Honda CRF450R

Like any other traditional off-road competition motorcycle, the Honda CRF450R has a very bare-bones and functional design, which looks off-road ready. The Honda CRF450R misses out on lights and a functional instrument console, which makes it non-street legal. However, that’s not a bad thing, for the overall design of the CRF450R serves the purpose for which it has been imagined. 

The simplistic front profile of the Honda CRF450R has a flat trapezoidal panel along with a high-mounted front fender, which offers full protection while riding aggressively over off-road trails and terrains. The same can be said about the heightened tail section of the motorcycle, which has an angular design with wide arrowhead-shaped panels below the rider’s seat, which also has a flat and slim design. 

The front telescopic fork of the Honda CRF450R, which is finished in a golden-colored theme, has fork protectors at the bottom, with the motorcycle also having a solid protector for the front disc brake. These elements give the CRF450R additional protection and safety while pushing the motorcycle to its limits. 

The engine, aluminium frame, and high-mounted exhaust pipe are executed in a simple-looking grey theme, staying true to the purpose of the motorcycle as a hardcore off-roader. Making the Honda CRF450R look more purposeful is its off-road-spec tyres with thick tread blocks and blacked-out spoke wheels, which make it look like a go-anywhere machine. Adding more off-road worthiness to the CRF450R is its high ground clearance of 336mm. 

Like the overall styling of the Honda CRF450R, its rider’s cockpit also looks bare-bones and purposeful, with the handlebar of the motorcycle having functional switches. While the handlebar has a launch control switch on its right, it also has an engine mode select button on the left, which serves the same functionality as the transmission lever. The radiator fan of the Honda CRF450R is placed beneath the tank extensions, making it safely placed and well-protected by side panels. 

The Honda CRF450R has top-notch mechanical hardware which suits its off-road riding personality. The suspension setup of this flagship off-road competition motorcycle from Honda is a combination of a 49mm fully-adjustable leading-axle inverted front fork with 12.2-inches travel at the front and a pro-link system with fully-adjustable Showa mono-shock with 12.4-inches travel at the rear.

With such long travels, the hardcore suspension setup of the Honda CRF450R makes it unstoppable over off-road terrains. Riding on Dunlop Geomax off-road tyres – 80/100-21 front and 120/80-19 rear, the Honda CRF450R also has a braking setup of a single 260mm disc at the front and a single 240mm disc at the rear, which offer excellent feedback. The high seat height of 965mm might not be suitable for short-heighted riders. 

The Honda CRF450R comes with a single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 450cc engine, which is one of the peakiest powertrains produced by Honda in the sub-500cc category. Honda hasn’t disclosed the power and torque outputs of this rev-happy engine of the CRF450R. However, this engine is believed to produce a maximum power output of over 50 bhp. This engine is paired with a 5-speed transmission. 

Being an off-road competition motorcycle designed only for closed rally circuits, the Honda CRF450R has no safety features and modern electronic riding aids, apart from the standard launch control and a metal engine guard to make it capable of withstanding shocks during off-road riding. 

The Honda CRF450R is a proper off-road competition motorcycle which feels at its best when it is ridden in off-road circuits. While the motorcycle is bare-bones in terms of styling and equipment, it has a well-engineered powertrain and suspension setup best suitable for off-road riding.