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/1532121
P90 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 TRIUMPH TF 450-RC EDITION Some spots, like corner exits and jump faces, became shiny and greasy. After a few wheel- spin-induced pucker moments, I turned on the traction control. I immediately noticed a differ- ence as it kept the rear wheel from spinning but not enough to interfere negatively with the rest of my riding and didn't "slow down" the bike as a whole. Overall, I found that traction control, at least the Triumph's, can come in handy. The a quickshifter is another tool that I learned to appreciate on the Triumph. KTM and Husqvarna are the only other brands that offer this technology for motocross, but I've never felt better off using them. On the Triumph, however, the quickshifter is much faster responding and does a better job keeping the engine revs up high rather than dipping as they do on the KTM and Husky. As a result, the Triumph offers faster, cleaner shifts with less effort. DAY ONE Triumph means business with the new TF 450- RC Edition. This bike is the real deal and feels competitive right away. I'm impressed they addressed the issues we had on the 250 and up - dated things like the smartphone map app, the handlebars, the seat cover and much more. Plus, the holeshot device and Hinson clutch cover are nice touches that you won't have to buy later on. When compared to the new crop of 450 mo- tocrossers, to me, this bike feels most akin to a Husqvarna FC 450 with spring forks. It com- bines an ultra-smooth engine with comfortable yet responsive suspension components and a robust set of brakes. Lightweight was clearly a priority for the Triumph team, and they achieved it with this bike, as it feels agile both on the track and in the air. When RC puts his name on some - thing, you know it's going to be impressive, and the TF 450-RC Edition is indeed impressive. CN 2025 TRIUMPH TF 450-RC EDITION ($10,995) ENGINE TYPE 4-stroke, single-cylinder COOLING SYSTEM Liquid DISPLACEMENT 449.5cc VALVETRAIN 4-valve, SOHC, Del West titanium valves BORE X STROKE 95mm x 63.4mm COMPRESSION RATIO 13.1:1 STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUELING Dellorto Throttle Body, Athena EMS TRANSMISSION 5-speed w/ up only quickshifter CLUTCH Brembo, Steel Wet Multi-Plate Belleville Spring, Hydraulic Actuation FRAME Aluminum, spine w/double-cradle FRONT SUSPENSION 48mm KYB coil-spring fork, fully adj. REAR SUSPENSION KYB Coil, single shock, fully adj. FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.0 in. FRONT WHEEL 21 in. REAR WHEEL 19 in. FRONT TIRE Dunlop Geomax MX34 80/100-21 REAR TIRE Dunlop Geomax MX34 110/90-19 FINAL DRIVE 13/48 FRONT BRAKE Brembo Twin 24mm Piston, single 260mm Disc REAR BRAKE Brembo Single 26mm Piston, 220mm Disc GROUND CLEARANCE 13.4 in. FUEL CAPACITY 1.85 gal. WHEELBASE 58.74 in. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 239.42 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S RIDE WEAR Jersey/Pant: Leatt 5.5 UltraWeld Helmet: Leatt 8.5 Composite Goggles: Leatt Velocity Boots: Alpinestars Tech 10