Honda And Kawasaki Might Hate CFMoto's New Budget Dirt Bike

It’s got CRF300L ambitions on an XR150L budget.

Photo by: CFMoto

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jul 28, at 8:05am ET

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Buying a small dual-sport in America has become a weird exercise in deciding which compromise annoys you the least. You can spend $3,399 on a Honda XR150L, accept its modest performance, and enjoy the mechanical complexity of a garden tool. Or you can step up to something such as the Honda CRF300L, which starts at $5,749 before its $600 destination charge. There’s surprisingly little between those two extremes.

CFMoto may have just built the motorcycle that belongs in that empty space. The company recently introduced the 250 Dual in Malaysia, where it costs RM9,888 (that's around $2,400 USD) and combines a liquid-cooled 249cc single with proper 21-inch and 18-inch spoked wheels. It makes about 24 horsepower and 16.6 pound-feet, while dual-channel ABS, LED lighting, a digital display, and a USB port all come standard.

Photo by: CFMoto

This isn’t another small adventure bike that's wearing enough plastic to require its own recycling bin. It’s a conventional dual-sport with a narrow body, long legs, upright ergonomics, and tires sized for actual dirt. Ground clearance measures 9.6 inches, the seat sits 33.1 inches high, and the fuel tank holds 3.4 gallons. That’s a practical combination for commuting, forest roads, camping trips, and generally disappearing down trails that looked much friendlier on Google Maps.

The catch is that CFMoto hasn’t announced the 250 Dual for the US. Still, the bike makes an awful lot of sense stateside. CFMoto's American lineup currently jumps from small street motorcycles to the $6,499 Ibex 450, leaving the company without an affordable dual-sport or trail-oriented entry model. A 250 Dual priced around $4,499 could give the brand a very useful weapon.

At that price, it would land between the XR150L and Kawasaki’s KLX230 S ABS, which costs $5,499. It would also undercut the CRF300L by more than $1,000 before destination fees, while offering liquid cooling, fuel injection, upside-down forks, full-size wheels, and around 100cc more displacement than Honda’s cheapest dual-sport.

That’s the kind of comparison that's capable of making a showroom conversation uncomfortable.

Photo by: CFMoto

That said, it wouldn’t automatically be a better motorcycle than the Honda. The CFMOTO weighs around 340 pounds, making it roughly 30 pounds heavier than a CRF300L. Its front suspension provides only 6.3 inches of travel, and the published 38 mm rear figure appears to describe shock stroke rather than actual wheel travel. At least, everyone should hope it does. Otherwise, the rear suspension has roughly the same ambitions as an office chair.

Honda would also retain major advantages in dealer coverage, aftermarket support, resale value, and long-term reputation. Those things matter when a motorcycle is being ridden miles from pavement and occasionally used to test whether a rock is stronger than an engine case. CFMOTO wouldn’t need to erase those concerns, though. It would only need to make the savings large enough that buyers are willing to accept them.

Photo by: CFMoto

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That’s why the final price would determine everything. At around the $4,000 mark, the 250 Dual could be a brilliant commuter, first motorcycle, truck-bed toy, or inexpensive second bike. At $5,000, it would remain interesting. Push it any higher, however, and riders would probably find the extra cash for a Kawasaki or Honda rather than explain their purchasing philosophy at every gas station.

Nonetheless, the world doesn’t necessarily need another hardcore enduro with a maintenance schedule written by someone who assumes that regular owners have factory mechanics. It could use a simple, affordable motorcycle that handles pavement, dirt roads, and the occasional terrible decision. The CFMoto 250 Dual might be exactly that, provided it reaches the US and stays cheap enough to make the established options look a little silly.