First Ride 2023 Honda 450X - Dirt Bike Magazine

#adventure #sports #offroad #explore
The original CRF450X lasted from 2005 to 2019. That bike won something like 11 Baja 1000s, and this one picked up right where that one left off. But in stock form, it’s no race bike. The bike that the SLR Honda team used to win the 1000 in November is highly modified. Like we said, this bike is based on the CRF450RL dual-sport bike The X produces more power than the dual-sport model because of a different EFI map, a larger head pipe and a less-restrictive muffler that has no built-in catalytic converter. Honda left off the street-legal stuff, of course. The headlight is a halogen unit instead of an LED. There’s no kickstand kill switch, no blinkers and no hang-down part in the license-plate area. The X doesn’t have a keyed ignition, and the instrumentation is a little more spartan. On top of that, the suspension has slightly different settings, but like the L, the fork and shock are high-end KYB units. Without the DOT equipment, the X is lighter than the L. It’s 263 pounds on our scale without gas, whereas the RL is 14 pounds heavier. The new X has a great power delivery. It’s super quiet and pure fun on the trail. It’s a stark contrast to the closed-course competition bikes like the KTM 450XC-F and Honda’s own CRF450RX. The X has excellent torque, but when it gets into the arm-yanking zone, it’s far milder than 450cc race bikes. We did have some problems with occasional flame-outs. That’s typical of bikes that have emission hardware–even if the standards are looser for this bike than they are for the street, it’s still on the lean side.The Honda’s strong point is suspension. It’s soft, but that’s perfectly appropriate given its mission in life. And at speed, the bike is super stable. It gets more secure and comfortable as speeds get higher and higher. That’s one of the reasons that this is the chosen bike for Baja racers. When you’re crossing desert whoops at 60 mph, the bike goes dead straight. After a day of that, you lose your perspective. You feel like 40 mph is walking speed. The bike’s top speed, we estimate, is around 90 mph. Another reason they love it is that Honda did a great job with the gear ratios. First gear is taller than you might expect, but that’s actually a good thing. Too often six-speed gearboxes have a granny gear that’s so low it’s unusable. All those Baja teams have different formulas for getting the X up to race-speed. It has to start with a different ignition, of course. Some shops say they can remap the stocker, which is supposedly locked. Most go to a Vortex. You can use the stock head with a little head work and the RX cam. The muffler is the main issue. Not only is it restrictive, but it’s heavy. There are a number of aftermarket companies that know what to do. Colton Udall’s Champion adventures, JCR and SanDiego Power Sports, to name a few. You don’t have to do any of that to enjoy the CRF450X, though. This is one of the few EPA-legal trail bikes that we consider 100-percent ready for the trail in stock form. Still, we plan on turning Nic Garvin loose on our CRF450X to make it into more of a race bike, Be sure to check back to see what he comes up with.

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[tieoneon]

I had the old gen 450x when my bud got this new gen 450x I rode it a little, and it legit felt light as a 250f even thought they are exactly same weight. Honda did a great job with the mass centralization.

[jimbo]

We had a 450x and it was good, with just a few mods it was way better, it's a great trail bike and that's what we used it for

[ChrisB-jeom]

Omg I been waiting for 23 450x ;) helped modify my friends old 450 x

[slogue]

Each to ya own, I just brought a 2022 WR 450f OMG!!!! so in love ... My last bike was a XR400 I brought brand new in 2003 ... Damn I wish I did not sell it though ....

[Anatoli]

Remember that this bike is 30 pounds heavier than a comparable KTM 450 XCFW. The extra weight is very noticeable on tight single track, but bombing across the desert it adds stability. Consider where you will be riding this bike before you purchase. The tall first gear and flame out issue are a deal killer in the woods, but probably won’t be much of an issue in open terrain. Honda build quality is always appreciated.

[jeremys]

Old man bought the 650r in 2000 when it came out, then a brand new 450x in 05 when it came out. I don’t want to get rid of my 250 2t but that’s a really nice bike might need to switch

[YZEtc]

I rode a 2009 CRF450X and that was a great bike.
I now own the dual-purpose version of this bike, a 2021 CRF450RL.
The bike has great power, great suspension, and great stability.
The trade-off for the stability is a heavy and not-too-agile feeling on tight trails, but that was expected.
If you have the room to use the throttle, the bike feels excellent and the rest of the bike is up to the task.

[wsl]

Glad Honda keeps making it. I miss my CRF250X. If I want a new Honda I'll get a CRF450X.

[fynn]

I really liked mine but it had way too much power for trail riding. I bought this instead of the L for the reduced weight and off-road biased personality. It loves fire roads and open terrain but not the single track. The absence of a radiator fan and a harder clutch pull discouraged me from exploring in snotty stuff. The engine durability is through the roof though. Some folks are at 30K miles and only did 1 valve adjustment. This is a fantastic desert machine for an experienced rider.

[ramiroa.albernazd.]

450X ♦️a meu ver melhor compra nesse segmento 🇧🇷🇵🇹

[jasonhowell]

Will definitely be given this bike a look at

[chrisramos]

I wish the would have the kick start as a back up like my 06

[Dalebrah]

I wanna see this with a fmf or something and in person, compare this to wr

[dr.x]

I think the 450x is the ONLY high-performance dirt bike that can get a California green sticker - which is worthy of attention. The only other high-performance bikes that can be ridden on public California roads are the dual-sport 450RL, EXC-F, and Beta RRS. I'm hoping to see more high-performance choices later, like a CRF250X or a green version of the KTM XC-F/XCF-W. A green-sticker, injected TBI 2-stroke will be awesome if possible. I don't expect electric off-road bikes to have similar power and weight, and range for at least 5-10 years.

[moreliquorinmycoffee]

I've got a CRF250X and it's heavy as he'll. Almost 15kilos heavier than all its other counterparts. But I appreciate the reliability of Honda.

[jamiescott]

Actually the suspension is Showa front and rear. Not sure why you say KYB.

[commentaccount]

The instrumentation is actually identical to the RL, and the suspension is Showa not KYB.

[hunterhill]

I wish kawasaki would do a bike similar to this. Bring back the klx450 and add fuel injection!

[davidnunez]

Is it true these still have valve issues? I swear any guy ive talked to who has owned one is always saying they did a valve job.

[shorew]

Ok ok who already ffed up and dropped the bike haha I see the muffler was dented