Honda XR250 Used Review

If you’re like me, the best farm bike has to be more than just a two-wheeled Swiss Army knife – it has to put a smile on your face too, like this trusty Honda XR250R.

The modern array of farm bikes are all guaranteed to get the work done, but how do they stack up against an aging veteran – the likes of which still dot properties the length and breadth of our nation?

A farm bike is still the A-to-B king, beating out four-wheeled alternatives when access is tight, grass is long, and you need to get around quickly.

They typically feature air-cooled engines that are less than 250cc, because simplicity is king for a farm bike and they are often left idling for extended periods of time.

Ground clearance and stability are important, so a 21-inch front wheel and at least an 18-inch rear is what you want, and decent long-travel suspension travel is also a must. Of course, the lower the seat height – without losing ground clearance – the better, because throwing a leg over dozens of times a day can get tiring.

The only other thing you might require is storage in the form of a front or rear rack. However, with the prevalence of UTVs on farms today, most farm bikes are simply used to herd stock or to get from one point to another, leaving payload and cargo issues to the four-wheelers.

So, what ticks every box on the list of must-haves, while offering a fair whack of fun into the bargain? The mighty Honda XR, from a time when they were kick-start-only machines that could work on the farm all week before being raced on Sunday.

Sure, there’s the current Honda XR150L and XR190CT, both trusty little farm bikes without a doubt, but they can’t hold a candle to their bigger-capacity ancestors when it come to a blend of utility and riding enjoyment.

Preceded by Honda’s XL models of the 1970s, the Honda XR250 was sold in Australia in one form or another from 1982 through to 2008. The XR400 ran from 1996 to 2005, while the big-banger XR600 was sold from 1985 to 2000, with the alloy-framed XR650 following from 2000 to 2006.

Models with a denomination ending in ‘R’ were the enduro models and not always street legal, while those ending in ‘L’ were dual-purpose models, sold with all the street-legal running gear.

Those of you who have owned one will know these bikes had serious enduro roots – appreciably before the spate of modern enduro bikes burst onto the scene, with their motocross levels of performance. They may not be viewed as a capable enduro models now, but they certainly were back in their day.

Many XRs found their way onto Aussie farms over the years, thanks largely to their well-earned reputation for reliability and capability. And in the farm environment they proved both a solid workhorse and a source of throttle-induced fun, not to mention bulletproof. As such, there were a popular choice for farmers through well into the 2000s, and well-used examples are still relatively common.

They’re a do-it-all, tough-as-nails farm bike that is both fun and capable. I had a Honda XR250R similar to the one pictured as my daily ride through university. It was undermaintained, thrashed daily, yet it never skipped a beat.

The Honda XR250R is somehow equal to more than the sum of its parts, but its cult following really comes down to its sharp enduro-focused handling, light 110kg weight, and a supremely reliable 30hp engine that is powerful enough to throw roost and lift the front wheel.

The XR250R is also a tall bike, with 315mm of ground clearance, so standing on the pegs the average person’s eyeline will be two metres off the ground, or more. This delivers superior vision that’s a big benefit on the farm, when scouting for wayward stock or for potential hazards hidden in the scrub. The downside then is the bike’s 920mm seat height, which is higher than most. That said, it settles readily enough on its suspension once you’re behind the ’bars.

Air-cooled bikes reign supreme on the farm, because they just don’t need the constant airflow to stay cool like liquid-cooled ones do, and the early XRs could idle all day long – perfect for allowing the rider to attend to whatever off-bike task was at hand.

While modern farm bikes are also air cooled, many are covered in fairings and additional bodywork, something the air-cooled runners of old simply don’t have. In paddocks littered with cow patties, much of the effluent ends up caked on and set like concrete under this shrouding, which isn't an issue on the XR.

The only real issue with the older XRs is that the kickstart-only models, which was most of them, were a bit finicky depending on the jetting, and required careful adherence to a starting ritual that went like this…

1. Pull the decompression lever and give it five kicks with full choke
2. Release the decompression lever and give it one kick, with full choke
3. Give it one final kick, with half choke, to fire the engine into life

While this routine seems to work for any XR, if you really don’t want to be kicking a bike over, or have bad knees, the later ‘L’ variants had electric start, at the expense of a bit of extra weight.

In any case, follow those rules of engagement and the XR is a truly dependable workhorse that will probably outlive many other examples of farm machinery. I say that having seen this particular XR do just that, as a few newer farm bikes have piled up in the shed gathering dust, waiting for some sort of repair or another.

So, 20 years on, can this humble 2004 Honda XR250R still kick it on the farm as it competes with modern farm bikes, UTVs and ATVs? We’re on my family’s small cattle farm on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland to find out…

We had to move some cattle between paddocks, getting them closer to the yard to treat them for ticks, so what better test to see if the old Honda XR250 was still the best tool for the job?

After all the recent rain, grass was waist-high in places and by far the best vantage point was from the bike, with the added bonus of ground clearance coming into play.

For the purpose of getting photos of the mighty XR in action, my younger brother Aden took the reins to show us how it’s done. It’s his bike too, so he certainly rides it better than I do.

If you’re into enduro bikes, it’s worth mentioning he also has a fire-breathing KTM 250 EXC, yet he often opts to use the XR when hitting the trails, which really says something about the old Honda’s ability.

Following on a trusty old Suzuki LT 250 ATV, on gate duty and with my camera swinging around and hitting me in the ribs with every bump, we set off.

We didn’t have far to go, so I sat back to see how the bike went. Aden wrangled the XR back and forth, working the cattle towards the second gate with far better vision than I had from the ATV.

As we ushered the last of the cattle into the second paddock, Aden ripped around on the bike doing a last lap for fun. The paddock was soggy from heavy rain the night before, and muddy ground proved to be the perfect playground.

Seems the XR250 is still king of the farm bikes, ready for both work and play!

If you want to buy a Honda XR250 for your farm, be it for serious work, a bit of fun, or both, head over to our sister site bikesales where you will find some ripper examples listed for sale. There you’ll also find plenty of XR400s and all manner of other potential farm bikes too.

While many prefer the torquier 400cc model, it’s the XR250R that is our pick. Despite being essentially the same bike, aside from the engine, the 250cc option feels a lot lighter than its 15kg weight saving suggests.

All you really need to look out for on these bikes is signs of rust on the lower frame rails, where water will sometimes get in and rust them through from the inside.

Aside from that, if it starts, stops and goes like a cut snake… it’s likely a keeper!

Note: farmmachinerysales strongly recommends wearing appropriate safety gear when riding any motorcycle, ATV or UTV, including an approved helmet, long-sleeve top, gloves, sturdy trousers, and boots.