Honda had us out at Ironman MX in Indiana for their 2025 CRF450R press launch. Getting to ride Ironman is one thing, but to have a new CRF450R to dissect was pretty big news, especially for you die hard Honda riders. Here are five things that you need to know about “Big Red’s” new flagship motocross machine.
Engine: The redesigned airbox provides a straighter pathway for airflow, as well as the revised header pipe design is longer, The new ECU maps were made to offer smoother delivery while trying to retain strong torque and power throughout the rev range. Is there a huge difference with these changes? Not really, but I do notice that the CRF450R has more low end rpm response as well as recovery. Honda has never been really known for their third gear lugability in corners, but the 2025 CRF450R has made it easier for the rider to achieve this. At Ironman, I was able to roll third gear in corners that normally would have me in second on older model CRF450R’s. I feel like this airbus design helps the “pick up” of this engine and gives the Honda a lighter more free revving feel. The straight shot of air has helped low to mid response which gives the rider a more playful feeling CRF450R. The beauty of this engine is that it has a smooth roll on power with a blend of excitement which is hard to get. The amount of rear wheel traction is also a nice feature that (to me) is better than the YZ450F. This engine provides a wide range of usability for an aggressive rider or the lazy vet guy.
Chassis: The meat and potatoes of the 2025 Honda CRF450R is the updated main frame constructed of 70% new components to optimize rigidity and improve handling characteristics. New subframe mounting point optimizes lateral rigidity and reduces energy transmission from the rear of the bike to the front. The rigidity of the steering stem, triple clamps, outer fork tubes and front axle have all been revised to match the frame updates. These changes all mean more to me than the engine as this is where I had the most problems when I rode a CRF450R in the past. Creating a stiffer frame actually made the feel on the track softer. In the past it was tough to decipher when if I needed to go stiffer or softer with my suspension because the chassis always gave me a rigid feel. The 2025 chassis window (or track toughness) seems like it is better than the 2024. When making adjustments at ironman to the suspension the chassis got better and not worse in areas. This is a sign that the chassis has a wider window of adjustments than the previous year. I don’t get as much vibration through my hands/feet, nor do I get as much harshness on slap down landings as I did with the 2024. The bumps weren’t that big at Ironman so I didn’t get a lot of edge of tire feel like I can back at home, but to me it already is better than the 2024. I am not saying that it has all of this comfort but I am saying that the chassis has more compliance than the older Honda model. Cornering is still great and the bike is more neutral feeling through corners rather than having that heavy front wheel biased feel.
Suspension: A new shock spring, reservoir, shaft and oil seal contribute to a consistent stroke feel to match the fork updates. The linkage has been updated to a one-piece structure that is said to enhance rigidity, to improve tracking and stability performance. It also features a new leverage ratio that decreases pitching while improving bottoming resistance. So did this help? It is soft. I feel like Honda/Showa may have missed the mark when it comes to suspension settings. Well… At least on the east coast. Ironman has huge jumps with small landings and there just needed to me more low speed damping for hold up in conditions like these. Small bump comfort was great and the fork/shock moved nicely though those conditions but there just needs to be more hold up on each end for me. I dropped the fork height to 2.5mm and stiffened up the fork three clicks and that helped. I went in on HSC a half turn on the shock as well as two clicks on LSC. I will say I would rather have a soft suspension setting than a harsh setting. I think a little fork oil and maybe a heavier spring in the rear (52N/mm is stock) will help hold up if you’re north of 180 pounds.
Plastic Crossover: No, your old shrouds and side panels will not fit. You’re stuck with the 2025 plastic scheme. With the sub-frame and main frame changes, your old plastic will not fit. Ok, that is out of the way…
Brakes: The front brake caliper has an updated piston and seal grooves for consistent performance throughout the moto (fading). It also features new machined accents, which is nice. The front Nissin brake has never been a huge issue of mine but having a more consistent feel can’t hurt right? I noticed that the front brake still has that incredible power but now has a better feel. A wider window of braking and what I mean by that is that it has a more linear feel when grabbing a handful of front brake. It is not as grabby as previous years and just has more control. Similar to a Brembo for me.
So with these five things, I can safely say that Honda did a good job of creating a better feeling Honda than in the past. The frame changes are an improvement that actually makes me want to go ride this bike instead of just looking at it in the garage. I am NOW looking forward to riding red! Good job, Honda!
