It can be the adrenaline of skidding on gravel, grabbing potholes, going over rocks with complete impunity, accelerating on a steep slope and going up, up and up, or avoiding getting bogged down by going through the mud.
Something about all of that makes going out “endurear” or do some off road be a fantasy for many motorcycle lovers. And a unique adventure for those who can complete it.
With the excuse of the launch of the new Honda XR300L Tornado Clarion had the opportunity to test this dual-purpose model (On/Off) on different roads in Córdoba, where we were able to thoroughly test its capabilities and analyze the differences compared to its predecessor: the famous XR250.
Of course, no matter how many kilometers and years you may have on a motorcycle, driving in these conditions requires certain preparations, including appropriate clothing, protection and a safety talk, given by Gustavo “Dole” Cerruti, eminence and multiple enduro and motocross champion.
“Don’t take this as driving, take it as a sport,” asks “Dole” to the journalists who participate in this test ride and, among so much advice, he emphasizes going standing on top of the motorcycle most of the time, in an attack position: knees and elbows bent, feet supported correctly and the waist telling the bike where to go. “Not being a bag of cement on top of the motorcycle.”
Also, being subtle with your hands when regulating braking or dose acceleration. And some other tricks like, before a curve, extending one foot forward to the side we want to turn or, for those who know it, applying the technique of counter handlebar (turn the handlebars to the opposite side of the curve).
Exemplary behavior
The starting point was the Sauron ranch, 17 kilometers from Villa Carlos Paz, in a mountainous area. Around, dirt, gravel, mud and stone roads. The journey is in groups of ten, with two instructors.
On the gravel and among the vegetation, everything seems to happen at twice the speed than on the asphalt. So the time to think and decide is proportionally less.
Obstacles appear ahead, such as a well or a rock, and sometimes you have to decide which is the best deal: trusting the bike and going over it, or trusting the bike and dodging at speed without getting lost.
At full speed on a straight line you feel the 24.3 horsepower and 26.5 Nm of torque. The bike is agile and offers great response.
Faithful to its predecessor, the suspensions continue to be a strong point in this new version. It conveys the feeling that anything can happen above it, obviously backed by a robust chassis and an engine that can handle it.
The bike is light, it weighs 153 kilos and that helps a lot when turning at complicated angles. To move on winding ups and downs, one of the keys is not to let it lose speed. If not, what we are going to lose is balance.
To climb and turn sharply it is important to know where to look, because the motorcycle is going to go wherever we put our eyes. If we look at the floor, that’s where we’ll end up.
Los ABS brakes They are a separate topic. This is one of the most important improvements that the new XR300L received for use on asphalt. A huge leap in safety considering that the Tornado 250 did not come with them and was even equipped with a drum brake on the rear wheel. The new version has front and rear discs and dual-channel ABS.
But there are those who would prefer to be able to disconnect it to ride in the dirt and slide the rear wheel to turn. You can’t and as a security measure it’s not bad. It must be kept in mind that the motorcycle is dual-purpose and is approved to circulate in Argentine cities and routes. The Tornado brakes and turns just as well. And to drift, just take a dip in the curve.
The tires fitted are the Metzeler Sahara Enduro III, the same as the previous version. They behave very well and resist the impact of the terrain. The drawing is with semi-trailers, which are fine for gravel, grass and dirt.
For very soft or deep mud, a pattern with blocks is necessary, although we went in anyway. To accelerate uphill, “Dole” told us that it is better to start directly in second gear so as not to end up skidding in a loop. To move forward, always keep your head up and look where you want to go. Because if there is something that makes these adventures unique, it is that we are the ones who pave the way.
