VOL. 54 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 28, 2017 P79
the ratios. The CRF450RX ECU
mapping is tuned a little more
mellow for smoother roll-on
power and better traction in off-
road situations. The RX comes
with electric starting (Honda of-
fers an electric starting kit for the
CRF450R). The rear sprocket
is one tooth bigger than the mo-
tocross version, tightening the
gap between gears slightly over
the motocrosser. The RX also
receives an O-ring chain.
In the suspension depart-
ment, the RX stays with the
same spring rate up front as the
CRF450R, but with softer valv-
ing. Out back the RX shock uses
a softer spring rate (5.2 N/mm
for the RX, 5.4 N/mm for the R)
with plusher valving than the R.
Helping to aid in an overall more
plush feel, the CRF450RX uses
thinner upper engine mounts, al-
lowing more flex of the chassis.
Honda upped the gas tank ca-
pacity to 2.2 gallons in a plastic
tank; the MXer uses a titanium
gas tank. Off-road riding also
means stopping in the middle
of nowhere, so a kickstand is
standard equipment. Both the
CRF450R and the YZ450FX
use Dunlop AT 81 tires, a great
choice for soft to intermediate
off-road terrain. Thanks to EFI
and electric start, both bikes put
out plenty of extra power to run
nice aftermarket lights if needed.
It is very easy to lose three
pounds just by ditching the stock
lead-acid battery and going with
an aftermarket lithium battery on
either bike.
Both bikes get
the job done
on single-track
trails, but they
really shine
on more open
terrain.
