Danielle (Dan) and I recently returned from a two-week bike tour round the Indian Himalayas, riding the new Himalayan 450 adventure bikes. The Roof of India tour, organised by Nomadic Knights, was billed as ‘extreme adventure’, rather than a holiday. It certainly lived up to its billing, with a faster pace, greater distances, and longer days than previous trips we have undertaken in the Himalayas, including the month-long trip we undertook in 2017 on the original Himalayan 411s (left).
The new 450s were perfectly suited to the trip. They had better engines and suspension than the Himalayan 411s, although were noticeably heavier and (arguably) less attractive to look at. According to the Royal Enfield website, the 450 has a kerb weight of 196kg, which is actually lighter than the 411 kerb weight of 199kg. However, the 450s we rode on this tour had substantial additional crash bars (with steel bobbins), a rear racking system, stronger hand guards and a larger bash plate. I suppose if you are encouraging punters to have an extreme adventure, you can expect them to crash from time to time. The weight is felt most when using the side stand or centre stand. The bike leans over a long way on the sidestand but this does result in it being quite stable when parked on uneven ground.
Once the handlebar levers had been rotated down a bit and the seat raised to the higher position, the ergonomics were very good, both standing and sitting. Because of my height (a bit over six foot) I fit bar raisers to most of my bikes but didn’t feel this to be necessary with the 450. The seat was very comfortable, although this would have been helped somewhat by the padded cycling shorts I always wear under my enduro jeans. The engine feels quite torquey and pulls strongly between 4000 and 6000rpm. My first impression was that first gear was rather too tall but this is countered by the engine’s reluctance to stall at low revs and so I soon got used to it. Tight manoeuvres require a bit of clutch work but that is also true of the Husqvarna 701 I ride at home.
Him 450 vs MT450 vs KTM390 vs 300 Rally
The bikes we were using were new and the fastest I saw on the speedo was 122km/h. I didn’t want to push it further than this because the engine still felt a little tight and it was just not appropriate for most Indian roads. A top speed of ‘over 150km/h’ (94mph) has been quoted by Bike India magazine and I have no reason to doubt this. Other reports have suggested that the 450 is more than comfortable on UK dual carriageways, which, from personal experience, was not really the case with the 411.
The brakes were fitted with braided lines and were very good. Like many modern adventure bikes, the rear ABS can be switched off for off-road use. This is done using the Mode switch on the right switch cluster. However, if the ignition is switched off then on again, the system reverts to full ABS. This feature resulted in my only concerning moment of the trip. I applied the brakes while traversing loose stones in an off-road section and the bike took an uncomfortably long time to come to a halt. The suspension on the 450 is made by Showa. The only adjustment is the rear preload but I found the default spring rate and damping to be perfect for me. It might have helped that I am close to the ‘standard’ weight of 75kg but nobody in our group had any complaints about the handling or stability. The standard SEAT tyres are not particularly knobbly but worked very well on this trip, both off-road and on. The only time they were a bit challenged was on a short section of snow and soft mud. For UK trail riding, I would replace them with something slightly knobblier, probably Michelin Anakee Wilds, but for the roads and tracks in the Himalayas, the original tyres were perfect.
The clear screen is quite small but, being located fairly far forward, did a good job of reducing wind blast without excessive wind roar. Most of the time I didn’t use or need ear plugs although I put them in before a couple of relatively fast road sections, just in case. None of us had punctures and the only reliability issue was a dodgy fuel pump on Bob’s bike. Benny damaged his bike by riding off the road and into a water-filled culvert but that was not the bike’s fault.
New water-cooled 450 Him
Royal Enfield had quite a large stand at the 2024 ABR Festival, which included a Himalayan 450 without its tank, seat, side panels etc. to make the frame more visible. The stand also included a sectioned 450 engine. The impression given by both frame and engine was of components relatively cheap to make, designed to last, and easy to work on, with a fine finish only applied where functionally necessary. It made an interesting comparison with KTMs, where components are made as light as possible and appear delicate and almost watch-like compared to their Royal Enfield equivalents.
I toyed with the idea of buying a Himalayan 450 in the UK and stripping off the tank crash bars, centre stand, etc, to reduce the weight a bit. However, I already have a Husqvarna 701 and I have no doubt that this would always outperform the 450 off-road. However, I also considered what would happen if relatively inexperienced rider were let loose on 701s in the Himalayas. I suspect it would be expensive carnage. So, for trips like the one we just completed, the 450 is just about perfect. Out of interest, the Himalayan has a similar weight and power to an old KLR650, which I rode across Tibet one time. So much for forty years of progress. Soon after the India trip, I rode my CRF1000L Africa Twin on two days of the UK ACT in Wales. It felt significantly more top-heavy than the 450 and, overall, didn’t appear to be as good off-road. Also, during the Wales trip, my friend and I had cause to pick up his Tenere 700 from flat on the ground. This took about as much effort as doing the same thing with my Africa Twin. Certainly the 450 has a lower centre of gravity than both the Japanese bikes and is easier to pick up.
So, in summary, I rather liked the new Himalayan 450. The Indians appear to have thought long and hard about what people need and done their own thing, rather than make a copy of somebody else’s design. I’m also getting more used to the way it looks and might still buy one.
While editing this post, out of interest I decided to click this option which has cropped up on WP lately (and in many other places like ebay): “Create and use an AI generated featured image for your post.” Below is what it came up with, presumably based on the post’s words and pictures. As bad as expected – or have I accidentally rendered RE’s imminent 650 twin Himalayan! Who knows but I won’t bother again.
After a year of logging routes in southern Morocco – most intensely with several visits since last October (including occasionally renting 4x4s) – just a mile from completing my final piste on Jebel Ougnat I came across a pipe trench dug across the track that had yet to be filled in. They were improving this entire route but oddly, there was no way round this one. To one side, a local on a 125 had slithered down the steep bank and up the other side. I scrambled down to see if it would be rideable, and as I did so, a guy on a moped turned up, took one look and turned back (below).
Hmm. Would those planks take the weight of a jury-rigged launch ramp?
I cleared a few stones and figured I could do it, getting off and pushing if I had to. It’s always easier than it looks and anyway, I was one sodding mile away from finishing months of research. I wasn’t going to turn back now and mess up my final hard-won GPS tracklog! I managed it with ease, but it was the anticipation of tackling such rare obstacles – not least an exhausting riverbed in the Anti Atlas a few months earlier – which validated my choice of getting the 300L for this big Morocco guidebook update. Whatever its other shortcomings, the CRF was as light and lowered as practicably possible, while having enough power, range and protection, plus more than enough suspension and clearance to complete the task.
Full-frame greenery near Meknes. Quite a shock on the eye after a month down south
Another late revelation came on the ride back across Spain which I was dreading, principally at the thought of enduring saddle soreness while wanting to get the miles in with a ferry to catch. I gave myself spare days just in case, but came the day that agony never materialised. I got another agony instead.
I’d had an amazingly good run this winter, often achieving more than I planned, but the turbulent springtime weather had broken in Morocco, with a violent overnight dust storm sweeping through Tinejdad. That meant I had to abandon a final high-altitude recce on Jebel Ayachi so, lacking the time to sit it out and wait, I may as well head home. I started with a 400-km day from the desert up to Meknes, covered it with ease and getting in just as a hail storm rolled off the hills and hammered at the hotel room windows. Next day, neither of the forecast heavy downpours (one said morning, the other, afternoon) materialised, so I whizzed past the Hotel Sahara in Asilah to Tan Med and caught the next ferry to southern Spain, ending in wind and rain to Alcala.
I’d underestimated the Honda and my ability to cover distance, so decided to put it all on red and next day went for 600km along the familiar and effortless A66 ‘Ruta de la Plata’ to Salamanca – effectively a deserted motorway. It was a gamble made easier by knowing fuel and leche bars were frequent, as well booking a couple of days at a roadside hotel in Mozarbez, while in a holding pattern for the Santander ferry. Unfortunately I didn’t anticipate single-figure temps and a numbing southwesterly. I was cold for the entire 9-hour ride to Mozarbez which ended in sleet at around 3°C. I arrived seriously frozen, but comfort-wise, had magically acclimatised to the CRF’s seat with the help of the Moto Skiveez.
Putting it all on red
I was grossly under-dressed for all this, recalling teenage biking sufferings when I knew no better. Increasingly desperate stops for fuel and hot food were needed. On-bike exercises – a new ploy – eased the long distances in the bitter cold and occasional showers, which saw me edging towards hypothermia. I rarely exceeded a true 100kph, but had the weather been what I’d hoped for in March, that 600-km ride might have been stretched to 700 or around 440 miles. A pretty amazing distance on a 286cc donkey. All you need to do is try not to ride for more than two hours at a time. That said, even with the strong southwesterly pushing me, fuel consumption was down to 70mpg/25kpl; an all-time low. (Fuel log here). Imagine what a CB500X would return holding a true 100kph in the same conditions? My guess is a lot more – or a much faster transit if riding at whatever 70mpg is – probably 120kph. This is the often overlooked payback with small motos. The only benefit is lightness, but of course that matters a whole lot when roaming around alone on the dirt. Sadly, you don’t gain good economy at highway cruising speeds as well. After >10,000km the 300L averaged a verified 30kpl / 85mpg / 70.8US. I tried but never quite managed to get a true 100mpg, but I think a lighter rider could. I was the slowest private vehicle on the Plata, inching past trucks while cars raced up to my mirrors, but the Honda did a lot better than I expected. Was I wrong about the 300L being a compromised travel bike?
Stepping back a bit The bike I rode home was a little modified to what I’d ridden out from Malaga in October. By now both tubeless wheels had been properly sealed with a continuous band of Puraflex 40 by the mechanic at Loc in Marrakech. I’m a bit slack on checking; turns out the tyres still lose a bit of air, same as I’ve found with proprietary sealing systems like BARTubless. But on typically stiff TL tyres, it has to get really low – 1 bar or less – for you to notice. It might be leaking from the bead/rim face and it might settle down. DIY TL sealing needs to be checked regularly, just like tubed tyres. Or fit TPMS.
Pic: Matt W
By now the stock-sized AX41s had worn out and I was running over-fatMitas E07s as that’s all they had in Marrakech. These bigger tyres – 130 80 17 and 110 80 19 – improved cornering confidence on the road and were fine on the dirt for what they are. The front did slip a bit more on the loose stuff than the knoblier AX41, but felt more reassuring on wet or dry asphalt. By the time both fat Mitaii had been fitted, the NiceCNC ‘Schmouba’ link didn’t lower the bike that much. And the Skiveez ended up the best all round solution to saddle woes. That and trying to stand more which is actually quite enjoyable until my insteps start to ache. Refitting rubber inserts into the pegs didn’t solve this; it must be my TCX boots or I need massively wider pegs.
The Rally Raid suspension hasn’t sagged that I can tell. The fork seals have held up amazingly, and the DID chain has been adjusted once in 10,000 miles with hand cleaning and lubing as often as practicable. The lame front brake holds me back from going full WFO supermoto in the canyons – well, that and a lack of nerve and skill. There’s still loads left, but I’ve ordered some EBC pads even though I may not reap the full benefit before the bike gets serviced and sold. I tried swapping the grips in a bid to reduce vibration at the bars, but fell for some ‘duo-foam’ marketing with no improvement. Perhaps fatter, Moto Gloveez are a better idea.
Sothe answer is no, I wasn’t wrong about the 300L as a travel bike. It’s still a 28-hp ‘300’, bought for on-trail lightness, not it’s ability to generate motorcycling joy as you pull away or power out of a bend. It’s about where you can take it with confidence. Thanks to the low first gear (resorted on fitting the same-tyre-ø-as-OE Mitas) the power is absolutely adequate on the sort of dirt I ride and loads I carry. But I bet most 300L owners have another bigger ride or two in the garage. Satisfaction may be found with something with a bit more poke, machine #65 I think it’ll be. As I won’t be off-road exploring so much and my skills in recognising what’s doable will have improved over the last year, the expected added weight of <200kg juiced up will have to be manageable, providing the seat height isn’t in the clouds. And ideally, unlike the Honda, it won’t need masses of added kit and mods to turn it into a good traveller for road and trail. What is that bike, you ask? Click this.
Writing up my 9000-km review over Christmas, I realised how much the Honda’s verified 35.2″/894mmseat height was bugging me. And it wasn’t just me. In 2023 Honda introduced a 2-inch-lower CRF300LS model, achieved by using slightly shorter suspension components. An appealing non-red colour scheme apart, it’s otherwise identical, though currently not sold in the UK.
According to the guy above, no seat foam was harmed in producing the LS: ‘Honda shortened the suspension…’. But he then goes on to say ’rear travel is reduced by 1.2”’. Does he actually mean shock length is reduced by 1.2”’ (to make 2” less vertical travel)? Probably. Riding the trails, my suspension travel is way more than I ever need – an LS would have done me nicely – though once compressed the height’s rarely an issue unless I tackle technical terrain. Very occasionally the back bottoms out as it should; the front not yet. With me it’s more the getting on and off, which I do a lot of and gets more tiresome as the years pile on. Along with comfort, these two things hold back my enjoyment on the L. Fitting the 17/19 wheel combo didn’t lower the bike significantly.
So I bought one of those suspension lowering links which I’ve read about for years. I recall my KLX had a clever adjustable link. US-made Kouba Link is the well known brand, but costs nearly £200 in the UK. I settled on a similar looking ‘Schmooba Link‘ off ebay for just £42 with the same needle bearings and grease nipple. NICECNC may be made in China but have a decent-looking website and a huge range of parts. They say these links can mess up the carefully mapped factory linkage ratios working on the shock spring. That may be an urban myth or something that only applies to performance-sensitive racers. The link swap took just 10 minutes with a helping hand of Larbi in Marrakech.
My Schmooba claims to lower the bike by 1.75″ (44mm; identical to Kouba) which is a bit more than I need, but tbh it didn’t look that much lower. Once fitted, I jacked the Tractive shock preload up a turn and a bit. What a faff that is. The shock is clearly made for an HPA and not manual adjustments. The job is made harder with the need to loosen a grub screw locking the preload collar in place. The supplied multi-bit tool has a 2-3mm bit to get in there (left); you then need a 5mm spanner to turn it, as long as the screw is in an accessible location.
There is no crenelated preload ring to hook with a c-spanner, but a series of holes in the collar, like on a wagon wheel hub (above). The multi-bit tool is too short and bulky; a 5mm rod or screwdriver works better, you inch the ring round; it’s easier on the RHS, and I found it best with a 5mm L-shaped Allen key and an additional extension/lever. Give it all a squirt of WD40 too. It takes about 12-15 micro-adjustments to get a full turn of the collar. I kept going until the annoying grub was accessible again and hope that’s enough.
Of course the forks need sliding up the triple clamps to match the rear drop – easily done. But without risers, the stock height bars limit the drop to about 25mm. So 25mm it will have to be; I hoped the jacked-up shock would compensate for the now moderately raked out fork.
RRP <20mm
If you’re lowering your 300 you’ll need a shorter side stand. RRP do 20mm shortie for £88. Or so I thought. With forks raised and link fitted it actually didn’t lean too bad. It turned out a new oversized Mitas E07 tyre on the back raised the bike back up an ~inch. Then, offering up the RR short stand, it turned out to identical. Have I been on a short side stand all this time or did they send the wrong one? Oh well, one less job to do.
Fatter Mitas 130/80 17 TL E07; actually a good idea.
Is an OEM stand for the 300LS on Partzilla US shorter? Two are two stands listed but which was which? Knowing that the 300LS model code is probably CRF300LDAABS is helpful.
Lowered 300LS CRF300LDA ABS side stand: 50530-K1T-J70
My bike 300L ABS side stand: 50530-K1T-E50
In fact a -J70 shortie is bent; the normal height -E50 is straight. And if you look up 300LS reviews online you’ll see they have a bent side stand, unlike a normal 300L, even though the Honda parts fiche shows a straight stand for both parts. Hence my fiche confusion.
300LS stand is bentBut appears straight on the fiche
A J70 is discounted to $35 on Partzilla US. In the benighted UK an E50 is £48 but I actually got offered a bent J70, which was actually what I was looking for. Fascinating a?! But wait, there’s more! A bent J70 is shorter. The reason it was bent because a straight stand on the lowered LS might drag on full suspension compression. So it seems Honda bent and shortened a stock 50530-K1T-E50 to make 50530-K1T-J70 for the 300LS, but online fiche images appear identical.
Now, about an inch lower, I can afford to take some of it back with some neoprene seat padding, as before. But first I tried a pair of Moto Skivvies (review) – padded undershorts made for motos not cycling. I’ve known the name for years but the 300L has pushed me over the edge and into their shopping cart.
Loadsa legbend
Riding the lowered bike By the time I’d jacked up the rear preload a bit and had a 130/80 17 Mitas E07 fitted, the bike didn’t feel a whole lot lower. Measured, it’s now33.5″/851mm with the forks raised up in the clamps all the way, so almost exactly the 1.75″ claimed. For the next 4000km over a month, the bike rode the same on the dirt; maybe a bit better all round with a fatter Mitas all round (now properly sealed for TL by the mechanic).
Getting on and off still wasn’t a whole lot easier. I use the footrest where possible, but having the tail pack on the side would ease a leg swing. Thing is, a tailpack is so darned easy; on/off in 4-5 seconds with a pair of Rok Straps. No other actions required and no side-panel scuffing.
The suspension still works great, just like it always did. I think the taller tyre may have touched the mudguard on one or two bottoming outs. I have to take a little more care when stopping and putting the stand down, but all in all, an easy, inexpensive and recommended mod if your stock L is giving you nosebleeds.
Royal Enfield scored an unexpected success with 2016’s Himalayan 410, selling some 200,000 units worldwide. Despite early issues, a 23-hp, 200-kilo, air-cooled single worked for many people, including me. Now they’ve responded with a load more power from the modern, higher-revving, 6-speed, 11.5:1, DOHC, water-cooled Sherpa 452cc motor.
New DOHC Sherpa 452; 10kg lighter than the 410LS
Claimed weight of the bike is still around 195kg tanked up, but that’s with an extra 2 litres of fuel and the same screen, tank bars, tail rack and centre stand. Though an inch higher, the stock adjustable saddle remains low at 825/845mm (32.5″/33.3″), with an even lower 805/825mm option. RE gets it with the Him; leave the yard-high seats to 690s and clowns on unicycles.
There’ll even be optional tubeless spoked rims. Again RE responds by offering what some real-world riders want: the confidence that roadside flats can be fixed quickly and easily. And unlike the steel rims on the 410, wheels are now alloy, though weight wise, you may find there’s only about 10% in it.
Easy to preload shockCartridge USD forks
Suspension is in the same 200-mil ballpark too, but with USD cartridge Showas up front and a link-less shock with easy preload adjustment access. Neither have damping adjustments, but presumably there’s a benefit to cartridge forks. I forget what it is, exactly.
All change please
‘We change’ The 410’s air-cooled appeal lay in its plodding motor combined with a low centre of gravity. Experienced or newb, it made the original Him easy and fun to ride, despite the tedious 3000-mile valve checks (450: 6000m). It’s hard to think the new 450 will match the 410’s characteristics, including the low-slung weight [actually it does], even if it’s said ‘90% of the extra torque is available at 3000rpm’. You often read claims like that, but it’s very unlikely the higher-revving 452 will have the tractor-like chug of the long-stroke 410 which made it so satisfying on backroads and easy trails. As a road bike, the new 450 will be a whole lot better.
The round, 5-inch TFT, Tripper Dash is another big improvement over the 410’s dial, looks clear and has a good range of info across various toggle-able screens. But I’m not convinced by the integration with Google Maps when it comes to serious exploring as opposed to basic road nav.
Photo: MCN video still
The idea is it replaces your vulnerable [Android only] smartphone which still needs to be in your pocket and paired to the display via wi-fi and using an RE app and plugged in. Afaict, the Tripper is merely displaying a simplified version of GM to suit the bike’s round display. And will a map downloaded in the phone for offline (no 4G) use display on the Tripper? I doubt it. I’ve read these in-built, phone-pairable nav systems aren’t always so seamless or versatile. But I’ve never actually used G Maps or even a smartphone for moto nav either. Anyway, if the Tripper proves to be an unworkable backcountry navigator, just revert to a cheap Android phone, a bigger tablet or handheld GPS, all with more readable and free OSM mapping.
Photo: MCN video still
The 40-hp bike also comes with a somewhat superfluous Eco mode (unless economy really does leap up), switchable ABS (another thing I never switch off), and LED lighting. There’s no rear light (left); it’s integrated into the LED indicators. Not seen that before but I can tell you it actually works quite well. Just the other day I was noticed how car tail lights have all gone freestyle.
The only other fly in my soup is the design and paint choices; not as cool as the original 410 Him. They say bikes will be in UK shops in April 2024 from £5700 depending on colour choice, and from £6250 for tubeless spoked wheels. With the 410 now at £5050, that’s a great price. As the bike’s are bound to be so different, you do hope they’ll keep selling the air-cooled Himalayan. After years, bikes like 2024’s CFMoto 450MT and even the Triumph 400X, are opening up the 400cc Adv class alongside KTM’s decade-old 390. Newsflash! It’s spring 2025! Read my Him 450 review.
In a Line Light enough to tackle any trail I dare, but too tall and uncomfortable as a do-it-all travel bike for most.
Rally Raid suspension
Great range with Acerbis tank
19-inch front wheel conversion
Screen with MRA lip
You know it will start and run like clockwork
Inexpensive and easy fit NiceCNC lowering link
Weighs about 162kg tanked up and with all the gear
Needs loads of add-ons to make it a functional traveller
For a trail bike, stock 894mm seat height is ridiculous
Negligible power increase over CRF250L
Seat comfort on long or rough rides
‘Average Mpg’ or ‘remaining fuel level’ read-outs both out by 10%+
Reduced stability with big tank and other add-ons
17-inch rear knocks out speedo accuracy (unless you size up the tyre)
Acerbis fuel cap always cross threads
Front brake is weak
Front brake switch failed ;-O
Negligible lowering with 17/19 wheel combo
Review October 2023 I got my CRF shipped to southern Spain to leave in Morocco for six months. I flew down to carry on scouting new tracks for my next Morocco route guide, while also leading my one-week tours with 310GSs in between times. I’m not quite finished with the 300L yet, but last week it turned 10,000km (6200 miles). High time to share my impressions after 8 months of riding.
Taking comfort I bought a very well equipped 2021 300L from its second owner with just 1000 miles on the clock. It still needed a bigger tank, radiator protection and tubeless wheels (plus whatever’s shown in the graphic above). The bike came with a lowered seat (read: thinned out). At 34.5″/876mm it was 0.7″/18mm lower than Honda’s claimed OE specs of 35.2″/894mm. I tried to make the thin seat more comfortable by adding a 20mm neoprene pad under a Cool Cover which increased my back end’s mileage. But judged by side stand angle, the 17-inch rear wheel with a stock width AX41 tyre didn’t lower the back noticeably. I then bought a stock black seat (full foam) and, with my added padding, probably went up to 35.7″ or a whopping 907mm. Then one day in Morocco I knew I’d need a low seat for a tough day, so removed the padding and Cool Cover. My backside was pummeled at the end of that 300-km ride, but I never refitted the Cool Cover and kept the neoprene slab held down with a bungy.
Later, I ditched the neoprene too and wore some Moto Skivvies and have settled for these plus opiates on a bare stock seat in a bid to keep it as low- and me as comfortable as possible. It’s still too high for easy mounting/dismounting, though the anterior agony got muted on some days. As we all know, once the drugs wear off, getting off/standing up for just a few minutes can offer respite.
High Atlas near Toubkal
286cc The 300 is only 36.4cc bigger than a 250L when you’d hope that’d be nearer to 50cc. I owned a 250L in the US a decade ago and for what it was (left) enjoyed it greatly. Along with other factors (like the existence of the CBR300R and worldwide >300cc licensing regs), I guess there’s only so much metal in a 250L barrel to bore out. I knew it before I bought it of course – a quick ride of a 300 Rally didn’t set my hair ablaze – but the increase in power on the 300 is negligible. It’s still essentially a ‘250’ with the same-ish 27hp as a WR-R, along with all the inherent benefits and limitations: light enough to tackle or turn around on anything the seat height allows, while being a slog on long uphills or a headwind, plus uncomfortable after more than an hour or two. So not much different to my previous WR250R or KLX250 then. In many ways my less powerful Himalayan 400 suits my ‘old man’s’ riding style better, but was no faster on the road.
The best things about my 300L are the easy 400-km range from the Acerbis tank (despite the maddening cap) and the Rally Raid suspension. While both ends might benefit from a bit of tweaking for my mass, it just works; very occasionally bottoming out at the back and never at the front. After a few weeks in Morocco I thought the rear shock was sagging a bit, raking out the forks and slowing the steering. So, lacking the shock tool, I dropped the clamps around the front forks 5mm to produce the same levelling-off effect, but can’t say it rode any better.
Ten inches of suspension and clearance?! Way higher than it needs to be for most users.
Something’s Off The way I’d set it up something felt off on my bike. For a while I thought it was the tubeless AX41 tyres. No so much the tread pattern which is pretty conventional, but perhaps the added sidewall stiffness in the tubeless carcass, intended for GSs and the like, not dinky ‘250s’ weighing 100 kilos less. Airing down to as much as 20psi didn’t help. Then I tried dropping the forks 5mm, as mentioned; no noticeable change. So was it a high CoG, especially with a full 14 litres on board and exacerbated by the tall screen, radiator bars with side bags and so on? It certainly felt less stable tanked up, but no more than you’d expect. I tried to avoid setting off for potentially tricky unknown tracks with a full tank. I even blamed the hefty Outback Mototek rad bars, but while heavy, they’re actually set pretty low down.
17/19 wheels. Was it worth it? My main motivation was to convert the stock wheels to tubeless, not have smaller wheels. I knew the stock front 21 rim wouldn’t have the required ‘MT’ safety lips. As MT 21s are rare anyway, I thought I may as well try a 19 as an experiment; it’s a better all-round travel size and there’s more tubeless tyre choice. Then it turned out the rear 18 wasn’t MT either, so I may as well try a 17 which also offers greater do-it-all travel tyre choice and might even lower the bike. Note: fitting a 17 raises the gearing a bit – you won’t pull away in 2nd so often. But it also throws the speedo out from ~8 to 14%. You’re going a lot slower than the speedo indicates and may want a DRD or similar black box to correct it. But: fitting an oversized Mitas E07 at 10,400km put the speedo error back in the ~8% ballpark. DRD not needed. I rushed the original job and had a manageable slow leak from the 17 and a meltdown on the 19 front arriving in hot Marrakech (fitted a tube). But the 21 I left at home has held its air fine for months. In Marrakech the mechanic re-sealed the rear in between my trips, cleaning then applying a continuous band of Puraflex. He then did the same to my 19 front and both hold air fine now. Summary: technique works if you take your time and allow a day or two of curing. All done, the bike was barely lower and, as mentioned below, the 19’s benefits only became evident with the screen removed. Obviously, I can’t tell a 17 from an 18 on the back, but running a front 19, at the donkey speeds I ride at I can’t say I noticed any detrimental effects on the dirt over a 21. Crossing gravelly oueds, I did try riding feet-up, but the front soon tucked in and deflected, as you’d expect. Through thick bull dust same thing: go deep and the wheel folds. So much for improved flotation from the fatter front: you need to attack such crossings with momentum to push the front through (see AMH8, p205), while wrangling the bucking bike and spinning back end. We know how that can end, so I often paddle like a duck. Bend swinging on the road the AX41’s ‘50% vacant’ contact patch held me back, but I did perceive – or persuaded myself – the 19 tracked better through bends than a 21 would. Occasionally banked over it would twitch, but the asphalt surface is rarely pristine and debris-free in Morocco. So 19: no difference over a 21 on dry, loose dirt at trail riding speeds. Deep sand, mud ruts and snow may be different. On dry asphalt it corners with more perceived confidence, depending on tyres and minimal CoG interference.
Rear at about 6000kmFront
Talking of the Bridgestone AX41s, the rear TL had had it by the time I rolled back into Marrakech, having covered only 7000km or 4400 miles. I ran it at around 25psi, though it would lose about 7-8psi overnight. I went out of my way to select a tyre of identical width to the stock 18-inch IRC, but next tyre am going fatter all round: a less knobblesome 130 80 17 Mitas E07, partly because that’s the nearest the shop in Morocco can get in TL. It span less readily on loose dirt and certainly rode the roads better, like a 310 with its massive 150 rear. The front AX41 got replaced 2000km later with a bigger 19″ E07. Initially it felt heavier but the bike rode more like a supermoto on the road and is OK on the piste.
Returning in December for a week, I got to the bottom of it. Undertaking day rides, I left my baggage in the hotel (<6kg), but also removed the screen (1.5kg?) with an MRA spoiler. The bike now felt a lot more chuckable and connected. I could even ‘feel’ the 19-inch tyre’s benefits and managed the odd side-slip on the dirt, as on other bikes. Was it purely height + weight, or also a ‘vision’ thing? Who knows, but after a week I refitted the screen and all my clobber for the ride back to Marrakech over Jebel Saghro, including a tricky a ‘4WD only’ descent, and the bike felt OK. My parameters had been reset, though I’ll definitely remove the screen again for day rides and even tours. It’s not needed and only takes 5 minutes.
In the late 70s I remember my 900SS was mysteriously transformed once I removed the half fairing. On that bike it was definitely about being able to see the front wheel (or just the front) directly, a bit like a forward control (‘cab over’) vehicle like a a VW Kombi or my old 101.
Ditching what little overnight baggage I carry certainly helped (and no tailpack made swinging the leg over so much easier), but removing the screen turned the 300L to what I’d expect: a fun, nippy, lightweight trail bike. And yet every bike I’ve had for the last 15 years has had a screen of some sort, including the 250L (a plain, light Slipstream windshield which I reused on several later bikes). With the 300L I think it was a cumulative amassing of stuff, not just the screen, but the bigger tank, heavy radiator bars with side bags, handguards, tankbag, GPS, breakfast. From the Mototek crashbars upwards, and with a full tank, that’s up to 18kg of added mass over a stock 300L all up on the front, or way over 10% of the bike’s stock weight. Too much.
With that sorted, it’s only really comfort that holds me back, not helped by the fact that my knees are going (or are having a bad year). I’ve always been a lazy ‘sit when you can; stand when you must’ rider, but now I’m less able to hop onto the pegs or even just weight the footrests like I ought to to spare the hit when crossing a run-off ditch. Standing up is actually a good stance (compared to a 310GS), with knees pressing into the cushy sides of the seat just like they should. There’s a bit of a stoop for me (6′ 1″) at the bars, but that’s without any risers that I usually have to fit.
I do stand up on smoother terrain at the end of a ride to revive the backside and stretch out, but find, even in my TCX dirt boots, that my insteps ache after 20 minutes. Fitting wider footrests is something I overlooked in the prep, I now realise. Africa Twin Rally footrests fit right on they say, and have a third bar to support the load, but I bet other pegs fit too. The cheapest AT pegs I found were £80 on ebay, with DRC, or similar but unbranded Chinese alloys, costing around £50. Then I realised that replacing the missing footrest rubbers for 20 quid a pair will probably have the same effect, but same soreness so must be much TCX boots.
AT pegs; more support but £££Stock rubbers: £20
300LS – a lot lower
On the dirt I wouldn’t want any more weight nor need more power, but would love an inch less height for what I do. In the US (and maybe elsewhere one day) they now offer a 300LS, with inch less suspension and an inch less in the seat. For those without a calculator to hand, that’s two inches lower seat height. The 300LS should have been the stock 300 back in 2021, with an ‘HS’ option for the lanky hardcore. Over ten inches of travel is excessive for a trail bike like the L; the CoG is too high making it twitchy, and it discourages ownership by less tall folk. I’ve never came close to hitting the bashplate which could easily be 2 inches lower, as on the LS. Honda could even take another inch out of the springs and put some padding back on the saddle where it’s still needed. It’s a shame the TracTive shock from Rally Raid isn’t length-adjustable like the Wilbers on my XSR700 or YSS on the Him, though of course there’s nothing to stop me fitting a lowering Kouba Link (or similar knock off), then raising the forks in the clamps some more. In fact I have talked myself into trying just that for the next lap.
There were some long spells of oued paddling (too loose or rocky to ride) at which time the low first gear was just right, ticking over at 2mph or so, with no need to feather the clutch. But as mentioned, my speedo read-out was way out until I fitted a fatter Mitas when it went back to stock 8% error.
All in all, while the 300L was a great deal and is making my task out there easy, I’m at an age where I want a lower saddle alongside the low weight to be able to chuck it about with greater confidence, and get on and off without scuffing the saddle with a boot. I’ve matured into one of those old guys I met on my 250L in Canyonlands 10 years ago who’d ditched their KTMs for TW200s (left). Plus I’d like more day-long comfort, like a 310GS, though am not sure I’ll ever get it. All this holds back the fun of being on a planted bike like the 400 Himalayan.
On one of the tours one of the riders who owned a 450L wanted to try my adapted 300L, so I hopped on his rental 310GS. What a great bike that was, and not just the cushy, full-width saddle! Something about the steering also felt just right (this was before my de-screened epiphany). He also thought my 300 was off, and put it down to the 19-inch conversion. As John M at Rally Raid will tell you, the 310 (especially with his RR mods) is a much under-rated bike, though he rides a low-wheel 300L too.
Snatchy throttle? Can’t say I’ve noticed by found this tip on Advrider.
Of course I never expected a 27-hp 300 to be the long sought after do-it-all travel bike. That machine is more likely to be a twin or single around the 450cc mark, like the forthcoming CFMoto 450T or the Himalayan 450. I bought the more dirt-focussed CRF for the specific purpose of bagging pistes in southern Morocco while leading a few tours. I could’ve saved myself the transit costs by hiring a 310GS, but the Rally Raid sprung 300L is a better ride off road, especially if you don’t know what’s ahead. And anyway, I wanted to try the popular 300L, and can’t wait to do another couple of months riding in Morocco. The long ride back to northern Spain in late March, not so much.
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda. Next time I will…
Not rush the DIY tubeless sealing, or just cough up for CWC Airtight.
Get the Adv Spec radiator brace instead of the heavy Outback Mototeks and find a way of hanging the side bags off the tank to cushion the rads in a fall
Hardwire in the GPS, then [buy] a proper USB plug, not the unreliable cigarette-bodge
Leave the Cycle Pump at home and rely on the handheld USB pump
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook 