Honda XR150L

The Honda XR 150L might be a small motorcycle to start with when it comes to off-road adventure bike standards. However, the overall styling of the Honda XR 150L is very much in line with the design ethos of off-road bikes, which makes it look very much appealable.

The front look of the Honda XR 150L has been kept simple, with the headlamp of the motorcycle having a trapezoidal design with tapered side edges. This headlamp is encased within a sharp-looking bikini fairing, which has a kinked upper edge and gets clear lens turn indicators mounted on the sides of it. Just below the headlamp cluster, there is a long front fender, which makes the front of the Honda XR 150L look large and tall.

The side profile of the Honda XR 150L looks rugged and off-road-ready, thanks to the presence of spoke wheels which are large, dual-purpose tires with broad treads, high ground clearance and side-mounted under-seat exhaust pipe which gets thick plastic shroud. The slim design carried out for the fuel tank and the broad tank extensions with sharp edges do try to make the motorcycle look sporty, however, the engine with its dull grey finish looks a bit outdated.

For an off-road motorcycle, the single-piece long seat of the Honda XR 150L is very comfortable and accommodating for two persons. The Honda XR 150L gets a conventional-looking tailpiece, in the middle of which sits a small tail lamp and clear lens turn indicators attached to its either sides. The tubular luggage rack behind the seat also acts as the grab handle for pillion riders but looks too basic.

The same impression of basicness can be felt for the rider’s cockpit too, with the motorcycle getting a very basic instrument console, which has a round panel for analog speedometer, odometer and trip meter and an offset housing for basic tell-tale lamps. The round rear view mirrors might too look outdated, but offer a great field of vision of the back. The switchgear too is quite basic, but the overall quality and fit and finish levels are pretty much sorted out for a motorcycle of this price.

The Honda XR 150L rides on the tall 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheel, which not only give a tall stance to the motorcycle but also inspires confidence in the rider to tread it off the road. After that, much of the motorcycle’s prowess is taken care of by the sturdy suspension setup of telescopic forks at the front and rectangular swing-arm with mono-shock at the rear. To keep costs in check, the Honda XR 150L gets a drum brake at the rear, while a disc brake has been employed for the front.

The Honda XR 150L has been fitted with a simple-in-construction four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 150cc engine, which here has been coupled to a five-speed gearbox. The engine on the Honda XR 150L puts up a maximum power output of 11.9 PS and a peak torque output of 12.1 Nm.

Given that the Honda XR 150L is a basic motorcycle for off-road enthusiasts who are on a budget, the Honda XR 150L lacks much of the sophisticated electronic riding aids. The motorcycle even lacks the presence of ABS, which makes it feel a bit underequipped.

For starters or those who are new to off-road motorcycling experience, the Honda XR 150L is a good basic dual-purpose motorcycle, with enough grunt to make one feel that the whole power of it is in his/her control. With sturdy mechanical setup and a reliable engine, the Honda XR 150L is one affordable yet tough motorcycle built to last.