Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1071335
2019 HONDA CRF450RWE FULL TEST P70 Like the CRF450R, the WE feels light at the controls and between your legs, even though it's one of the heavier bikes in its class. Our 2019 CRF450R test bike weighed 250 pounds with a full tank (1.66 gallons) of gas on our scale; Honda's specs sheet show both bikes weigh an identi- cal 247 pounds (curb). You can't help but ogle over the WE's looks. It's beautiful. And it really does look like Roc- zen's race bike; someone who saw the WE in the back of our test rider's truck actually asked him if that was Roczen's practice bike and if he was his tuner. The WE stays nice-looking, too. The in-mold graphics are durable and our test bike still looked nearly brand new after many days at the track. Unfortunately, our test bike ended up looking a little worse for wear when, on the day we handed it back to Honda at the track, one of our test riders, who quickly fell in love with the bike, got so confident on it that for a brief moment he thought he was Roczen—not good. Sorry Honda. But, hey, at least that was a sort of backhanded way of saying the bike is real good. Yes, the CRF450RWE is an outstanding motorcycle in every way, except perhaps for the price. It's not cheap, which leads us to the question—is it worth it? Well, when we first rode the bike late last year, our pro test rider was a little reluc- tant to say yes, feeling that if it was his bike, he'd still have the suspension breathed on for his personal needs, and would probably still have engine work done to it, too, so why shell out the extra money for the WE? Might as well go for the less- expensive standard model. But after spending more time on the WE, his feelings changed a bit. "This bike is really good! The more I rode it the more impressed I got. On a privateer budget, I think I could race it in a national if I had to, for sure—and I don't mean if someone was put- ting a gun to my head, either," he said. "With lighter springs for my weight, I feel the suspension would be good enough and the engine, too. I really wouldn't have to do much to it at all, other than maybe beef up the clutch." The CRF450RWE might not fit every serious pro racer's needs, in that they'll probably still want their own mods, sponsors and shops helping them out and will for sure want their own graphics, but it's still an awesome motor- cycle for just about anybody else who wants something, right out of the crate, that looks great in the back of their truck and "Works" great on the track. The CRF450R- WE certainly does both. CN There is no weight difference between the standard and the WE, but, like the standard, the WE feels light and maneuverable both in the air and on the ground.