Plain and simple: The Honda XR150L is the least expensive dual sport you can buy today from a major manufacturer, and the value goes well beyond the asking price.
Well... We certainly didn't see this one coming. In an era where 180+ horsepower rocketships get all the headlines, the folks at American Honda have quietly found unrivaled success selling a small, carbureted, air-cooled single-cylinder motorcycle here in the USA.
Yes, the new Honda XR150L has been steadily selling out at dealerships across the US since it was first introduced last year. So what makes this bare-bones, drum-brake, analog two-wheeler so popular?
Well, a $3,000 pricetag certainly doesn't hurt, but there's much more to the story here than value alone. We've been riding the new XR both at home and abroad for the last few months, so if you're considering buying one yourself, here's what you're getting yourself into.
While the XR150L is a new model for the North American crowd, it's actually been a part of Honda's global lineup since 2014. The little XR was first launched in Asian markets, where bikes of this size and style are the norm, and was later brought into the Australian market as a general-purpose off-road-only model.
Ten years of hard-living abroad has proven the XR's simple formula to be reliable, cheap to own, and easy to maintain. That long production history also means Honda has recouped their R&D costs on the XR many times over, which is one of the reasons they've been able to offer it in the States for pennies on the dollar.
The XR's first debut on US shores was in 2023, and according to American Honda, it's been nearly impossible to keep on showroom floors ever since.
In fact, the XR150L is reportedly on track to surpass Honda's own CRF300L as the best-selling dual sport in the United States for 2024, outselling everything from high-strung KTM 300s to cult favorites like Yamaha's XT250 and TW200.
The latest version of Honda's XR150L carries an MSRP of just $3,099. While the specs may read like something that rolled off the factory floor back in 1991, there's much more to this little dual sport than meets the eye as you'll read below.
No doubt about it: the XR150L is quite simply the most motorcycle you can buy off the showroom floor for $3,000. It's affordable, reliable, versatile, and user-friendly, but it ain't all roses either. Here's our take after a few months in the saddle.
Let's start with the obvious here: We're talking about a brand new Honda dual sport that retails for $3,000. Typically if you're shopping new on a budget like that, the only game in town is a poorly made Chinese import with zero factory support and dubious reliability.
We've ridden bikes like these (the Bashan Brozz, for example), and we can confirm they're absolutely terrible, clunky, and breakable. The XR150L? Well, it's a genuine Honda product in all the ways that matter: It's reliable, it's well made, it's low maintenance, and factory support is top shelf just about anywhere you go.
Our favorite part about the XR150L is that although it is indeed cheap to own, it's by no means cheaply made. Don't get us wrong, you're not getting stellar levels of fit and finish here, and while the components look and feel as simple as can be, they also look and feel like they're built to last.
We've seen more XRs overseas than we could ever hope to count, but we've never seen one broken down on the side of the road.
Another major highlight of this bike is it's insanely easy to ride. If we had to pick one bike to teach a new rider on, this would be the one. The clutch is light and smooth, the engine is virtually unstallable, the seat is low enough for anyone to flat foot, and with a full tank of gas the XR still weighs well under 300 lbs.
What's perhaps the most surprising "perk" of the XR, however, is its engine. The bare-bones 149cc air-cooled powerplant makes the most out of what little power it produces, and drums out a healthy dose of torque from a dead stop all the way up into 5th gear.
As is the case with any dual sport worth owning, we also found versatility to be a highlight of the little Honda. Out on the road the bike is comfortable even for a taller rider and genuinely fun to ride.
In the dirt the XR's above-average suspension travel and ground clearance are plenty capable of exploring gravel roads or basic trails, which is where most of these 150s will spend most of their time anyways.
"Maintenance is a breeze"
Last but not least, the XR is about as easy to maintain as you could ask for. This is a low-stress, air-cooled motor after all, so most of your maintenance will just be oil changes and consumable parts.
The simple OHC valvetrain does require more frequent checks than most due to a 4,000-mile interval, but it's a basic tappet design, so you're looking at about a 30-minute task once you learn your way around the bike.
While the little XR clearly over-delivers for its asking price, there are a few hard compromises that come with a bike this budget-friendly. The first, as you might expect, is a lack of top-end power.
The XR's low-down grunt and short gearing excel for low-speed trail riding and general street use, but this bike has no place on a busy highway. The little engine builds speed consistently until around 50mph, but it really has to fight for anything above that, and generally runs out of steam entirely around 60mph or so.
Hit an uphill in 5th gear wide open and you'll find yourself watching the speedometer slowly creep down into the mid 50's. The XR150L is legal on any road in the country, but its miserly top end will resign most riders to the slow lane or (more likely) using city streets and backroads to get from A to B.
The same limits apply to off-road use: While the XR is plenty capable of enjoying your average cow trails or maintained gravel roads, its pillow-soft suspension simply can't keep up with more expensive alternatives like Honda's CRF300L or Kawasaki's KX300.
The limits of the soft suspension are compounded by the XR's bargain-bin CST tires, which are adequate for the pavement but quickly lose their composure in looser terrain.
Another big complaint we have when riding the XR in the dirt is the footpegs. Namely that they're too much too small and much too flexible to get any real purchase on the bike. Standing up on the XR isn't particularly enjoyable (especially if you're on the taller side), so while it'll certainly get the job done, some aftermarket intervention is advised.
You asked, we answered. Here's our take on all the internet's most common questions concerning Honda's newest pint-sized dualie.
We would argue that the little XR is actually the perfect bike for beginners. The seat is low, the engine is forgiving and almost impossible to stall, the clutch is a one-finger affair, and the bike is extremely lightweight and maneuverable.
Let's put it like this: The XR150L is the kind of bike whose top speed depends on things like wind, elevation, and incline. It'll do 60mph or so eventually on flat ground, and you might even see 70 one day on a downhill with a tailwind.
Sort of. Well, more than you'd expect. Our tallest test rider was 6'1", and while he never forgot he was riding a smaller-than-average bike, the rider triangle is surprisingly comfortable for taller folks so long as they're sitting down.
Nope, the 150 is actually made in Mexico, in the same plant as Honda's popular Navi minibike. The engine itself is a joint venture made by Honda and a Chinese company called Sundiro Holding Co., but it's the same proven powerplant found in XR150Ls around the world.
There are many places where the new XR150L excels.
It's the perfect bike to learn to ride on the road and off. It's the ideal bike to bring along for a weekend at the local campground, to use as a pit bike at your next race outing, or as a second bike in your garage for running errands around town. When it comes to general-purpose motorcycling, the XR can handle just about anything shy of a fast-paced freeway.
"Small-bore Hondas like the XR150L are a favorite on our tour in Vietnam"
Anything that happens over 55mph or so, however, simply isn't the XR's cup of tea. Small-displacement air-cooled engines have their perks, but speed and power aren't among them. The same goes for its soft suspension and drum brakes.
Could you do a BDR on the XR150L? Absolutely. With enough skill and determination, you could tackle a BDR on a Grom or a Vespa if you really wanted to, but that doesn't mean they're the right tools for the job.
The XR is more of a Swiss army knife, albeit a keychain-sized one. It'll do a little bit of everything for less money than anything else out there, and unlike any other dual sport at this price, Honda reliability and factory support are included at no extra cost.
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