2017 CRF250 Rally: The "Oreo" bike gets stuffed

Impressions after a year…

Well, not as much off-road riding opportunities as I would like, but getting prepared to make a dent this season.

The Koubalink “wishbone” lowered the bike by about 1.5”, correspondingly I lowered the forks in the triple clamps by about 0.75” to help maintain the bike’s original suspension geometry.  In order to save a bit of cash, I used a stock CRF250L sidestand (it’s shorter than the stock Rally sidestand), rather than a wildly-expensive and totally-not-worth-it adjustable sidestand.  The Rally sags a lot, which doesn’t relieve the “oh my God, I’m going to fall over to the right”-when-mounting-the-bike-sensation, even with the CRF250L sidestand, but it does allow me to get almost flat-footed before the bike almost topples.  LOL.

I have to agree with a lot of YouTubers – a Seat Concepts seat makes a WORLD of difference to comfort – it is just a LITTLE wider where needed (under the butt cheeks).  I’ve added a set of Nelson-Rigg adventure saddle bags and tank bag.  Not too big, but expandable – the idea being adequate for extended day trips.  I added a tail rack and a Roto-pak gas can to extend the Rally’s range.  My previous crashes have shown me that protecting levers is vital to trail survival – ergo, BarkBuster guards.

I got tired of paying stiff fees for tire changes, so I purchased a Rabaconda tire change machine – works great! I found that the stock tires just collected mud on the local trails, effectively turning them into slicks, with the corresponding performance in muddy conditions.  So, I changed the stock tires with a slightly more aggressive front tire to help get out of ruts - Shinko 700 Series Dual Sport Front 3.00-21 TL (tubeless) but I put a tube in it.   ATV’s seem to be ‘de rigeur’ in my neighbourhood so all the trails are deeply rutted – are off-road bikes on the way out?  Similarly, the rear tire was exchanged for one that has a more angled tread designed to expel crud from the tire - Heidenau K60 Scout Dual Sport Rear 120/80-18 TT (tubed) – it’s rated as a 50/50 on/off road tire.  The Rally is a little noisier on the road but is still acceptable.  Adv tires are likely to clog with mud – fully off-road (i.e. not road-legal) are the only solution to riding in consistently muddy conditions.  Like usual with a dual sport, compromise is always a fact of riding life.

Also added was an X-grip for cellphones/GPS – wired to the battery (with a fuse) to power a USB port for charging.  Hint:  wire in a disconnect near the steering pivot to enable easy removal of the mount, if necessary.

Riding a 250cc bike with modest power – estimated 25 hp – makes you appreciate 75 hp (or more!) on other rides.  The Rally is perfectly competent to wring out up to 8 000 rpm.  A smaller-displacement ride requires more thought, more anticipation and more shifting.  It’s good experience.