Honda Announces New CRF450R and CRF450RX

Honda has announced that the 15th anniversary of their CRF450R is bringing an all-new bike to the 450cc motocross class. The competition bike is designed to not only be fast on the jumps and turns of the course but to get off the line faster than the rest of the class.

The CRF450R gets a new engine with more power and torque, and the new frame has improved geometry and packaging that lowers the center of mass. This gives the rider more stability, better cornering, and improved traction. The frame and rear subframe are aluminium for light weight. Further helping to keep the weight down is a titanium fuel tank, something Honda calls a first in a mass production motocross bike.

While the CRF450R is designed for the motocross track, the CRF450RX is new to the lineup and is designed for closed-course off-road riding like cross country racing. This means some changes like smoother power delivery and electric start. There is adjustable throttle mapping to tailor power delivery characteristics to the terrain. The model gets different suspension tuning, revised hubs, and different axles. A larger diameter (18-inch) rear wheel, and an 8.3 L plastic fuel tank in place of the titanium one round out the changes.

The pair of competition bikes go on sale this fall.