2025 Honda CRF450 homologation

I would assume line G with the August 1st date is when the change occurs. 

I thought the manufacturers just had to prove that they shipped the needed amount of bikes to the USA by August 1st..not necessarily "available in the dealerships". I'd say its a gray area they use to get the new bike on the track.

FWIW I saw someone riding one at my local track on August 11th. 

We got 2, on the 26th of July at our dealership.

My nephew picked up a 25' 450 and 250 this past Wednesday 

Yah that was how I read it too. It only says that they have to make them available to any AMA pro, and   Import X amount of bikes before  a certain date.

 They could have had them sitting in warehouses for months already and dealers are trying to thin out their 24 inventory.  

The other thing , On pulp they said that the 25 is VERY close to the  modified 24 they have been racing. So that made me wonder if they might have put 25 bodywork on the 24. I have not looked at the bikes closely so maybe I'm way off. But that was what I was thinking when they said that.  

 I have seen them showing up in dealers around me over the past couple weeks. Multiple bikes on the dealership floors.

 Way back when I first got started doing decals ( 2006ish), I got a job doing some lettering for the local racing org ( NESC).  They were advertising on the trailers of a local freight company that picked up the crates from the port, warehoused and delivered 2 or 3 of the 4 Japanese brands to most of New England . They had a warehouse full of all the newest bikes ,ATV's and UTV's . I imagine that there are places like that all over the country that have had 25's sitting for a bit. It was so cool to see . From outside You would NEVER guess that was what was inside. Just another trucking company from the outside. But when You walked in, that smell of fresh plastic and rubber . That new bike smell. Only the UTV's were visible from outside of the crates.  

 There were a couple 450's that must have sold between me seeing them the last couple days and now.   That image of #34 is from a local track last weekend.  Looks like the 250's are easy to find. I saw a 2025 WE in NJ. But they used a stock photo so I did not grab it. They are out there . I've got templates for them. And have  had templates for a while now ,that I bought from a person who made them using a 450.  Some dealers only got 1 or 2.  They will be easy to get soon enough.   

Line G is pertaining to already homologated machines.  It wouldn't apply to the 'next year's' model.  Or at least shouldn't.  

They have to have them 'shipped' or have had them available for sale by June 1.  They have to have 'availability' to anyone with an AMA Pro license through August 1 for that same year homologated machines, unless they can prove that they all sold out.  And they can only count 8 bikes used by their pro teams towards the 400-bike threshold.   

Find what the penalty is for not meeting the minimum # of bikes and post it.   Last year there was not a penalty that was clearly written out.  Unless You are trying to race Ironman or the SMX rounds ,  You or Your buddy not being able to get one is not going to change anything.   If You/they were trying to line up at a AMA pro race and are not able to get a bike than that is another thing. But even then, the rule states that the bike only has to be available until August 1st.  UNLESS they have documented proof of having the bikes in the country before those dates. In that case they have met the rule and tough luck. 

 Unless I missed something it doesn't say anything about the general public being able to get a bike. If Honda had the 400 bikes sitting in warehouses , and has now sold all of them/delivered them to dealers. Than they are not required to make the bike available at all to anybody. 

It is kind of a strange gray area of the rule about the dates. And leaves it so there is a hole in the rules if they start to race them after August 1st. If they were racing them in July and You were trying to get one to race a national. Than they would have to help you get one. But the rule can be interpreted in ways that are not in the spirit of what the rule is supposed to do.  But in the end, Honda will make way more bikes and anybody who wants one will be able to get one in the next 6 months or so.   

Did they add a clear penalty for 2024. I pointed out that there was no penalty in the rule book for breaking the rule last year.    ML said it was going to get changed and  the penalty would be a large fine.    I have not taken the time to read the entire rule book this season so I did not see if it is clearly in the rule book. 

 But really , Honda will make many more than 400 CRF450's  and by 2025 will have many more  bikes in the country.   For most Pros , I would think that switching to a new generation bike at this point in the year would be a step backwards. They would not have any test time, access to aftermarket parts is VERY limited .  It's not going to be any more of an advantage than Hunter will have next  year anyway.   

 Its cool they made it happen . Even with Tim  Gasier racing one all season in MXGP , the bike still is new for many people to see.  And it injects something into the races as it starts to be a predictable outcome each weekend. Might even give fans a reason to get out to a race in person when they might not have if not for the new bike.  I'm a Honda guy , but I am all for any brand to bring out their newest bikes. 

Write in a rule  they can still be penalized if the bike they homologize is not the bike that comes out in production. If something changes between the early bikes and the real production bikes. A special rule for cases like this when a new model year bike is raced early.   

The penalty "should" be not passing AMA tech, but that ship has sailed obviously.  Personally, I don't think it's a huge issue as long as the manufacturers are not protesting each other.  But it sure seems like they could get into a pissing match with each other if they wanted to.  

saw a used one .... $9800 - no tax

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/468043449442022/?ref=search&r…

Does anyone think these type of rules are "actually" being enforced? I feel like they're just words in a book.

I'm not stating that anyone's cheating, but I've also never heard of a mfr. having trouble with this. I'm more so of the opinion that the AMA will let stuff slide within reason, rather than penalizing Honda for something like this. 

My guess is Honda simply got 400 shipped in country, showed proof, and AMA said ok good to go. 

Is there potential for timing issues with that (gray area)? I'm sure, but I don't see how this hurts anyone at all. I've already seen several 2025s locally anyway.

There are +200 CRF450R and +400 CRF250R, 2025 models available at US dealers right now shown on Motohunt.

Actually that's more 2025 than 2024 on dealers floors for the 250.

When it has been brought up before   it was a what if the team had raced the entire  year. SX from the start. It could be possible to win a title and than  not  have enough bikes in the country and  break the rule that way. In that case, What do You do? 

 Take the title away from the rider? is that fair to the rider?

Fine the team? Is that fair  o other teams? Depending on the fine, a team could just decide it was worth it. 

I know a lot of what ifs. And honestly I am glad there is wiggle room for newer smaller brands to be able to get into pro racing. But  a rule without clear penalty is not a strong rule. 

 If the AMA is worried about putting a genie back in the bottle when it comes to electric in AMA pro racing.  Why are they not worried that something like this will happen when You have the Factory edition/Works edition/etc. models these days ?   Or with a brand like Ducati coming in and being new to the segment.  

Honda could probably do whatever they wanted and the AMA wouldn't do shit about it. 

What's the grey area? They got the 2025 model homologated half way through 2024. It's obvious that they have bikes available through dealers. There's no rule stating that you can't homologate a new bike at any time through the year, is there?

I bought one from our local dealer yesterday. Broke it in today.

I bet some of you swear the little league is playing with corked bats.

There were 2 at a local po-dunk track down here in TN 2 weekends ago.

If these exceptions were also applied to small builders (TM?) I’d be 100% for it. But if the exception only applies to big OEMs wanting to race next year’s bike, that’s not available to the public, then it’s a bad rule. 

I’m old, I remember the garbage they used to put in the showroom before the production rule in 86. Bikes got WAY better in the few years after the rule. Going back to works bikes would benefit factory riders only, the rest of us would get whatever mediocre stuff they want to sell. 

They would have to have the 400 models available by June 1 the way I understand the rule. 

The grey area being that the way the rule is written, about having to make the bike available for other pros up until August 1st. And not after. And nothing about the general public having to be able to buy bikes.  

I think that people are stuck on the 400 bikes by June part of the rule. And the bikes not being able to be bought yet  back in June . Now I would say its clear that there are at least 400 of them in the US. But were they here before the June deadline?  I am going to guess that they were. And that they were in warehouses waiting. Just like a lot of the other 2025 products. Gear , helmets, etc. It is not uncommon these days to setup the intro of a new model year product so that it is in dealers  almost right away ,right after they make it public. 

I think that Honda racing the 2025 is doing it in a way that is in the spirit of the rule. Maybe not right up  to the letter of the rule the way that some people are interrupting it. But there is a good chance they have had it homologated for months now. And 2025's have been in warehouses just waiting for the levels of 2024's to get lower before they lined up on it.  The past  couple new models have been raced a year early in MXGP so they have been around a while. People seem to forget that most "new" stuff has been made close to a year ago , and have been worked on since the last major change. Its new to the public. But there are guys at every manufacturer riding bikes that are a generation or 2 ahead of what is out for sale, testing and developing them so that when they come out in 2 of 6 years, they are as good as possible.   

Were there 200 by March 1, and 400 by June1? That’s the start. Seems a simple enough question. I assume Honda is met that in some way.

If not, and not enforced, then change or eliminate the rule for the future. 

All I know is Triumph absolutely did not meet the homologation criteria this year and nothing happened. As long as that check clears with the ama, all is good.

The manufacturers work side by side with the series, they’ll bend the rules when need and most likely did with the new crf450. What is the Mx series gonna do? Say no? All Honda has to do is say ok we are pulling out and they get whatever they want out of Mx sports or feld. A series without factory Honda in it would be blasphemy.😆