2021 Honda CRF 450 First Impressions

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Edited Date/Time 10/27/2020 11:35am












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anniebertmojo
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anniebertmojo 9/17/2020 9:32am
9/17/2020 9:32am
The MXA video got pretty in depth. I saw on Josh Mosiman's Instragram account they were still there at 5pm riding. And 2.5 hours on the bike the 1st day. That's pretty cool.

Great job by all the media outlets... looks like Honda really did there homework.
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SwapperMX
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SwapperMX 9/17/2020 9:40am
9/17/2020 9:40am
Keefer's break down easily the best. Bike sounds like it's good but not a game-changer as some expected.
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AH387
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AH387 9/17/2020 9:51am
9/17/2020 9:51am
SwapperMX wrote:
Keefer's break down easily the best. Bike sounds like it's good but not a game-changer as some expected.
My thoughts exactly
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moto67e
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moto67e 9/17/2020 10:00am
9/17/2020 10:00am
Of these 4 major testers, who is the fastest? I'm assuming Mosiman would be the fastest, but how would you rank the other 3?

Mosiman, Keefer, Pingree, Foster?
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quadzrulebro 9/17/2020 10:01am
9/17/2020 10:01am
They’re all so good today that without a major technological breakthrough (electric or something along those lines) it is hard to imagine that any new bike will truly be a game changer at this point.
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LKHill
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LKHill 9/17/2020 10:02am
9/17/2020 10:02am
Most hype and one of the biggest letdowns ever.
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LKHill
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LKHill 9/17/2020 10:04am
9/17/2020 10:04am Edited Date/Time 9/17/2020 10:05am
moto67e wrote:
Of these 4 major testers, who is the fastest? I'm assuming Mosiman would be the fastest, but how would you rank the other 3? Mosiman, Keefer...
Of these 4 major testers, who is the fastest? I'm assuming Mosiman would be the fastest, but how would you rank the other 3?

Mosiman, Keefer, Pingree, Foster?
Foster is faster than Keefer and Ping. Ping is faster than Keefer but it's close.
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ccullins
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ccullins 9/17/2020 10:12am
9/17/2020 10:12am
moto67e wrote:
Of these 4 major testers, who is the fastest? I'm assuming Mosiman would be the fastest, but how would you rank the other 3? Mosiman, Keefer...
Of these 4 major testers, who is the fastest? I'm assuming Mosiman would be the fastest, but how would you rank the other 3?

Mosiman, Keefer, Pingree, Foster?
Going off of what I personally saw out there with these guys during the CRF 450 first day it would be
Mosiman
Keefer
Foster
Pingree

However it probably means nothing as these guys where testing and not worried about doing hot laps and sometimes guys look slower or faster than they actually are
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JohnMatrix
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JohnMatrix 9/17/2020 10:13am
9/17/2020 10:13am
quadzrulebro wrote:
They’re all so good today that without a major technological breakthrough (electric or something along those lines) it is hard to imagine that any new bike...
They’re all so good today that without a major technological breakthrough (electric or something along those lines) it is hard to imagine that any new bike will truly be a game changer at this point.
I agree with this. It sounds like the bike is an improvement in pretty much every way over the 2020. If you're a fan of the previous generation, like I am, I think the bike may be a winner. My biggest complaints about the previous generation were chasing setup too much for a rough track and awful clutch pull. Sounds like there are some solid improvements but I'll be watching to see longer term feedback before I put my money where my mouth is.
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opyguy
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opyguy 9/17/2020 10:28am
9/17/2020 10:28am
Good to see pat foster
Have always loved his reviews, funny him and keeper both spoke to low end rich feeling
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Jardo
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Jardo 9/17/2020 10:43am
9/17/2020 10:43am
opyguy wrote:
Good to see pat foster
Have always loved his reviews, funny him and keeper both spoke to low end rich feeling
Mosiman did too.. He just referred to it as a "gurgle"
ccullins
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ccullins 9/17/2020 10:51am
9/17/2020 10:51am
opyguy wrote:
Good to see pat foster
Have always loved his reviews, funny him and keeper both spoke to low end rich feeling
We also felt it. I was wondering if the other guys did too, thought maybe being that we’re more off-road guys we where the only ones using the lower RPM, however pure MX guys felt it too.
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Dirty Points 9/17/2020 10:51am
9/17/2020 10:51am Edited Date/Time 9/17/2020 11:05am
SwapperMX wrote:
Keefer's break down easily the best. Bike sounds like it's good but not a game-changer as some expected.
But note how personal all this shit is. Both 170-lb fast A guys, same track and day:

Keefer: "Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock have better action and plushness in 2021, but to me is still on the soft side for a 170 pound fast rider. You will have to increase fork compression dampening a few clicks as well as open up the rebound dampening one click."

Pingree: "At 170 pounds i loved it last few years have been awesome suspension settings. This felt a little bit firmer so maybe they're going more for a 185 200 pound guy, so i opened up clickers six front and rear.
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AH387
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AH387 9/17/2020 10:56am
9/17/2020 10:56am
Dirty Points wrote:
But note how personal all this shit is. Both 170-lb fast A guys, same track and day: Keefer: "Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock...
But note how personal all this shit is. Both 170-lb fast A guys, same track and day:

Keefer: "Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock have better action and plushness in 2021, but to me is still on the soft side for a 170 pound fast rider. You will have to increase fork compression dampening a few clicks as well as open up the rebound dampening one click."

Pingree: "At 170 pounds i loved it last few years have been awesome suspension settings. This felt a little bit firmer so maybe they're going more for a 185 200 pound guy, so i opened up clickers six front and rear.
I thought about that too. And also how Ping was talking about how torquey the bike felt, but Keefer and Mosiman said that it didn't like 3rd gear around a lot of the corners and needed 2nd. Always interesting when people can feel different things about the same bike.But also goes to show that a review/shootout can only do so much for the consumer. No one can tell you what you will feel, on any particular bike.
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tek14
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tek14 9/17/2020 11:01am
9/17/2020 11:01am
Dirty Points wrote:
But note how personal all this shit is. Both 170-lb fast A guys, same track and day: Keefer: "Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock...
But note how personal all this shit is. Both 170-lb fast A guys, same track and day:

Keefer: "Plain and simple the Showa fork and shock have better action and plushness in 2021, but to me is still on the soft side for a 170 pound fast rider. You will have to increase fork compression dampening a few clicks as well as open up the rebound dampening one click."

Pingree: "At 170 pounds i loved it last few years have been awesome suspension settings. This felt a little bit firmer so maybe they're going more for a 185 200 pound guy, so i opened up clickers six front and rear.
AH387 wrote:
I thought about that too. And also how Ping was talking about how torquey the bike felt, but Keefer and Mosiman said that it didn't like...
I thought about that too. And also how Ping was talking about how torquey the bike felt, but Keefer and Mosiman said that it didn't like 3rd gear around a lot of the corners and needed 2nd. Always interesting when people can feel different things about the same bike.But also goes to show that a review/shootout can only do so much for the consumer. No one can tell you what you will feel, on any particular bike.
Both A-riders but to me Ping searching easier sunday rider as Keefer/Mosiman trying to go fast.
Normal Honda PR hype and bike is just one 450f more and still about 7kg heavier than KTM/Husky/GasGas.
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Johnny Depp
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Johnny Depp 9/17/2020 11:01am
9/17/2020 11:01am Edited Date/Time 9/17/2020 11:02am
Lots of double apex's developed on that track with only 1 model bike on it. Lot's of rear tires sliding after apex too. No berm railing going on. Classic oversteer.

Vertex is going to sell quite a few colored ECU's.
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zehn
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zehn 9/17/2020 11:04am
9/17/2020 11:04am
Johnny Depp wrote:
Lots of double apex's developed on that track with only 1 model bike on it. Lot's of rear tires sliding after apex too. No berm railing...
Lots of double apex's developed on that track with only 1 model bike on it. Lot's of rear tires sliding after apex too. No berm railing going on. Classic oversteer.

Vertex is going to sell quite a few colored ECU's.
Incredible analysis
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Adam43
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Adam43 9/17/2020 11:36am
9/17/2020 11:36am
Honda consistently seems unable to nail the setup on their first year models.

Thankfully it sounds like a good platform and should only take a few tweaks.
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jamiechapman418 9/17/2020 11:49am
9/17/2020 11:49am
AH387 wrote:
I thought about that too. And also how Ping was talking about how torquey the bike felt, but Keefer and Mosiman said that it didn't like...
I thought about that too. And also how Ping was talking about how torquey the bike felt, but Keefer and Mosiman said that it didn't like 3rd gear around a lot of the corners and needed 2nd. Always interesting when people can feel different things about the same bike.But also goes to show that a review/shootout can only do so much for the consumer. No one can tell you what you will feel, on any particular bike.
AMEN!
Chris99Flannery 9/17/2020 11:56am
9/17/2020 11:56am
Johnny Depp wrote:
Lots of double apex's developed on that track with only 1 model bike on it. Lot's of rear tires sliding after apex too. No berm railing...
Lots of double apex's developed on that track with only 1 model bike on it. Lot's of rear tires sliding after apex too. No berm railing going on. Classic oversteer.

Vertex is going to sell quite a few colored ECU's.
Swap seemed the most honest. Not informative as such, but he seemed a bit underwhelmed it wasnt the handling package right away we were hoping for is what i took. Pat had to get the train back on the ‘positive’ tracks at the end.
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BRAPPWHIP86
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BRAPPWHIP86 9/17/2020 12:09pm
9/17/2020 12:09pm
No powered magnetic suspension? With the tech we have we need a button on handlebar that makes last four inches of stroke magnetic for the big hits.
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Donkey Kong
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Donkey Kong 9/17/2020 12:15pm
9/17/2020 12:15pm
Adam43 wrote:
Honda consistently seems unable to nail the setup on their first year models. Thankfully it sounds like a good platform and should only take a few...
Honda consistently seems unable to nail the setup on their first year models.

Thankfully it sounds like a good platform and should only take a few tweaks.
It's more so the nature of a bike that is front end bias. The setup window is inherently smaller.
Johnny Depp
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Johnny Depp 9/17/2020 12:21pm
9/17/2020 12:21pm
Does this bike still run the steering dampener? The video from Dirt Bike Test with the onboard Go Pro consistently showed the front fender wagging after the apex. I realize Glen Helen sand is a bitch, but it seemed like it needed a dampener.
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deluxeman
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deluxeman 9/17/2020 12:24pm
9/17/2020 12:24pm
BRAPPWHIP86 wrote:
No powered magnetic suspension? With the tech we have we need a button on handlebar that makes last four inches of stroke magnetic for the big...
No powered magnetic suspension? With the tech we have we need a button on handlebar that makes last four inches of stroke magnetic for the big hits.
Yes! That tech is out there and has been for several years. I am sure people are playing with it to see if it is a viable technology in MX/SX. It will work it's way in, but dirt bikes are not the most cutting edge race machines on the planet.
greg570
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greg570 9/17/2020 12:24pm
9/17/2020 12:24pm
After listening to this reviews it seems there won't be any availability issues...
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Spudnut
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Spudnut 9/17/2020 12:25pm
9/17/2020 12:25pm
LKHill wrote:
Most hype and one of the biggest letdowns ever.
Welcome to the age of social media
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