CRF300L vs. KLX300 thoughts from an owner!

2 awesome bikes to fit everyone's riding style!

[slalomking]

This is the best comparison of these two bikes on YouTube imo. Thanks a lot !!!

[jwaller]

I was in the market in early 2021, with the mind to get whichever became available first. That ended up being the KLX300. My buddy, a committed Honda man at the time, went with the CRF300L. We swapped bikes off road. My takeaway is opposite from yours. With stock tires, I found the CRF to feel a bit more awkward off road. That was sandy single track. Maybe it was the ergonomics; I thought maybe it was the overall geometry of the bikes. The KLX, to me, felt more stable off road. We were doing 80-90% dirt riding, not really using them for any more than connecting trails. For that use, I thought the KLX was superior. One thing we found out that most testers don’t get the opportunity to test is that the KLX held up better in crashes. I got some scuffs in the fragment cami which you could only see if you were looking, and a tear in the seat cover, but nothing ever broke. My buddy had to replace a side cover which shattered in a slow speed tip over in sand, the rear brake lever, and the gear selector. If I wanted one to be a commuter or light ADV bike, I would have to choose the Honda. It’s just so much more nicely finished. Oh, my buddy’s Honda immediately got upgraded suspension before he ever even took it out. Still, for use as a street legal trail bike, I believe the KLX300 is better. My buddy and I both upgraded after about a year. I went with a CRF450L and he went with a Beta 390 race edition. I totally agree with your statement about the power upgrade thing. No KLX300 or CRF300L could touch our new bikes.

[Bikerdad_]

Great video as usual. I have been waiting for this comparison. Thank you. The more I think about, I realize that you can't go wrong with either bike. Basically whatever is the best deal you can get at the dealership and availability of the bike's and ones area. Again thank you for a great review.

[TheWanderingGeezer]

The range on both bikes stock is poor but only the CRF has aftermarket tank options that make a significant improvement.

[klxcountry]

Really wanted to watch this, but the echo was too bad.


Edit: I used my Worktunes 3M headphones, it is still pretty bad.

[pcmaust]

I appreciate that KC does this kind of comparison so that I don't have to torture myself. When I bought the KLX there were no Honda's to be found. But I watched many reviews and comparisons and decided the KLX was the better choice for me anyhow. The suspension was a big deal. I am a senior rider at 72 and ride the bike pretty hard. Not because I am super fast or anything but because I live and ride in the high desert and the terrain is rocky and rugged and we frequently encounter steep hills whether going up or down. If I go in the other direction, within a short time, I am in the forest. I have left the Kawi pretty stock. The only changes were the addition of the Delkevic slip on and the KDX snorkel. I kept the 14 primary and added 5 teeth to the rear sprocket. And of course, the ergonomic stuff such as foot pegs, handle bars, hand guards yada yada yada. Oh and not the least a seat concepts seat which I put on a lot of my bikes. Set up as described above, the bike performs wonderfully in the twisties and off-road it cruises on the trails nicely in 2nd or 3rd gear. It can be lugged way down and it still has the umph to pick up speed whether you are in 2nd or 3rd depending on what trail conditions dictate for gear selection. Only having ridden the little KLX and not a comparable "other bike" such as the Honda, I don't notice any issues with low end power. Maybe I have just adopted to the bike and adjusted my attack. Honestly, I love the bike. I also have a Honda XR and a Yamaha. All 3 are good for what they are used for. I have owned and ridden KTM's and a couple of Huskies. Those were great bikes but I don't care for the maintenance intervals any more. Hands down tho, they will blow either the Honda or the Kawi away performance wise. But that isn't why we are looking to buy inexpensive dual sport bikes. It is nice to know that you can buy either the Honda or the Kawi and be happy. Do you like chocolate chip ice cream or rocky road?

[Scantcity]

The new 2024 klx looks great, I wish they would update the dash, will look at one Tuesday.

[danielryle]

Thanks for the video comparison, I think both bikes really should have been made 350cc from factory as they are slightly underpowered in my opinion!
I have added a 331cc big bore kit to my klx which has brought the bottom end to life and has made great down low torque vs stock!

[ogasi]

YSS make a open cart fork replacement with double springs and full adjustment of comp, rebound+preload- plus they do a rear shock for the crf that has lo, hi and rebound+hydraulic preload - fantastic, i would normally say k-tech because super quality and they know their shi7 but their replacement shock is simply rebound and comp is fixed at factory, super piece of kit, 10x better than stock but better than having fully adjustable ? not sure - only you can decide

[chrisphillips]

Bought a used 2022 KLX and love it. I would love to ride a CRF to compare. Thanks for the review.

[JoeCole]

I find the CRF hard to get on and off compared to the KLX. I raced for yrs but now at 59 yrs old, 5’8 and 230lbs I prefer to get on horse style vs swinging my leg over and the CRF just leans over too far and then sags a huge amount.

[bryangibson]

Awesome realistic comparison. A better rider will want the Kawi in my opinion if stock. The Honda loses huge on suspension, brakes and ergonomics. 3 Fundamentals I can’t forgive. I ride a Sw moteched Husky TR650 terra and am looking for a slimmer version. The Kawi hits it for me.

[Colinmcdougall]

So i looked at a 2015 KLX 250 s it sounded like it had a bent valve in it. The exhaust valve opened up to release the decompression chamber, it had 11 .7..1 compression so I ended up buying the 2021. Honda CRF 300 l

[Mjr]

I have a CRF 300l and just bought a klx300 today.

[erichalitsky]

Good review. Like you said, throw all the money you want to at it, at the end of the day, it will always be a 300.

[BCpov]

Whats your opinion in the CRF vs the DRZ for longer adventure overlanding type stuff?

[mattjurcich]

Your videos are great. You seem pretty sharp, so it's easy to trust your opinions. I would love to know what you think about pulling the secondary throttle plate and if that might tighten up the comparison in the bottom end.

[Reviews-Tidbits]

1st time ever. I rode them both Honda was a gutless pig bone stock. I go 225, the shocks are dangerous, front end dive.
KLX seemed to have more power and better suspension, new exhaust picks up low end torque.

[GuyBraget]

I like the KLX for the better suspension. I like the CRF for the low end torque and marginally better motor and gearbox.. This puts me in a dilemma. The problem I have is...this dang Honda has that crappy suspension and I'm not buying a new bike that needs all these mods. Honda has known for a very long time that the biggest complaint is that the CRF suspension sucks, yet they do nothing about it. Some say, "what do you want, a $10, 000 bike for $5, 000?". No. I want a decent bike and that Honda's suspension kills the deal. The Kawasaki is a great contender, but it too has issues. So here I am on the sidelines.

[davidray]

Only thing that really bothers me about my CRF is the rear shock and the short kickstand. I replaced the kickstand with one from Ebay that is 20mm longer. Still thinking about changing rear shock with K-tech