The simplicity and lack of tech is what I like about this bike. Performance on mine really improved at about 1100 miles.

I got mine last week ! In southwest Mich. it was 4,200 out the door, Dealer would not come off the price, I found them hard to locate , dealers said they were having hard time getting them , I called all over Southern Mi and northern Ind. I have no regrets getting it , it's a blast.

Good review. I love this bike as well. I have 620 miles on mine, came to life for me once I hit 500 miles. As for MPG, I'm getting 95-100mpg riding hard packed clay roads at about 5000 ft, mostly 35-55 mph on average. Shifting is incredible, no problem cruising at 45-50 mph. Wait till you have 500 miles!

$3800 out the door lexington ky love my white xr150l.

Nice review, thanks.

Awesome review. I totally agree with everything you said. It’s just a fun bike to cruise around on. And my son wants to ride so it’s a great learning bike also. Plus I don’t have to worry about him speeding around and being crazy on it. The bike is just tame and a joy to ride. It reminds me of the 1985 DR200 I had when I was a kid

Got one yesterday and paid MSRP plus taxes and dmv fees (and $300 dealerships documents fee) and was out the door at 3800 with a tag and ready to hit the road. Can’t beat the price for a street legal vehicle that gets great gas mileage and has Honda backing it.

I just got this bike and have about same miles. Everything you said is exactly how I rate this bike. I`m a happy camper!

Why change what has always worked so well? These bikes, with a little maintenance will run for 40 years. Ask me, I own a dozen Hond ATC's that are still near bulletproof. Who wants to go over 100MPH anyway?? It may feel exhilqarating until someone cuts you off. No one pays attention, they're holding a coffee, their phone or a dog, people are just waiting to die at higher speeds...

@Kristian_Saile

3 ай бұрын

The appeal of this bike for me is its simplicity and reliability. I am not planning to change anything other than the pegs, hand guards, a skid plate, and probably tires. But it’s perfect for its mission of being low cost, supremely comfortable, and efficient while cruising dirt or pavement. 👍

@RedBud315

3 ай бұрын

@@Kristian_Saile Since the bike was so cheap and I had no plans to finance I used my credit card and used my earned points to basically trick out the bike. Some people say why put so much money into a start up bike but, it was really only about 10% of the bike cost and I'm a 61 year old whos been riding for 45+ years. This is my last bike, not a starter bike. In fact, my starter bike was an RD250 which was way more quicker and faster than this. I have 1300 miles on mine so far and loving it. Mine is also black because I didn't want to be 3rd in line for a white one and now after the upgrades, I like the black better. I weigh 230 lbs so my best mileage was about 75 but, after adding weight in accessories I'm getting about 70 now. I've also hit 65 on flat ground. Enjoy.

@1122redbird

3 ай бұрын

@@RedBud315 I got 100 mpg on mine both times I measured, but I'm only 160 lbs. Love this simple bike.

@redemptiverevelation

2 ай бұрын

@@Kristian_Saile nice review, what hand-guards did you get please? Thank you

Pinag iipunan ko pa lang yan. Mga dalawang taon pa, meron na ko nyan bai.

My guess is the other three will offer something in the same class. They already make them. Markets are no longer big CC bikes. Its all about back to basics.

Greetings from the northern lower! Looks like a fun little bike. Too small for me though. I sold my cr500 about 12 years ago. Just too much for my aging body! Still riding though, a r1200rt. Might get a klr for the backroads.

@Kristian_Saile

4 ай бұрын

Yeah honestly I have wanted a KLR for quite awhile. I could still see getting one but dang for trail riding with the kids this is going to be great… I think. Time will tell. I think for both my wife and I, not tempting ourselves with a bunch of speed on tap is going to go a long way to preserving our bodies. 😆 CR500, such a legend!

@MishMashMoto

3 ай бұрын

The KLR is a good bike (as are the other 650's). The little 150L is light and fun on a budget though.

I had that model when we lived in Mexico. I could always find a parking spot

@Kristian_Saile

4 ай бұрын

I bet, everything in this thing is just easy, well aside highway riding I suppose.

@toddford9112

3 ай бұрын

After 2700 miles it's alot faster.I can reach 65 mph on a level road with no wind.

@1122redbird

3 ай бұрын

@@toddford9112 I felt a noticeable improvement at 1100 miles. I'm at 2100 miles now, are you saying it gets even better? I love this simple little bike.

Great overview! I'm on a waiting list up in Canada, still snowy here though. How was the hand guard install? Are the bar ends hollow and did they allow the guard pin insert easily? Another video showed a need to drill out a solid weight at the bar ends, but that was not the new North American model. Thanks in advance!

@Kristian_Saile

3 ай бұрын

Thank you. Yeah so the install was easy aside from the need to cut out a plastic lip on the throttle side. I just used a razor knife on both sides to cut out the grip ends and was able to cut the plastic in the throttle side fairly easy. Snow and winter returned to us in the UP, we actually bailed and headed south to go find some nice weather and mountain bike. The endless mud season this year with late snow has been rough.

Probably the best review so far. I opted to ‘up it one’ (I hope) and ordered a 2024 KLX 230, but I can still buy the Honda if I want (same dealer) as the KLX hasn’t came in yet. So now you have me thinking... The Honda is $2000.00 cheaper out the door too.

@Kristian_Saile

3 ай бұрын

I haven’t ridden the KLX but it looks like a great bike. Our local Kawi dealership went out of business otherwise I would consider that for our next bike. I think it friends on your riding style. If you want to cruise around and sight see off the beaten path, the XR is great but I am certain the KLX will add a whole different level of performance with more power and probably more importantly, more suspension travel and performance. If you want to do long rides I will bet that the XR seat will be a big hit.

@mikem9953

3 ай бұрын

The XR seat was a very important item I knew I was going to give up. Like I said, your video has me Re thinking things, lol. Supposedly they made the seat better for 2024 on the KLX. I hope so. Cheers

@1122redbird

3 ай бұрын

There is no 2024 KLX 230 regular size, just a S and SM versions for 2024. At least according to the Kawasaki website.

@mikem9953

3 ай бұрын

Correct, I ordered one. They seem to have found a happy medium, yet still call the only one (except the SM) an S.

@1122redbird

3 ай бұрын

@@mikem9953 The 230 is sold overseas in regular size but only S and SM in the USA. I did notice the new S is supposed to have a slightly higher seat and lots of nice improvements such as better suspension, softer seat, new electronics, etc. I think it looks great, and look forward to seeing them in person. I love the XR150L but also have my eye on the 230. NOTE: I went and looked at a 230 in December, was on sale at a dealer and was 5200 out the door. But the seat was like sitting on a 2x4, hard as a rock, and the controls felt flimsy and cheap compared to the Honda. It just was not at all comfortable even though it would have a bit more power and top end speed. So I walked away and got home loving my Honda. But the NEW ones are supposed to have some nice upgrades so let's see. NOT parting with my Honda XR without good reason and really noticeable differences.

I have had mine 6 months and 2100 miles, and I'm the same height as you and am really comfortable on it. I like the fuel efficiency (I'm getting 100 mpg!) and simplicity. I think it's misleading when people say a 3k motorcycle though, I don't know anyone getting it for that so if you did get MSRP that is miraculous. I was 3800 out the door on mine and I think I've seen some pay 4500 or more. What hand guards did you use? I'm going to get some for mine when I swap out the bars for some protapers. And yes, let me tell you, from 6 months and 2100 miles of riding, this is the absolute PERFECT commuter bike. It makes my ride though winding roads to work so much fun, you can wind it out every gear and yes ride it hard, I love going over speed humps that say "slow", I speed up for them and this thing glides over them.

@Kristian_Saile

3 ай бұрын

That’s great mileage, especially given that you are riding it hard. Here are the handguards. amzn.to/43bQWeT I used Adventure Undone’s list for pegs and hand guards, probably going to go with his choice of skid plate too.

@1122redbird

3 ай бұрын

s@@Kristian_Saile Thanks! Yea I measured 3 times on the fuel milage calculation and it was mid 90s up to 107. The range on the tank is great, just one more nice design element of this bike. Honda really designed this for practicality. Not a performance bike, but a great utility machine.

Nice video, I've had mine for about a week now, and you echoed my first impressions. Question on the handguards, which ones did you go with and do you have to cut off the end of the grips to install them or just punch a hole in them? I also replaced the footpegs with the same as you, but I don't like that on my shifting foot the spikes seem to restrict my ability to slide my foot forward for shifting, I think I'll remove some of the spikes to see if this helps. I live in an acreage neighborhood, so just as you said this bike is perfect for tooling around the hood paved roads as well as riding around my acreage off-road. My first pic was the CRF300LS (same 32" seat height as this XR150L), but no dealer nearby had one and they didn't know when one was coming in. So I ended up with the XR150 which was my second choice, and overall it may have been the better option for my specific situation, the larger 300LS I just don't think would be as maneuverable on my acreage for slow riding, although would be better for the higher speeds on paved roads and better for more aggressive off-roading.

@Corbrwl

3 ай бұрын

Follow-up, reading some of the comments below, you answered my handguards question already, thanks!

Great video! Can I ask which dealership you bought it from? I'm from WI and I'm looking at getting one. Thanks!

@Kristian_Saile

3 ай бұрын

Cycle City in Escanaba. Great folks, no bs, I will definitely be using them in the future.

@angieshuda

3 ай бұрын

@@Kristian_Saile Thanks much!

I'm 6'4" 250 pounds. what ya think would it handle me?

This bike is $1000 cheaper in the Philippines. The dealers are making a killing on the bike here in the USA.

Are there any more vibrations with the pegs?

@Kristian_Saile

4 ай бұрын

Not that I have noticed. Being a small bore the bike isn’t terribly buzzy when wound out so I don’t get much through the legs anyway. Haven’t logged a ton of miles on them yet though.