Honda CRF 300 Rally - Is it the bike for you?

Seems there's still lots of confusion and misinformation about the Honda CRF 300 Rally. Here's my take on what the bike is, and who it would best suit. If you liked the video, thumbs up and subscribe, help grow the channel! 😁😎👍👍
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[@MidCoastAdventures]

Link to the Renthal bars and the risers I fitted are in the Description box- cheers 👍

[@SirMo]

I'll be getting one of these myself. Don't care about going fast. I come from the mountain biking world so a light dual sport is fine by me. Don't care about racing or going fast. To me it's about getting places, taking my camera out and snapping some photos. Comfortabe and a light flickable bike such as this would be perfect.

[@darrenforrest54]

I bought the 300 rally and am happy with it. I have done the suspension as I'm not in the 60kg category, and it carries me and my gear well.

[@bmccameron7642]

I've downsized into an 18 build 250 Rally...first bike I've owned that feels instantly comfortable. So far, yeah it's an adjustment. There's not a lot of downsides to it. The power does the job...suspension is the weak point but easily fixed. I'm loving the easy nature of the bike. Cheap to run, cheap to buy, wear and tear is low, parts are cheap, fuel economy is great. I can pick it up. Commuting is a blast on it. At 55 with a ruined back it suits me perfectly now. I even like the standard seat and cheesy steel bars.

[@curtishouser7173]

I feel like this video is exactly who I am and who I want to be as a motorcycle rider as I've always been an offroad explorer and enjoy off grid camping. I purchased a 2023 Rally yesterday! Great video!

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Good one mate! Great little machines, will do virtually everything, and run on the smell of an oily rag. Enjoy your new machine, hope it takes you to some amazing places 😎👍

[@kennynyc1555]

they can run on the smell of an oily rag lol@@MidCoastAdventures

[@camDR650]

What a ripper film. Good attitude too.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Ah thanks man 🙏😎

[@davidwilliams579]

I have a DR650 and my son has a new 300 , I have ridden both and I would not swop . What you said was true BUT each to there own 🤷‍♂️

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Both great machines, both take you to amazing places 👍

[@joanamat458]

Good video, I changed from a 114 CV Suzuki GSX S 750 to a 48 CV Kawasaki W800. I am attracted to the Honda 300 Rally to go at a calm pace, we already run enough in life. Kind Regards from Cambrils Coast in Spain

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Good one Joanamat458. And yeah the little Honda is a pretty relaxed bike, will go virtually anywhere, and do so in comfort and use virtually no fuel. Cheer mate 😎👍

[@davidg.8745]

A question many have asked and have received as many different answers. I just received my Rally and for me it will be a truck, local back roads exploring bike. I’ll do my mods as needed. To start, battery tender lead, phone mount, tail rack and tank bag. After that only time and miles will tell. 😊

[@robbie123robbie123]

Great video mate. New subscriber here from Aus. I have owned a 2013CRF250L since 2015. It is based at a family membera place in Thailand and i have ridden it everywhere. Through the jungle in Laos, around thailand, around Cambodia too. 25,000km total and 9,000 kms with my wife on the back and it is an awesome machine. I have put an ohlins shock in the rear with external res, new heavier fork springs and have had more fun on this bike than any other. It will even do 100KMPH on the highway revving off its head all day long with two up and luggage.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Great testimony for the 250 Rally, Robbie 😎👍 I kind of missed my 250, and when the 300 was released, I thought, yep gotta get one again. Cheers mate

[@robbie123robbie123]

@@MidCoastAdventures I recon the extra 50cc would be a great addition to the bike. Lower the revs a bit on the highway.

[@bugman5337]

BLOODY BRILLIANT Phil 👍👍👍 1st person to talk about bike falling over am on wrong side of 60 been riding for 53 yrs amazing sold 1300 Yamaha few yrs ago then 1000 Suzuki now on 650 Suzuki funny how bikes are where getting heavier WONDER WHY 🤔🥴 have nothing to do with getting older THANK YOU for your VALUED OPINION 👌🏍

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks Bugman, really appreciate your feedback- always have mate 👍 Yeah, the older I'm getting, the lighter the bike the better. At this rate I'll have Honda C90 when I turn 80 🤣😁

[@bugman5337]

🤣🤣 so funny have a vespa and a postie they are easy to pick up at present

[@leeinwis]

Wow, that scenery .

[@ThePureGloryofExistence]

My experience is you can get up some hills on a smaller bike that the big ones cant. I had an XR600R and tried many times to get up one steep bush track and never made it, just kept spinning and losing traction. Then tried the same hill same track on an XR200 went straight up first go

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Good point mate. Look at trails bikes (for example) they're tiny and go anywhere. Plus I'd rather not have 200 kilos fall on me 😁

[@dangoodwin2948]

I think you nailed it regarding this bike. Thanks for the great video!

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers mate 👍

[@michellerolph2248]

Perfect Phil - we will enjoy your rides!

[@johnnyhayward69]

Totally agree Phil each to their own. If I owned one I’d leave it alone 👍

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers Johnny. I'll change stuff as it proves ineffective or just plain annoying...lol

[@volvogt21]

Totally agree about being able to pick up the bike . I'd add that you need yo be able to pick it up wearing roller skates.. picking it up in a shop is way different from loaded on clay on the side of a hill in the rain. Great video. Ill keep my dr for a while but can see a 300 somewhere in my future

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Good point, shop floor ain't no slippery wet clay hill- oh and the roller skates 🤣

[@volvogt21]

@@MidCoastAdventures that's the main reason I've progressed from an1100gs to an 1150gs to a 1200gs to a f650gs then to my happy place of DR ownership. I've still got all the aforementioned bikes but the DR is everything a bmw isn't. My style of riding, like yours doesn't require speed. If I need to overtake a semi or a caravan then I'm on the wrong road.

[@rob2049]

Great bike, I rode it few times and the only con is the suspension... You dont have to ride hard to bottom out, or weigh over 100kg..

[@rosarioroberto5823]

Greetings, As always another brilliant detailed video 🇺🇸🍾🎉🇺🇸 Keep producing more videos about the CRF

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks Rosario, will do mate. New one out tomorrow 😎👍

[@MrSTAdventures]

This has been one of the best reviews I’ve seen, it was fair and honest. Nice one 👍🏻 Subscribed

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Awesome, thanks for that! Just being honest about the bike, and what it's good at. PS- watched a few of your videos, lots of info, and a good, relaxed presentation style - well done😎👍

[@MrSTAdventures]

@@MidCoastAdventures thank you. Hopefully early October my new Rally will be with me fingers crossed 🤞

[@peterwinn3786]

If I could afford it, I'd probably own both the CRF 3oo Rally and the Dr 650. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but in saying that their shortcomings can easily be addressed without breaking the bank. Both are very reliable bikes, and one must be able to have confidence in the bikes ability to take you away from civilization and back again. I look forward to test riding the CRF and my son is also considering one! I'm not holding my breath but I'm anxiously waiting to see if Honda end up releasing the CRF 450 Rally 🤫 Maybe waiting forever but if it does happen then the DR will be pushed to the back of the shed, "But not forgotten Haha" Good honest review and well done on your choice of bike Phil.😉

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Hi Pete, your young fella is welcomed to jump on mine. He certainly wont get his arms pulled off, but definitely a go anywhere, reliable fun machine 😎👍

[@davidjohnston1374]

I reckon if Honda upped the size slightly to a 400cc, that'd make a huge difference, will attract a bigger league of riders downsizing or upsizing from a 250cc but not going over the top, the 400cc would be enough to add just a bit more power to get to the more explorable stuff on the open road and still not be a monster to pick up if fallen.

[@wilson5377]

Subscribed because of a very practical & honest review.👍😎

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Much appreciated Wilson! Cheers mate 😎👍

[@thebeerhunter817]

Thankyou good video. Got my learners I'm close to ordering one of these.

[@SomewhereInside]

Great video…having just bought a 200kg plus 2016 KLR 650 for $5500 over a CRF 300 rally for $10,500 the main consideration apart from price was on road manners….and at 100kg …the suspension . But the weight when it falls over is now concerning me ..will have to invest in a hitch system if I can’t lift it 😊…or trade it in on a CRF rally .

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks Orion. ...or, ride with some mates to help lift the bike. Or don't drop it...🤔...lol All personal choice, the main thing is get out and explore, have some fun. Cheers mate 👍

[@itsallabouttheridekeepingi4449]

Yes it is the right off road , light on road bike for me ( I brought one 👍 )

[@arnohag1]

What a refreshing review. I like just exploring like yourself. I've got an 800cc adventure bike at just under 200kg with extras and I just explore. Do I need this bigger bike, no. Will look at downsizing a little later. Maybe the Honda.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks mate 👍 Enjoy your exploring- no matter what you ride 😎

[@ivorscruton5121]

Nice summary, honest and to the point. Far too many people expect the bike to do everything, and in an attempt spend vast amounts on modifications, which end up raising the price to that of a larger capacity motorcycle. My previous bike was a Yamaha XT 500, another bike of compromise, good at everything, excellent at none. The thing I miss most is the low end torque, which is almost double that of the CRF 250l which i currently own and they both weigh the same. Took some getting used to, the Honda is definitely not a true thumper, which is due to the engine being road bike derived. My choice of a 250l over a 300l was the price, I found a low mileage pristine condition example at less than half the price, it had some basic modifications, exhaust, and rear fender, but came with stock components, which i immediately changed. Would be affordable to change to 300 as the parts are cheap here in Thailand, but to be honest im happy with its performance as is.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers Ivor. I had the 250 Rally for serval years, and now the 300 Rally. Both very similar, with perhaps a 20 percent power increase in the 300. The gear box is noticeably different with its gear spread, with 1,2,3 being quite low, and 6th a definite over-drive. Both are great light, fun , reliable machines. You done well getting one at great price 👍

[@ivorscruton5121]

@MidCoastAdventures Had a look at prices in Australia, $10 K is about $3 K higher than Thailand. Here, the price includes all taxes, registration plates, road tax, and a year of comprehensive insurance. My 2018 250 was $3.5 K with 12 000 km in showroom condition, so yeah, I couldn't pass it up. Now approaching 32 000 km, still on the original chain and second set of tyres, oil changed every 5000 km rather than 10 000. Nothing has gone wrong so far. Lots of mud and off roof use, so no longer in showroom condition.

[@ezekielchariot]

On my Rally I found that the front suspension, being so soft, that if I had to do a harder full stop at intersections the dive and rebound was sometimes causing me to almost lose balance with the forks spearing me to one side. Too much movement. I am used to harder setups. So I have spent the money on rally raid suspension upgrades. Honda could have incorporated a better suspension cheaper due to buying in bulk and it perhaps would have made the bike cost at the most another $1000

[@bbaz6729]

I'm old school Honda. I keep looking on-line at the CRF300 Rally, CRF300L and XR650L. I am Old School XR who rides an old DR 250 kick start and I'm getting too old to keep kicking and want a new ride. The CRF's are fuel injected and the XR is old school carburetor. I have tried to compare them all at once but finding any of them at a dealership around me is nearly impossible. I live in Arizona.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

I had an old school DR650 (air cooled, carbi etc- but electric start) great machines, loved the simplicity. I guess with the newer bikes like the Rally you get Honda reliability with the modern conveniences. We had a few years of them being hard to purchase here also, but they're more common now new. Good luck with the search, hope you find one soon 👍

[@AusMoto]

Great video mate, I reckon when (if) my WR carks it, the 300 Rally is currently the front runner for the replacement!

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks AusMoto 👍 Definitely a fun machine the WR's. Riding With Tom shows how capable they are for serious adventures! The Rally is a real blend of cruisey adventure bike, and light-ish dirt bike.

[@coobye]

Tiddler adventure is great fun. I loved riding my wife's adventurised '08 XT250 and have been thinking of getting another 250. It's a weird thing with the weight. There's not a lot of difference in weight between the DR and CRF 300, maybe 11kgs but they seem a lot lighter. Odd.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Funny hey. I think the difference is 13 kilos - for a stock DR. Yet one "feels" way lighter. 153 kilos isn't super light, but somehow they just feel much lighter. Still don't want to pick it up too often...lol

[@bazz6670]

Great honest review there Phil. Cheers mate.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks Bazz 😎👍

[@Der_Rabauke]

Yes

[@gothegravel]

Great perspective Phil. I have a Dr650 which I love but like you, my back is absolute dog shit so I'm looking to sell it and purchase a crf300 rally. Yes, it's not much lighter but for me the fewer kgs will make a big difference.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Mate, I loved my DR, beast of a machine, super reliable, comfortable and sounded awesome (lol) but... my back is gone (disc in two pieces) so lifting it was scary. The Rally does everything the DR did, but feels much lighter. Don't expect the power, and remind yourself high revs are normal (5000 to 7000 rpm) you'll work out the sweet spot with these light-weight adv bikes 👍

[@gothegravel]

@@MidCoastAdventures I feel your pain, (L5 S1 disk surgery now re herniated and arthritic) but determined to keep riding for as long as I draw breath. My DR has lots of extras so it weighs more than I can now lift. I'm comfortable with wringing a CRF 's neck if that's what's required 😂

[@MidCoastAdventures]

@@gothegravel There's only forward mate, and whatever it takes to get out and enjoy life 😎 Test ride the Rally, and get those revs up (5 to 7 k) and you'll find they have some grunt and are definitely fun to ride. Most important is they will seem light and agile compared to the DR, and you can trust Japanese bikes (as you know) to start and take you anywhere for many years to come. Take care of your back mate 👍

[@donegalrediscovered3309]

Itchy boots has ridden this around the world .. 😀

[@pawelwolski1316]

It is a bike for many, just most don't realize it. I have rented the 250 Rally some years ago on Bali, the new 300 is a much better bike. The transmission gearing was one of the improvements. You are being too nice to Honda regarding the suspension however, it violates the basic concepts of free/rider sag, the dampening is pudding. For Asian/lower riders the solution is a lowered suspension like on the CRF300 and not a wet noodle set up. One thing that you do not mention is the on/off fueling off idle, I guess we can thank Euro 75plus emissions for that. I do not get the longer stroke "300" engine here in Indonesia, it's still a 250, but it has enough power to be fun. I got fat bars, real hand guards, similar tubular rack, gps mounts......In addition I did modify the clutch as i seen some early failures of the slipper set up. I installed full size first clutch plate which eliminates the judder springs and and also installed heavier clutch springs.

[@danielphilips2226]

Thanks, well done.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers Daniel 😎👍

[@robertmitchell6080]

Nice review bro🏍️

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks Robert 😎👍

[@robdotcom71]

I'd love one of these. Great video. Subbed.

[@robdotcom71]

You just need to see where Itchy Boots takes her 300 Rally to see how capable it is.....

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers mate 👍 Definitely capable machines, not overly powerful, but I'd happily take one around the world 😎👍

[@natepotter6911]

Great vid, brutha!

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks man 😎👍

[@PartosAtos]

Nice video. Which luggage racks you pun on?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks mate. I can't remember the exact model, but I got it off Ebay to suit the Rally model 👍

[@RedFox-i8i]

I’ve got a 300 mate and I love it. Mate are you going to the adventure moto dirty weekend at green valley farm in September?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Hi Saferider, glad you love the little Rally😎 And nah, won't be up that way in September.

[@gregjetnikoff7124]

The actual big thing that the 300 has over the 250 is the fact that they stroked the engine, rather than boreing it. With the cam design it has way better torque at mid and lower revs than most bikes this size. There is a limitation in the poor fuelling at off closed throttle. Fix that, and with the well designed low gear ratios, it will chug a lot better than most off road bikes any where near the displacement. Anyone trying to get more power by bigger throttle body or camming is removing the bike's strong point. I can't agree about the tyres and the rear suspension. Both become very poor on a dirt road at any speed. The two combine to make traction very hit and miss. The incredible thing is the insane fuel economy.

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cool, thanks for the extra info Greg 😎👍

[@manfrengensen]

Nice work Phil, really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the CRF. I wondered why you changed bikes. Dead-lifting the Dr650 (usually out of a stinking rut-puddle) certainly has its cons. I was thinking a WR250 at aroung 116kg and well sprung would be a welcome change. 15.5K though. And I like your attitude with upgrading as you need to. We all tend to buy a bike and drop a small fortune sorting it straight away. I think you are on the right track with this one mate. Keep them coming!

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Cheers PLC 😁👍 As for the WR. Again, a go anywhere, super reliable machine, although they have more of a "sit on" full dirt bike feel than the Rally. I'd own one, but just for local exploring in bad places. Certainly light though!

[@bonhomietv9350]

How about the comfort passenger?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Not a bike I'd consider doubling on. Maybe a kid on the back, but not an adult.

[@bonhomietv9350]

Thanks bro

[@sausagesandwichsa]

Agree with everything you say and I've been saying the same since 2017. Rode it stock until I got a bit more adventurous and went for more off road orientated tyres. Once the decision was made to cross the Simpson unsupported I then upgraded the suspension. My next trip I'll hit 50,000 km ! Good chat👍

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Wow, 50,000 kays! That's a lot of exploring mate! And testimony to the longevity of the little Honda motor 😎 PS- I always enjoy watching your videos 👍

[@lukekeerie3008]

Hi MCA, Where is that road tunnel? Thanks, Luke

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Hi Luke. It's in the old Grafton Road near Dalmorton 👍

[@gilhidas8448]

Great channel. How do you compare it to the G310GS?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Thanks mate 👍 Ah the 310, great machine, similar high reving engine, more comfortable, same fuel economy, terrific 50/ 50 bike 👍

[@randallwhite9015]

If ya want fast,it is not for you. If you want fun smooth easy, you're in luck. Old people needed this Honda. At over 60 it makes you 16 again, easy on the pocket, no it is not fast but just right

[@mrrol5212]

what is the fuel range?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

About 340 kays. Safely 300 kays 👍

[@TheFrog767]

2:51 where is that ?

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Grafton "convict" Tunnel, on Old Grafton Road 👍

[@davosDR]

dr650 only 9 kg heavier

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Not a huge difference, though closer to 13 kilos - if the DR is stock. Cheers

[@davosDR]

@@MidCoastAdventures the rally is heaps to heavy for its small capacity drz400 are lighter have better suspension standard your splitting hairs about the 4kg difference

[@davidjohnston1374]

@@davosDR I tried sitting on a DRz a few years back, way too tall for me.

[@tarjas]

lighter muffler and losing some unnecessary bit brings them much closer together.

[@rossmoore5582]

Like the 300 but found the front so light with the leak rear suspension