Ever since getting a complete overhaul in 2017, the Honda CRF450R continues to take on minor revisions and tweaks. The same holds true for 2020. Even though the 2020 CRF450R sees a few minor changes, Honda, as usual, made the best of those changes. Recently, Honda gave us a chance to ride the finely re-tuned 2020 CRF, and we came away pleasantly surprised by what we found.
2020 Honda CRF450R First Review
You won’t see any breakthrough changes on the 2020 Honda CRF450R, but you will see some mods worth talking about, most notably the CRF’s new Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTV). This is Honda’s definition of traction control. The 2020 CRF450R also gets updated engine mapping, new suspension and launch control settings, updated brake pads, and a repositioned battery box. Honda also removed the rear disc brake guard, which Honda felt blocked cooling air from reaching the disc, thus hindering braking performance. As a results, it is gone. Photos: Kit Palmer
Small Changes, Big Difference
Seemingly small changes to the suspension and chassis actually made noticeable improvements in overall handling and bump absorption, and a some of this has to do with the new battery box location, which is now set 28mm lower in the chassis. Repositioning the battery box was two-fold. For one, it lowers the bike’s overall center of gravity to improve balance and feel of the motorcycle, and; two, it provides a straighter shot of uninterrupted airflow to the engine which improves power. Both these things were immediately felt on the track. The Honda has better balance and better power.
Putting Power To The Ground
The CRF450R has never been a slouch in the power department, but it’s probably the best its ever been now. The CRF feels more powerful than it did previously and, surprisingly, the delivery is even smoother than before. This combo is something you don’t see happen too often. Grab a handful of throttle at almost any rpm, and the CRF will respond immediately and with authority. It hooks up well, too. Honda did a great job delivering usable power to the ground with the 2020 CRF450R.
New Mapping Puts New Life Into The CRF’s Engine
Honda tweaked the three mapping adjustments that are available via a button on the left handlebar. Each mode is far more distinguishable than before and can be toggled through while still aboard the motorcycle. You just have to count the blinking lights on the button to monitor which mode you’re in: two blinks mean soft, one blink standard, and three blinks aggressive. We found the standard mode to be pretty good all-around, at least on our near-ideal day at Fox Raceway in Pala, California. The track started out moist and tacky but dried out as the sun emerged from behind the clouds.
Honda’s Torque Control (Traction Control) System Works
Traction control works. Honda’s new HSTV system is no gimmick. There are three levels of intervention at thumb’s length, and, like with the engine-mapping modes, each one has a distinctive feel, from very noticeable, to noticeable, to not very noticeable. We feel Honda’s traction control system will be a great asset when it comes to ever-changing track conditions, which we hope to confirm after putting more time on the bike in the near future. Between the adjustable HSTV and engine mapping control systems, it’s pretty cool how you can use the two systems to complement each other when fine-tuning the power delivery. For example, you can go agro with the most aggressive engine mapping and then dial in the most amount of intervention in torque control (TC), or go mellow with engine mapping and dial in the least amount of TC, or you have everything else in between–there are plenty of combinations to play around with. We see a lot of value in this, and we’re looking forward trying out all the combinations on multiple tracks as soon as we can.
Lot’s To Learn
Honda revamped its launch control settings (again, there are three modes to chose from), which we are anxious to experiment with in actual race conditions. Among the HSTV, launch control, engine mapping adjustments, there are a lot of buttons and blinking colored lights that you have to learn and memorize. We’d like to see a simpler system, for sure, but like anything else, after time, you’ll figure it all out, and it will all come naturally. But until that day arrives, it is all, well, confusing. Still, it’s not a terrible problem to have.You just have to remember which button does what.
We Like What We’ve Seen So Far
At a claimed curb weight of 247 pounds, the CRF450R is not the lightest bike in its class, but it is certainly in the ballpark. It still an easy bike to throw around and feels very agile, a bit more so than last year. We might not be huge fans of dual mufflers but the Honda is indeed quiet. That part we do like. The 2020 CRF450R did go up in price by $100. MSRP is now $9,399.
