2003 Crf230f

My friend bought a 2003 crf230 and it seems like a really nice bike, it looks a lot bigger than I expected. Looks like it is in very good condition, owner says it has less than 60 hours on it, all stock except for Bark Buster installed.
Anybody on her have one, if so have you ran into any problems with it?
Any worth-while upgrades or modifications that you did? If so what?
jonnyw Been here awhile

Joined:

Apr 17, 2010

Oddometer:

585

Had it for awhile and really like it. No problems at all. It has a sweet BBR exhaust sytem. Overkill for the Wife but I like it when I ride it. I tried a TTR 125 but she is just too damn tall (5'11") So i got the 230. Riding bikes since in diapers I thought it was gonna be allittle weak for me.(current bike is a KTM 640ADV) But I was wrong. It has lots of torque and is fun to ride. THe PO put the exhaust on it so I cant say if that was big improvement or not. The only draw back is a rear drum. But the street legal models have a rear disc. Might try and update down the road. If I had to do it again I would probally go for the street version.
Hi, I am very interested in this KIT!
it can make 230 engine up to 280cc or 260cc
But i can not find e-mail address or anything to contact but a phone #,
Can anybody speak Portuguese help us to call?
<tt>
1; go follow page 1st
http://www.polacomotos.com.br

2;Then find "</tt><tt>Productos e Servico" to click!

3;Find Pictures of Pistons & Cylinders then click it.

4;Scroll that page down to find "</tt><tt>KITS PARA :: CRF 230 cc"</tt>
<tt>

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I had a 2006, they are great bikes and practically bulletproof. Here's a pic of mine in Baja.

The only mod mine had was a rev box, put on by the PO, supposed to give it a few more hp.
Rented one once, loved it. Came derestricted.
Nice wide ratio, and great torque for such a little engine.
grub Requires Supervision

Ramz has probably put as many trail miles on that bike as anybody...
http://www.rickramsey.net/CRF230F.htm
Had one for a couple years. Bike is freaking bullet proof! I rode the piss out of it and it always performed.
I got an '03. You would not believe what I've put this bike through. Completely stock except for fat bars and skid plate... and you should see the skid plate.
I bought the bike for my kids but they didn't care to ride to much. So I ride it on anything I know is going to be brutal. Five Miles of Hell type stuff. After five years of serious abuse it needed some work because it was having shifting trouble going into 1st which was growing into 2nd. When the skid plate came off it looked something you'd find in a wrecking yard! But it still works and it did it job perfectly.

The bike is claw hammer reliable and pulls like a tractor from idle. It's not fast, it's not suppose to be. But I've had guy on CRF450 have a hard time following me in the brutal stuff and start looking for the escape route after a few mile riding the nasty trails I like riding with this bike.

At 5'7" it' seat height is fine for me but at 200+lbs I'm more than the bike was made for. Yet it seems to love what I get it into!

But you have to know why you're getting this bike. If for fun trail riding, great! Learning to be a better rider, great! Finding slow technical trails, great! Keeping up in open terrain with your friends who are on CRF, KTM, or WR 250/450... no fun. Wrong bike.
Pwnzilla Sexual Tyrannosaurus

Joined:

Jan 1, 2009

Oddometer:

230

I bought an '05 230F for my wife. I picked it up used from a kid about an hour away for $1500. He was racing it but needed to get a real race bike. It had the factory exhaust and air baffles removed and had been rejetted.
I fell in love with this little bike and decided I needed one too. I bought an '09 last fall and have been modding it over the winter getting ready for this season. I did a lot of bolt on mods (pipe, rejet, air cleaner, stiffer front and rear springs, final drive etc.) and it has made a world of difference versus stock, but it's not necessary.

I can't wait to take the 'mules' out on the trails again!

2005 model:

2009 model:

If you're looking for a trail bike, and don't want to race or jump, this is a fantastic bike. If you choose to, the bike can be uncorked using Honda parts for about $50, then put some decent bars on it and she's done. The air box baffle comes out with no tools, and the stock exhaust baffle is held in with 1 bolt. Then just rejet the carb and drop a new needle in it. The whole "conversion" takes maybe an hour. Super low maintenance and cost of ownership.
chip Follow Me

Joined:

Jun 13, 2005

Oddometer:

1,786

Bump. My wife has one of these. I'm trying to get it ready to go on dual sport rides. Is the power up kit worth the $50? What gear ratio do you guys run?
Pwnzilla Sexual Tyrannosaurus

Joined:

Jan 1, 2009

Oddometer:

230

I did the 428 conversion on my 2009. So it's a 16:61 but thats the same ratio as the stock 13:50. The reason for the added teeth on the 428 conversion is because the tooth pitch is smaller so it takes more teeth to get the same diameter sprockets as the stock 520 setup. I would not recommend this mod for a dual sport setup. The 428 chain is just a race chain (non-o-ring), it will wear out much faster, and you don't need a chain coming off on the road at 60mph.
On my 2005 I use the stock 13:50 ratio for trail riding. If you're going to dual sport you may want to run a 14:50 to get some more cruising speed, and help make 1st gear not have so much torque. Changing the counter shaft sprocket is cheaper and easier than the rear. Seeing how low the stock gearing is, you could get away with a 15:50, but remember that chain length will be an issue when changing sprocket sizes, also if you go too big on the counter shaft the chain will hit the guard or where out the chain guides faster.

Stock top speed for the 230F is ~70mph, so cruising is about 50 to 55 (thanks 6th gear).

Both of my 230's have the power up kit. It is a very easy install, and the it comes with everything you need. Out of all the bikes I've had, the 230F is the easiest to uncork. I run a 132 main and 45 pilot, the 921 power-up needle, with the clip in the fourth notch down on the needle. My altitude is ~1200 feet and never gets above 95*F. I would say the power up kit is worth it for sure, hassle free. Once you have it installed you can remove the air box baffle, which requires no tools, it just pops out. And you can run an aftermarket pipe, or just remove the stock pipes baffle, requires 1 torx bolt to be removed. Best $50 you can put into that bike, followed by bars. Also the the power-up kit comes with a 135 main jet, I plan to use this for winter riding next year.

I would recommend getting the extended fuel screw for about $20. It allows you change your mixture on the fly without tools to compensate for altitude and temperature changes. If you have an '06 or newer 230F you will need a D-head bit to remove the stock fuel screw, if you have an '05 or older you can just use a flat blade small screwdriver to make adjustments or remove the stock screw to use the extended t-handle one. The d-bit can be found here: http://www.crfsonly.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/3294

If I could do it all over again I would have not bought an FMF pipe for my '09. The stock pipe with the baffle removed sounds decent and has nearly the same affect on the power. The only benefit to an after market pipe on a practical level is the drop in weight, better sound, and looks. The stock pipe has no packing so there's no maintenance. With the FMF the packing breaks down over time, no big deal but it's just one more thing to mess with.

Also check out http://www.rickramsey.net/CRF230Fdiy.htm that site has a lot of good information.
I am looking for a BBR suspension-raising link as well as a BBR triple-clamp (which also raises the suspension/forks) - both of which BBR has stopped making.
If you know of one (each maybe?) then pls PM me, I want these items.
What's in a "power up kit" and where do you get it? Is it from Honda?
Yes, it is: a needle and a jet.
Put that in the carb and take the intake-restrictor out (plain fingers), plus the exhaust-restrictor (1 bolt), and off you go - lots more power & snappyness, nothing like the out-of-breath thing you had.
I was at an MX track day on a Kawasaki KX250 2 stroke. I will admit without shame that a kid on a Honda CR230F stayed ahead of me the whole time. He could not get the air time over the jumps I did but the plush suspension and torque of that Honda kept him hooked up and moving quick. I was impressed.
Mudgnome n00b

Joined:

May 13, 2011

Oddometer:

3

I have one,great bikes......reliable,easy to work on and good for someone to learn on.You know your going to get home,
Unlike some of the other highly strung stuff.......that includes my KTM