2017–2020 · Enduro · Buyer's Guide
The MX Engine Gone Enduro
The CRF450RX is what happens when Honda takes its motocross platform and points it at cross-country racing instead of a stadium floor. The Unicam single makes 56 hp and 37 lb-ft from 450 cc, and it does not deliver that in the soft, tractable way an old-school trail single would. An 18-inch rear wheel, 2.2 gal (8.3 L) of fuel and a kickstand are the concessions to going long. Everything else stays honest race hardware: fully adjustable USD fork, 12.2 in of front travel, 12.4 in at the rear, 263 lb wet. Ride modes let you dull the fueling. They do not turn it into a trail bike.
Ridden fast on open, flowing terrain, this thing is superb. Desert two-track, sand washes, big whooped-out sections, fast GP loops. Give it revs and space and it rewards you like almost nothing else at this weight. Slow it down and the picture changes. The flywheel mass is light and the fueling is sharp, so it stalls in tight, first-gear rock work more than a purpose-tuned enduro engine should. That is the honest caveat, and it is a real one. This bike is for the experienced racer who wants a machine that keeps going as fast as he can. It is not a bike you grow into.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 56 hp (41 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) |
| Displacement | 450 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 5-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 260 mm |
| Front tire | 90/90-21 |
| Rear tire | 120/90-18 |
| Wheelbase | 58.1 in (1476 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 13.1 in (332 mm) |
| Front travel | 12.2 in (310 mm) |
| Rear travel | 12.4 in (315 mm) |
| Seat height | 37.8 in (960 mm) |
| Wet weight | 263 lb (119 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.2 gal (8.3 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Safety
Sit on it and the 37.8 in seat height tells you immediately who this was built for. Feet on tiptoes at best, and the 263 lb feel more like 230 once you are moving, because the mass sits low and centered. Standing, the bike disappears under you. The bars fall where your hands want them, the tank is narrow through the knees, and the footpeg-to-seat relationship is set up for a rider who spends most of the day on the pegs. The sound is that hard, flat CRF bark, more crack than roar, and it carries through your boots. Vibration is present but never nagging. What stays with you after a long day is how little the bike argues with you. Nothing feels flimsy, nothing feels temporary. It just wants the throttle open.
None of this is my own riding. It is what riders have handed me over two decades: notes sent late at night, questions asked in a pit lane, owners walking me through what they changed. On the CRF450RX the accounts converge fast. The engine that earns the loudest praise also draws the loudest complaint.
Owners talk about the engine first, almost every time. They call the power ferocious and say it stays with them across a wide rpm range, which puts the RX among the strongest machines in the class as they see it. Suspension comes next: riders say the fork and shock swallow big hits at speed without giving up their stroke. Steering gets its own line of praise, quick and neutral, nimble wherever the course keeps flowing.
Stalling is raised more than any other fault. Riders describe the engine going quiet when the throttle shuts abruptly, or in slow technical going, leaving the clutch hand working constantly. Just as often they say the power is too much for tight, rocky singletrack, unforgiving toward anyone still building skill. Some find the bike bulkier than rival machines through direction changes. A few report clutches worn out earlier than they expected.
Engine case cracking (right side)
Some owners have reported cracking of the right-side engine case, a serious issue that can lead to oil leaks and engine damage. It is generally attributed to crash impact or repeated hard landings rather than a manufacturing fault.
Starter clutch / one-way bearing failure
The starter clutch (one‑way bearing) can fail, resulting in a starter that spins without engaging the engine. This is often reported after relatively low hours and may require replacement of the starter clutch assembly.
Excessive stalling in technical terrain
The engine is prone to stalling at low rpm, especially in slow, technical off‑road sections. This can be exacerbated by the light flywheel mass and aggressive fueling, often requiring an aftermarket clutch (e.g., Rekluse) to mitigate.
Where this Honda CRF 450 RX pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CRF 450 RX is actually built for.
If your riding is fast desert, sand and big open terrain, this is close to ideal, and the light weight keeps you honest on slickrock. Just budget for a heavier flywheel before the tight technical days.
Made for Bar M / Kane Creek · Imperial Sand Dunes · Johnson Valley OHV Area
Wrong tool. With 2.2 gal of fuel and race-spec service intervals, the RX is built for a race loop and a truck, not for four hundred miles of remote BDR with luggage strapped on.
Made for AZBDR — Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · California BDR South · COBDR — Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda CRF 450 RX. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
