Honda CRF250L Fundy Adventure Rally Build

As you all know I have been mulling over a smaller dual-sport bike for awhile. Actually if you read this blog on a daily basis, you'd know I mull over a lot of bikes. However, I do want another dirt bike to replace my long gone XR250R. This time I'd like something street-legal because quite frankly it's pain in the arse to trailer a bike to go ride. Oh, and I hate kickstarting a bike, I'll be 46 years old, too old for that shit.

A couple of weeks ago I came across Patrick Trahan's Facebook page of a CRF250L he's building into a rally bike. It inspired me to do the same thing on a slightly smaller scale. I will not need a fancy roll book holder, and the various other gadgets required for a professional rally, such as Pat's bike below, but it will require some modification, especially in the suspension department.

The rally I am gunning for is obviously the Fundy Adventure Rally. I want to be able to hold the now famous plastic cup above my head, and be proclaimed the winner.

So what does that involve.....well, first I need to acquire a CRF250L. I believe that will be a springtime purchase, since it is now October. Why have an extra bike in the garage over the long winter. Unless of course I can find a cheaper used one and save some money. Kijiji here I come.

Once I have the bike, I'll document what needs to be modified, added, and thrown out in order to turn this meek, mild, under sprung dual-sport into a small reliable Rally/ADV weapon. I use the term weapon loosely, because after all it is a 250. I'm thinking this will be my film project for next year. Bike prep and training for the big Fundy Rally, with a slightly sarcastic, funny edge to it.

I'm thinking something like this, with a good solid GPS mount, and a small tail bag for extras during the rally, and some soft saddlebags like a Giant Loop for multi-day off road excursions. It will also need a larger fuel tank too. 

Update, Editor 'Arris of CMG thinks the rally build is a wonderfully cool idea, enough of a good idea to tuurn it into a CMG/Bigland vid project. I get the bike and CMG is gonna get me the various parts necessary from the vendors. How cool is that?