2017 HONDA CRF450RX VS. YAMAHA YZ450FX
SHOOTOUT
P78
rates on the fork springs, dropping from
a 5.0 N/mm to a 4.5 N/mm. The shock
retains the same rate as the YZ450F at 5.6
N/mm. Both the shock and the fork have
off-road-specific valving.
Making the engagement smoother and
more controlled for off-road situations, the
YZ450FX clutch uses a judder spring.
The radiator's fin pitch and shrouds are
different to aid cooling in slower conditions.
There is also a spot for a radiator fan (the
WR450F comes with one) if overheating
ever becomes an issue. The FX now has
an indicator light behind the front number
plate warning of low gas and oil levels.
HONDA CRF450RX
2017 is an exciting year for Honda lov-
ers; the CRF450R is all new and much
improved over previous models, so when
Honda announced the CRF450RX,
off-road racers were salivating at the
news. Honda didn't radically change the
CRF450R to convert it into their closed-
course off-road race machine, not as much
as Yamaha did with the FX. The transforma-
tion starts at the rear wheel, which is an
off-road-worthy 18-incher.
Keeping things simple, the RX engine
is exactly like the CRF450R; even the
transmission is the same, no changes to
(L-R) We prefer the FX's
simpler single-muffler
system to the RX's dual
mufflers. Neither system,
however, is equipped with
a spark arrester. Both bikes
use lead batteries. A nice
upgrade would be a swap for
lighter lithium batteries.
