I've had the Honda Grom for 13 months and 6,400 km. It's been a great little bike, but it's time to upgrade. I want to travel and go camping, so I need something that can actually do highway speeds and carry a bit of weight. The Grom just isn't cut out for that.
So I purchased a new bike today!
Fingers crossed, it'll get delivered tomorrow. 🤞🏻 Then I'll reveal what I got. 🏍️
Unfortunately, the delivery of my new motorcycle has been delayed until next week.
But that's OK, here's what I've ordered: a Honda CRF300 Rally!
https://motorcycles.honda.com.au/models/onroad/adventuretouring/crf300-rally
Can't wait for it to get here. 🏍️
First impressions on the Honda CRF300 Rally:
* Sure vibrates a lot more than the Grom. I'll add some Grip Puppies.
* Seat height isn't as much of a challenge as I expected. I wouldn't want to start out on this bike, but it's very approachable after 1 yr of riding experience.
* Power is amazing compared to the Grom. No trouble doing 100 km/hr, even uphill.
* Gets blown around a lot more than the Grom did at 80+ km/hr.
1/2
First impressions on the Honda CRF300 Rally:
* Suspension is great on the road. Roads that make the Grom chatter like crazy feel like nothing in the CRF. Potholes just feel like a minor bump. Riding up curbs is easy.
* It's top-heavy for 150 kg. Need to be careful moving it around.
* Feels very stable at low speeds, perhaps due to the large tyres and heavier weight.
Overall, very happy so far. Looking forward to doing a small trip soon.
2/2
I've now had the Honda CRF300 Rally for 7 days and 400 km, and I'm absolutely stoked. I definitely picked the right bike for me.
I've gotten used to the vibes now. I like the way it sounds, rattles, and shakes. It has character.
The seat is decent. I've gone on 100 km street rides without discomfort.
The soft suspension is amazing on the road for my weight. This bike can ride over ANYTHING. I don't ever want to go back to short travel suspension again.
One of the surprising things about the CRF300 Rally is how good it feels to be seated so high. The Grom wasn't low, but the visibility on the Rally is so much better. I can almost see over lifted 4WDs, and I feel like motorists can see me much better. It's a great riding position.
I can also safely lane filter now. The Grom just didn't have enough torque to out-accelerate a car, but the Rally has plenty. My work commute is now a few minutes shorter. 😁
I've now had my Honda CRF300 Rally for three months and 4,600 km. Time for an update. 🏍️
This bike is without a doubt the best possible bike I could have chosen for my needs. I'm still absolutely stoked by it!
Like an addict, I'm constantly looking at other bikes for prospective upgrades, but I've not found anything that I wish I had bought instead or would be better overall. Zero regrets.
1/9
Why is the Rally so good for me?
It has a damn-near perfect amount of power. I weigh about 70 kg without gear, and the Rally easily does 110 km/hr, loaded with camping gear, with a little throttle to spare.
The soft suspension, tall clearance, and massive wheels are great on the road. I barely bother avoiding ruts and small potholes on the streets anymore because they're barely noticeable on the Rally.
The wheels and longish wheelbase also make it very stable at slow speeds.
2/9
The light weight (~150 kg) makes it easy to push around, and lift up after a drop. Granted, it took me a lot of practice to be able to reliably pick it up myself.
It's pretty damn durable. I've lost track of how many times I've dropped it on the street and dirt. 6 or 8? The plastics are beat to shit, and the handlebars and coolant reservoir bracket are bent, but the frame and engine are solid. This is exactly what I need to get comfortable on a bigger bike and learn to ride in the dirt.
3/9
The Rally's height makes it so easy to see when riding on the street. The visibility is so good that I have reservations about going back to a lower bike. It also makes me significantly more visible to motorists.
In the dirt, the Rally is very easy to ride. Apparently the stock tyres are awful off-road, but they give me a lot of confidence. I can't wait to find out what "good" dual sport tyres are like.
4/9
So how have my initial impressions changed?
I initially found the Rally really vibey compared to the Grom, but it's no longer an issue. Getting better gloves helped a lot, and either the engine broke in or I've gotten used to the vibes.
I also found the seat a bit uncomfortable at first, but it's all good now. I've ridden up to 480 km in a day, including over 100 km of gravel trails. The seat is perfectly adequate and I don't feel any need to change it.
5/9
The foot position still gets a little fatiguing on long rides, but the tall ground clearance means I can easily stretch them in any direction without worrying about clipping the road.
Sometimes I scoot my butt all the way to the back of the seat and stretch my legs out front as if I'm riding on a cruiser. 😁
I can also easily stand on the pegs to stretch that way.
6/9
What don't I like about the Rally? Not much.
It could be better out of the box, like including a radiator guard that actually protects the radiator.
It could also have just a little more power - but so could most bikes.
I really wish it had electronic cruise control. I'd find it convenient, but it's an unrealistic desire for a dual sport.
My engine sometimes cuts out, but I'm not sure why yet. Could be my own fault.
That's about it. Everything else has been great.
7/9
What's next?
I think I'll eventually sell the Grom and get a street bike to complement the Rally. Maybe a Triumph T120, since it ticks a lot of boxes; I really want a <90 HP bike with cruise control for highway touring.
Bigger adv bikes like the Tenere 700 are tempting, but even if they have cruise control, I can't imagine wanting to take them on the gravel when they weigh so much and have so much more power than the Rally.
8/9
Overall, the Rally is going great. So good that since buying it, the only times I've ridden the Grom have been when the Rally was too damaged to ride. The Grom is great, but it doesn't have anything to offer me anymore.
I'm looking forward to taking the Rally on another road trip over Christmas, and getting more dirt practice too.
In the long term, I want to take it to Cape York (via the development road), and Birdsville. It'll be perfect for the corrugated gravel roads.
Excellent bike.
9/9
@dHeinemann "an unrealistic desire for a dual sport."
IDK, BMW does that on their bikes. Not on the 300s (I believe that would be the equivalent of your bike) though, just from F7500 up.
@artwaw I'd consider that an adventure bike rather than a dual sport - a lot of bigger adventure bikes do have cruise control (but not the Tenere 700 or Transalp, sadly.)
That said, the F800GS might be a good alternative to the Triumph T120. It has cruise control (with an optional package), is only 87 HP and isn't terribly heavy. It's also like 20% cheaper than a Triumph T120. They're different bikes, but it ticks a lot of the same boxes and has the tall ride height that I've come enjoy. 👍🏻
Don't rule out aftermarket mechanical cruise controls. Some seem to work reliably and safely. I had a cheap and nasty one that was safe, but wouldn't hold my speed for long, and it eventually snapped. I kept thinking that with better build quality it would have worked. 🤷 I think it was a cheap version of this:
https://www.adventuremotorcycle.com.au/omni-cruise-motorcycle-cruise-control
I might try:
https://rockycreekdesigns.com.au/products/atlas-throttle-lock
@thefathippy I have an Atlas throttle lock, but haven't been very impressed with it. The rubber pad that helps it hold the throttle open wore away on a 400 km ride. They're replaceable, but I don't want to replace them *that* often.
It's also heavy, and changes the feel of the throttle even when it's not engaged.
I'd really like electronic cruise control, so that I don't have to keep any fiddly bits on my handlebars.
400km? Yeah, I'd have expected thousands.
Digital is really nice. I hired a big GS while OS, and really took advantage of the cruise control on duller or heavily policed roads. It was wonderful to be able to rest my wrist, and have the bike just keep on chugging along at the speed I set.
I'd agree. BMW doesn't do dualsport, but they do good bikes. For me, all their adv bikes are too big for adving - including the 175kg 310, much heavier than it should be.
However, BMW make some of the best XC bikes ever. I'd jump on any bigger GS and ride across Oz tomorrow, but if I was going the dirt route, my KTM, your CRF, or my old DR would suit me better. I had a ball riding the Pyrenees on a 1200 (including some easy Spanish desert).
It's been almost 2,000 km since my CRF300 Rally's engine last cut out and refused to start.
I'm still not sure what causes it, but I tried a couple of suggestions I received and read online:
* I stopped using discount petrol. The theory here is that big brand petrol has better additives and is less likely to have water and dirt contamination.
* I fixed the excessive clutch lever free play.
Hopefully it's fixed for good. 🤞🏻
Dave Heinemann 🇦🇺
Artur Wawrowski
thefathippy
Frank