P78
RIDE REVIEW I 2025 HONDA CRF450R
for the CRF. The Honda has
felt harsh and twitchy for the
past few years, and I couldn't
see how making it stiffer would
possibly improve it. That's until
I rode the bike on the Ironman
Raceway National track in
Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Right away, the Honda
still felt familiar, more like a
the results speak for them-
selves. Now, looking at the '25
model, it's easy to see these
frame changes in OEM trim.
Skepticism
Still, I remained skeptical about
these claims and the thought
of a stiffer frame being better
The stiff feeling we've been
moaning about, Honda says,
comes from the soft aluminum
twisting, bending, and reacting
negatively to the bumps on the
track. Jett apparently felt the
same thing and these "rein
-
forcements" quickly became
standard additions on his race
bike. Three 450 titles later and
New bodywork allows the rider to
lock into the rear end of the bike.
