2024 450 MX Shootout In Depth | Gas Gas vs. Honda vs. Husqvarna vs. Kawasaki vs. KTM vs. Yamaha

The Honda CRF450R

Fourth Place: Honda CRF450R

Test Rider Scores: 5-4-6-6-4-6-4

The Honda CRF450R returns unchanged for 2024 after an amazing season of race wins and championships at the pinnacle of our sport. What’s raced at the factory levels, however, is quite a departure from what you can buy on the dealership floor, and test riders lacked overall trust in the CRF450R. While the engine is super powerful and offers three distinctly different powerbands via the handlebar-mounted map switch, the flex and rigidity combinations in the second-year chassis provide a ride that requires riders to stay on their toes. For the most part, testers enjoyed the handling and suspension of the Honda, but all reported being caught off guard by the bike’s front end at least a couple of times per moto. 

Kyle Puerner on the Honda CRF450R. 

“The Honda CRF450R is very twitchy and has a lot of movement going on and it sometimes feels like it is dancing on top of the track. I have tried several aftermarket suspension shops to help make my personal Hondas work better and they improve comfort, but that twitch is still there. The power is awesome and the maps make a big difference.” – Connor Ericsson

“I love the Honda’s fun engine package. It is extremely well-rounded throughout the powerband. It has an aggressive low-end grunt that I like, a strong mid-range, and a respectable top-end pull. The engine is great. The handling is playful and exciting as well as the bike is light and corners well. Unfortunately, I can’t get comfortable with the chassis as the bike seems to dance and skip along the top of the track surface,” – Pat Foster

“The CRF has a strong and smooth powerband that works best from mid to top. The aggressive map is fun but hard to control on dry or hard-packed surfaces. The Honda feels rigid and wears you out quickly. It feels light and flickable in the air and it corners very well. This is my favorite bike, ergonomically. It fits me perfectly.” – Rene Garcia

“The Honda is a strange-feeling bike. It feels really stable and compliant entering and exiting corners, but right as you really turn in, the front knifes and turns under itself. It’s very weird to go from feeling so much stability to then have the bike oversteer unexpectedly,” – Jase Macalpine

“The Honda has plenty of power and great versatility with the maps. The suspension is plush and has a good overall feel with great balance, I feel really good on this bike but as soon as I start to get tired, the mistakes start to happen. I feel like I have to be spot-on and 100% focused when riding this bike. High speeds on the Honda are a challenge.” – Kyle Puerner

“I feel like the Honda has way too much power for how short and twitchy the wheelbase feels. The fork is too soft but it also has a rigid feel. The bike is twitchy at speed and skates across the track surface, I’m sorry, but this bike is just no fun for me to ride.” – Alex Ray

“The CRF has great low-end power and the bike likes to be lugged around the track. This is the most efficient way to ride the Honda because revving it out makes the bike handle unpredictably, The bike corners well and is relatively stable, but it has sudden instances of unsettling that catch you off guard.” – Kyle Vara

Test Rider Hits

Excellent powerband with three distinctly different settings

Comfortable rider triangle

Great looks

Superb brakes

Excellent cornering

Test Rider Misses

Stiff chassis with a rigid feel

Lacks straight-line stability

Unpredictable handling character