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

Understanding Honda’s strict durability standards for street-legal machines, we have little doubt that a properly-maintained CRF450L would handle the rigors of long-sustained travel. So far on paper, the only thing that might put a damper on riding this machine is a curb weight that tips the scales a bit heavy for the class. At a claimed 289 pounds wet (the new CRF450X is 275 pounds), the CRF450L is about 34 pounds heavier than a KTM 500 EXC-F. Also, depending on your budget, the target price of $10,399 might be a little steep but it is still about $600 cheaper than the Austrian 500s of the same style.

No dates yet for when we’ll get our first chance to test the bike but Honda says that the CRF450L will be available to the public by September of this year. And before we get to the Honda provided bullets and specs, we chatted with Chuck Miller, Senior Manager of Dealer and Customer Services who also had a major hand in developing this bike.

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ADV PULSE: We are so glad to see this bike. Why now versus earlier or later?

Chuck Miller: “Five years ago I was in product planning and we knew that we wanted this machine. We knew that we had a great X platform and really we wanted an X with a plate on it. But, Honda’s standards are so different between a competition machine, a performance machine versus a street-legal machine. Street legal bikes have sound regulations and exhaust emissions, as well as certain light issues, such as a light has to go out so far. Part of it was helping the engineers understand that we really want this competition machine to just be street legal. It was difficult for Honda to understand both of those in the same bike. Because our street standards are so high for durability, so to have them understand that we want a performance machine with that same durability it has been a challenge. Over the last few years they’ve been able to overcome some of the sound and emissions issues with the performance of the machine and some of the parts they put on it.

For example, the case covers on this bike is actually for sound. There is a drive by test what a lot of manufacturers will do is detune the machine to be able to make that sound level. Honda came up with another way where they covered some of the parts to reduce the sound. By doing some of the things that they did, we were able to keep the performance up.”

ADVP: Dirt bike and street bike maintenance intervals are vastly different. How does this bike fit on that scale?

CM: “It will be a little more like a street bike actually. One thing we will be recommending on this bike is a more frequent oil change than the X and part of that is because, if someone rides it on the pavement all the time or down the freeway wide open for hours, they would need to check their oil. I think there is 1.8 quarts of oil so if you were to use some oil or it got too hot the maintenance intervals are a little sooner for sure.

What’s interesting is that we’ve been talking about the crossover between the L and adventure bike riding. Because this is adventure bike too, in a lot of ways. It’s just a more aggressive adventure bike. I can already see soft bags and some racks for the back, that the aftermarket will take care of and you’ll see people riding these bikes all over the country.”

CRF450L Features Lightweight, 2.0-gallon titanium fuel tank for long range.

Riding time maximized by lightweight, compact LED lighting system, featuring headlight with high-intensity projection for illuminating broad area.

Rear-view mirrors.

Lightweight lithium-ion battery with increased capacity compared to CRF450R, to power electrical components.

Lightweight, compact digital meter with black characters on a white liquid-crystal background is easily legible while riding. . CRF450L Engine/Drivetrain 449.7cc Unicam engine specially tailored for trail-to-trail riding.

Finger rocker arm contributes to compact layout while using dedicated design to attain off-road-specific power characteristics. DLC surface treatment reduces friction.

Dedicated valve timing for smooth power delivery in technical riding.

High crank inertia (up 12% over CRF450R) for tractable power delivery in technical terrain.

12.0:1 compression ratio.

New piston with three-ring design.

Wide-ratio six-speed transmission is ready for a wide variety of off-road terrain or road going.

Special clutch design enables light lever pull. Primary damper mechanism with friction springs suppresses engine torque fluctuations, ensuring smooth running.

Large-capacity radiators with high heat-exchange efficiency for strong performance in demanding off-road conditions.

Electric fan and thermostat control engine temperature in brutal conditions.

ECU with dedicated settings.

Noise emissions minimized via covers on the left and right crank cases.

Powerful AC generator for street-legal lighting.

Air cleaner box.

Dedicated single-muffler exhaust system provides great sound while meeting emissions requirements. . CRF450L Suspension/Chassis Aluminum twin-spar frame designed for nimble-yet-stable handling on trails.

Subframe designed to ensure optimum rigidity balance appropriate for carrying tools.

49mm Showa fork with dedicated settings for trail-to-trail riding.

Shock based on that of the CRF450R but with dedicated settings and link ratio for off-road riding.

Front brake uses design from CRF450R, but with better fade resistance thanks to thicker discs and large-capacity reservoir.

Endless sealed chain withstands the elements.

Front and rear sprockets, produced in durable steel material, feature damper system for smooth, quiet running.

Urethane injection in swingarm to reduce road noise.

Fuel tank cap with a cut-off valve prevents fuel from flowing out of tank if the bike is on its side.

LED turn signals with flexible mounts for durability.

Easily accessible electronic component box on left side of the frame.

Black 7/8” Renthal handlebar with red pad.

Compact, lightweight handlebar switches.

In-mold graphics are resistant to peeling caused by washing or abrasion.

IRC GP-21F/GP-22R tires provide great balance of on- and off-road performance.

Black rims for strong presence .

2019 Honda CRF450L Specs

Engine: Liquid-cooled 10º single-cylinder four-stroke, Valve Train: Unicam OHC, four-valve Displacement: 449.7cc Bore & Stroke: 96.0mm x 62.1mm Transmission: Constant-mesh 6-speed return; manual Clutch: Multiplate wet (6 springs) Compression Ratio: 12.0:1 Induction: Programmed fuel-injection system (PGM-FI); 46mm throttle bore Ignition: Full transistorized Start: Push-button electric starter Final Drive: #520 sealed chain Front Suspension: 49mm fully-adjustable leading-axle inverted telescopic Showa coil-spring fork Rear Suspension: Pro-Link system; fully-adjustable Showa single shock Suspension Travel (Fr/Rr): 12.01 in. / 12.36 in. Front Brakes: 2-piston caliper hydraulic; single 260mm disc Rear Brakes: 1-piston caliper hydraulic; single 240mm disc Front Tire: IRC GP21 80/100-21 w/tube Rear Tire: IRC GP22 120/80-18 w/tube Rake (Caster Angle): 28°20’ Trail: 116mm (4.6 in.) Length: 85.9 in. Width: 32.6 in. Height: 50.0 in. Ground Clearance: 12.4 in. Seat Height: 37.1 in. Wheelbase: 58.9 in. Fuel Capacity: 2.01 US Gal. Wet Weight: 289 lbs. Color: Red US Availability: September 2018 Pricing: $10,399 USD