P62
2021 450 MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
SHOOTOUT
W
hile it topped the votes
as the best-looking bike
in the lineup, the Honda
finds itself at the back of the pack
for our 2021 Shootout. The team
at Big Red came in hot with pos-
sibly the most anticipated bike of
the season but unfortunately still
find themselves in the same spot
they did a year ago (fifth out of six
bikes in the 2020 Shootout).
The fully redesigned CRF
knocks off seven pounds from
its previous generation and tips
the scales at 243 pounds with
fuel, the lightest of the Japanese
bikes. To accompany these
weight savings, the new frame
and bodywork provide a well-
received slim feeling throughout
the rider cockpit. Honda has also
re-enlisted the single exhaust
system which eliminates the wide
rear end or "hips" that the red
ride had in years past due to the
dual exhaust mufflers. Our testers
were split with their opinions at
the controls; gone are the mul-
titude of handlebar buttons, but
the consolidated "control panel"
did seem a bit bulky.
Out on the track the CRF is,
once again, the most powerful of
the bunch. Updates to the engine
and exhaust have smoothed out
but certainly not stifled the power
character of the Honda. The
engine intensity is much more
linear than it was in 2020, soften-
ing the hit and making it easier to
control for both groups of testers.
However, those extra horses did
require some added patience as
some riders noted their difficul-
ties in putting that raw power to
the ground.
The Honda also was praised
for its tunability. Three power
modes and three levels of trac-
tion control allow riders to easily
tune the bike to their specific
needs. A new Nissin hydraulic
HONDA
CRF450R
5
th
Place
