of bricks. They were wrong for the
most part and admitted so. While
it does feel bigger and heavier,
its great suspension performance
makes it a non-issue when moving
forward or drifting dirt roads. Slow-
ing and turning the bike take more
effort. And the weight rears its ugly
head when the bike is trying to move
anywhere out of a straight line or
trying to loft a wheel. It seems the
headlight/computer handlebar area
is holding a lot of weight and that
makes it harder to ride sand or tight
trails than its competition.
Still, the trail performance is more
than decent. And the weight advan-
tage of stability is usually welcomed
on roads and wider trails.
In the end, it is hard to ignore 300
pounds. And if you're looking to add
a backpack, some luggage, a bigger
fuel tank, hand guards and more to
the bike, it's going to be more and
more of an issue. We expect weight
reduction to be on the top of cus-
tomers' modification wish lists.
CRF450L
COOL BITS
The speedometer/computer on
the CRF450L is worthy of praise.
It is easy to read, easy to use and
provides great information. It doesn't
get fancy with navigation or LCDs,
but it does have dual trip meters with
real-time fuel consumption measure-
ment as well as average MPG dis-
plays. Since the fuel tank is hard to
see through (titanium), knowing how
much fuel you've burned is valuable
if you don't want to walk home.
We all really liked the protective
engine covers after multiple rides.
VOL. 55 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 6, 2018 P91
One of the
CRF450L's
strongpoints is
its suspension,
which works
fantastic right
out of the crate.
And it's fully
adjustable.
