VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P85
>>CRF450X
We'll start with the CRF450X. This
bike has been in Honda's arsenal
since 2005. It's now well into its third
generation after getting a signifi-
cant redesign in 2019. It's seen no
real changes since then and is now
regarded as the company's high-end
trail bike. It's not considered a "race
bike," so to speak, anymore, like it
was in its early days, but off-road
endurance competitors still love
the X for its even temper, six-speed
transmission, comfort, and rock-
solid handling and stability for those
longer-distance, higher-speed races
like the Baja 500 and 1000. It has
many victories to its credit south of
the border. But, of course, those win
-
ning bikes are highly modified.
Since Honda now markets the
CRF450X as a trail bike, Honda
chose to make the X California
green-sticker-friendly and is the last
of this breed. You won't find any
other California green sticker 450cc
off-road motorcycles on the show
-
room floors these days. Yamaha,
Kawasaki, and KTM, which includes
GasGas and Husqvarna, have all
abandoned that idea.
The CRF450X is closely related
to another red bike in the Honda
family, the CRF450RL, the street-
legal, or dual-sport, version of the
CRF450X. The X is essentially a
stripped-down RL—sans blinkers,
taillight, license plate and every
-
thing else you need to keep the
street police away. And the X isn't
as choked by emissions as the RL.
(Above) The CRF450X is a wonderful all-around off-road bike. Useable power
and a six-speed gearbox make it very versatile. (Left) The CRF450X might not
be a lightweight but it's very easy to ride and fun to play around on.
