2023 Honda CRF450R-S

Comfort

• RENTHAL "FATBAR": The aluminum Renthal Fatbar features a bend that’s even better than the legendary Honda “CR” bar. You’re gonna love it!
• BLACK RIMS: They may not help you go faster, but the black DID DirtStar rims sure look good.
• FLAT SEAT/TANK JUNCTION: The CRF450R-S features a flat seat/tank junction, including a titanium fuel tank. The superior ergonomics make it easier to move forward and back on the bike, increasing your control.

Convenience

• ELECTRIC STARTER: Kickstarting? Maybe if you’re riding in the vintage class, but not here. By ditching the kickstarter entirely, our engineers can make the CRF450R-S lighter. Electric starters and lithium-ion batteries are so light now and so good that putting them on a bike like this is a win/win combination. And winning is what a CRF450R-S is all about.

Engineering

• HRC LAUNCH CONTROL: We’re talking about a special ECU program here: push the button to select the mode, hold the throttle open, release the clutch, and the CRF450R-S will do the rest, launching you into the first turn with a big advantage. It turns your bike into a holeshot-seeking machine!
• HONDA SELECTABLE TORQUE CONTROL (HSTC): The button on the handlebar by the clutch perch activates our Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). You can choose from one of three settings to perfectly dial your bike in depending on how much traction is available.
• ENGINE MODE SELECT BUTTON: This simple handlebar-mounted button lets you dial in engine power delivery character with a push of your thumb. Choose between Standard, Smooth and Aggressive, depending on track conditions.
• SPECIAL REAR BRAKE PADS: Brakes are for more than just stopping: they help you set up the bike in turns and jumps. The 2023 CRF450R-S’s pads are designed for long life and to give you superior stopping power—a real win/win to help you win.
• 260MM FRONT BRAKE: The CRF450R-S’s large front-brake disc measures a whopping 260mm. You get great brake feel and a pattern that cuts down on weight. Front and rear brake-disc guards are part of the package too.
• TITANIUM FUEL TANK: Grams and performance count, and the CRF450R-S uses a titanium fuel tank. Light and strong, it’s also thinner than our previous plastic unit, while maintaining the same capacity, freeing up more space and helping to centralize fuel mass.

Handling

• ALUMINUM FRAME: The CRF450R-S’s twin-spar aluminum frame positions the rear shock’s mounting point lower, opening up the airbox area and contributing to a lower center of gravity for more holeshots. The frame geometry also helps improve traction, feeling and steering precision.
• LOW-MOUNT BATTERY BOX: Check out the battery-box location on the 2023 CRF450R-S. Putting it low in the chassis helps lower the overall center of gravity, which is always a benefit for responsive handling.
• DIALED-IN SUSPENSION SETTINGS: The CRF450R-S has special suspension settings designed to work with its chassis and engine. What you’ll experience is excellent overall performance and superior front/rear balance.
• SHOWA SPRING FORK: The 49mm Showa fork features a conventional spring design that helps increase the CRF450R-S’s front-suspension precision, handling and feel. The spring rate provides better bottoming resistance and improved handling.
• SWINGARM: The CRF450R-S’s swingarm uses a special fabrication technique that lets us fine-tune the flex to work with the chassis and give you better rear traction and cornering precision.
• TWIN-MUFFLER EXHAUST SYSTEM: The CRF450R-S’s dual exhaust system is light, compact, and positioned close and low in the frame to take weight off the rear end and bring more mass to the bike’s center for improved handling. It also allows for more air flow, and that equals added horsepower.

Performance

• 450CC UNICAM ENGINE: Honda Unicam cylinder head combines the best of single- and double-overhead-cam designs. The configuration contributes to a compact engine that saves weight over a comparable dual-overhead-camshaft motor and also permits a narrow included valve angle. This flattens the combustion chamber to facilitate ignition flame propagation, allowing a high compression ratio. Since less space is taken up in the cylinder head, the camshaft sits lower in the head for a more compact engine and a lower center of gravity.
• TITANIUM INTAKE VALVES: Lightweight titanium intake valves cut down on reciprocating mass and permit the use of smaller valve springs, reducing overall engine height.
• DOWNDRAFT FUEL INJECTION: The CRF450R-S features a downdraft intake tract and FI body to help increase both power and fuel-metering precision. It’s part of the reason the CRF450R-S offers such explosive power and massive torque, especially out of the starting gate and in the critical first 100 feet of the race to the first turn.
• DOUBLE-SPRAY INJECTOR SETTINGS: The CRF450R-S’s fuel-injection system sprays twice per intake cycle. That helps increase fuel atomization without adding the weight or complexity of a second injector. The better fuel atomization means more power in the midrange and on overrev—you’ll feel it the first time you race.
• DUNLOP MX3S TIRES: Developed using Dunlop’s “block-on-block” design technology, the CRF450R-S’s MX3S tires give excellent feedback and are a perfect complement to the CRF450R-S’s frame and suspension.
• CYLINDER HEAD LAYOUT: The CRF450R-S uses our finger-follower rocker design. The Unicam cylinder head remains one of the most efficient in the MX world, giving you the design and performance of a double-overhead-cam layout but the compactness of a single-overhead-cam design.
• COMPRESSION RATIO: The CRF450R-S features a refined squish area that helps boost compression to an impressive 13.5:1. That means improved combustion efficiency for more power.
• "IN MOLD" GRAPHICS: With all the time you’ll be spending in victory circle, you need to look your best. The 2023 CRF450R-S has you covered. Our “in mold” graphics look great, and stay looking good.
• SKID PLATE: A factory skid plate is light and offers the engine and lower-frame protection that a racer demands.