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/430196
VOL. 50 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 9, 2013 P61 Like the Kawasaki, the Honda also gets an oversize front-brake rotor and a new cylinder head and exhaust header- pipe, which, among other things, is de- signed to give the CRF a bit more spunk when you twist the throttle and that is something it certainly could use last year. It also got Dunlop's latest Geomax MX52 tires. All of these changes did wonders for the Honda. It's an improved motorcycle in just about every way—mostly in the chassis and suspension departments. The Honda's new fork is our favorite so far of the three air forks. It's basically a three-chamber system but, how the bike comes from the factory, only two of them can be adjusted. This eliminates some of the "oops" factor; in other words, there is less chance of screwing things up when it comes to dialing in the Honda's air forks compared to the RM-Z and KX's air forks. We certainly have heard about a lot more "dialing in" issues with the factory racers ever since they started using these more complex-type air forks a while back, and those guys have factory KYB and Showa technicians with them wherever they go— we don't. Yes, air is nice but so is simplicity. Our testers usually found a fork setting they liked right away with the Honda's fork. Once you get them dialed in, the Honda's KYB's are hard to fault, and they seem to remain fairly consistent for a lon- ger period of time than the other two air forks (KX and RM-Z). Honda's rear suspension is arguably the best of the group. It feels plush yet rarely bottoms or kicks. In fact, the Hon- da's entire suspension package is cushy yet sturdy. The Honda also handles extremely well on a variety of tracks, and is a great- turning machine, as well. Its suspension and chassis are among the best of the group. Period. The CRF, however, is not the fastest bike here. Not even close. This could be a bad thing or a blessing. The Honda's soft power delivery makes it the easiest bike to ride of the group, just ahead of the Suzuki. It's a 450, so it's not slow-slow, of course, but it is slow comparatively to some of the other bikes, like the Yamaha and Kawasaki. But, for some, this could be an advantage, not a disadvantage. The softer power means that the Honda is far easier to ride and more manageable than some of the other bikes, which means you work less and waste less energy per lap while riding the Honda, and this could win you races in a long and tiring moto. However, intermediate and experts will want more excitement from the Honda's motor no matter what. A simple aftermar- ket pipe mod will certainly do that. Honda still needs to address its heavy- pull clutch problem. It has the heaviest pull of all the bikes. The Honda's new mapping control is a very nice touch. The aggressive (lean) mode definitely gives the CRF a bit more snap across the board compared to last year's CRF450R. We rarely rode the '15 CRF outside the lean mode. Our testers basically considered the lean/aggressive mode to be "standard," and standard to be "soft." We doubt anyone will ride the CRF much in its true soft mode. We also like the Honda's improved front brake, which gives you more con- fidence to hold the throttle on a little lon- ger going into the turns. Overall, the Honda is a much-improved bike. It has a bit more snap from the mo- tor and better suspension. The CRF should appeal to a wide range of riders, especially the vets and novice racers. Ex- perts, however, will quickly look for more power.