CRF 300L Rally Long-Term Review: 43,000 Miles from USA to Brazil-Is It Worth It?

[@jamesroberts2030]

Most realistic motorcycle/product review I've seen on this platform. Thank You

[@karmasters]

One of the best realistic reviews out there! Thank you!

[@HirsiTV]

I try to be realistic. After a few years and many miles I got to know the motorcycle. I know my review would have been different if I only used it for 10,000 miles. Thank you so much for the comment.

[@brandonbrenesb5498]

Hi, I have a 300L and I did a 50.000km round trip from Costa Rica to Alaska, my bike now has 80.000km and I had to rebuilt the top end at 75.000km since it was burning oil as well, most of the people that I have seen travelling in the CRF, have rebuilt the top end between 70.000-80.000 km, fortunately it very cheap, around 300 USD and you have the bike working perfectly again

[@HirsiTV]

@@brandonbrenesb5498 Brandon, I hope you enjoyed your trip. I wish to visit Alaska one day. Can you tell me where you bought the top end ?

[@ianharrison5263]

excellent review .... far more logical than most 😊

[@HirsiTV]

@ Thank you Ian, I should have wrote notes down before I filmed. I am glad I did a long term review. Long enough to see problems. A lot of people review things while it’s new and doesn’t have problems. Thanks for watching

[@brandonbrenesb5498]

@@HirsiTV I ordered the parts from partzilla

[@MrGeorge1978]

​@@HirsiTVI would suggest the 301 big bore kit from Maverick @ 550 Performance. New cylinder, piston, rings and pin with very high quality parts

[@PeterVred]

This is the BEST all-round review I've ever seen of any motorcycle ever! You cover it all and were spot on about the pros and cons of the Rally. I've had a similar experience with my CRF300L with just under 20K miles (I had 45K on my 2019 Africa Twin, now I'm scaling down). I've had to have 70% of my motor replaced, due to putting in an air filter backwards...and then riding it 6000 miles that way, topped off by a 500 mile grueling off-road ride, where I pressed it to it's limits when it was already past due for an oil change! It all could have been avoided. But again, about you...This review was just perfect in so many ways. The biggest way was the time spent in the saddle, no quickie review here. Thorough, and no details overlooked. I look forward to seeing some of your other content. Keep up the excellent work!

[@ephraimjessop7702]

Great review! Its always nice to see real world long term reviews!

[@HirsiTV]

@@ephraimjessop7702 those are the reviews I like. Especially when the persons owns it and uses it long term. Ephraim, wow. My next video is an interview with a half black mennonite/amish and his name is Ephraim. Thank you for watching and commenting

[@dragostank6485]

Great review, thank you , 4:18 clutch is on the opposite side 🙂

[@fabulo5613]

Awesome review! Great perspectives! Keep up the good work!

[@Sailing_JP]

Great honest and no BS review. Thanks.

[@bape2297]

This a great review of the CFR300L/Rally and what an amazing trip and journey.

[@GraemeRobinson]

Love this review. This is the first video I've watched on your channel and its refreshing to see a no-nonsense review of the bike and all the stuff you have tried on it and with it. God help any poor enthusiastic newbie getting into adventure riding, there are so many parasites out there trying to sell useless 'upgrades' and inevitably we all fall victim to at least some of this crap. Best advice ever - ride your bike - a lot - before considering upgrades. If a part works and doesn't fail it probably doesn't need replacing. If a mod adds weight, don't get it until the original part breaks or it fills a definite need the stock item does not.

[@lsterling60]

Great review. Love your honest opinions. Safe travels!

[@CajunEscapades]

Great in-depth video. Glad to see your bike treating you right for the most part. Safe travels bro! Enjoy your journey 🫶

[@ferkuzuel]

Excellent review,👌

[@dylanmccallister1888]

They been making this motor for years, almost unchanged since the 90s The same motor in the cb300f too which i put 45,000 miles on mine it also started to burn oil. Now, this is a 4 stroke dirtbike engine basically. Normally they need to be rebuilt every 100 hours or so. The fact it can go that long without anything going wrong is amazing. It is a very reliable single cylinder motorcycle. I just junked mine because after 4 years it wasn't worth anything with the miles that were on it. I got a dualsport, sold my dirtbike. Now im about to get rid of my truck and dualsport and have just an adv bike like a transalp.

[@thisdadslife8957]

Loved your pragmatic review of the bike and lessons from your journey. Very interesting.

[@Birdfeeder795]

Glad i stumbled upon your channel. Great and honest review! I would actually argue that the CRF was the perfect choice for you as a new motorcyclist, and that you would buy it again if you started over. Now you are most definitely ready for a bigger and heavier bike. The CRF is a great bike to learn on. And if you upgrade the suspension and do som mods to the engine, the bike will perform like a semi race bike. New sub!

[@HirsiTV]

@@Birdfeeder795 you are absolutely correct. Very good for beginners. If someone has experience. Then they should get something more powerful. For international travel. I think the DR, XR and KLR might be better because of parts availability. Getting parts for the CRF is hard. Even things like sprockets and air filters. Yes. I am ready for a suspension upgrade. Thank you for watching , commenting and subscribing

[@cstbb568]

Thank you for the review, as you say we need more of these , reviewing brand new bikes is no use for those of us that are looking for long term travel reliability

[@HirsiTV]

Your welcome, Any new bike with low miles is great. It’s only after many miles that problems arise. My biggest problem is that parts are hard to come by in other countries. If this was DR 650 I would have had better luck with parts. I couldn’t even find sprockets. I had to buy from America and pay for international shipping. If you live in USA, it’s a decent bike. Thank you so much for watching and commenting

[@jeffj3357]

Great video!thanks!

[@brucewilliams6604]

Very, Very good production... great information... very well presented....good on ya !

[@HirsiTV]

Bruce, thank you so much.

[@adied7725]

Super super video, on depth honest and no nonsense from someone who has actually ridden the miles across all terrains and countries. Not trying to sell us shit ,but help us to know what we actually might need. Really really helpful advice thanks so much 🙏😊

[@frankangelinefrisch3374]

Great review, thank you. I was shopping for a nice used 300 Rally for a couple months this fall when I came across a set of '88 & '89 Honda NX 250s in great shape with low miles. I ended up buying the NX's and I feel like I made the right choice....so far lol

[@HirsiTV]

@@frankangelinefrisch3374 thank you Frank for the comment and watching the video. if you are in the states or in Europe, then I think the NX is a great choice

[@cefvelasco7200]

best review man! I hope you can share thoughts about nx500 too

[@HirsiTV]

@@cefvelasco7200 thank you so much. If you will mostly ride in the United States/ Canada or Europe then I think the nx500 is great. I know it’s heavier than the crf 300l rally. I am weak so the weight really matters to me. I do like the shorter seat height of the NX 500 . I think it’s a much more practical bike for western countries.

[@jonathanfont853]

Thanks for the video. Very good and down to earth review

[@HirsiTV]

@@jonathanfont853 thank you Jonathan

[@elviscorgen9674]

Thanks for sharing your experience sir, great job.

[@AskarADV]

I'm a beginner with honda Crf 250 rally, although you talked about 300, but I kinda get the message just 50 short. I really enjoyed your video and the manner you narrated 😊

[@HirsiTV]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I think they are pretty much the same bikes. But the 250 is better in regards to getting parts. It’s been out longer. The parts are more readily available. Next time I go on adventure, I’m actually thinking about getting a scooter. Something like adv 160

[@duanneblouin7148]

Excellent video I learned alot hopefully alot of people will follow your lead. Buy the gear when you need it unless your going to freezing rain and snow climate.

[@HirsiTV]

Absolutely, I bought so much gear that I never used. I was stupid in buying Klim Badlands gloves. They are like 200$ My hands only got cold in Peru for a hours. I remember shipping back so much gear If I go on another trip. I will do only 30 liters. Thanks for watching and commenting

[@HirsiTV]

Absolutely, I have bought so much gear. Because that’s what I thought I needed for a long trip. But the truth is that you need very little . I bought climb Badland gloves and they were like $200. The only cold I experienced was in Peru and it was only for a few hours. I can go on another trip, I would only take a waterproof duffel bag that’s 30 Liters. I definitely learned that less is better. And simple is the best Thank you so much for watching and commenting

[@brianmartindale2221]

Excellent review! Thank you

[@HirsiTV]

Thank you so much Brian I tried to give a real / long term review KZbin is mostly infomercial. Too many exaggerate. The CRF is a good motorcycle but I think better can be found.

[@fatpigeonadventurerider2118]

Fabulous review, thanks

[@HirsiTV]

@@fatpigeonadventurerider2118 wow. Thank you so much for watching and commenting

[@bobpopelka]

Thank you for your amazing video and clean ver useful explanation about all equipment you had added it. Very straight forward... I have 2021 Rally myself and I am very happy owner. Rise safely and bring more videos about your journey.

[@betobeto7903]

you are a pro and a good man! best of luck!

[@chrissunde1104]

Thank you for a very useful and valuable video.

[@DarioPurpura]

Great and honest review, I own the same bike and I also noticed an actual oil consumption from 25,000km, we are investigating to understand what is causing it, please update me on this when you find out the cause of the consumption. have a good trip

[@singletrackmind731]

This is a great video my friend. I have a 2022 CRF300L ABS. Currently I'm planning a trip next year. Getting all my gear and bags ready. Thanks for all you do. Stay in touch with me if you can. Thanks again

[@HirsiTV]

I really hope you enjoy your trip, my biggest recommendation for you in regards to gear and packing. Keep it very simple very light and very little. If you really need something, you can buy it . But try to start with the absolute bare minimum. watching KZbin videos convince you that you need a lot of things to have a successful trip And the truth is that you actually need very little. The more you have the less fun your trip will be. Make sure you take extra sprockets and air filters because they will be hard to find . I don’t know how long you’ll be going for , but if I could do it again, I would have breaking down into a few segments. Ride for a few months then go back home then ride again. After about one year the trip kind of got boring and burdensome. Enjoy your trip , thank you so much for commenting and watching

[@ogasi1798]

really great stuff and you must be super proud, what a journey man 🙂 : now, things you said you would not recommend/choose again such as better bars - one good crash on the factory bars and they get bent like soft bread and you soon wish you had swapped to renthal 🙂 the radiator guards, same again - one crash or tipover in the wrong place and the rad gets busted and you are in the middle of nowhere or even in a city in one of the poor countries with no shops or parts and again you wish you had the gaurds frame guards - these preserve the bike for later, they may seem of no benefit but they protect from boot rub - no paint, scratches, water and chips - next thing is a rusty frame and we dont want that on 50k mile tours 🙂 crash bars - same as rad guards and handlebars - bike savers when you least expect it, if you have hit the ground then the bars will have done their job and you dont even know it, had they not been fitted i bet you would know it and wish you had fitted them. Great video man, really full of info

[@HirsiTV]

@@ogasi1798 thank you so much for watching. You are correct. I definitely wished I had protection if I was stranded. It’s kind of like insurance. I just wish some of that stuff was lighter. I knew the hand guards were worth it because I dropped the motorcycle a lot. And they saved my levers. Same for bashplate. I just assumed the plastics were strong and crash bars wasn’t needed. I am back in America and trucking again. Glad I wasn’t stranded Thanks again for watching and commenting

[@dansepello1101]

Great review

[@grahamrowe6278]

Yes, I wouldn't have added the crashbars, but would have created another feature to mount those auxilliary bags... Those handguards take the beating in most regular drops. That's their job! Loads of advice to consider in this contribution.

[@Ephem13]

Your experience seems pretty typical for the CRF300L. I like to hear the consistency at least. I've wanted an affordable, do everything bike for longer trips, and this thing is definitely in the running.

[@dangareau]

L&S-Loving my 2023 non-ABS here in NJ. With a Trakmaster rear, you can lock it up with a fart, so ABS is probably a good call for new riders. I just bought the first one I found. Hell, I'm technically still waiting for the one I ordered. I ride a lot of sugar sand so non-ABS is better for me cause slip is the only grip we have.

[@adrian_b42]

With $150 you can fix the front suspension (Hyperpro progressive spring) or, for $230, the set of front and rear stronger springs. That's all you need to keep the bike after you rebuild the engine.

[@HirsiTV]

@@adrian_b42 thank you so much for the info. I was actually thinking about walking away from it and getting a new bike. I am back in the States

[@adrian_b42]

@@HirsiTV I have the front spring on the bike, it does not dive that much when braking. On the back I have an entire Hyperpro shock, not just the spring, it is great but I ride more offroad, you may not need it, but the spring helps with the exaggerated sag of the original one. Have fun in your trips!

[@brontorkstudio5951]

Perfect , respect.

[@wilson5377]

4:30... so your "original clutch" is on the sprocket side?🤔😂 Think you've been too long in the sun for this review my friend, looks like you needed a cold beer asap.🍻😂 Still, a good review though. Thanks for sharing.🤙✌️ Btw: it is worth it... Welcome to Club Rally!🍻🤙

[@donkeycrock]

Awesome Review. I have a CRF 300 Rally. Love it. Next bike will be BMW 450. How much total did you spend on the bike its self?

[@mrig6398]

Fantastic video! Judging by the clip of the motor in the shop, all the debris looks like rollers off a needle and or gear teeth. The oil pump was likely changed because of all the debris that was sucked into it. I’m surprised the shop didn’t do a top end on it while it was there, all that metal in the oil being pumped around surely would do a number on the piston/cylinder/crank and cams!!

[@Hawaiishelldiver]

I feel like the videos by Itchy Boots has created a bit of a cult following around this bike. EVERY bike has its pros and cons.

[@HirsiTV]

@@Hawaiishelldiver I think so as well. It’s a good bike. But I think better alternatives exist. A really good bike can be built by Honda. They should have a 400-450 crf. I would buy one.

[@runeburdahl7141]

250 Rally owner here. With the help of a Cyclepedia manual I've done all the maintenance myself. 76000 kms, no issues. The engine doesn't burn any oil. I've halved the interval between oil changes, new filter every time also. All the best from Norway.

[@williamdillon7708]

What a work horse! Thx!

[@fatpigeonadventurerider2118]

The headlight guard reduces the light efficiency, I had one in my 250 rally on a trip to eastern turkey. Take it off and launch it😎

[@HirsiTV]

@@fatpigeonadventurerider2118 I completely agree, I would never put it on another bike I own.

[@PanGovii]

where is the rest of the footage ? i wanted to see you cross the darian jungle

[@HirsiTV]

It didn’t cross the Darien gap I flew the motorcycle from Panama City to Bogota. I used Overland Embassy. They charge like 1200$ to fly the motorcycle

[@jptrainor]

Why so long to ship parts? I would have expected just a few days from a US warehouse.

[@HirsiTV]

@@jptrainor because Honda themselves did not have parts. And with it being towards the end of November, thanksgiving added to the delay. It also took time to be processed by Colombian customs. I would have saved a few days if I was in bogota. It took a few days to arrive to pasto

[@jptrainor]

@@HirsiTV Customs is a wildcard for sure.

[@Jeffyinthehills]

You are running higher speeds on a small displacement engine. Use at least a 10w 40 synthetic oil. Some won't agree but in hotter climates I would use a 20w 50 motorcycle oil

[@safganik]

bro, you let me rethink whether I should take this bike or not i'm going to get the crf300L not rally since im living in an extreme roads and weather (North Africa Algeria) sandstorm every week, I was getting ready to sell my car to buy this motorcycle (I have a tight budget) what do you advise me? I use the motorcycle daily, I do 40 km per day...

[@HirsiTV]

Personally, I would say not to sell your car. The weight difference between the rally and 300L is not much. I think it’s nice having a bigger tank. For normal life, I think a car is much more convenient. It’s nice having AC The heat in Algeria can be extreme. A motorcycle is not going to protect you much. Plus, getting parts for the CRF is a little difficult. Even something simple as sprockets. I was in Mexico, and I couldn’t find sprockets

[@starlordstarlordman8489]

Just came across your channel great review. I like this. I don’t like that. I would buy this. I wouldn’t buy that. Don’t waste your money. Try this instead so rare to hear that kind of stuff. Thanks.

[@paulm7732]

should have gotten a motorcycle like what? is that an xr 400?

[@fatpigeonadventurerider2118]

The clutch is on the other side of the engine😂

[@HirsiTV]

@@fatpigeonadventurerider2118 haha. I learned something new today. Thank you.

[@fatpigeonadventurerider2118]

Superb review 100% ​@@HirsiTV

[@andreasruhle6125]

Thanks! I'am a big Honda fan and own a 2019 NC750X. But sadly - those CRF 300 Rally motorcycles have problems. Couple from Germany bought two brand new CRF 300 Rally bikes for a trip from Germany to South Africa. They didn't make it... Both bikes endet with broken piston rings and wrecked cylinders. Not sure where it happened - Namibia maybe? Same story as yours: no parts available there!!! The couple had to fly back to Germany. No idea what happened to the two wrecked Honda motorcycles. Conclusion maybe: as you state it. More simple bike which is available in the destination countries. In Africa maybe: one of those low cost HERO bikes from India? Hero xpulse or so. No idea. Europe-Asia trip: maybe best there one of those low cost bikes from China. A guy from UK made a trip on a chinese 250cc (?) single cylinder bike. He had (small) problems but had no problems at all get spares and help. Bike brand QJ or so. Cheers from Germany, Andreas

[@HirsiTV]

Thank you Andres, I definitely agree with you. That bike that is available in more markets and more simple is better for long distance travel. When I start a trip in Africa, I will buy one of those Chinese/Indian bikes. Or something I know that is very reliable and easy to find parts. Honestly, I am think about trying a scooter. Something like a ADV 160. It doesn’t have a chain. Which I think I would like

[@andreasruhle6125]

@@HirsiTV Some good ideas maybe also from the UK KZbin Channel "NATHANTHEPOSTMAN". Nathan loves those small adventure bikes. He made epic trips. One from Australia to UK I remember. Scooter: have many friends with Scooters. But they are nothing for me. Funny enough: saw a travel blog recently where somebody describes the local Scooter Scene in Marocco. In the desert.. Ha. Was new for me! Cheers, Andreas

[@foresterram869]

Seems like it would have been easier to just replace the engine.

[@RafaRiderandNature]

Top

[@HirsiTV]

@@RafaRiderandNature thank you

[@LuckyNikitaBoba]

I love your honesty about those overpriced Klims and Mosko Moto shit

[@HirsiTV]

Absolutely, I wouldn’t buy anything mosko moto. I would buy a cheap Chinese bag. Mosko moto is made in Vietnam. Klim makes a lot in China I can admit and say I fell for the marketing and KZbin reviews (advertisements) Thank you so much for watching and commenting

[@DarioPurpura]

@@HirsiTV I love your candor, you gained a follower

[@shanepitzer4126]

Excellent informed review, thanks for sharing!