2021 Honda CRF450R First Ride Opinion

Honda820
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Honda820
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2021 9:43am
I’m a B level vet rider. I know that people close too me will accuse me of being biased when I brag on this 21 because I’m a Honda guy, but this new bike is impressive! It’s better than the 20 model in every way possible. The power is laid out so much better, it doesn’t have that explosive hit of the previous generation and in return makes the bike absolutely carve a turn. It feels much lighter and nimble. You can throw it around easier. Much better leg and knee grip. Clutch is great and the air filter change is so much better. I prefer to ride in 2nd gear high in the rpms and this bike has a broad 2nd gear. It can carry 3rd gear through the corners also. The mapping issue is real and needs to be cleaned up, but its extremely over exaggerated by the bike reviews. It’s not as bad as they make it sound. It’s obviously there in the low RPM’s of map 1, but it’s really short lived. Yes, it needs to be updated, but it’s not a deal breaker at all. It’s most noticeable in map 1 which is the best map in my opinion. Map 3 doesn’t have the rich feeling, but map 3 had too much power for the track that I was on. Couple things too note, I didn’t ride it with stock forks, I put my 2020 WE forks on it. I used my 2020 rear spring with the 21 stock shock and the bike felt so good for the first ride. I also tightened down the steering stem as I do on all of my Honda’s to take care of any twitchiness on the front end. I really don’t have many negative comments about the bike. It could use a taller skid plate up front, the engine is wide open up front for possible rock damage. The hook location located on the air box that’s used to lock down the air filter could be made a little deeper too eliminate any possibility of the metal latch coming off. I’m not real stoked on the hydraulic hose and throttle cable routing, but I didn’t pay any attention to it when riding. I’ve ridden all of the 21 models aside from the Suzuki and the Husky. None of them felt as good as the Honda. I don’t know what it is about the Honda cockpit, it just feels really good in my opinion. The fit and finish is typical high quality as normal. Just my 2 cents. Now...time to dress her up 👍

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Honda820
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Honda820 11/18/2020 10:17am
11/18/2020 10:17am


9
GPrider
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GPrider 11/18/2020 11:16am
11/18/2020 11:16am
nice write up. You used last years forks. So because they are shorter by 5mm, is that why you have them flush?
1
Honda820
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Honda820 11/18/2020 1:07pm
11/18/2020 1:07pm
Yeah, I started with them flush. I’ll keep playing around with the fork height to see how it affects the handling. I ran my 2020 forks at 2-3mm high and it did well.
hubbardmx50
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hubbardmx50 11/18/2020 1:40pm
11/18/2020 1:40pm
Kick ass. I want to ride one
1

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Bogett287
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Bogett287 11/18/2020 2:39pm
11/18/2020 2:39pm
After reading that the 20 forks work ok I sim mine putting my kyb a-kit forks back on and have them flush . I love my 21 crf 450 so much better then my 18 crf
3
Jardo
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Jardo 11/18/2020 2:55pm
11/18/2020 2:55pm
Dear previous posters,

Could you guys be quiet.


Sincerely,

The owner of a '19 who was hoping to get a steal on some new suspenders..
8
H4L
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H4L 11/18/2020 6:14pm
11/18/2020 6:14pm
Thnxz for posting your review.
Hard to imagine it’s that much better than a 20 model. A 20 WE I own is really good once it was set up. Looking forward to riding a 21 hopefully in the near future..
4
Honda820
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Honda820 11/19/2020 5:21am
11/19/2020 5:21am
H4L wrote:
Thnxz for posting your review. Hard to imagine it’s that much better than a 20 model. A 20 WE I own is really good once it...
Thnxz for posting your review.
Hard to imagine it’s that much better than a 20 model. A 20 WE I own is really good once it was set up. Looking forward to riding a 21 hopefully in the near future..
I agree man, the 2020 is a great bike.
1
mirramaxx
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mirramaxx 11/19/2020 12:16pm
11/19/2020 12:16pm
OP this makes me want one even more now !
I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get a different truck,

My big gripe is that these new honda bikes are all common case now.

Thanks for the write up ! .
kiwifan
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kiwifan 11/20/2020 12:29pm
11/20/2020 12:29pm
mirramaxx wrote:
OP this makes me want one even more now ! I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get...
OP this makes me want one even more now !
I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get a different truck,

My big gripe is that these new honda bikes are all common case now.

Thanks for the write up ! .
sorry if I missed the point, but why is 'common case' an issue?
Meister
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Meister 11/20/2020 6:25pm
11/20/2020 6:25pm
Heard from my sales guy today and should have an answer Monday when mine will actually show up.. ughh..
mxvet90
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mxvet90 11/21/2020 4:40pm
11/21/2020 4:40pm
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
1
nascarnate326
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nascarnate326 11/21/2020 7:18pm
11/21/2020 7:18pm
mxvet90 wrote:
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as...
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
Which previous Honda does it compare to best?
Bogett287
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Bogett287 11/21/2020 7:58pm
11/21/2020 7:58pm
mxvet90 wrote:
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as...
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
Try n see if twisted devolpement will remap your stock ecm if that’s how your going to do it. Way better had a buddy and Shia to them and didn’t feel any difference in bike at all . Sent to twisted and was amazing
mxvet90
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mxvet90 11/22/2020 4:09am
11/22/2020 4:09am
mxvet90 wrote:
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as...
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
nascarnate326 wrote:
Which previous Honda does it compare to best?
Probably the 2017 except no clutch fade and air forks
mxvet90
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mxvet90 11/22/2020 4:12am
11/22/2020 4:12am
mxvet90 wrote:
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as...
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
Bogett287 wrote:
Try n see if twisted devolpement will remap your stock ecm if that’s how your going to do it. Way better had a buddy and Shia...
Try n see if twisted devolpement will remap your stock ecm if that’s how your going to do it. Way better had a buddy and Shia to them and didn’t feel any difference in bike at all . Sent to twisted and was amazing
Who did your buddy send his ecu to and felt no difference?
Bogett287
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Bogett287 11/22/2020 5:30am
11/22/2020 5:30am
mxvet90 wrote:
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as...
Took mine out for the first time today. 48 year old vet B rider. I’m 175 lbs and the suspension didn’t feel soft to me as was described in tests. I have the full Yoshimura Ti exhaust and running VP T4 and felt most comfortable in maps 1 and 2 then rode mostly in map 2 the rest of the time as map 3 was a little much for my old ass. I too noticed the slight bog in the lower rpm range and noticed it in all 3 maps. This bike feels very KTM like in my opinion, very light feeling on the track. My previous Honda’s were 2008, 2013 and 2017 and this bike seems more planted, especially in corners. I’ll get Tokyo Mods to update the ecu, which only changes maps 2 and 3.
Bogett287 wrote:
Try n see if twisted devolpement will remap your stock ecm if that’s how your going to do it. Way better had a buddy and Shia...
Try n see if twisted devolpement will remap your stock ecm if that’s how your going to do it. Way better had a buddy and Shia to them and didn’t feel any difference in bike at all . Sent to twisted and was amazing
mxvet90 wrote:
Who did your buddy send his ecu to and felt no difference?
He sent it to tokyo mods
LKHill
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LKHill 11/22/2020 7:54am
11/22/2020 7:54am Edited Date/Time 11/22/2020 7:29pm
3 bones to reflash a map, why not just get the tool and learn something? I understand R&D ain't cheap but, C' MON' MAN!

11

Pit Row

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eastcoastmx54 11/22/2020 3:53pm
11/22/2020 3:53pm
Honda820 wrote:
I’m a B level vet rider. I know that people close too me will accuse me of being biased when I brag on this 21 because...
I’m a B level vet rider. I know that people close too me will accuse me of being biased when I brag on this 21 because I’m a Honda guy, but this new bike is impressive! It’s better than the 20 model in every way possible. The power is laid out so much better, it doesn’t have that explosive hit of the previous generation and in return makes the bike absolutely carve a turn. It feels much lighter and nimble. You can throw it around easier. Much better leg and knee grip. Clutch is great and the air filter change is so much better. I prefer to ride in 2nd gear high in the rpms and this bike has a broad 2nd gear. It can carry 3rd gear through the corners also. The mapping issue is real and needs to be cleaned up, but its extremely over exaggerated by the bike reviews. It’s not as bad as they make it sound. It’s obviously there in the low RPM’s of map 1, but it’s really short lived. Yes, it needs to be updated, but it’s not a deal breaker at all. It’s most noticeable in map 1 which is the best map in my opinion. Map 3 doesn’t have the rich feeling, but map 3 had too much power for the track that I was on. Couple things too note, I didn’t ride it with stock forks, I put my 2020 WE forks on it. I used my 2020 rear spring with the 21 stock shock and the bike felt so good for the first ride. I also tightened down the steering stem as I do on all of my Honda’s to take care of any twitchiness on the front end. I really don’t have many negative comments about the bike. It could use a taller skid plate up front, the engine is wide open up front for possible rock damage. The hook location located on the air box that’s used to lock down the air filter could be made a little deeper too eliminate any possibility of the metal latch coming off. I’m not real stoked on the hydraulic hose and throttle cable routing, but I didn’t pay any attention to it when riding. I’ve ridden all of the 21 models aside from the Suzuki and the Husky. None of them felt as good as the Honda. I don’t know what it is about the Honda cockpit, it just feels really good in my opinion. The fit and finish is typical high quality as normal. Just my 2 cents. Now...time to dress her up 👍

Hey Honda820, I have a 20 Crf WE and a ktm450 FE and a 21 crf WE on order. My question is, how is the engine compared on the 21 vs 20. I really love the engine on my 20 WE, it’s totally different then a standard crf. It’s really smooth but very free revving which I love. My ktm is just to slow revving even with a twisted vortex on it compared to my WE. I know the 21 engine seems to be a better delivery then previously but is it still as free revving as you 20.
1
Honda820
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Honda820 11/22/2020 6:41pm
11/22/2020 6:41pm
Honda820 wrote:
I’m a B level vet rider. I know that people close too me will accuse me of being biased when I brag on this 21 because...
I’m a B level vet rider. I know that people close too me will accuse me of being biased when I brag on this 21 because I’m a Honda guy, but this new bike is impressive! It’s better than the 20 model in every way possible. The power is laid out so much better, it doesn’t have that explosive hit of the previous generation and in return makes the bike absolutely carve a turn. It feels much lighter and nimble. You can throw it around easier. Much better leg and knee grip. Clutch is great and the air filter change is so much better. I prefer to ride in 2nd gear high in the rpms and this bike has a broad 2nd gear. It can carry 3rd gear through the corners also. The mapping issue is real and needs to be cleaned up, but its extremely over exaggerated by the bike reviews. It’s not as bad as they make it sound. It’s obviously there in the low RPM’s of map 1, but it’s really short lived. Yes, it needs to be updated, but it’s not a deal breaker at all. It’s most noticeable in map 1 which is the best map in my opinion. Map 3 doesn’t have the rich feeling, but map 3 had too much power for the track that I was on. Couple things too note, I didn’t ride it with stock forks, I put my 2020 WE forks on it. I used my 2020 rear spring with the 21 stock shock and the bike felt so good for the first ride. I also tightened down the steering stem as I do on all of my Honda’s to take care of any twitchiness on the front end. I really don’t have many negative comments about the bike. It could use a taller skid plate up front, the engine is wide open up front for possible rock damage. The hook location located on the air box that’s used to lock down the air filter could be made a little deeper too eliminate any possibility of the metal latch coming off. I’m not real stoked on the hydraulic hose and throttle cable routing, but I didn’t pay any attention to it when riding. I’ve ridden all of the 21 models aside from the Suzuki and the Husky. None of them felt as good as the Honda. I don’t know what it is about the Honda cockpit, it just feels really good in my opinion. The fit and finish is typical high quality as normal. Just my 2 cents. Now...time to dress her up 👍

eastcoastmx54 wrote:
Hey Honda820, I have a 20 Crf WE and a ktm450 FE and a 21 crf WE on order. My question is, how is the engine...
Hey Honda820, I have a 20 Crf WE and a ktm450 FE and a 21 crf WE on order. My question is, how is the engine compared on the 21 vs 20. I really love the engine on my 20 WE, it’s totally different then a standard crf. It’s really smooth but very free revving which I love. My ktm is just to slow revving even with a twisted vortex on it compared to my WE. I know the 21 engine seems to be a better delivery then previously but is it still as free revving as you 20.
The 21 power is free reving and broad. Better bottom to mid than the 20 WE and just keeps going. 👍
3
mirramaxx
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mirramaxx 11/22/2020 7:22pm
11/22/2020 7:22pm
mirramaxx wrote:
OP this makes me want one even more now ! I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get...
OP this makes me want one even more now !
I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get a different truck,

My big gripe is that these new honda bikes are all common case now.

Thanks for the write up ! .
kiwifan wrote:
sorry if I missed the point, but why is 'common case' an issue?
I can't say its an issue as I've never owned a bike that was common case, For me the peace of mind my engine oil is only being used for the engine and like wise for the clutch.



1
kiwifan
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kiwifan 11/22/2020 8:02pm
11/22/2020 8:02pm
mirramaxx wrote:
OP this makes me want one even more now ! I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get...
OP this makes me want one even more now !
I had a 13 crf450 and loved that bike, then ended up selling it to get a different truck,

My big gripe is that these new honda bikes are all common case now.

Thanks for the write up ! .
kiwifan wrote:
sorry if I missed the point, but why is 'common case' an issue?
mirramaxx wrote:
I can't say its an issue as I've never owned a bike that was common case, For me the peace of mind my engine oil is...
I can't say its an issue as I've never owned a bike that was common case, For me the peace of mind my engine oil is only being used for the engine and like wise for the clutch.



oh I see now, so its your biggest gripe but you dont know if it is actually a problem....gotcha Smile
2
Meister
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Meister 11/23/2020 7:17am
11/23/2020 7:17am
I was very happy when honda switched back to one sump.. changing 2 oils sucked ass..
4
2
mirramaxx
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mirramaxx 11/25/2020 9:28am
11/25/2020 9:28am
kiwifan wrote:
oh I see now, so its your biggest gripe but you dont know if it is actually a problem....gotcha Smile
Gripe automatically means issue or problem?? Anyways, op thanks again for the right up on the 21.
2
Dylanmx51 12/27/2020 8:50am
12/27/2020 8:50am
Is the 2021 CRF450 more stable than the 2020 ? I ride Yamaha all my life and i struggle to find a good setting on my 2020 so i wonder if i'm going to stay red in 2021 or going back to blue..
1
RCMXracing
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RCMXracing 12/27/2020 10:34am
12/27/2020 10:34am
LKHill wrote:
3 bones to reflash a map, why not just get the tool and learn something? I understand R&D ain't cheap but, C' MON' MAN!

Not a bad idea. Suspect you need a PC laptop (not Mac) and won’t have the good fuel and ignition settings unless someone posts them. Would be a learning curve of trial and error, but doable, not rocket science. Would almost want to test in a field somewhere vs. a track.

Sooooo, anyone have those maps? 🤔
RCMXracing
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RCMXracing 12/27/2020 10:41am
12/27/2020 10:41am
Any insiders that know for sure if the later model 2021 deliveries had the ECU re-flashed at the factory? I believe they were based on riding a very early delivery vs. my later (couple weeks ago) delivered 21.

The later model I don’t notice the issues that I notice on the earlier bike. This is subjective, bikes ridden different days, different tracks, but similar temps. As of now I don’t plan on a re-flash for mine. It’s a rocket.
Mlhonda
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Mlhonda 1/27/2021 9:43am
1/27/2021 9:43am
I picked up my 450rwe a week ago and on first ride noticed the issue right away. Called Honda and got a case number, taking back to the dealer next week. How many people have actually got in touch with Honda about the issue? The guy I talked to at Honda didn't say that they were getting very many complaints about it!
1

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