Cross Training Enduro

2026 Honda CRF250RX long-term review - any good in the woods?︱Cross Training Enduro

Our 2026 Honda CRF250RX long-term review. I rode this for several weeks in Canada. The Traction eRag have used five of these Hondas in their fleet for several years so it's a great opportunity to discuss their long-term reliability. Six years ago we were asked if this would be a good enduro motorbike. In our review we concluded it would only suit a fast aggressive rider for everyday enduro riding. If you want extreme enduro training see our playlists of enduro skills to learn. Try our training vids for working on your extreme enduro techniques. Why? It's designed for off-road racing. On a spectrum between motocross and dual-sport it fits in here. Basically the Honda CRF250RX is Honda's motocross model but with a larger fuel tank, slightly softer suspension, an 18 inch rear wheel, 0-ring chain, slightly detuned, three way mapping switch, and a kickstand. What about this 2025/2026 model? Our conclusion is a bit different now. In 2025 they changed the frame, updated the suspension valving, de-restricted the airbox and changed the various front fork components. The outcome? If you are enduro riding get into our enduro training vids. Our dirt riding tips are great for developing your hard enduro skills. So what do we like about the CRF250RX? The reliability is fantastic. It has KYB's famous SSS suspension which is very plush but can also handle racing. It has a wide ratio six gear transmission which is great for slow or fast terrain. And its reliability matches the Honda CRF250RX. These Hondas are hammered by customers on all the Traction eRag tours during summer. The suspension is now more compliant for enduro riding, and the Honda CRF250RX engine has less of that snappy throttle response or inclination to stall. It doesn't make it a perfect enduro model, but we think it now might suit more riders who want to go fast on the trails. There has not been a single mechanical issue unless customers crashed and broke something. The 2026 Honda CRF250RX light at only 110kg or 244lb fully fueled. The engine has very linear power. Need hard enduro training? Work through our video lists. Hard enduro techniques are covered in our training vids. There were major changes to the engine is 2022 for more bottom end power and we noticed the difference when riding single track. Into enduro and dirt bikes? Check out our dirt bike videos. Extreme enduro training vids are our focus. It produces a claimed 37.7 horsepower at 12,200 rpm which was more than enough for us. All our riders were quite happy with the suspension. Although designed for racing, that new valving provided a good ride even in slower gnarlier tracks. What didn't we like? First gear is too high due to the close ratio gearbox. It's a real shame Honda persists with a five speed transmission when competitors like the Yamaha YZ250FX have six gears. On open tracks or dirt roads the Honda was revving more than it needed to at higher speeds. The 2026 Honda CRF250RX cable clutch is way too heavy especially for a 250cc model. Some owners fit a Magura hydraulic clutch to resolve this. A cheaper option is a clutch lever that uses extra leverage for a lighter pull. Our 2026 Honda CRF250RX review conclusion? Price may be the determining factor. It's cheap in its class. In the USA it's $400 cheaper than the Yamaha. I'm very keen to hear your opinions if you own a 2026 Honda CRF250RX or have ridden one. Let us know in the comments. And a huge $2450 cheaper than KTM. Me? However, if you are focused on cross-country racing then you would save some money by choosing the Honda. I would spend the extra money for the YZ250FX. I first one of these exceptional motorbikes back in 2018 and was incredibly impressed with its potential for everyday enduro riding. INDEX 0:26 Is it good for enduro? 1:41 Things we liked 2:44 Things we disliked 3:25 Price & conclusion Our website: https://sites.google.com/view/crosstrainingenduro Cross Training Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAvmhgP0h1AEKY8vTEJPJg Cross Training Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cross.training.enduro.skills/?ref=ts Our enduro vlog series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlur54ugvzNJlUO0y6D10jVOGMLI4Raci Traction eRag: http://tractionerag.com DO YOU HATE YOUTUBE'S AUTO DUBBING IN OTHER LANGUAGES? If you live in a non-English speaking country it seems Youtube automatically selects the dubbed language. One viewer said he hates this but has to manually select 'English' every time. If you use Chrome or Firefox use these extensions to override Youtube's language selection. For Chrome: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/youtube-no-translation/lmkeolibdeeglfglnncmfleojmakecjb?pli=1 For Mozilla/Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-no-translation/ #crosstrainingenduro #enduro #hardenduro #extremeenduro