VOL. 54 ISSUE 12 MARCH 28, 2017 P105
HONDA
crf450x
2
nd
PLACE
T
he Honda CRF450X is a wonder-
ful, yet simple dirt bike. Yeah,
some would call it antiquated,
but as history has proven, it can win
races and be enjoyed by trail riders
of all skill levels. The Keihin carb is a
solid performer and can be jetted for
higher altitudes if needed, but EFI does
that automatically. Another downfall of
a carb these days is that the pilot jet
can clog if the bike is allowed to sit for
more than a week, because of all the
additives that are put in gas these days.
(The fuel—or what's in the fuel—tends to
crystalize, turning the tiny pilot jet pas-
sage into a solid plug. That's why your
bike runs like crap despite it running
great the last time you rode it.) Still,
carburetors have their advantages but
it's hard to beat EFI these days.
You have to give kudos to Honda for
meeting the Green Sticker jargon with-
out going the throttle-stop route. The
emissions equipment, particularly the
air injection pump, however, causes a
little pop on decel but nothing horrible.
The Honda CRF450X produces
smooth power, and plenty of it. We still
love how smoothly a carbureted 450cc
four-stroke engine rolls-on from idle
We're still huge fans of the
carbureted CRF450X.
