Honda CRF450X

This is going to be a story about what the majority of us want from a bike. Or to be more specific, what we’re all after when we head out for a ride on the weekend. I’ve read a few test features on Honda’s CRF450X since it was released more or less in its current form, back in 2008; some complimentary and some much less so, but almost all of them seem to have missed the big picture in regards to the red rocket.

We haven’t always been huge fans of the CRF450X. For some time it was too big and cumbersome compared to the competition’s nimble lightweights like the Gas Gas and Honda’s arch nemeses, Yamaha’s WR450F. Even Sherco had a slimmer and more compliant 450F. The CRF always had a kick arse engine though, and it was often mused that if they could just sort out the bodywork then this bike would really shine.

Well in 2008 Honda did make efforts to sort out the ergos and while it’s still no catwalk model, the improvements went a long way to changing the CRF from a bike that made plenty of promises, to one that delivered on them.  

MIXED MESSAGES
You may have read in a review or heard from a learned punter that the CRF450X isn’t a race bike straight from the crate. You may have also heard that the CRF450X isn’t a great trailbike. The $12,990 450X obviously does nothing if not polarize opinions.

But let’s drop the bravado for a moment. I’m an average rider. No better or worse than most. I will never be a contender for a championship, but I’ll give most obstacles a go in the name of fun. And that’s the buzz word for today folks: fun. I ride bikes because it’s fun. You ride bikes because it’s fun. Isn’t that good news and doesn’t it feel good to say it and get it out in the open. Who gives a rat’s about lap times?

What the hell do I care if bike “A” is slightly faster over a 100m sprint than bike “B,” or weighs 2kg less? And is it really relevant to you what a pro rider thinks of the bike after he’s completed a 42-bike shootout? Do you need Mark Webber to tell you what he thinks of your Corolla?   

So here we stand; equals among trailriders, and I’m going to tell you that the 2009 Honda CRF450X is satisfying and fun to ride. In fact it’s an absolute blast from the drop of the clutch to the after ride beer.

SIMPLE PHYSICS
Just point the CRF down the barrel of the track, cock the clutch, pull the throttle and fire yourself at balls-out speed down the dirt barrel. The way the Honda launches off the line is more exciting than dinner invitation from Liz Hurley (that may be pushing it), and that explosive punch doesn’t tail off until it reaches the outer bounds of the mammoth mid-range.

By this point your eyes may be watering but don’t stress, that’s just tears of joy. The top end is MIA, but who cares. If you’re not going fast enough by the time the mid has finished its mumbo you’re a braver man than me. The CRF’s engine is two-thirds Schwarzenegger and one part Marty Feldman. By the time you’ve finished with Arnold, Marty can be a welcome relief.  

The suspension complements the engine, but has copped some criticism in its efforts. It’s not plush like the WRs, but then nothing about the Honda is anything like the Yamaha. They are two very different bikes. The Yamaha’s set-up is arguably more versatile, but the Honda is particularly at home when things are zipping by at warp speed. It skips over trail trash sweetly and the rear end is predictable and confidence inspiring in its work.

The steering isn’t as precise as a bike like the Husaberg or the Gas Gas, but it doesn’t feel as lumbering as the Husky and it’s stable once the steering damper is dialled up. Without the damper set correctly (ie as stiff as it can be), CRF has some headshake and it doesn’t like big broadside hits. In fact the front can get lose and do some pretty scary shit, but the damper does a good job at keeping that gear to a minimum.  Overall the CRF is built more for the hard and fast sprint than the all day in the saddle rides.

The ergos on a Honda are another area much debated because they’re always compared to the Yamaha’s. But I can’t stress enough how these two bikes offer two very different riding experiences and although they are often and fairly compared because they’re the sales leaders; you have to be careful declaring one better than the other. The Honda’s ergos aren’t perfect but it’s the area that it’s improved the most over the last two years. It was fat, now it’s.....slightly chubby. The shrouds feel wide between your legs in a similar way to the Husky TE450. It’s not uncomfortable though and it’s a huge and merciful leap from the previous design.

The bike is a very comfortable machine in pretty much every other respect. The frame feels quite slim and you can grip the bike quite strongly and easily with your legs, either with your knees or even around the calf area. The seat is accommodating and well shaped and the way your extremities fall to their intended places is an easy fit.

The footpegs are crap though and, while we’re getting used to that on a CRF, it baffles as to why something so elementary isn’t addressed so I don’t waste another 35 words talking about it.

The airbox is a little deceiving too. It looks good until you actually try to get the filter out. It’s not diabolical, but a finger’s width more room in there would make like a lot easier.

Make fun of the pig-nose pipe if you will (and we do all the time), but it does and excellent job at arresting the soundwaves while letting the ponies run free. We took a 2008 CRF450X out on one test day, which was fitted with a DEP pipe. There isn’t a huge difference between the performances of the two except that the ‘08 bike hits launch position a nano-second faster than the stocker.

I reckon the stock pipe not only does a better job at controlling all the low-down mumbo, but it’s also a hell of a lot quieter. The CRF doesn’t need any more poke down low. Few 450s do, but the Honda is an embarrassment of riches in the basement.

If there’s an area I would change it would be the gearing. All that grunt is fun, but it can make climbing rock shelves a sphincter-puckering exercise because the natural position for the front end is in the air. I’d like to ride a CRF with a couple of teeth less on the rear sprocket. It has more than enough pick-up to compensate and would gain back some top end.

THE VERDICT
I love this bike because it makes me want to go for a ride, and when I get out there it provides me with everything I need to have fun. That’s all I ever ask for. That’s why I don’t like the Aprilia. It provides a pain in the arse. The Honda feels solid and sorted.

It’s not the slimmest, flashest, lightest piece of kit out there, but it when you pull the throttle back the bike surges forward and the front wheel comes up and that’s all most of us trail muppets need to crack a big grin. What are you looking to get out of a ride?

Click the following link for more information on the Honda CRF450X.