QUICKSPIN I 2026 Honda CRF450R
P82
Showa still handles the suspen-
sion department, the bike still
comes with a Nissin hydraulic
clutch, and Dunlop's MX33 tires
continue to put the power to the
ground.
Honda's ECU offers nine
power output levels. There are
three different engine modes:
standard, smooth and aggres
-
sive, along with three levels of
intervening traction control.
The 2025 model made a
huge step from the year prior.
The previous-generation Honda
(2021-24) was originally plagued
and actually smoother on the
track.
For 2026, the bike feels just
like it did before. It stays planted
to the ground and tracks straight
in rough conditions. Trust in the
CRF comes naturally, and you
quickly feel like it goes exactly
where you intended. This plant
-
ed feeling allows riders to push
the bike harder, which eventually
reveals a too-soft feeling from
the front fork. Stiffening the
front end with clickers helps, but
the real trick here is to bump up
the spring rate.
with first-year bugs (anyone re
-
member the ECU in 2021?) and
later felt so overly stiff that it
was nearly unenjoyable to ride.
Honda's engineers explained
that the previous frame was
actually too soft, and the "stiff"
feeling came from the chassis
twisting and binding up under
load. This, in turn, hindered the
suspension function and made
the whole bike feel stiff and
uncomfortable. By stiffening the
frame in key areas like the head
tube, downtube and rear shock
tower, the bike was less reactive
After a major update last year, the 2026 Honda CRF450R,
you might say, is resting on its laurels.
