145

7 Evan Smith 121

8 Jonathan Johnson 95

9 Benjamin Nelko 95

10 Brody Johnson 86

11 Thad Duvall 74

AMA NATIONAL HARE & HOUND

1 Dalton Shirey 211

2 Joseph Wasson 145

3 Zane Roberts 138

4 Carter Klein 119

5 Corbin Mcpherson 109

6 Jacob Argubright 107

7 Clayton Roberts 99

8 Taylor Robert 90

9 Brody Honea 78

10 Preston Campbell 71

US SPRINT ENDURO

1 LAYNE MICHAEL 340

2 LIAM DRAPER 254

3 STEWARD BAYLOR 211

4 THAD DUVALL 148

WEST HARE SCRAMBLES

1 Giacomo Redondi

2 Zane Roberts

3 Austin Serpa

4 Mason Ottersberg

5 Jaden Dahners

6 Dalton Shirey

7 Taylor Robert

8 Anthony Ferrante

9 JT Baker

10 Anson Maloney

FULL GAS SPRINT

1 Evan Smith

2 Tyler Medaglia

3 Brewer Cawley

EAST HARE SCRAMBLES

1 MAX FERNANDEZ

2 KYLE MCDONAL

3 IAN POTTER

4 HUNTER BUSH

5 JASON TINO

6 BEN WRIGHT

7 BRANDON RYMARZOW

8 MARK FORTNER

9 DANIEL FORTNER

10 TOBY CLEVELAND

ISDE TROPHY TEAM FINISHERS

Kailub Russell, P15

Austin Walton, P17

Michael Layne, P18

Josh Toth, P22

Mateo Oliveira, P32

Dante Oliveira, P35

Korie Steede, P111

Rachel Gutish, P119