Short answer: this Honda CRF300LS review finds a simple idea done well — the standard CRF300L with two inches taken out of the seat height, and nothing important taken out of the motorcycle. At 32.7 inches, the seat finally lets shorter riders flat-foot a proper dual-sport, while the 286cc engine, six-speed gearbox, 21-inch front wheel and 9.6-inch clearance stay intact. This Honda CRF300LS review covers the $5,749 price, verified specifications, 2025 updates, riding experience, and one availability warning.
That warning shapes this whole Honda CRF300LS review. On October 8, 2025, Honda issued a stop-sale notice on all 2021–2025 CRF300L, LA and LDA motorcycles — a group that includes the low-seat LS — after a fuel-system permeation test found the fuel system outside emissions certification compliance. The Honda stop-sale notice says dealers must not sell new or used bikes in that group until they are repaired, and the repair bulletin is expected with parts in March 2027. The Rally is explicitly excluded. Dealer stock is effectively frozen, so check any bike’s campaign status by VIN with a Honda dealer before negotiating, this Honda CRF300LS review stresses.
Honda CRF300LS Overview and Model-Year Updates
The LS exists because the standard CRF300L is too tall for many riders who want it. Honda’s answer was a factory variant with its own suspension, seat and side stand — the defining feature in this Honda CRF300LS review.
What Is the Honda CRF300LS and Who Is It Designed For?
The Honda CRF300LS is the low-seat version of Honda’s lightweight dual-sport, built for riders who want genuine trail capability without a 35-inch seat. Honda pitches it at shorter-inseam riders wanting more town confidence, and the test record in this Honda CRF300LS review supports that: Rider’s tester, with a 29-inch inseam, calls the standard bike comically tall and the LS the answer. This Honda CRF300LS review finds the appeal broader than short riders alone. Older riders, returning riders and commuters who stop constantly in traffic will recognise it. Full-size 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels keep it from feeling like a shrunken beginner bike, and at 311 pounds it stays light enough to pick up. It is a genuine dual-sport, not a street bike with knobby tires: the steel semi-double-cradle frame, long-travel suspension and switchable ABS carry over from the standard L, and the only real capability trade is a modest loss of ground clearance. For the taller alternative, our companion CRF300L review covers the standard bike in full.
US Launch in 2023, 2025 Platform Updates and No 2026 Model
Honda launched the CRF300LS in the United States for 2023 at $5,699 — exactly the price of the standard CRF300L with ABS. The LS has always come standard with ABS in the US and always in Swift Gray, while the standard L and Rally wear red. For 2024 the price moved to $5,749; for 2025 Honda applied the updates that matter most to this Honda CRF300LS review: firmer damping, a bearing replacing the upper shock mount’s rubber bushing, new LED lighting, and a new radiator fan and grille. Rider’s 2025 LS test, ridden back-to-back against a friend’s 2023 model, found the improvement immediately obvious — less fork dive, more control — though suspension stays soft for heavier riders and rear preload remains the only adjustment. There is no 2026 LS model in Honda’s US lineup per the doc framing for this Honda CRF300LS review, so 2025 is the latest model year to reference.
Honda CRF300LS Engine and Specifications
The LS engine is the standard L engine, unchanged: a proven, counterbalanced single tuned for tractability. This Honda CRF300LS review gives the verified figures and labels the horsepower claims that circulate without attribution.
286cc Liquid-Cooled Single, 6-Speed Gearbox and Shared Gearing
The engine in this Honda CRF300LS review is a 286cc liquid-cooled single with dual overhead cams, four valves, programmed fuel injection via a 38mm throttle body, 76.0mm by 63.0mm bore and stroke, and 10.7:1 compression. A six-speed manual gearbox and #520 chain with 14-tooth front and 40-tooth rear sprockets match the standard L, so the LS feels identical once rolling. Honda publishes no horsepower figure for the US bike, and this Honda CRF300LS review will not invent one. The figures online need labelling: Dirt Rider’s dyno measured 22.7 horsepower at 8,400 rpm and 16.7 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm on the standard L — shared-platform data, not an LS-specific test; Rider lists a 27 horsepower factory claim, and a separate Honda claim of 26.7 horsepower circulates elsewhere. Treat the dyno number as the rear-wheel reference and the factory claims as crank figures, not Honda USA ratings. On the road, testers describe a smooth, counterbalanced single with enough low-end torque for trails and town, a light clutch, and a gearbox that makes the bike easy to ride slowly.
Seat Height 32.7 Inches, Clearance 9.6 Inches and 311 lb Weight
Headline dimensions in this Honda CRF300LS review: 32.7-inch seat, 9.6-inch clearance, 56.7-inch wheelbase, 311-pound curb weight, fluids and full tank included. The 2.1-gallon tank pairs with IRC Trails GP tires in 100/80-21 front and 120/80-18 rear sizes. Braking in this Honda CRF300LS review: single 256mm front disc, twin-piston caliper, single 220mm rear disc, switchable ABS standard. Rake is 27.5 degrees with 4.3 inches of trail, giving agile steering without nervousness. Model code CRF300LDA. The table below gathers the figures buyers compare most, all from Honda’s 2025 CRF300LS specifications or the Rider test.
| Specification | Honda CRF300LS | Standard CRF300L |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 286cc liquid-cooled single, DOHC 4-valve | Same engine |
| Seat height | 32.7 in | 34.7 in |
| Ground clearance | 9.6 in | 11.2 in |
| Front / rear travel | 9.3 in / 9.0 in | 10.2 in / 10.2 in |
| Curb weight | 311 lb | 311 lb |
| Fuel capacity | 2.1 gal | 2.1 gal |
| Brakes | 256mm front / 220mm rear, ABS standard | Same, ABS optional |
| Summary | 2.0 in lower, same motorcycle otherwise | Taller, more clearance |
Honda CRF300LS Price and Market Availability
Price is where the LS makes its cleverest argument: Honda charges exactly the same as the standard ABS bike for a motorcycle that solves the standard bike’s biggest problem, removing the usual penalty for choosing the accessible version in this Honda CRF300LS review.
Honda CRF300LS Price in the USA: $5,749 Plus $600 Destination
The 2025 Honda CRF300LS lists at $5,749 plus $600 destination — $6,349 before tax and fees, the same as the 2025 standard CRF300L ABS. At launch in 2023 the LS was $5,699, again matching the ABS standard bike, so Honda has never charged a premium for the lower seat. Bought separately, a lowering link, shorter shock, shaved seat and shorter side stand would cost several hundred dollars plus labour — and still not be engineered as a package. The LS also undercuts the Rally by $700 at 2025 pricing. Against the wider market, $5,749 buys a Japanese dual-sport with switchable ABS, fuel injection and a dealer network. One caution from this Honda CRF300LS review: under the stop-sale, the listed price is a reference point, not a promise of immediate availability.
Swift Gray in Every Year and Exactly the Standard L ABS Price
Every model year of the LS in this Honda CRF300LS review has come in Swift Gray, a muted grey that hides trail dirt better than the standard bike’s red. There are no special editions or colour choices: the only real choice is model year, and the 2025 bike is the one to seek for firmer damping, LED lighting and improved cooling. The price parity with the standard ABS bike is worth restating because it is so unusual in motorcycling, where accessible variants normally cost more or arrive as dealer-fitted options. The lower seat is not a compromise package or a lesser bike; it is the same motorcycle at the same money, and this Honda CRF300LS review agrees. Our companion CRF300L Rally review covers the long-range alternative.
Honda CRF300LS Design, Features and Technology
The LS design story is a small engineering exercise done properly: shorten the suspension, reshape the seat, fit a different side stand, change nothing else. This Honda CRF300LS review looks at those changes, and at one specification conflict in Honda’s own materials.
How Honda Lowers It: Shorter Travel Plus a Seat Shaved 0.4 Inch
Honda lowers the LS in two steps totalling two inches. First, travel falls from 10.2 inches front and rear on the standard L to 9.3 front and 9.0 rear — roughly an inch. Second, the seat is shaved 0.4 inch per Honda, though testers reckon it looks like more, and the slim seat front eases sliding forward to plant a foot. The LS side stand is a different part from the standard L’s — important in this Honda CRF300LS review, because a lowered bike on a standard-length stand leans too far and risks toppling. The rest in this Honda CRF300LS review carries over unchanged: steel frame, aluminium swingarm, long seat with fold-up passenger footpegs, large side-stand foot, and the bright LCD with gear indicator, fuel gauge and economy readouts. For 2025, LED lighting modernises the front end and revised suspension internals with stiffer springs answer the most common complaint about earlier bikes. Nothing about the LS looks compromised: it reads as a complete motorcycle, not a modified one.
Honda Materials Conflict on the Fork: 41mm Showa vs 43mm Inverted
Buyers will find a genuine conflict in Honda’s own materials, and this Honda CRF300LS review reports it rather than smoothing it over: some specification pages describe a 41mm Showa fork, while other Honda materials — including the 2025 features copy and Cycle World’s buyer’s guide — describe a 43mm inverted Showa fork. The travel figures are consistent at 9.3 inches front and 9.0 inches rear for the LS, and the fork is inverted in either description, but the stanchion diameter differs between sources. The likeliest explanation is a specification-sheet carryover error, but this Honda CRF300LS review cannot declare a winner from published material alone. Practically, the difference does not change how the bike rides; a buyer who cares should check the fork leg marking for their model year. What is not in doubt in this Honda CRF300LS review is the 2025 damping change, which testers felt immediately, and the switchable ABS, standard on the LS and turned off for off-road feel. Technology elsewhere is deliberately simple — no ride modes, no traction control, no TFT display.
Honda CRF300LS Riding Experience and Comfort
On the move, the LS is the standard L with the fear removed: identical once rolling, but every stop, U-turn and off-camber section becomes easier. This Honda CRF300LS review puts riding experience at the centre because it is where the LS earns its existence.
Flat-Foot Confidence for 29 to 30.5 Inch Inseams in Tests
The test evidence for flat-foot confidence in this Honda CRF300LS review is unusually direct. Rider’s tester, with a 29-inch inseam, reports dropping the taller standard bike more than once when a foot found nothing but air, and describes the LS as the answer that followed. Other coverage frames the same benefit for 29 to 30.5-inch inseams. At 32.7 inches with a slim seat front, most riders in that range get both feet down flat or near-flat, and the bike is far easier to hold on cambers and ruts. At 311 pounds the LS is light enough to catch, and the lower suspension makes it feel lighter still at walking pace. The video below is Honda’s own overview of the 2025 CRF300L range, the platform the LS shares — not the LS alone.
Highway Comfort, Passenger Use and Everyday Practicality
Highway comfort is the LS’s honest limitation, and this Honda CRF300LS review will not pretend otherwise: the 286cc single holds highway speeds, but there is no wind protection beyond the small headlight shroud, the seat is firm, and the 2.1-gallon tank means stops roughly every 130 miles at 65.7 mpg. That makes the LS a capable commuter and fine back-road tourer, but a tiring long-distance highway machine next to the Rally’s windscreen and 3.4-gallon tank. Around town, this Honda CRF300LS review finds the LS superb: light, narrow, light clutch, slick six-speed gearbox, switchable ABS, and an LCD showing economy and consumption. Passenger use suits short trips rather than touring, given modest power and payload. Everyday practicality in this Honda CRF300LS review is strong: the engine sips regular unleaded, the bike fits through traffic and tight parking, and 2025 LED lighting improves dark-commute visibility. Mostly-highway riders should look at the Rally or a larger dual-sport; this Honda CRF300LS review is clear the LS is at its best below highway-touring duty.
Honda CRF300LS Review: Pros, Cons and Verdict
The verdict comes down to a single trade: two inches of seat height for 1.6 inches of ground clearance, at no extra cost. This Honda CRF300LS review finds that trade overwhelmingly favourable.
Main Advantages and Limitations of the Honda CRF300LS
Advantages in this Honda CRF300LS review: factory lowering with no price premium, the same engine and gearbox as the standard bike, switchable ABS standard, 311 pounds, mid-60s mpg, a bright LCD, and the 2025 suspension and LED improvements. The limitations are equally clear. Ground clearance falls to 9.6 inches and travel to 9.3 and 9.0 inches, so aggressive trail riders will bottom sooner and should fit a skid plate first — advice every tester repeats. The 2.1-gallon tank limits range to roughly 130 miles, the seat is firm on long days, highway comfort is modest, and rear preload is the only suspension adjustment. The stop-sale is the largest current limitation, but a sales and repair-timing issue, not a riding defect — the remedy is a fuel-system repair once parts arrive. The advantages define the bike and the limitations define its edges, as a good Honda CRF300LS review should show.
Who Should Consider the CRF300LS Over the Standard CRF300L?
Choose the LS over the standard L if you cannot comfortably flat-foot the standard bike, ride mostly roads and light trails, commute in traffic, or want lower-seat confidence without paying extra or modifying a new motorcycle. Choose the standard L if you ride harder trails where the extra clearance and travel matter, or if the standard seat is no barrier for you. Choose the Rally if highway touring, wind protection and a 3.4-gallon tank matter more than seat height, says this Honda CRF300LS review. For everyone else — shorter, newer and older riders, and commuters wanting one motorcycle for town, trails and back roads — this Honda CRF300LS review recommends the LS without hesitation, provided you check stop-sale status by VIN first. At $5,749 plus destination, with the 2025 updates, it remains one of the smartest dual-sport purchases in the US market in this Honda CRF300LS review — the only one solving the tall-seat problem at the factory, for free.
Honda CRF300LS Review FAQs
Direct answers to the questions buyers ask most in this Honda CRF300LS review.
What is the Honda CRF300LS?
The low-seat version of the CRF300L dual-sport in this Honda CRF300LS review: 32.7-inch seat, two inches lower than standard, otherwise the same 286cc engine, gearbox and chassis.
How much does the Honda CRF300LS cost?
The 2025 Honda CRF300LS costs $5,749 plus a $600 destination charge, or $6,349 before tax and fees — exactly the same as the standard CRF300L ABS, notes this Honda CRF300LS review.
What is the seat height of the Honda CRF300LS?
32.7 inches, via 9.3-inch front and 9.0-inch rear travel, a seat shaved 0.4 inch, and a different, shorter side stand.
Is the Honda CRF300LS good for shorter riders?
Yes. Testers with 29 to 30.5-inch inseams report flat-foot or near-flat-foot confidence, where the standard 34.7-inch seat left them unable to reach the ground.
What engine does the Honda CRF300LS have?
A 286cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke with dual overhead cams, four valves, fuel injection through a 38mm throttle body, a six-speed gearbox and a #520 chain, per this Honda CRF300LS review.
How much horsepower does the Honda CRF300LS make?
Honda USA publishes no figure. Dirt Rider’s dyno measured 22.7 rear-wheel horsepower on the shared-platform standard L; Rider lists a 27 horsepower factory claim — label them differently, as this Honda CRF300LS review does.
What fuel economy does the Honda CRF300LS get?
Rider’s 2025 LS test averaged 65.7 mpg with a best of 71.4 mpg, giving roughly 130 miles of range from the 2.1-gallon tank, as recorded in this Honda CRF300LS review.
What changed on the 2025 Honda CRF300LS?
Firmer damping front and rear, a bearing replacing the upper shock mount’s rubber bushing, new LED headlight and turn signals, and a new radiator fan and grille.
Is there a 2026 Honda CRF300LS?
No 2026 LS model has been announced in Honda’s US lineup per the doc framing for this Honda CRF300LS review; 2025 is the latest year to reference.
What is the CRF300LS stop-sale?
On October 8, 2025, Honda stopped sales of all 2021–2025 CRF300L, LA and LDA motorcycles, including the LS, over a fuel-system permeation failure; dealers must not sell new or used bikes until repaired, with parts expected in March 2027. Check by VIN, says this Honda CRF300LS review.
Does the Honda CRF300LS have ABS?
Yes, ABS is standard on the LS in the US and can be switched off for off-road riding, confirms this Honda CRF300LS review. The standard L offers ABS as an option on some years, which is why the LS matches the ABS bike’s price.
Can the Honda CRF300LS carry a passenger?
Yes — long motocross-style seat and fold-up passenger footpegs — but modest power and payload suit short two-up trips, not touring.
Should I buy the CRF300LS or the standard CRF300L?
Buy the LS if seat height, traffic confidence or light-trail use matters most; buy the standard L for harder trails needing the extra clearance and travel.
What colour does the Honda CRF300LS come in?
Swift Gray in every model year; unlike the red standard L and Rally, the LS has never offered a colour choice.
