Honda CRF450L Unveiled: The Dual Sport Everyone’s Been Wanting?  Honda unveils a street-legal 450 Enduro with serious off-road capability.





Honda has just made a ton of people very happy. The bike that we’ve all asked for, we’ve all wondered why it didn’t exist, we’ve all been trying to create ourselves is now a reality. Based on the updated 2019 CRF450R motocross bike, the all-new CRF450L is essentially a 50-state legal, 6-speed dirt bike with a plate. This is the first road-legal 450 motocross-based machine offered by a Japanese OEM and could well become the small adventure bike of choice for aggressive, mostly dirt riders.

With the introduction of the all new CRF450L, the long-lived off-road only trail machine CRF450X is all new as well and is a whole different bike than the 2018 and older models. Both the X and L are very similar to each other, yet the specs show that they have slightly different ground clearance (12.7 inches on the X and 12.4 inches on the L) and different seat heights (37.4 inches on the X and 37.1 inches for the L) indicating that the suspension travel may be slightly less on the L. Honda didn’t provide suspension travel numbers at the time of the announcement.

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The New CRF450L Platform

While all the CRF450s share a very similar architecture, the CRF450X and the CRF450L are sort of in their own category since these bikes are not primarily designed for racing (yet we have little doubt that they could) and they have a new six-speed transmission. This extra gear makes the bottom end of the engine wider and requires a wider lower part of the frame. That being said, most everything else on the bikes are derived directly from the latest version of the CRF450R.

Engine

The layout and overall appearance of the CRF450L’s engine is nearly identical to the X’s with some notable exceptions to make the L street legal more appropriate for street riding. The X and L have the same bore and stroke and a milder 12.0:1 compression ratio compared to the R’s 13.5:1. The L also has its own cam profile and cam timing for more controllable power off-road. There is 12 percent more crank inertia than the R to give more traction and better control in tight off-road terrain. As mentioned above, a major difference is the six-speed transmission. This is sure to make street riding and longer stints on asphalt a less buzzy, more enjoyable experience. The ECU has a dedicated setting on the L and there is a single-sided exhaust system rather than the dual silencers on the competition models.

Noise Reductions

A major factor in getting a bike to be street-legal is passing noise regulations. One part of that test is a drive by sound measurement where the overall sound of the bike, not just the exhaust, is recorded. Rather than just focusing on the noise coming out of the muffler, Honda found other ways to keep the overall decibel level down on the CRF450L. Engine case covers are on the right and left sides of the engine. Not only are these for protection, they dampen overall engine noise. Also, there is a full cover over the front sprocket. Again, more protection but sound damping as well. Even the swing arm plays a noise reducing role. It is injected with urethane to lower the overall bike volume. Lastly the exhaust system is a dedicated street legal unit to keep noise levels down.

Suspension/Chassis

There are no compromises when it comes to the suspension. The CRF450L has the same 49mm, fully adjustable coil-spring Showa fork and the same fully adjustable, Pro-Link system Showa shock as the X, yet the settings (damping and spring rates) are dedicated to each machine. The twin-spar aluminum frame is wider to accommodate the wider L transmission, and the subframe is specific to the L, designed to better handle carrying luggage and tools. The tank is 2.0 gallons and made of lightweight titanium.

Extras

The dash is a simple enduro-style unit, all this sort of bike needs. There are the necessary street-legal bits such as turn signals, mirrors, a horn, and a pretty cool looking LED headlight assembly. The battery is a beefed up lithium ion unit to handle more electrical demands. The high capacity radiators also have a thermostat controlled cooling fan for slow-going situations. The front brake is the same high performance caliper that the CRF450X has but the disk is thicker and the fluid reservoir is larger for more durability. The sealed o-ring chain is wrapped around steel sprockets for greater durability as well. Lastly the CRF450L comes stock with 50/50 IRC GP-21/22 tires.

The Whole CRF450L Package

We are definitely excited about this bike. The overall package seems to check all the boxes when it comes to a full-on enduro capable dirt bike that can be ridden on the street as well. The primary target rider for this bike, according to Honda, is the off-roader who wants to connect gnarly trails with stints on the road. But we also see its potential as a light ADV Machine — and it could be with a few additions such as luggage, an even bigger tank, and possibly some wind protection.

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