A Honda 450R for the Street? CRF450RL Preview

[@rc2634]

Maintenance intervals? Did it change? ( previous year's models had ridiculous intervals for a "street" bike)

[@exnihilo415]

Agreed. Inquiring minds want to know!

[@churchofbrap876]

Similar to the comparable KTM dual sports. 600 mile oil changes and like 1800 mile valve checks. I stretch that out some on mine since I don't ride it like an MX bike.

[@brandonreed70]

The factory recommended maintenance intervals are only required if you are flogging it like a racer. A typical dual sport rider could double or triple the oil change interval without issue.

[@AdamWaheed]

Hi RC, we reported on this in detail during our 2021 MY CRF450RL editorial. You can view this content here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKnbaKCJnJlspM0

[@MXKID34]

Nothing has changed on the bike and most are doing 1500 mile intervals.

[@jctoth]

I’ve owned one of these for two years now and absolutely love it. It is however very different from the R model. The RL is more akin to Honda’s X model which has dominated the Baja 1000 for the past 20 years. Notable differences… RL is a six speed, R is a five speed… RL has a wider frame to accept the 6 speed… RL has a heavier crank and milder camshaft… RL has a heavier three ring piston, R has a two ring piston… RL has a slacker head angle for more high speed stability… Awesome bike!

[@hibob841]

Yep. *450XL* would have been more consistent with Honda's nomenclature, for all the reasons you mentioned. I wonder why Honda didn't go that route.

[@davidsalo8397]

You pegged it! Stage I mods are a simple way to get it singing. I wouldn't do the stage II mods. Unless you were a supermoto enthusiast.

[@derweibhai]

Honda would wipe the floor with the competition if they brought back the 650r with lights, title, and e start. They run forever and are faster than a 450.

[@churchofbrap876]

650L is available with bold new colors/graphics ;-)

[@derweibhai]

Klr weight with 250 power..........

[@joebiker5992]

​@derweibhai not even close. The klr is 465lbs wet. I own both. This bike is WAY better in single track. If one can't handle a 289lb bike in the trails, they shouldn't be riding.

[@loopeyshooter503]

Siily comment. Lets see if you change your mind when your plus 70, also plenty of 5.2" 45kg girls riding.

[@gordonmaag952]

The XR650L is currently being sold and is a 346lb curb weight. It is nowhere near a 289 lb bike. It is no KLR, but it's a long long way from this CRF450L as well with nearly the same power. @@joebiker5992

[@Styles0614]

I bought this bike today, I'm pumped to pick it up. Great review, thanks for the all the information!

[@Joebro200]

These bikes are so light. I have a 701 sumo and it’s not heavy by any means, but my buddy rides a 450L sumo and it’s SO light. Use to have a grom and this bike weight wise feels more like my grom! They are also super torquey bikes. My buddy has an ecu flash on his and a different rear sprocket and it’s a ripper. For the money, these things are a great bike even with the frequent maintenance. It’s really not that bad to change your oil/check your valves frequently. I go over kill on my shit and already do that stuff way more often then I need to. If I owned this bike I wouldn’t even notice the more frequent maintenance lol

[@Bugside]

With LONG maintenance intervals would make a cool Supermoto

[@jdavishornet]

Service intervals have been a point that people make as to why they wouldn’t buy one. But lots of real world experience with people who say they go a lot longer. I do my maintenance seasonal as I don’t ride it on the street. I know this has been beaten to death everywhere but it’s true, you have no idea what this bike really is until you change the pipe and ecu. It’s not the same bike.

[@MRJAYWILSON]

Also this model has a better crank, all the bikes also have 12% bigger everything compared to the R, also a 3 ring piston. When i do a rebuild on mine, ill be going stainless valves and putting the rx cam in, i dont do dirt that often now since started crossfit 3 months back (loving it) i brought my 2019 last year in july with 1200ks, now has over 18000ks LOL, still starts up every time, havent done anything apart from change the oil, tyres and sprockets with a chain.

[@AliasTekTV]

There is no reliable way to use the RX cam with stainless valves. They are titanium for a reason due to the cams ramp velocity. I've done the cam swap and it does wake the bike up dramatically.

[@commentaccount49]

Thank you for reviewing the lights, dual sport reviews never talk about the lights for some reason, or fuel mileage for that matter.

[@1990-t1j]

As others have said below, servicing intervals?

[@KorysRides]

600 on oil

[@terratrodder]

I change mine every 1000-1200 miles as is recommended by most owners. It holds a little over a quart of oil and takes less then 10 minutes, and with a Works Connection oil drain system it's trivial.

[@charliem5332]

What foot pegs does this bike have? Thanks

[@SupSecSquirrel]

Wny no talk of service intervals or the flame out problem?

[@je7647]

Why even release this? It’s just going to be a liability

[@Shaftya_McNasty]

Never ridden a bike but I want this one. I would consider the 300L but I’m sure I’ll waste more $ in the long run because i would still purchase the 450. Tough Decision to make .

[@mikemerrill175]

Looking forward to your in depth review.

[@bradpowell843]

Wonder why this bike never got updated to the new 450 R chassis that came out in 2021?

[@lifeonthehill9977]

When they start changing things they have to repass emissions and testing. It's why the xr's still have a carburetor and why the 450RL will likely never change.

[@StrikerSG]

Every 30/50 hrs you should rebuild it?

[@roycemartin9068]

No, majority of people so far are going 20k-30k miles, which when averaged out at about 20-30mph is 1,000 hours. The bike hasn’t been out long enough to get a fair judgment as well, could be a lot longer.

[@roosthrower]

They should of put the 450 eng in the CRF 300 rally, good trail blazer to legally ride on roads and plenty of grunt but wouldn't want to sit on hiway for too long with seat comfort and wind factor.

[@hibob841]

Eh, I'd rather they offered a proper '450 rally' if anything...but then people would just mock the maintenance intervals even more. Aftermarket can solve all those problems for you, if that's the bike you want. I'm adding a Seat Concepts and 3-gallon tank and I think that'll be just fine for my purposes (I try to stay off the freeway with this bike). You can also get 4- and 5-gallon tanks. Adventure Spec makes a little fairing; Rebel-X makes the "Adventure Kit" fairing/side panels. I'll also say that the wind doesn't bother me as much as I assumed it would. Crappy wind protection is actually *worse* than zero wind protection, I think. My Hyperstrada, for instance, was totally miserable on the highway with the stock screen and my height, because the screen just channeled turbulent air right to the middle of my helmet. With no windscreen or fairing at all, yeah it's windy but you don't get the dreaded buffeting. Plus, you really don't need or want wind protection in technical stuff, especially when it's hot out, and a windscreen can actually injure you when you go over the bars. Tradeoffs...

[@commentaccount49]

It's far more closely related to the 450X than the 'R'. No other manufacturer is making a street legal 450 for the US currently, closest is a couple 500's from austria and Beta's 430 and 500. Suspension travel should be the same as any other Honda 450 despite what a spec sheet may claim. One radiator fan on the left side, the right side is a heat pump for the catalytic converter. The front rotor is identical diameter and profile to the 'R', but slightly thicker, like .010".

[@christopherbassit6896]

What if you delete the cat

[@leeinwis]

450L rally time ?

[@ricatiman]

Does anybody do a Super Motard kit for this machine?

[@churchofbrap876]

Check out SRmoto and their project bikes, I got a lot of ideas from their builds.

[@jadenweaver7529]

Yes there is even a fat tire kit

[@haket2000]

Watch out for bad starter gears, best case a $1000 repair, worst case, new crank case. My '19 just failed for the worst, Honda does not acknowledge the issue.

[@leeinparts]

It's the X motor. Not the R or Rx motor.

[@kugangles9860]

Yamahas WR250R can go 5000 miles for oil changes and 20k for valve adjustment. That's a real dualsport. This is more of a street legal enduro

[@leep814]

Yamaha needs to bring it back as a 300 or 350

[@MRJAYWILSON]

No, it's a high performance dual sport, it's not marketed as an enduro.

[@stevetaylor9265]

I want to see one.

[@mathias6423]

The only reason I clicked on this video was to hear about the service/maintenance intervals, I feel that is the most important info on a bike like this, at least for me. Then when I saw who was in the video I knew there would be no such info so I did not even have to watch it 👍

[@starkparker16]

Cool. Bike. I. Want. One.

[@Bucksandkids]

Don't forget catalytic converter adds much weight!

[@otlndsh]

You have an orderly garage.

[@AdamWaheed]

Thanks man. "Race shop."

[@chrisfurby8241]

Does Waheed have the cleanest garage ever or is everything piled up off camera? 😂

[@KorysRides]

If you rode this as long as the duration of this video, it would need two oil changes and a valve adjustment. Pointless for Honda to market this as a street/adventure bike.

[@brandonreed70]

8k miles on mine with nothing but oil changes for the motor. I don't plan to even check the valves until 15k. Have you ever even ridden one?

[@commentaccount49]

@@brandonreed70 Valves are still in spec on mine after 10k miles. I change oil every 1k.

[@AliasTekTV]

I have about 6500 miles on mine with the RX cam swap and have yet to adjust them since I installed it. Honda never said anything about this being an adventure bike lol.

[@Firestorm637]

Led headlights should be the standard for safety vs dim yellow t shirt colored halogen

[@cullenmichael34]

My 2000 DRZ400e is arguably more reliable, is street legal, has great maintenance intervals and has more horsepower for what im guessing is a much lower price. Just a few mods and you're set.

[@churchofbrap876]

They haven't sold the E model here in the US for many years though.

[@roycemartin9068]

And it’s carbureted, has a terrible suspension compared to the crf, about 30 pounds heavier, doesn’t have a 6th overdrive gear, doesn’t have all the additions that the crf has to make street riding more bearable on a dirt bike, and doesn’t have the power that the crf has. I could go on but I’ll stop there.

[@mikemerrill175]

I owned a DRZ for 6 years & while a wonderful bike isn’t even close to this or any of the European offerings in the barely legal category

[@AzTurboMini]

I bet your 20+ year old Honda Civic beater is better than the new Corvette too? Why is it that some guys with 25 year old bikes think they're anywhere as good as a new one? I guess it's broke mentality. Since you can't afford a new one you gotta lie not only to yourself but everyone else also! 🚫

[@merkel2750]

How the hell is this heavier than my drz?!🤦‍♂️

[@churchofbrap876]

It's not heavier than a DRZ

[@merkel2750]

@@churchofbrap876 unless 115-125 is more than 131kg, it’s heavier than my drz🤷‍♂️

[@churchofbrap876]

@@merkel2750 trust me, a DRZ is heavier. Not by an astronomical amount, but probably 20-30 lbs. I had a DRZ400SM, and my current CRF450RL is definitely lighter.

[@merkel2750]

@@churchofbrap876 trust me, I’ve weighed my drz-E, if that crf is more than 115kg, it’s heavier.

[@kloppskalli]

​@@merkel2750the DRZ400 is 145 kg wet, how is yours 20-30 kg lighter?

[@daveanddanniejacobs9432]

Lol. The way you talked your way through that review sounded like you were reading word for word loudly from a teleprompter to a kindergarten class

[@daveanddanniejacobs9432]

Because I can feel your enthusiasm and you really love this bike. So please don't take my previous comment the wrong way bub. Loved the review

[@JB-rp6it]

Overpriced, needs serviced in hours rather than miles because it’s a race engine instead of a street engine. Get a CRF300L instead. You’re welcome.

[@churchofbrap876]

Umm, not even close. I have a 450RL and my son has the 300L. Completely different bikes. 300L is aimed at novice riders with the very budget suspension it's biggest weak point. It's also down in power. The 450 has great suspension and brakes, but needs a pipe and ECU to really wake it up. It's a stellar machine once you tweak a few things. Service intervals are a bit of a bummer, but it's real easy to do.

[@churchofbrap876]

And it's not a race engine. The 450R is the MX bike.

[@roycemartin9068]

I just did an oil and filter change on my ‘22 crf450rl. It took me about 7 minutes to do. I love how people complain about the service intervals. It’s all u hear about this bike. These bikes aren’t made to be ridden across the world, although they’re more than capable. They’re made to connect local trails and to hoot around town. Sure, you could argue they’re more costly on maintenance due to more frequent oil changes but the oil changes themselves is one drain plug for the oil and 2 little bolts holding the filter cover on. If I’m trying to rush to get it done it’s literally a 5 minute job.

[@JB-rp6it]

@@roycemartin9068 crf300l has been ridden across the world though. I’m just saying for ease and cost of ownership, the 300 is the way to go. Plenty for trails and road riding.

[@jwaller1327]

Horses for courses. If you plan to ride more on the street and some gravel roads and such, or just slowly plodding along off road, sure, maybe the CRF300L. But if you're going to do any real off roading with any pace at all, maybe just needing street legality for connecting trails, there's absolutely no comparison. I like to push it off road. I tried riding a buddy's 300L that also had $$$$$ dumped into it for the suspension and it still couldn't compete. My buddy with the 300L swapped with me and he agreed. He rode both my CRF450L and my CRF250RX. We both decided that the 300L just isn't cut out for that type of riding. So much that my buddy sold the 300L and got a CRF250RX (which has the same basic frame, suspension, and everything the CRF450L has, just a different sized engine and none of the road legal stuff). If a mild dual sport is all you need, there's nothing wrong with the 300L. But if you really need a dirt bike, but one you can legally ride on the street, the CRF450L is the way to go. For the kind of riding I do, it's well worth the extra cost in money and maintenance (and the maintenance is really not difficult at all). And compared to other bikes in this market sector (think KTM, Husqvarna, Beta, etc.), the CRF450L/RL is the budget option.

[@superdon1chw]

10,000 dollars not for me

[@roycemartin9068]

I bought a 2022 with 113 miles on it for $7500. No dealer fees, shipping, setup fees. After tax title and license I paid $7600 “out the door”. There are deals To be had on these bikes on the used market. You don’t have to pay $10,000 plus plus all the fees when buying from a dealer.

[@roycemartin9068]

$7500 for this bike is insane. Tons of things about this bike that are simply incredible.

[@EazyTheRecon]

First yay

[@Mostviews111]

It's a far cry from a 450r it's the do all nothing good bike.

[@leeinwis]

jealous much ?

[@Mostviews111]

@@leeinwis of what

[@plantpower3048]

This or Beta ????????????

[@Matthew-zw9su]

Been wondering the same for a year. As much as I love the Beta, I need to do 3k miles a year at 60 to 75 mph. No contest at this critical need.