COMPARISON I 2023 HONDA CRF450X & CRF450RX
P86
>>CRF450RX
In a nutshell, the R in RX stands for
"race." Honda essentially took its
CRF450R motocross bike and made it
an off-road race bike. It's as simple as
that. Like the motocrosser, the RX is
classified as a closed-course off-road
motorcycle, meaning it's not EPA-
approved for trail riding, unlike the X.
The RX first appeared in 2017,
replacing the X as the company's
premier 450cc four-stroke off-road
racer, "demoting" the X to trail-riding
status. Just the bare minimums were
performed to the RX to make it more
off-road compatible. Like the X, the
RX has an 18-inch rear wheel, a high
-
er-capacity fuel tank (compared to
their CRF450R motocrosser cousin),
a kickstand, skid plate, hand guards,
and a more off-road-tuned suspen
-
sion and engine package.
The latest CRF450RX took on many
of the same upgrades the current
CRF450R motocrosser received,
including a smaller throttle body,
modified engine intake, and a new
cam profile.
>>Differences
& Similarities
Right off the bat, several differences
between the X and the RX are worth
noting. The X has a wide-ratio six-
speed transmission, the RX a close-
ratio five-speed gearbox. The X has a
cable-actuated clutch, the RX hydrau
-
lic. The X has the CRF450R's previ-
ous-generation frame and engine, the
RX is current-generation, though both
share the same Unicam, SOHC, four-
valve engine platform. Both are fuel
injected, the X via a 46mm throttle
body, the RX 44mm.
