RIDE REVIEW I 2021 HONDA CRF450R
P92
T
he 2021 Honda CRF450R was
by far the most anticipated bike
of the new model year, and
understandably so. Honda's flagship
model was one of the first '21 models
to be unveiled, and leaked spy photos
had riders drooling over its all-new
look. The bike was also announced
during peak coronavirus lockdowns,
and bikes were nearly impossible to
get at the time. With demand at a near
all-time high, Tim Gajser raced this
bike to an MXGP World title before it
ever touched a stateside dealership
floor. The hype was certainly real, and
we were eager to throw our leg over
the bike at the model introduction
back in September.
We were relatively pleased with the
bike during our first ride test. The red
ride shaved off seven pounds from
the previous generation CRF, and
the chassis felt much more predict-
able. A few issues like the ECU
"gurgle" and the softer suspension
were noted on day one but didn't fully
come to light until our 450 Shootout
later. And while it topped the votes as
the best-looking bike and was also
the lightest of the Japanese mod-
els, CRF didn't rank as high as we
thought it would, finishing in the back
of the pack. Honda admitted that due
to the pandemic, final factory set-
tings probably weren't as dialed as
they could've been, and the results of
this were revealed on the track going
heads-up against its class rivals.
LONG HAUL
WE CHECK
BY RYAN NITZEN
