The best Honda CRF300 Rally upgrades sort the soft suspension, the seat and the front brake, and add the protection Honda leaves out. The Rally shares its engine and chassis with the CRF300L, but adds a fairing, a screen and a 12.8 litre tank, so range is already good. We don't own one, so this list draws on long-term reports on the CRF300 platform, MCN's Rally review and what Holloway riders on Rallys tell us.
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Most common CRF300 Rally mods
Roughly in the order we'd fit them for green laning.
Suspension re-spring or rebuild
The forks are not adjustable and the shock only has preload. Riders over about 80kg, or carrying luggage, find it soft and bottom it out. Springs for your weight are the cheap fix, and full rebuilds such as Rally Raid's go further. Honda revised the damping for 2025, so later bikes start from a better base.
A better seat
The seat is narrow and gets uncomfortable on long or rough rides. An aftermarket seat or a seat cover helps, and the Rally invites long days.
Better front brake pads and a braided hose
Long-term testers on the CRF300 found the front brake weak. Better pads and a braided hose sharpen it up.
A full bash plate and radiator guards
The radiator is exposed and the stock plate is basic. A full aluminium plate and light radiator protection save the day after a fall onto rocks.
Crash bars for the fairing
The Rally's fairing and screen are expensive to replace. Light crash bars protect the bodywork in the drops that will happen in a lane.
Wider footpegs
The stock pegs are narrow, and long-term testers found their feet aching on long standing sections.
A lowering link, if you need it
The seat is tall for shorter riders. A lowering link helps, but cuts ground clearance and may need a shorter side stand. Try a lower seat first.
A luggage rack
A small rack or soft luggage harness carries tools, tubes and water. The Rally is built for multi-day trips, and it needs somewhere to carry kit.
Hardwired power for navigation
Wire a GPS or phone to a fused supply rather than relying on an adaptor. The Rally's tower makes a good mount.
Known CRF300 Rally weak points and fixes
How easy the CRF300 Rally is to live with
- Honda reliability is the reason people buy it. The engine and drivetrain are not where the problems are; the usual wear items are suspension seals, bearings and the chain and sprockets.
- The 12.8 litre tank gives roughly 200 to 220 miles, so a bigger tank is rarely needed in the UK.
- Parts are easy to get from any Honda dealer, and every service job is simple.
CRF300 Rally mods to skip
- A loud exhaust. Noise is one of the main reasons lanes get closed. If you change the exhaust, keep it road legal and quiet.
- Closed-course ECU tunes. Some tunes for this bike are sold for competition use only. Fitting one to a road bike is a legal and insurance problem, not an upgrade.
- Heavy protection. Weight is the CRF's strength. Pick light bars and guards rather than heavy steel.
Then find somewhere to ride it
Plan a day of green lanes across England and Wales on the Holloway map, with each lane's difficulty and legal status.
Open the mapSources: MCN, Honda CRF300 Rally review, Adventure Motorcycling, Honda CRF300L 9,000km review, Enduro21, 2025 CRF300L and Rally suspension updates, Ultimate Motorcycling, 550Performance tune for the CRF300L Rally.