For the past two seasons we have watched Jett Lawrence dominate both SX and MX on his way to winning races, and championships. Last year, he even went undefeated on his 2023 CRF450R in the Pro Motocross Championships, making us all believe that his bike was the best on the track. In Canada, Dylan Wright, while maybe not as smooth and precise on the track as Jett, has also enjoyed the same level of success. The 2023/24 CRF450R has no doubt proven itself as a bike that is capable of winning championships at the highest level but, has it been a bike, friendly to the masses?
Before I answer that question and talk about the all-new 2025 CRF450R, I want to share my personal experience with the now older generation CRF450R. Last year, with the help of Sturgess Cycle in Hamilton, ON, I was able to ride a 2023 CRF450R for the entire race season. At the time I was very excited as years ago, some of my best results in the pro class came aboard a Honda. As I started to ride this bike last year I noticed a strange issue with the overall handling. When the bike was new, and for the first 5-6 hours of break in, everything appeared fine and handling was predictable. However, as soon as the chassis and suspension broke in, the handling characteristics changed dramatically. I’ve learned over the years that with the modern day 450 machines, none of them work well in every condition we encounter as riders. This trait will always be somewhat of a conundrum, as the average rider doesn’t have the time or resources to constantly alter their set-up to ensure consistent handling. The idea is to take the set up where you’re happy with the bike, and then try and make that window as large as possible. When I tried to apply this philosophy to my 2023 CRF450R, I found the window to not only be very small, but also very challenging to enlarge. Even with suspension changes, different torque settings on certain nuts and bolts, the bike would either work great, or not at all. As you can imagine, this was very frustrating, and I found my 2024 CRF450R to have most of the same issues. The biggest problem I felt with the 2023/24 CRF450R was the rigid feeling that the chassis gave me when I was riding. So, I was always under the impression that the frame was simply too stiff, and it was not being allowed to flex enough when needed. This gave the bike an unpredictable feeling, and we all know how that can affect our confidence as riders. Also, going back to the success we watched this bike have at the pro level, made things even more frustrating. How could this bike be so good under Jett Lawrence, but such a handful under not just me, but every test rider I spoke in the past year. Well, after last week I now know why.
When Honda announced that the 2025 CRF450R was going to feature significant changes to its chassis, everyone was excited. So, as you can imagine I was super pumped to head down to Indiana last week for the media launch of this new and exciting machine. The plan was to fly down on Wednesday, enjoy the official presentation on Wednesday evening, complete with Go-Karting with Hunter Lawrence, Try Canard, and Chance Hymas. Then on Thursday, we would be able to spin our first laps in the 2025 CRF450R at the iconic Ironman Raceway. Obviously, I was very excited to ride this new bike, but I was equally excited, for the reasons I mentioned above, to sit through the presentation and hear what changes have been made for 2025, and why the older generation CRF450R handled the way it did. The presentation did not disappoint, as Trey Canard explained in perfect clarity that the big issue with the older generation chassis wasn’t that it was too rigid, it was that it wasn’t rigid enough. The frame simply flexed too much, and that unpredictable feeling that rider’s felt, was the frame flexing under load. For instance, I really felt the 2023/24 being unconnected to the track when entering choppy corners. After listening to Trey speak, this made perfect sense as the older frame did not like having side load (from setting up for the corner), as well as load on the steering stem (brought on by the bike also hitting braking bumps), at the same time. This would cause the old frame to flex and twist, and give the rider that unpredictable feeling. This is the last thing a rider wants, regardless of their speed or experience. Trey would go on to explain that halfway through the 2023 Pro Motocross Championships they gave Jett an updated frame with plates welded on in specific places. This was well within the rules that the AMA has set out as far as riders using stock frames, but it changed the entire handling characteristics of Jett’s bike. Jett loved it and instantly Honda knew they were onto something. As I mentioned, it was interesting to hear that the changes made to Jett’s bike last summer directly influenced how Honda constructed the frame on the 2025 CRF450R. And it didn’t stop with just the chassis; Honda Japan and their R&D Department took a lot of what Trey Canard (Honda’s resident test rider), and the Lawrence Brothers had to say. Trey finished his speech by saying that in his memory, this was the first time the co-operation between Honda USA and Honda Japan has been so wide spread when it came to a new MX model.
So, before I go into how this new 2025 CRF450R works on the track, let’s look at what is new for next year.
NEW FOR 2025
- Updated main frame constructed of 70% new components to optimize rigidity and improve handling characteristics.
- New subframe mounting point optimizes lateral rigidity and reduces energy transmission from the rear of the bike to the front.
- The rigidity of the steering stem, triple clamps, outer fork tubes and front axle have all been revised to match the frame updates.
- The fork features new springs, kit-fork-inspired Bending Control Valves, seals and oil for a consistent feel throughout the stroke, while minimizing harsh feedback.
- A new shock spring, reservoir, shaft and oil seal contribute to a consistent stroke feel to match the fork updates.
- The linkage has been updated to a one-piece structure that enhances rigidity, to improve tracking and stability performance. It also features a new leverage ratio that decreases pitching while improving bottoming resistance.
- The front brake caliper has an updated piston and seal grooves for consistent performance throughout the moto. It also features new machined accents.
- The redesigned airbox provides a straighter pathway for airflow, improving throttle control and top-end power
- The revised header pipe design is longer, creating more controllable power in the low-to-mid rpm range.
- New ECU maps offer smoother delivery while retaining strong torque and power throughout the rev range.
- The redesigned bodywork features smooth, flat surfaces to promote freedom of movement and offer a large contact point for gripping the bike.
- Rear-shock removal time has been cut in half by eliminating the need to remove the subframe in order to access the shock.
As you can see there are a plethora of changes to the 2025 CRF450R, and that it why Honda had invited all of the North American moto journalists to Indiana to test ride this new and exciting bike. After an hour bus ride from our hotel out to the track, we were extremely antsy to get dressed and throw our legs over one of new 2025 CRF450R lying in wait. The Decal Works graphic company made me a custom set of number plate backgrounds, so my bike with the big #26 easily stood out under the Honda tent. Once we all got dressed it was time to head onto the Ironman track and brave the hot and humid conditions. As I mentioned at the beginning, since I have considerable time on the 2023/24 CRF450R, I was excited about the prospect of this apples to apples comparison. From the moment I got on the track I felt comfortable on the new bike. The track conditions were soft and it didn’t take long for some ruts and bumps to develop. This was the perfect testing grounds for any new bike. Two items instantly stood out to me and that was the new frame, as well as the new ECU settings. With the 2025 CRF450R’s being over 10% more rigid than the previous model, you can feel the added stability and predictability on all areas of the track. Gone is that flexy feeling when entering and exiting corners, but still present is the trademark Honda corning prowess. I was running a recommended sag of 102mm and that seemed to work best with the ride height and stability of the 2025 CRF450R. I also went in five clicks on the front fork compression adjusters as the track was still very soft from the overnight rain. This combination made the bike feel very balanced and connected to the track. Additionally, with the new sub-frame upper mounting point being in more rigid position, this helped to reduce that ‘pitchy’ feeling that is common on 450 four-strokes under braking and acceleration. This is actually very noticeable when riding, as it just helps to give the bike more of a balanced feel. Add in the new suspension settings, and it didn’t take long before I felt comfortable to twist the throttle and increase my level of aggression.
For me, other than the changes to the frame and overall chassis feel, the biggest improvement for 2025 is with the new air box, and updated ECU settings. Trey Canard mentioned during the presentation that the new air box design is directly from the factory bikes, and that originally it was Jett and Hunter Lawrence’s Dad who suggested they alter the design on the CRF250R. He comes from a car racing background and he wondered out loud one day why the stock CRF250R air box didn’t provide more of a direct path for the air to travel. The factory team then jimmy’d up a new air box for the boys to try, and it ended up giving the bike four more HP. The 2025 CRF450R has the same new design and coupled with the new ECU settings, it really frees the engine up, particularly when it comes to the throttle response. I always felt like the older model had a ‘jerky’ throttle response coming out of corners. This, along with the chassis combined to give the 2023/24 model an unbalanced feel. The 2025 CRF450R has eliminated all of those issues as the power output is now smooth as butter.
All the changes to the 2025 CRF450R added up to now, have made this bike one of the most comfortable to ride in its class. Gone is that unpredictable and unconnected feeling that the older model had. My day of riding at Ironman Raceway last week was unforgettable. The more aggressive I got and the more I pushed the new 2025 CRF450R, the better it responded. However, even when I rode the bike more conservative, it still gave me the same comfortable feeling. I even like the look of this new bike, as the red shrouds and side plates are different. It was also cool that after each session on the track, I was met with Trey Canard asking me what I thought and what changes I wanted to make. You could tell how proud he was of this project and the work he and his R&D crew had put into it. I had a great day and thank you to Honda Canada and Honda USA for making it happen. I cannot wait to get my hands on a 2025 CRF450R and ride it more at home. Finally, consumers can now enjoy riding a CRF450R bike that is much closer to the bike that Jett and Hunter Lawrence ride. This will also benefit Dylan Wright as he now has this incredible new bike waiting for him when he returns from injury.