VOLUME 58 ISSUE 25 JUNE 22, 2021 P97
heads. This makes pulling off the
plastic and seat much simpler. No
more fiddling with the eights for the
plastic, the 10s for the seat, and the
12s for who knows what. Just grab
the eight-mil T-handle, and you're
good to go.
Another notable is the electric
start clutch safety switch has been
eliminated. You can now start the
bike without pulling in the clutch
beforehand.
Lastly, the seat bolts have been
moved to the center of the seat,
and the seat assembly slides on
in reverse from previous Honda
generations. It's a smoother sys-
tem to work with.
The sight glass on the engine
case is another hit. We've been
through quite a few oil filters on this
bike, and having the sight glass
with lines for the suggested oil level
adds an extra level of reassurance
during an oil change. Thankfully,
the bike continues to only have one
oil fill compartment and one drain
plug, continuing that design from
the 2017-'20 engine layout.
The airbox is all-new for 2021,
and the air filter itself now locks in
upside down. This design looks
foreign at first, but because of
this, Honda was able to increase
its air capacity. Getting to the filter
no longer requires taking off the
Our '21 CRF450R
has already
garnered a few
trophies in the
NGPC Series.
PHOTO: MARK KARIYA
