Source: MotorcyclistOnline.com
This budget-friendly dirt bike outsold every other dual sport in 2023. (Honda/)The small-bore dual sport is going through a renaissance, and there’s really no question as to why. User-friendliness, simplicity, affordability, and versatility are virtues we can all get behind, and few motorcycles exemplify those qualities quite as well as Honda’s CRF300L. Not a Big Red rider, check out the Top 5 Best Cheap Dual Sport Motorcycles 2023 article to see other brands’ fine examples in this segment.The 300L was a major hit when it got its big overhaul in 2021 (read the 2021 Honda CRF300L Dual Sport First Look Preview article), and it didn’t take long for the budget-friendly enduro to top the dual sport sales charts in the States. According to American Honda, the CRF300L outsold every other dual sport in 2023 regardless of brand, chalking up more than 5,000 sales over the course of the year.Affordable, low maintenance, and highly capable. The 300L is a lot of bike for $5,449. (Honda/)So what’s made the little 300 America’s darling? According to Colin Miller, American Honda’s manager of powersports and experiential, it comes down to two words.“Versatility and affordability. It’s got the best of both worlds. You can use it to go back and forth to work every day but at the same time you can explore the backcountry or go hit some single-track.”Looks the part, rides the part. 300L owners praise the bike’s dirtworthiness and all-around usability. (Honda/)Having just wrapped up a week riding the CRF300L on North Georgia’s “Smokey Mountain 500,” we’re inclined to agree. The bike is a surprisingly good time on a twisty road, feels tailor-made for gravel two-track, and handles the technical stuff alarmingly well for a $5,449 motorcycle.A comparatively low seat height, approachable engine, and featherlight clutch have also made the 300L a favorite among new riders and those new to dirt. Interestingly enough, those same features may cost the 300L its “bestselling” title by the end of 2024.Related: Best Cheap Dual Sport Motorcycles of the Year“Funny thing is, the 300L is likely to be overtaken this year by the XR150L. It’s selling that well, and if it outsells the 300L, and there’s about a 99 percent chance that it will, it’ll become the bestselling dual sport on the market.”Sales figures from Honda illustrate both the CRF’s popularity and the XR150L’s unexpected success in the US. (Staff/)Mind you, we’re not talking about the global market here, where smaller-capacity bikes like the XR are the norm. We’re strictly talking about the USA.So what gives? Could an air-cooled 149cc single with a rear drum brake and 11 hp really be the bike America’s been pining for? Miller says there’s more to the little XR’s success than meets the eye.“There’s a broader appeal to it than just a beginner bike. It’s great for that, or for someone that wants to get out and ride the trails with zero experience, but then you’ve also got this whole segment of people who are going out with their camper and they just want something to putt around on once the campsite is set up.”Parking lot princess: The XR’s light weight, low seat, and easy clutch are ideal for training new riders. (Kurt Spurlock/)Miller says the XR150L’s $3,099 MSRP, combined with Honda’s reputation for reliability, has been a windfall for the little bike. Considering most new motorcycles at this price point feel about as legit as a Wish.com Rolex, there’s no denying dealer support goes a long way with potential buyers.“In this day and age everyone is stretched thin. The fact that it’s that affordable and it’s a Honda is big. You can go buy some unknown brand at a random little motorcycle shop, but you’ll have no idea where to get parts or if you’ll even be able to fix it if you break something. Customers know there’s going to be support for their XR, but then again they also know it’s gonna be reliable. I mean that’s the core of Honda’s business: It’s that reliability factor.”While the XR’s limitations are clear, we’ve had our fair share of fun with it around camp. (Honda/)The XR150 got a minor price increase for 2024 (it retails for $3,099 currently), but if Honda’s sales figures are anything to go by, the minor bump hasn’t curbed appetites in the US whatsoever. Any way you look at it, Big Red stands to hold the title for bestselling dual sport two years in a row, but if the rest of the Big Four throw their hats in the ring next year, you won’t hear us complain.
