I can’t stand it when I have a question about my CRF450R and I can’t find a specific answer to my question quickly. Here at Dirt Bike Vault, I set out to solve that.
No more scanning through pages and pages of words to find what you’re looking for.
Our goal is to not only answer any question you’re looking for about the Honda CRF450R, but to give you the answer quickly and make it simple to find.
We provide the most common and important information at the beginning of this article, with more detailed information in sections following that, and wrap up the article with frequently asked questions.
You can click the topic you’re looking for in the table of contents below to go directly there, or simply scroll to the section you need below.
Most Important & Common Want-to-Know Information about the CRF450R
CRF450 Horsepower
As dirt bike riders, we have to know how fast our bikes go and how much power they have. Race bikes and motocross bikes, like the Honda CRF450R, make us want to know even more.
The CRF450R horsepower is 53.8 hp.
Check out how this horsepower translates into CRF450R top speed.
Honda CRF450R Carburetor or Fuel Injection
Not surprisingly, Honda’s top-motocross bike, the CRF450R, comes stock with fuel injection. These days, all the major manufacturers provide fuel injection on their four-stroke race bikes.
Not all have electric start though – I’m looking at you, Suzuki…
Electric Start or Kick
Again, not surprising here, but the Honda CRF450R does have electric start.
CRF450R Oil
Honda recommends the CRF450R engine oil to be 10W-30. The CRF450R engine oil capacity is 1.06 quarts for just changing the oil. If you also change the oil filter, the oil capacity is 1.10 quarts. If you disassemble the engine, the oil capacity is then 1.43 quarts.
Wheels and Tires
The Honda CRF450R comes stock with a 21-inch front wheel and a 19-inch rear wheel. The front tire dimensions are 80/100-21 and the rear tire dimensions are 120/80-19. The bike comes stock with Dunlop MX33 tires front and rear. This tire (MX33) is tied with our other favorite dirt bike tire – Dunlop’s paddle tire.
It’s important to note that the above information is for the R model NOT the RX model.
CRF450R Weight
A CRF450R weighs 245 pounds wet (which means including all fuel and fluids).
CRF450R Suspension
In the front, it comes stock with 49mm inverted Show forks with adjustable rebound and compression and 12.2 inches of travel. The rebound has 13 positions and the compression has 15.
The rear shock is a Pro-Link Showa shock that has 12.4 inches of travel and allows you to adjust spring preload, rebound, and high- and low-speed compression. The rebound has 11 positions and the compression has 6.
CRF450RWE Suspension
The CRF450RWE suspension is the same as the CRF450R except that the CRF450RWE forks come with titanium oxide-coated lower fork legs.
Brakes
The bike comes stock with a 260mm disc brake in the front with a twin-piston caliper and a 240mm disc brake in the rear.
CRF450R Gearing
The CRF450R and CRF450REW come stock with a 13-tooth front sprocket and a 49-tooth rear sprocket. It also comes with a #520 chain.
Honda CRF450R Overview
Honda dirt bikes have always been one of the most beloved brands with the most devoted fans. Austrian-built bikes, like KTM, have been gaining in popularity over the past 5 or so years, with Yamaha gaining a lot in the last year or two, but Honda is still one of the best dirt bike brands.
Did you know Honda was actually one of the first dirt bikes, or do you know what CRF stands for?
The Honda CRF450R is one of Honda’s flagship dirt bikes. With Chase Sexton doing very well in supercross and motocross the past two years, and Jett Lawrence‘s domination (Hunter did well, too), Honda’s popularity is only growing. And fast.
Honda dirt bikes are popular because they’ve historically been some of the most reliable machines you can buy. Not just dirt bikes, but all Honda machines – cars, motorcycles, etc.
This leads to more fun riding and less frustration and repair/parts costs.
Here’s our CRF450R the day we bought it and brought it home:
Below is our CRF450R once it’s been updated a little and on a fun practice day:
And below is an open practice day on our CRF450R (it matches our CRF 110 perfectly):
CRF450R Specs
Above in this article, we touched on the most important and common want-to-know information about the Honda CRF450R.
Whenever I buy a new bike, am thinking about buying a new bike, or am buying parts for a bike I just bought, I have questions about certain things. The information covered in the article so far answers nearly all those common questions I have.
In this section here, we’ll provide all of the technical specs about this dirt bike, in case there is more information that’s detailed or nuanced that you’d like to know.
Engine Specs
- Displacement: 449.77cc (rounded up to 450cc)
- Bore x Stroke: 3.7795 in x 2.4464 in (96.000 mm x 62.138 mm)
- Compression Ratio: 13.5:1
- Induction: Programmed Fuel Injection with 44mm downdraft throttle body (CRF450R) and 46mm downdraft throttle body (CRF450RWE)
- Transmission: close-ratio 5-speed manual
- Drive: Chain
- Engine Type: 4-stroke
- Cooling System: Liquid-cooled
- Valve Train: Unicam SOHC (4-valve)
- Number of Cylinders: Single cylinder
Chassis Specs
- Front Suspension: 49mm inverted Showa fork with rebound (13) and compression (15) adjustments (12.2 inches of travel) (CRF450RWE has titanium oxide-coated lower legs)
- Rear Suspension: Single Pro-Link Showa shock with spring preload, rebound (11) and low-speed and high-speed compression (6) adjustments (12.4 inches of travel)
- Front Brakes: 260mm disc
- Rear Brakes: 240mm disc
- Front Tires: Dunlop MX33 80/100-21
- Rear Tires: Dunlop MX33 120/80-19
Dimensions
- Length: 85.9 inches
- Width: 32.6 inches
- Height: 49.9 inches
- CRF450R seat height: 38.0 inches
- Footpeg height: 16.9 inches
- Wheelbase: 58.3 inches
- Rake (Caster): 27.1 degrees
- Trail: 4.5 inches
- Ground clearance: 13.2 inches
- Fuel capacity: 1.66 gallons
- Weight: 245 pounds wet
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Frequently Asked Questions about the CRF450R
A CRF450R has 53.8 HP.
A Honda CRF 450 cost $9,599 MSRP. The CRF450RWE model is $12,399 MSRP.
The CRF450R and CRF450RWE are nearly identical bikes, except the CRF450RWE comes stock with a hand-ported cylinder head, premium DID DirtStar LT-X rims, Yoshimura exhaust system, titanium oxide-coated lower fork legs, Hinson clutch basket and cover, an RK gold chain, special ECU settings, Throttle Jockey gripper seat, revalved suspension, HRC graphics, and a Twin Air filter.
Yes, a crf450 is a good bike for anyone who is looking for a high-quality, fast, reliable motocross bike.
A CRF 450 has 5 gears and the shift pattern is one down, five up.
Yes, the CRF450R has electric start.
It’s a bit old these days and a bit outdated, but a 2005 CRF450 is still a good bike.
