VOL. 54 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 24, 2017 P103
1
ST
Place
As we already mentioned, the Honda nearly
won our 450 shootout last year, edged out by
the KTM and Husqvarna. Overly soft suspen-
sion, an overall somewhat stiff chassis feel and
lack of standard electric starting were some of
the culprits that kept it from standing on the
top step of the podium. Well, Honda addressed
these issues and, ta-da, the CRF450R is our
2018 450 shootout winner.
After the dust had settled, six out of our
nine test riders placed the Honda at the top of
their lists.
One of those testers pretty much summed
things up when he said: "I felt the Honda had
the best overall handling, as well as having
really good power. It wasn't too harsh off the
bottom, while at the same time, having good
mid-to-upper power—it was also one of the
best revving motors. Plus, it has solid suspen-
sion that handles big hits, along with the small
chop, real well. The chassis has good balance
and feels light, nimble and stable. And now it
has electric starting!"
Metcalfe was one of those who rated it in
first place: "The Honda turns great on tight
sections, very nimble and direct, with steer-
ing control," he said "It has enough stability
on high-speed sections to be comfortable and
a motor that rips off the low end. The broad
power off low-end through midrange is awe-
some and extremely responsive. If you like to
short shift though your gearbox, you will love
HONDA
CRF450R
