2008 Honda CRF230L Photo Gallery

2008 Honda CRF230L

The seat height is only 31.9" allowing most riders to be able to plant their feet comfortably on the ground.

The Honda is capable of taking you to see cool things, like this old mining structure outside of Randsburg.

This little dual-sporter comes with rear pegs for a passenger, yet they fold out of the way to maintain the sleek, compact feel and look of the 230L.

2008 Honda CRF230L

The speedometer goes to 80mph, but kicking it into top gear and pinning the throttle for over two miles of tarmac only grazed the 70 mph mark.

The only time we sat down very much was during pavement sections. The riding postion from the pegs as comfortable for all our testers, but sitting was equally as accomodating with a large rider cockpit on such a small bike.

The powerful electric starter easily churns the piston against a 9.0:1 compression ratio. There is no kickstart.

The Pro-Link rear shock offers 6.3 inches of travel and preload adjustability, which is plenty for highway use or moderate off-road.

The back binder felt a little mushy at first, but the sensation didn't last once we got some time on it. The 230F model uses a drum brake in comparison.

It's unbelievably easy to stand up while riding, and both our riders noted how little their butts hit the seat.

The bike taps out with ease and we never experienced exceptional vibration or headshake, even with the compact 52.8-inch wheelbase and 26.8-degree/4-inch rake and trail.

Despite Honda's claimed ready-to-ride figure, the CRF hides its 267 pounds extremely well.

For a dual-sport this thing feels like a feather, even to our 5'8" 115-pound lady tester.

It's not only a wife's bike, and for even experienced riders with the right mindset, the 230L fosters the essence of motorcycling in general - to discover and explore.

The 230L is small, nimble and provides enough braking and acceleration for low-key riding, be it dirt or street.

The L model is really in a class of its own, reviving the classic appeal of a versatile one-size-fits-all motorcycle.

Ant Hill served as a rocky, moguled-out playground, and gave us our first feel for the all-terrain aspects of the 230L.

Thanks to the larger 30mm CV carburetor, the powerband is wider than its 26mm piston valve-equipped 230F cousin, though overall power is far from the kind that gets away from you.