Motorcycle touring has been thriving in Vietnam in recent years. Seizing this opportunity, many Vietnamese private dealers have imported dirt bikers and small adventure bikes from many motorcycle brands, which can battle on every off-road route across the S-shaped country.
Honda contributes up to two representatives with different characteristics in this special segmentation. Thanks to its endurance and long-running ability, Honda XR 150L has long-time been well-liked by avid motorcyclists and experienced trekkers throughout the country. Contradictory, CRF 150L has just been imported since 2018; however, with the impressive and powerful appearance as well as worthwhile technologies, CRF 150L immediately drew much attention from passionate riders. Honda’s duo is almost overwhelming compared to other rivals in the same segment as Yamaha XTZ 125, Kawasaki KLX 150 BF, and Kawasaki D-Tracker 150. Let’s take a closer look at Vietnam Motorbike Tours Club to determine whether XR 150L or CRF 150L is worth the 150cc “King of bike” title.
Owing to its reputation as a famous Honda manufacturer, Honda CRF 150L was well-received globally when its first introduction in 2018, especially in Europe - Latin America, and Asia.
Equipped with more enduro-oriented and lighter characteristics than its brother CRF 250L, this CRF 150L version can pass across demanding terrain, off-road routes, and single track and brings an amazing feeling for riders.
Honda CRF150L is an ideal choice for those new to off-road motorbikes. From the distant past to the present day, adventure motorbikes have won the hearts of many people in Vietnam. That being said, there were not many choices for motorcycle enthusiasts in the past. They used to be reluctant to use old motorbikes that were almost in a bad state. Meanwhile, some others ventured their money on smuggled ones.
Undeniably, the CRF 150L is the most desirable version of 2018; however, there still remain some drawbacks. The slender and smaller saddle is quite similar to its brother CRF 450L which is not recommended for people who tend regular long-running or long-term tours due to hips and buttocks pains. The second shortcoming is CRF 150L is more suitable for moderate off-road movement at weekends with less than 100 km distance. It has not been optimally designed for two people, another disadvantage of CRF 150L creating an uncomfortable sensation for riders.
In reality, these motorbikes in this period come with many shortcomings. They are very selective about riders while not offering a variety of models and requiring exorbitant prices. Nowadays, there has been a significant improvement in models and prices because the motorcycle market in Vietnam today has a lot of changes.
In addition to Kawasaki KLX150 and D-Tracker 150, which are genuine products, many other small all-terrain motorcycle brands such as Yamaha XTZ125 and Honda XR125 are brought to Vietnam. After all, Honda CRF150L receives the most care from people because it is a new motorcycle that was just launched in 2017.
Honda CRF150L comes with an eye-catching style and a superior quality often found in the products from the Honda brand. Of the small-displacement motorcycles in Vietnam, is Honda CRF150L as dominant as many customers expect? Please see the right answer below.
As a CRF type of Honda model, the CRF150L generally looks quite similar to the big brother called the Honda CRF250L. In particular, they share the body, the decorative stamp, and the characteristic color of white and red in common. The motorcycle head is designed as a shield with a pair of Halogen turn signals on both sides. Behind the mask is a monochromatic LCD clock cluster with basic parameters such as speed, gasoline, and turn signals similar to any other off-road models.
The highlight of dual-sport motorcycles is usually footing accessories. The first impression when looking at this area of the CRF150L is probably the high-class yellow upside-down forks provided by the Showa brand. They have a diameter of 37mm and travel of 22.5cm. While other 125cc off-road motorcycles often use telescopic front shock absorbers, 150cc motorbikes of Honda and Kawasaki are equipped with advanced USD forks.
The CRF150L uses aluminum-alloy spokes and braces, 21-inch front rims, and 2.75-inch IRC Trials GP-22R tires. The front brake system takes a 2-piston high-pressure pump with a 240-mm single rear disc. Meanwhile, the rear of the CRF150L is an 18-inch diameter rim and 4.1-inch wide tires. The rear suspension system is in the mono-shock form with a travel of up to 207mm, a rear disc brake of 220mm, and a 1-piston high-pressure pump.
The heart of the CRF150L is a single-cylinder air-cooled engine with four strokes, two valves, and a capacity of 149.15cc. This engine is based on Honda CG125, which was launched in 1976. There are only two differences between them. The first one comes from the camshaft. While the CG125 uses the roller camshaft (OHV), the CRF150L takes advantage of the single camshaft (SOHC). The second difference is the electronic fuel injection system. The engine of the CRF150L has a power of 12.91PS/ 8,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 12.43Nm/ 6,500 rpm through the 5-speed gearbox, which is a modest figure compared to other modern 150cc motorcycles on the market today.
The front gear has only 13 teeth, but the rear disc requires up to 49 teeth. For this reason, although the real performance is not high, the CRF150L engine still runs at 0-80km / h. That being said, after exceeding that speed, the motorcycle starts to accelerate much slower, partly due to the breathlessness of the engine. It is also because you sit in the wrong posture.
According to the Vietnam Motorbike Tours Club experiment, if you hold the throttle on a long stretch of road, the motorcycle can reach a maximum clock speed of 110km / h. However, when you measure it on the GPS measurement app, the actual speed of CRF150L is only around 100km / h. Maybe you do not want to keep this speed for too long because the vibration will transfer from the machine to the handlebar, making your hands numb.
If you replace it with a 150cc DOHC engine that is similar to many other current Honda models, such as Winner 150 or CB150R, surely CRF150L will have much more impressive performance. However, with a more complex structure, this engine will not be as durable and reliable as the original CG125 engine, which has proven its quality through many models of small-displacement Honda motorcycles. Not to mention another advantage of this engine is the low consumption of fuel.
It is due to the low output efficiency and the electronic fuel injection technology equipped by Honda. Adventure motorbikes are designed to be compact to cross the rugged terrain to discover the nooks and crannies that sportbikes and naked bikes cannot reach. For this reason, the capacity of their fuel tanks is also reduced to the maximum, only 7.2l. Even when these motorbikes run at full speed, the average consumption of CRF150L is only about 2.5l / 100km. Therefore, you do not need to worry about gasoline throughout your adventures.
The wet weight of only 122kg, the offer of a comfortable upright sitting posture, and the neat vehicle body all make the CRF150L move flexibly in crowded cities. In addition, with the 285-mm ground clearance, it can easily step off onto every sidewalk. Not to mention, the hydraulic brake system works stably, which helps you stop the motorbike gently when moving fast.
Off-road tires have a small area in contact with the asphalted road surface while having a high center of gravity. If you are not a professional rider, taking a smooth ride on tarmacked curves will be a challenge. You can overcome this drawback by replacing the front wheel rim kit 21"-18" with thin off-road tires with 17-inch rims with on-road tires. Then, the CRF150L will turn into a supermoto with a fascinating control feeling on flat terrain thanks to its offer of high speed and compactness. Ironically, you have to trade off the capability of passing all types of terrain, which is the most outstanding feature of the CRF150L, to enter the flat roads as a supermoto.
Only when coming to the dirt roads and jagged rocks the CRF150L perfectly shows its striking ability to conquer every terrain. The Showa fork system works smoothly on rough terrain while the IRC tires quickly grip surfaces such as grass, soft soil, rocks, and mud.
As a powerful motorcycle, the CRF150L helps you conquer the most popular terrains when backpacking in Vietnam. Nevertheless, if you desire to do that in more severe conditions like passing steep hills and going through forests, it is advisable to give up this intention soon. It is simply because the CRF150L is not capable of covering this task. To meet your demand, you should buy an off-road motorbike with a cubic capacity of over 250cc. Additionally, with the long-standing engine platform, you can make some changes to bring higher capacity.
Like other dual-sport motorbikes, Honda CRF150L has a large ground clearance and fork travel that contributes to increasing the saddle's height to 870mm. But the fork may go down when you get on the motorbike. With a height of over 1.7 meters, you can comfortably sit and put one foot on the road. If you have a lower height, you still must stand on tiptoe when stopping your vehicle. The high seating position will give you a good view forward.
Rental Price
Vietnam Motorbike Tours Cub is the only company offering high-quality enduro bikes that are routinely inspected and serviced to make your off-road enduro tour the best. We are currently using:
HONDA XR150L
Only 25 USD/ day
Rent a bike now!
HONDA CRF250L
Only 55 USD/ day
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Only 75 USD/ day
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Only 125USD/ day
BMW GS1200
Only 150USD/ day
Despite not being too powerful to cross mountains and forests, the Honda CRF150L provides a smooth ride and takes you through every Vietnamese road to reach the land you long for. The CRF150L has not achieved genuine distribution in Vietnam, but it has high durability and can be easily repaired due to its familiar motorcycle platform. Furthermore, the high-quality fork system turns the CRF150L into a worthwhile option for newbies to off-road motorcycles. With a budget of 70 million VND or more, you can own a Honda CRF150L. The price usually depends on the private stores that sell the motorbikes.
Here is some Vietnam Motorcycle Tours that is suitable for CRF 150L:
North Vietnam Motorbike Tours
Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tours
Northeast Vietnam Motorbike Tours
Ho Chi Minh Trail Mortorcycle Tours
Off-road/ Vietnam Dirt Bike Tours
Ha Giang Motorbike Loop
Vietnam Enduro Tours
Sapa Motorbike Tours
Vietnam Motorcycle Trips Near Hanoi City
Vietnam Motorcycle Tours Around Hanoi
Central Vietnam Motorbike Tours
South Vietnam Motorbike Tours
Vietnam Laos Cambodia Border Crossing
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