Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1524627
P84 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 HONDA CRF450R and hold-up from the front end for the Iron- man track. This helped keep the fork up in the stroke when under load and kept the confidence high when trusting the front end going into a bumpy turn. The engine remains mostly unchanged, but you do feel a slight difference on the track. I could feel a smoother and more consistent power delivery. I like anything that reduces the abruptness of the power delivery of most 450s—it makes them easier to ride—and the Honda does this admirably. While the CR's 450cc engine has historically offered substantial power, harnessing that power has sometimes been challenging for Honda, but they came up with a good mix of changes that make the engine feel more user-friendly than before across its entire range. Gears two and three are more usable as they feel noticeably longer than before. I preferred map two (smooth) on the Ironman track, but one and three also had their advantages. Overall, the engine felt strong from bottom to mid while still offer - ing good top-end when you open it up, and it just felt cleaner all around. The cherry on top? I experienced zero flameouts, some- thing the old bike would do occasionally. Plus, traction control is a nice addition. It came in handy once the Midwest summer rains began to fall. Familiar But Better If you're nervous about the 2025 Honda CRF450R being "all-new," don't be. Instead, look at it as being more heavily refined than completely redone, which has its disadvan- tages. The '25's engine and rider cockpit will feel familiar but better, and the bike is indeed overall more user-friendly and more comfort- able than before. Honda did a commendable job addressing our areas of concern from the previous model, and you can thank Jett and the factory Honda HRC race team for that. We suspect that the 2025 Honda CRF450R will have you dreaming of your own perfect season the first time you ride it. CN 2025 HONDA CRF450R ($9699) ENGINE TYPE 4-stroke, single COOLING SYSTEM Liquid DISPLACEMENT 450cc VALVETRAIN 4-valve, Unicam SOHC BORE X STROKE 96.0mm x 62.1mm COMPRESSION RATIO 13.5:1 STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUELING Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI), 44mm downdraft throttle body TRANSMISSION 5-speed, hydraulic clutch FRAME Aluminum FRONT SUSPENSION 49mm inverted Showa fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Pro-Link Showa single shock, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.2 in. FRONT WHEEL 21 in. REAR WHEEL 19 in. FRONT TIRE Dunlop MX33; 80/100-21 in. REAR TIRE Dunlop MX33; 100/90-19 in. FINAL DRIVE 13T/49T FRONT BRAKE Single 260mm disc REAR BRAKE Single 240mm disc SEAT HEIGHT 37.8in. GROUND CLEARANCE 13.1 in. FUEL CAPACITY 1.7 gal. WHEELBASE 58.4 in. WEIGHT (CLAIMED) 249 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S