[KnobbyTires]

I had a 250SX and CRF250...too tall, perfect power. I had a CRF150 and a bunch of XR200's. A little small...

What gives? The CRF-230 is a PIG and needs a serious weight loss program to give anyone a nice ride and nice ergonomics for the vertically challenged.

What have you come up with to make it even a little bit of a contender Refer me to known posts if they exist. Thanks TONS, hey, hey.

[Aussiecrf230]

Was that a CRF150F or a CRF150R?
Do you have a CRF230F at the moment?

Why didn't you have the suspension on the CRF250 properly lowered to suit you? There is a lot of us short legged buggers around so it is done quite often.

[KnobbyTires]

CRF-150R ... It's long gone

Yes I almost have a CRF230 at the moment. It's left in the desert on a muddy day of hiking and did not start when I returned.

Please do not answer this post without suggestions for the CRF 230F.

It's a beefed up PIG of a bike that is made for an elephant. It should be a touch below the CRF 250X in power, feel, but not height. and certainly not weight.

I've hade to sell the CRF-250 in a move, but would not go back to it. It's too tall, too wide, has a radiator that I can puncture with every branch in my way, and I'm surprised they did not just improve on the XR-200 and let us short folks have a real bike.

The label CRF is nothing when it comes to the 230. It looks like it should be fast, light, and smalller, but isn't.
It's a big heavy thumper that will outlast many oak trees, but not get in many close races with a 250. What was Honda thinking?

Local cycle shop says:
1) Change the exhaust, shave 10lbs
2) Frame is steel, and they havn't suggested drilling lightening holes
3) Could remove the electric start and battery, but I like it street legal.
4) ??? Anyone know if you can remove the starter and add a kick starter?
5) ??? How heavy are the stock rims, and handle bars?
6) Opening the airbox after the exhaust change and re-jet kit can add a lot of power...only the exhaust will change the weight.
7) Has anyone tried using lighter forks, rear sproket...where are the pounds coming from??? Is it mainly the steel frame?

[KnobbyTires]

Reliable Honda... I generally love them.
Thanks for the jetting info from Austrailia by the way.

First time I've ever had to walk away from a bike and leave it in the mud, but it would not even turn over. Lights worked. I really just went out to take a hike, and walked an exrta 3 miles home. Guess I got my hike.

[kunkle]

Lot of things you can do to save weight depending on how much $$$ you have and how radical you're willing to get:

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/590132 ... %20%20loss

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/847652 ... ry10609517

I wouldn't be the least bit comfortable drilling holes in the frame. Don't believe there is a way to convert to kick start. You could build up a 150 motor as high as 250 cc's to swap right in and have a kick start- and a 5 speed instead of 6. Aftermarket 230 exhaust won't get you much of anything for hp- better off spending it on other engine mods like a piston and cam for starters. But it will save you a few lbs.

Lighter mods on my own 230 consist of pro-taper bars, aluminum rear sprocket, and I think converting to a 250R rear wheel to get the disc brake saved me a few pounds, too. I'm mostly building it for power and suspension- if that happens to save me weight- so much the better. With lots more power, and a proper suspension, you don't have to care much if it's on the heavy side. I don't notice the weight once I'm moving, and it's inheritantly very nimble otherwise.

Getting rid of..say.. the kickstand and e-start would be pretty radical for me. That starts getting rid of some of the reasons I like the bike. But when the lead battery goes, I'll probably be up for a lithium battery and take off a few pounds up high.

Did you try to bump start your bike? I wouldn't sleep leaving my bike out on the trail.

[KnobbyTires]

With all the clay mud on my boots and invisible knobbys under the mud slick, there was no way to push start it. I was with 3" of mud on my boots and exhausted from the hike.

It is pretty comfortable for it's weight, but I like a good moto-crosser as well as a desert racer, and need to get away from the weekend- camper-forest-road only feel. My last bike was a Gas Gas Pro 280cc that broke my foot, mostly due to inexperience in trials, so I'm up for getting off the roads and onto the trails. A lighter bike sure helps that.

Thanks for all the good ideas.

[kunkle]

That explains leaving it. Was it just a dead battery?- assuming your bike was still there.

If you like the bike enough to keep and in spite of what some might try to tell you, there are tons of parts available (suspension, engine, ergos) and things and you can do to it to turn it into a serious butt-kicking trail bike and an MX'er.

[KnobbyTires]

I'll give it until this afternoon to dry out. The light was working, so I assume it had moisture issues. I'll let it be dry enough to drive in and put it on the back of the SUV with a hitch carrier, then go for a car wash...Hey, hey.

[Aussiecrf230]

I used a combination of moving the forks up to lower the front and ran a bit more sag to lower the rear.

If you start putting on USD forks from CR125/250 range it will end up higher unless they have been professionally shortened.

Good ol bike but yes they are heavy. This does have its advantages sometimes like limited traction, but give me a light 2 smoke any day, especially when you are picking it up/

[KnobbyTires]

The bike was still there laughing at me. I scratched the mirrors going through a cattle gate, and it was not wide enough to get through with the hitch carrier...so I had to walk in. The light came on, so I turned it off and it still would not start with the key on. Once I got it rolling down hill, it jump-started easy enough. Then five-minutes later I turned it off and it started right up with the key/starter. What gives? I had suspected loose wiring, but now I'm thinking it needs a very full charge to turn over...that would be bad. I'll check the voltage after sitting overnight and it may just be a marginal battery that charges, but has no amperage for a good crank.

Also I noticed the rear tire barely fit the ramp. What size do you guys run normally? This is a Bridgestone 110/100 X 18 but seems awfully wide for a 230. Could that be some weight I need to work off? Hmmm

[kunkle]

Have you found out if the battery is going bad?

100/100-18 is stock size.

[KnobbyTires]

Hard to say. It may be. I had just charged it all day and a green "charged" light had come on.

I measured it at 13.1V before a two hour ride. After 1/2 hour. I stopped and immediatly it did not even turn over. I bump started it on a down hill run and it fired right up. I then road another hour, with the lights on half the time. Took a 10 min. break and it started right up... It measured about 13.3V when I got home. I'm thinking it should have at least cranked down to dead, when I tried to start it after a 1/2 hour, so it's probably an intermittent kill s/w or wiring problem. Maybe even the starter itself has worn brushes. I'll need to take it apart to figure this one out. But it still runs and I'm job hunting so it may be a while.

[KnobbyTires]

Oh, by the way, I thought that tire looked huge. There's some extra weight. Thanks

[Aussiecrf230]

Charge the battery overnight then take it to a battery shop and have a load test done. It is either good or bad.

What voltage is across battery when bike is running and revved to say 5000rpm?

[KnobbyTires]

OK, how long were you going to go on letting me think I had battery and other start-up problems??? Kicking myself for having a bad memory!!!
OK, I've been stepping out over the years. Yamaha, Husqvarna, Suzuki, KTM, Kawasaki, even GAS GAS, so this having to put the brake or clutch on while starting a newer Honda got me again!!!

Needless to say, it finally dawned on me. Hoping my being a FOOL can save someone else some grief. BRAVO Honda...BRAVO

That's enough to make a grown man read an owners manual. Dang